After a Long Renovation, a 130-Year-Old House Blends Dreamy Architectural Details and Color-UseOfSmartHome

Gabriella Kranz and Kyle Pilot (and kids Magnolia and Harrison) Westmount, Quebec 2400 square feet Owned for 1.5 years

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Originally built in 1885, this historic house once served as the Mexican ambassador’s home before eventually being split in half and converted into a boarding house during World War II. When Gabriella and Kyle bought it in 2018, almost everything needed redoing. They had to change out the electricity, the plumbing, the lights, the floor, and they wanted to modernize the space while keeping the original character like plaster moldings, woodwork, and stained glass. This would be their first major home renovation project, and to save money, Kyle acted as their general contractor. “He supervised the work and hired all the workers independently, managed the budget, and so on,” Gabriella explains. “And this, working full time. He did not sleep for six months!”

Kyle is the CTO of iGotcha Media in Montreal and a tech lover, so he made the house a smart home in nearly every possible way. Gabriella explains there is a smart speaker system from Monoprice , Nest locks , a Samsung smart fridge and stove , Lutron smart lights , Nubryte smart hub lights and integrations with Alexa and Google home. Unfortunately, when they finished the renovation job (and after all those smart home integrations), there was no money left to furnish the place with the kind of “cool” design pieces they longed for. Instead, they turned to budget-friendly options for furnishings and invested in art they love.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style : Design on a budget.

Inspiration : Historic homes with modern interiors. Our inspiration was the quirky character of the place and the original elements dating back over 130 years.

Favorite Element : Our two favorite original features are the giant stained-glass window on the stairs and the moldings in the living and dining rooms.

Biggest Challenge : Insulating the house. We made a giant mistake not insulating our bedroom exterior walls when we stripped the room during the renos. In the frigid Montreal winters, it costs us a fortune to heat that room!

Biggest Embarrassment : How cold our bedroom gets in the winter.

What Friends Say : They say it’s the perfect space to host parties. People can spill out into every room and since the home has built-in ceiling speakers all over, you can dance wherever you are. They also tell us it’s very warm, inviting, and unpretentious.

Proudest DIY : All of the smart home additions.

Biggest Indulgence : Our two favorite purchases are in the kitchen: our Aquarelle granite counters (splurge!) and our Samsung smart fridge. We tend to live in the kitchen and the kids use the touch screen fridge to leave us notes and doodle while I cook. Friends also leave us cheeky notes when we aren’t looking.

Best Advice : Someone told us when we started renovating that it takes three house renos before you know what you are doing. Since this was our first major foray into transforming a house from top to bottom without a general contractor, we learned very quickly that making mistakes is par from the course. While you may save money doing it all yourself, you will probably save on mistakes going with a seasoned general contractor. As for interior decorating: Buy art that you love. It will bring you endless joy.

Dream Sources : With a limitless budget I would buy everything Rachel Castle creates. And I dream of a Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa but sadly it won’t fit it in the house!!!

Resources:

PAINT & COLORS

Farrow and Ball ⁠— WIMBORNE WHITE No.239

All curtain rods are from Structube

ENTRY

Harmony tiles ⁠— La Tuilerie

Modern chandelier ⁠— Canadian Tire

STAIRCASE

Love Art Tea towel ⁠— Rachel Castle

LIVING ROOM

Kyle sofa in Rust colour — Structube

Penny round cushion in gold — Rachel Castle

Bird cushions — Target

Black and white window seats — Custom made at Rembourrage Parisian in Montreal

Antique marble coffee table — Gift from family friend

NuLOOM Carpet — Wayfair

Modway Casper Modern Acrylic Dining Armchair in Clear — Amazon

White basket for blankets — Target

Yellow Velvet curtains — IKEA

Heart shaped neon — Urban Outfitters

Turquoise portable record player — Victrola

All the brass chandeliers and sconces were already installed in the house when we bought it. We restored them with new crystals purchased on Amazon, lots of TLC, and deep cleaning with WD40.

DINING ROOM

Orange and white window seats — Custom made at Rembourrage Parisian in Montreal

White Ingatorp dining room table — IKEA

Fischer Mobel Chairs — Cane Furniture

Eames Replica Shell chairs — Wayfair

Waterfall table — Structube

Giant antique mirror — Bought from previous owners because it’s impossible to move!

KITCHEN

Countertop — Aquarelle granite from Atelier Sumesura

Double sink — IKEA, this model discontinued

Kitchen cabinets — IKEA Bodbyn

Hansgrohe Faucet — Costco