Garden House was designed for a client who wished to remain in her neighbourhood while at the same time downsizing, modernizing, and making an artful contribution to the neighbourhood.
We designed the house to optimize its narrow lot and make a statement on a street lined with Victorian houses. Using an open concept layout, we applied several strategies to define rooms with flexibility and create an impression of spaciousness that belies the house’s small footprint. The breakfast room, with its large window, doubles as an indoor porch where the client can watch street life. Built-in seating in the sunken living room doubles as hidden storage and reduces clutter, and sliding glass doors to the backyard extend the interior space outside.
An open riser stairway with a skylight positioned above draws natural light into the heart of the main level, reducing artificial lighting demands. A library/office with floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of the mature backyard trees occupies the rear half of the second floor, and also provides access to a partial third floor housing the principal bedroom, with a modest three-piece bathroom and big windows.
