Between the hotel room and the loft apartment, the Saint-Laurent apartment is based on a hybrid use concept. Located in the Mile-end district, in the heart of Montreal's artistic cradle, the Saint-Laurent apartment was designed by Atelier Barda, who also designs the various pieces of furniture in the area.
The brief consisted of redeveloping this 106-square-meter space designed to welcome international clients and collaborators for a company working in the fashion industry during their stay in Montréal. The constraints of use, between the hotel room and the loft apartment, required designing a space that was both simple and warm to accommodate the diversity of its temporary occupants.
The layout of the original apartment has been re-configured to optimize the rooms and offer a fluid and private traffic between the bedroom, the dressing room and the bathroom. The space thus released offers a large living room open and bathed in natural light. The structure was intentionally left exposed, and the raw appearance of the envelope contrasts with the design of the interior details and the careful implementation of the materials.
Thus, the will of the architects was to think the different volumes in the form of flat areas. Each surface is treated to highlight materials and textures. The matt black oak kitchen declines, for example, subtle variations of nuances whose perception changes according to the light. The tall storage units have been recessed flush with the marble backsplash. The thicknesses of materials were concealed in order to obtain sharp edges at the junction of the surfaces, thus delicately blurring the perceptions of volume and juxtaposition. The designers have paid particular attention to these elements whose finesse confers the refinement of the project. The kitchen equipment and hardware of the doors and storage of the various rooms were concealed, and the handles designed to integrate with the various elements.
The architects, through their studio Foraine, have also designed all the free furniture parts of the project, and offer a custom-made collection as functional as refined. Thus, the two leather sofas with generous proportions and the oversized coffee table occupy by their presence the entire living space. A metal wire library with graphic lines and a marble bench along the entire length of the wall give life to this jewel case. The dining table and benches, made of solid oak and tubular black metal legs harmonizes with the materials of the kitchen. The bed and the desk of the room were also designed in solid oak contributing to a set with pure and sober lines.
