This Historic Renovation and Addition in Leaside is Stealth Modern
AAmp Studio balances functionality with neighbourly craft in this Leaside home
“One thing that defines the old from the new is a glass break,” says Anne-Marie Armstrong, co-principal of AAmp Studio, of the sleek delineator. For the architect and her firm, the tasteful renovation of a 19th-century home and modern addition in leafy Leaside for a childhood friend and his family marked a chance to respect history while designing anew. She calls the resulting style “stealth modern,” showcasing the role of new architecture within historical contexts.
The original compact home, measuring 168 square metres, sat on a spacious lot with mature trees, yet its floor plan wasn’t ideal for the family of five. They were sharing a single bathroom, while closed-off rooms meant a lack of connection. The brief: bring light and cohesion to the Neo-Georgian red-brick home and pair it with a spacious addition, all while nodding to period charm.
Certain cues like interior arches, organic materials, and playful pops of colour are seen throughout, while outside, a symmetrical layout of windows, aligned roof heights and slopes, and a traditional palette of rich grey board and batten (an approachable material tie-in to “the great black shutters”) provides a seamless narrative. “We didn’t want one to compete against the other,” Armstrong says. The rear facade of the addition even features brick painstakingly reclaimed from a covered garage on the property.
The front door location was maintained, but walking inside the centuries-old portion of the home now reveals a dedicated entry vestibule within a double-height space. To the right of the stairwell and down an extended barrel-vaulted hallway is the husband’s office with meeting space and a powder room. On the second floor is the couple’s primary suite with a generous wet room, oak-lined walk-in closet, and enveloping blue and white tile. A two-story glass bridge allows for “space and air between old and new,” according to Armstrong.
In the extension, you’ll find the open-concept kitchen, living, and dining spaces. Its curved openings and base palette of warm white walls, European white oak floors, a wood-backed breakfast nook, and a sculptural hearth allow a soft flow from one area to the next. Fans of colour, the homeowners were open to “moments of vibrancy,” as seen in spirited tile selections, which include a diamond-patterned entry, sage-and-white Zellige in their sons’ bathroom, and a whimsical wallpaper from Spanish brand Coordonné.
“When the light hits at a certain time of day, there’s a texture and a glow to the space,” she says.
Today, the bright, airy Leaside home supports the family’s daily rhythm. The neighbours are pleased as well, a reminder that with sensitivity and attention to detail, any home can evolve without losing its character.
