A Summerhill home open to change
The home of Jacqui Elliot and Bob, updated and with an addition by architect Tania Bortolotto. Her opening up of the house at the back aimed to, ‘bring the green in, bring the sky in, bring the light in,’ she says.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
A view of the home from the back at dusk.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
‘We knew we needed something bright, because we knew we’d be spending more time at home,’ says Ms. Elliot, who describes herself and her homebuilder husband as ‘quasi-retired.’Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
From the street, the home reads as a two-and-a-half storey, but from the back yard, the newly dug-down basement serves as level one of four.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
The home owners asked Ms. Bortolotto to provide for natural light, openness and barrier-free living – a challenge for a home that’s 15-feet across.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
Ms. Bortolotto’s design allows rooms to connect to one another via huge doors that swing aside and lock away.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
The kitchen design encourages conversation around a wide island.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
The steel-and-glass south face is balanced by natural wood balconies made from old joists recovered during demolition.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
The rear window wall opens onto the living room.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
A view from the staircase to the master bathroom.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
A curvy tub nestles under the arch of the master bath dormer window.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
The sculptural, riser-free staircase is yet another effective tool for light penetration.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.
The staircase. Bare feet are warmed by radiant heating on all four floors.Bortolotto Design Architect Inc.