Called on to create a private retreat in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto interior design firm ACDO had the opportunity to subvert the conventional waterfront getaway. The client had a clear vision for his home situated on a sandy stretch of Lake Ontario — “Canadian beach house meets Asian resort,” says ACDO founding partner Abraham Chan, one that not only invoked the surrounding natural environment but also incorporated elements inspired by his global travels. 

The space itself was unconventional: 929 square metres spanning the fifth and sixth floors (the penthouse units, which the client had combined) of a mid-construction condominium. A vast blank slate with striking views of the lake, it presented a unique situation, but also a challenge to create intimacy in such a sprawling footprint. The resulting interior finds equilibrium by coalescing local and global inspirations and creating secluded zones amid open spaces.

The juxtaposition begins in the elevator lobby, a small space with lower ceiling heights that the firm embraced, cladding the walls and ceilings with warm wood to create the effect of a spa-like corridor. Upon turning the corner, things expand dramatically into a double-storey volume, where the open dining, living and lounge area offers views of the lake and beyond.

Chan and ACDO partner Sam Khouvongsavanh organized the penthouse with a wooden box at its centre to house the most essential activities, and surrounded it with realms for entertaining, relaxing and wellness. On the main level, the box contains a spacious kitchen, where royal blue lacquered cabinetry punctuates the otherwise warm wood palette. Upstairs, the volume constitutes the primary bedroom. As in the kitchen, sightlines extending to the water have been prioritized; the bedroom adjoins the cantilevered, glass-enclosed solarium, a special addition the client requested of the developers. The room offers panoramic lake views and features a hammam-inspired infinity-edge water fountain that enhances the sensory experience.

While many elements feel exotic — handcrafted tiles in the solarium were sourced from Morocco, and a living moss feature in the primary bath wouldn’t feel out of place in a luxury Balinese retreat — others reflect ACDO’s aim of finding commonalities between laid-back beach house typologies and tropical resorts. For instance, the wood cladding and block motif used throughout is common in Asian resort design, but here, ACDO realized it using Canadian oak and walnut. “The materiality and the way we detailed things felt local,” says Chan, “but we would apply the materials in a way that you would find in resorts.” A palette of deep blues and cool greys complements the weathered timber, both of which are used to subtle and dramatic effect throughout to emphasize the connection to water.

A deeply personal reflection of the client, the home is completed by his extensive art collection, commissioned and sourced largely from artists in Vietnam, Korea and other parts of Asia, as well as Canada and Europe. ACDO studied the collection and collaborated with Toronto- and New York City-based art consultancy Hanabi to effectively — and impactfully — incorporate pieces throughout the penthouse residence. But the most commanding piece of all: the lake beyond the windows. “It changes with the seasons,” Chan says. “It’s like a giant piece of art.”