The renovation of Glasgow, a multilevel residence in Kitchener, Ontario, begins with a marked change in character. Dark mahogany interiors have given way to pale stone, white steel, oak, and glass, creating a lighter setting for rooms devoted to everyday living, entertaining, and relaxation.
Behind the redesign is Reigo & Bauer, an architecture and interiors studio known for contemporary residential work. Across the 5,050ft2 (470m2) home, the studio introduced a series of custom elements that recur through the entry level and basement.
The most prominent occupies the double-height entrance hall. A curved white steel staircase rises towards the upper floor, its exposed underside revealing the profiles of the treads and risers. A solid bronze handrail follows the slender balustrade, accentuating the stair’s broad sweep.
The new staircase replaced a smaller structure positioned to one side of the hall, where the earlier arrangement had left much of the volume empty. Completed in 2024, the renovation continues beyond the entrance through its repeated use of steel, limestone, oak, bronze, and glass.
Curved steel staircase replaces the original stair
The welded-steel staircase is finished in white, including the balustrade, stair edges, and articulated underside. Its broad curve replaces the modest stair that previously stood off to one side.
The plaster fireplace pillar and custom cooker hood also have rounded edges. Suspended inside the pillar, a three-sided glass fireplace stands between an informal seating area and the open-plan kitchen, allowing views through to either side.
Darker furniture and carpet distinguish the seating area from the pale kitchen beyond. The kitchen has handleless off-white cabinetry and a central island, with a breakfast nook tucked away to one side.
Limestone and oak cover the entry level
Two steps below the main floor, the sunken living room looks towards the forest. Existing columns clad in rough stone frame the outdoor views and had to be retained during the renovation.
Reigo & Bauer chose soft, neutral colours that would not compete with the stone. The furnishings include curvaceous sofas and a glass-bubble light by Giopato & Coombes.
Italian limestone covers the living-room floor and is carved into blocks for the steps leading down from the hall. The same stone lines sections of the hallway walls and surrounds the living-room fireplace.
Wide-plank oak flooring covers much of the remaining entry level. The oak provides a warmer colour than the pale limestone, while most of the other colour comes from furniture, carpets, and accessories.
A second steel staircase descends to the basement
Another white steel staircase leads from the entrance hall to the basement. Positioned to one side, it turns sharply back on itself as it approaches the lower floor.
Caramel-coloured carpet covers the stair, and its bronze handrail terminates at floor level. Foscarini sconces provide warm light along the stairwell.
The rooms below are reached from a central hallway. Floor-to-ceiling glazing along one side brings light into an exercise room and the sunken wine cellar. Glass returns measuring 36 inches divide the staircase, cellar, and gym while retaining glimpses between them.
A glazed hallway opens onto the wine cellar
The wine cellar contains a custom rack system made from oil-rubbed steel. A limestone podium occupies the centre, and a concealed door at the back opens into a cold-storage room for additional wine cases.
The extra cases remain out of view from the main cellar. From the hallway, the glass partitions provide views of the steel racks and stone podium.
The nearby bathroom door is covered in graphic-patterned wallpaper, introducing one of the few decorative surfaces on the lower level.
Oak battens line the entertainment rooms
Several steps down on the other side of the hallway, a lounge and games room face the garden. An open shelving unit separates the two rooms while retaining views between them.
Grey-stained oak battens wrap the walls of the lounge and games room. The gaps between the narrow strips create vertical shadow lines across the surfaces, while a lighter version of the same treatment covers the bar.
The renovation is tied together by details that reappear in different forms. Oak continues from the main-floor boards to the basement battens, bronze follows both steel staircases, and limestone moves from the entrance hall into the living room and wine cellar. In a house once dominated by dark mahogany, these repeated materials give the rooms across both levels a lighter and more consistent character.
Photos: Doublespace Photography
