A Strategic Shift To The Solarium Puts This Kitchen In A New Light

As you enter this family home in Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, a dazzling main entrance welcomes you, complete with graceful arches, glass doors and shimmering terrazzo floors. But the rest of the home lacked natural light thanks in part to some ill-placed walls and partitions.

The homeowners brought in Le Borgne Rizk Architecture to remedy the situation; their solution? A strategic shift for the heart of the home.

Previously, the house’s common spaces lacked brightness, with the exception of a forgotten solarium at the rear, bathed in natural light. Le Borgne Rizk Architecture took the bold step of moving the kitchen into the solarium to take full advantage of this abundance of light.

“Although this presented some technical challenges, the decision also offered the opportunity to reinvent the use of this residual space, and the result was more than worth it,” explains Sophie Le Borgne, Principal architect at Le Borgne Rizk Architecture.

The kitchen at Maison Côte-Sainte-Catherine is where the magic happens, distinguished by its elegance and use of noble materials. Granite countertops create a harmonious link with the shades of terrazzo, while walnut doors add a warm, timeless softness to the entire kitchen.

This architectural project emphasized the symbolic power of light, drawn from the contemplation of nature in the backyard garden. The result is a multiplicity of windows, glass doors and a solarium where light takes on its full meaning. This changing natural light creates a variety of plays of light, offering a changing picture to the rhythm of the seasons and inviting contemplation of the surrounding nature.

Photography by Studio CRBN.

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