Chic Interiors

Compiled by Pari Syal

Photography: Courtesy Act Design

 

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Designer Alain Thibodeau of Act Design chisels an old loft into an inclusive yet private lair for an art collector.

A former refrigeration warehouse with an imposing brick and concrete structure, within a hundred-year-old building situated near the port of Montreal, has provided the perfect backdrop for a twenty-first-century loft. 

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The client, a collector of modern art, gave Montreal’s Act Design carte blanche to design the interiors that would exhibit as many artworks as possible. His only restriction was: the use of traditional gypsum-board and plaster walls! His dream was to have a fluid space that would lend itself to the display and appreciation of art.

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Following a horseshoe plan, making it possible to have maximum exposure to the windows and to minimize circulation, the kitchen, dining room, and living room flow in a succession of integrated zones in the loft-inspired open area. Glass walls strike a balance between transparency and privacy – with crystal glass, clear glass and laminated glass juxtaposing the spaces, carefully avoiding any reflections on the works of art in the overall composition.

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Sleek lines and an understated chic ambience offer a largely neutral canvas to the minimalist works of art that blend in, in unpretentious charm, augmenting an almost-intellectual aura.

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The project has won Act Design the “Highly Commended” award in the Interior Design Apartment category in the Americas division of the International Property Awards, a competition based in London.