Chudleigh

Chudleigh is a minimal home located in Toronto, Canada, designed by BAU AND ĆOS STUDIO. In a neighborhood where traditional homes often privilege privacy over openness, this transformation begins with a deceptively simple question: How do we create sanctuary while nurturing connection? The answer emerges through a masterful choreography of natural light and materiality. At the heart of the ground floor, a white oak tambour island stands as both sculptural centerpiece and functional pivot point. Its rounded corners—a subtle but crucial detail for young families—speak to the studio’s attention to how spaces are truly lived in, not just viewed. The tambour’s linear rhythm creates a visual dialogue with the curved pantry, their forms softening the transition between kitchen and living spaces while maintaining the clean aesthetic demanded by the clients’ collection of statement pieces.

The material progression throughout the home tells its own story of transformation. Like a photographer’s careful manipulation of exposure, the palette moves from deep, grounding walnut in the office to ethereal white oak in the kitchen. This isn’t merely an aesthetic choice—it’s a careful calibration of warmth and light that responds to both the home’s original character and its contemporary reimagining. Perhaps the most ingenious intervention comes in the second-floor washrooms, where the challenge of limited exterior windows sparked an elegant solution. Rather than accept these spaces as necessarily dark and utilitarian, the studio looked upward, installing skylights that transform these private spaces into light-filled sanctuaries. This move recalls the Roman impluvium, though here serving to bring light in rather than collect water, while maintaining the privacy essential to residential spaces.

The kitchen particularly exemplifies the studio’s sophisticated approach to contemporary domestic life. Upper cabinets disappear into white walls—a clever visual trick that maintains storage while preserving the space’s airy quality. Below, white oak veneered lower cabinets ground the composition, while quartzite counters and backsplash add subtle texture and durability. This layering of materials creates depth without heaviness, allowing statement pieces like the Bocci lighting to command attention without competition.

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