A Modern Dog House Was the Inspiration Behind This Minimalist Abode

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Renovating can be a slippery slope — but a good one. Take the case of a Toronto home handled by StudioAC: The client wanted a place to tuck away a dog bed ... which evolved into a complete gut redesign.

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What was StudioAC's idea? Creating what they dubbed "the mass," a multipurpose storage unit that ended up completely defining the structure of the living areas, as well as the tone of the three-bedroom home. Before the renovation, the house, located in the Dundas West neighborhood of Toronto, was dark, cramped, and broken up into separate rooms. Owned by a contractor who also acted as a consultant on the project, the 1,500-square-foot space was cleared out to create a sense of openness.

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Video of the Day

Because the design team was on a budget, they opted for inexpensive materials, incorporating elements from IKEA and cladding "the mass" with plywood from Home Depot for a sleek look. The team also got creative by using plywood boards for the flooring. By rearranging the layout, the house has transformed into an airy, open space complete with a playful home for Rusty the dog.

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Kitchen

In order to open up the space, the team created the uniting plywood mass that functions as a kitchen setup, storage space, and doghouse. The large plywood box also provides a closet underneath the stairs.

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Kitchen

Wood flooring is expensive. In order to stay within the allotted $200,000 budget, the team devised a "hack" that consisted of cutting up 6-inch plywood boards to arrange and install.

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Kitchen

Kitchen cabinets from IKEA blend with the plywood mass created by the design team. Ceasarstone counters stretch past the plywood box to lengthen the shared area.

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Kitchen

The doghouse came about because of a single line in the brief where the clients requested a storage space for their dog bed. To make the geometric doghouse pop against the plywood background, it was painted white.

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Dining Room

The dining table and chairs were part of the client's collection. The original fireplace was modified slightly with a steel plate in order to close off the old opening.

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Upstairs

For the staircase, the design team used plywood paneling on the walls and painted the steps white for a clean and light-filled appearance.

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bedroom
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Bedroom

The design team installed new windows and added wood trim.

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Bathroom

The bathroom cabinet space was custom built by Barkin. The cabinet is topped with Ceasarstone countertops and a faucet from IKEA.


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