Huntsville kitchen built for performance

This Huntsville kitchen is made of FSC-recycled Pine -- the same as was used for floors of the house. 

The backsplash is made from the roof tiles of a local barn that have been burnished and waxed. The countertop is Brazilian Slate -- a nice green that compliments the pine wood drawer fronts. 

All of the drawers are on full extension Blum Tandem Box Slides. For efficiency, they're all the same size, cutting down on cost while providing a wealth of storage and a continuous repeat pattern for visual interest. The drawer system makes everything perfectly accessible. Put simply, this kitchen works.

The kitchen is lit ambiently with pot lights; xenon pucks under the upper cabinets provide task lighting. 

Huntsville home oozes warmth

We converted this space from what was once an after-thought into a bright, clean master bed and bathroom with warm wood textured floors and trim, and selected antique fixturing like the claw & ball foot tub and overized pedestal sink. These pieces make a strong statement on an otherwise clean and understated pallette. 

We used architectural lighting to accentuate the richness of the wood and create great atmosphere. For instance, there's a light directly overhead the tub that illuminates only the area you need for reading when you are reclined in the bath.

Note the pronounced old sawtooth marks on the floor, especially the one below the tub.

Dayvan Showroom complete

In designing the downtown Toronto designer showroom for Dayvan (a division of Richelieu), we transformed a dark, 700-square foot contractors' order desk into a 2500-square foot display space.   

We appropriated approximately 1000-square feet from their warehouse, and to ensure the warehouse wouldn't be compromised, redesigned parts of it to be more efficient. This included vertical shelving, a new pick-up counter (with integrated storage), and a mezzanine. The mezzanine was simple to integrate and only required heavier framing -- so it was a no-brainer.

Steel posts were installed throughout the showroom to support the existing masonry stories above, and were then clad in FSC-recycled quarter-sawn Southern Yellow Pine, which was used along with Douglas Fir for the casings, baseboards, frieze, valence, sills, millwork and boardroom table. 

We wanted to make the space as flexible as possible so, rather than putting on a drywall or a dropped acoustic-tile ceiling, we stripped back all the layers -- reconfiguring the sprinkler system and incorporating a low-voltage track lighting system on four separate dimming channels. By exposing the ceiling joists and wood floor decking above and spray painting it all white, we made it visually interesting, bright and clean.

We polished all of the concrete floors in lieu of tiling or carpeting as we didn't want to add a layer of something just for the sake of it. It's beautiful, maintenance-free, and wears its history proudly. 

Wherever possible, we incorporated products that would be sold in the showroom itself, such as the MechoShades window coverings, MWH and crowder sliding door tracking systems.  

Announcing our new teak supplier

We've recently begun buying teak from a grower called PlanTeak. Based in Costa Rica, these guys are all about doing things the right way and, like us, are FSC-certified. Here's a peak at the teak. More on them here.

Note: The Teak will be arriving in log format - veneer grade as well as sawlog #1 and #2. We will be milling it for exterior furniture and selling the wood to boat builders and hobbyists, since the Canadian market has to date not had the possibility of wide plank Teak cut from fresh FSC logs. If interested, call for pricing.

New fireplace gives stone new life

This fireplace was built around the client's wish for a very simple firebox. We surrounded the firebox with stones from the foundation wall of a local Huntsville barn, and we incorporated one of its beams as the mantlepiece. It's been finished with linseed oil, turpentine and wax. The FSC-recycled Pine/Hemlock floor is flush with the hearthstones.

Archetype Sustainable House Completed

We're proud to announce the completion of The Archetype Sustainable House, one of the first LEED Canada Homes certified projects, built almost entirely out of FSC-certified wood products.

North on Sixty was chosen to build one of the two FSC-Certified archetype kitchens. The Southern Yellow Pine used was resawn from material gleaned from the Old General Electric Transformer plant (general office areas) located on the south/west corner of Landsdowne & Davenport.

LEED for Homes is a voluntary rating system that promotes the design and construction of high performance homes that use less energy, water, and natural resources; creates less waste; and are healthier and more comfortable for the occupants.