Bellamy is a brick bungalow in Scarborough where the owners wanted a bigger house without building an addition. We took out the load-bearing walls on the main floor and put in steel beams and point loads to carry the structure. Then we rebuilt the whole floor around the open space: a new kitchen, a mudroom, a bigger office, a stone fireplace with arched built-ins, and new floors, trim and doors. We found asbestos and fire hazards along the way and still handed the house back on the day we said we would.
The brief
"These clients came to me and they really wanted a bigger house but they didn't want to add an addition," James says. With the footprint fixed, the only way to get more space was to take out what was blocking the view across the floor. When you walked in the front door there was a small corridor, a large wall running down the floor and a narrow door opening into the next room. The owners also needed an office, and that had to survive the change.
The structure
Taking out load-bearing walls is the biggest risk on a job like this, and it was the main challenge from the start. The walls came out, and steel beams and point loads went in to pick up what they used to carry. One of those point loads came down in the basement. That was one more problem to solve before the main floor could be finished. The result is one open room from the front door to the back of the kitchen.
What we found
The house had asbestos. "We got the right people to come in and remove it safely," James says. It also had fire hazards, which we fixed. Everything has been inspected since. Neither problem moved the finish date: "We delivered the final product on the date that we said we would."
The design
Ceara at Juliette Interiors worked with the owners on a modern organic design: natural stone, oak and modern textures. The owners liked the natural elements, so the fireplace is stacked natural stone with an oak mantel, set between two arched built-ins with fluted white doors and oak shelves. A conduit runs from the cable box to the TV so no wires show.
The kitchen is custom throughout.
The island has pale oak sides and a dark top. The hood is curved at the corners, which the owners loved, and it ties in with the curve of the farmhouse sink. Dark appliances keep it modern. In the coffee niche, the shelf is lit from underneath and has a thin brass rail along the front so cups can't slide off. Details like that give the kitchen the personal, custom look the owners asked for.
The rest of the floor
At the front door there is now an open mudroom: a sage-green wall of cabinets with coat hooks, a bench, clothing storage and shoe storage. The office got bigger by taking a tub out of the bathroom next to it. That room became a powder room, and the office gained space for a desk, with cabinets painted to match. Ductwork that had to go somewhere was hidden in a linen closet, with shelving added for storage.
Watch it
The final-day walkthrough shows the finished floor room by room, and Bellamy on schedule is James on the problems and the finish date.
