Walking On Sunshine

Whoa, and don’t it feel good!

Homeowners of this late 1800s era South End Halifax townhouse, a family of sport and fitness enthusiasts who love to entertain, are now (quite literally) walking on sunshine as daylight bounces over their new maple floors.

This home has limited access to natural light due to the position of the shared south party wall. The home was also short on overall connection and flow (indoors and out) and lacked insulation or even a heat source in the kitchen. These were just some of the challenges faced in this redesign.

A modern kitchen with white cabinets and a black countertop island. Outside the sliding glass door, a patio with outdoor furniture and a wooden fence is visible surrounded by green trees.
A modern kitchen with mint green cabinets, a black granite countertop, a stainless steel refrigerator, a gas stove, and a vase of purple and white flowers on the island. There are pendant lights and artwork on the walls.
View from a doorway into a bright kitchen with sliding glass doors leading to an outdoor patio. The patio has chairs and trees visible outside. The kitchen has a black range hood and hanging pendant lights. The floor features black and white patterned tiles near the entrance, transitioning to light wood flooring farther inside.

A wall-to-wall Marvin sliding door brings in the late-day sun through the west-facing back wall of the kitchen and reinforces the connection to nature. The kitchen, a well-functioning space where the chef can interact with family and guests, is now flooded with natural light and is accessible to the garden. The garden space is now an extension of the living area and the hub of indoor/outdoor activity.

Modern kitchen with white cabinets, black countertop, exposed red brick wall, open wooden shelves with decorative items, a white farmhouse sink, black faucet, and a gas stove in the foreground.
View of a modern kitchen with mint-green cabinets, a black stovetop, a black range hood, and a vase of flowers on the dark countertop. There are framed city maps on the wall and a hallway with a sliding barn door in the background.

Relocating the powder room and laundry next to the shared party wall aligned the entry hall with the kitchen for a clear line of sight from front to back, with the big view into the garden as the focal point.

New cabinetry, a mix of Ikea cabinets and custom fronts and shelves, allowed for a low-cost approach with a custom feel. An improved layout, with a generous pantry taking the place of the old bathroom, maximizes storage, and a large island offers seating for the whole family. Repurposed elements, such as the kitchen sink, pantry barn door and powder room transom window, were incorporated into the design to instill a memory of the original space and to save resources.

A modern bathroom vanity with a black faucet, a round mirror with a gold frame, a black and gold geometric terrarium with small plants, a dark gray granite countertop with a white undermount sink, and white storage underneath with cylindrical containers.
View through a glass door of a kitchen interior with pendant lights, a kitchen island with a flower vase, and a hallway with a staircase. There is a large potted plant outside on a wooden porch.

The design features a happy materials palette, one not afraid of colour, with robin egg blue cabinets, rich soapstone counters, clear maple floors, a playful black and white patterned cement tile and an original exposed brick chimney. The crisp, modern detailing of the new elements allow the original features to stand out.

New insulation, air sealing work and in-floor heat in the entire back end of the house makes the kitchen comfortable in all seasons.

Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Type: Residential Renovation
Structural Engineer: Andrea Doncaster Engineering
Builder: Kestrel Builders
Windows & Doors: Marvin
Cabinetry: Ikea cabinets, custom fronts and shelves by Kestrel Builders
Photography: Matthew Rodgers

Decorative antique door plate with intricate patterns, a central bee motif with colored wings, mounted on a white wooden surface.