My Houzz: Harbor Views Enrich a Newfoundland Townhouse
Bigger windows in this brownstone bring in ocean sights, but more features for entertaining are just as much a draw
A property with a stunning view of St. John's Harbour, off-street parking and a double garage is hard to come by in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland, but Gerrie Nicholas got lucky with her townhouse, one of eight brownstones on a hillside lot. Nicholas renovated each floor and customized the layout of the main level, replacing all the unit's rear south-facing windows with floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of her beautiful ocean view.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Gerrie Nicholas
Location: Downtown St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Size: 2,400 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The townhouse sits on the site of the former Bishop Spencer College, a Church of England school for girls, which operated from 1845 to 1972.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Gerrie Nicholas
Location: Downtown St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Size: 2,400 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms
That's interesting: The townhouse sits on the site of the former Bishop Spencer College, a Church of England school for girls, which operated from 1845 to 1972.
BEFORE: By removing one of the walls shown here, Nicholas turned an inefficient kitchen layout into one more conducive to hosting. The island had protruded from a wall, making it awkward to walk around in the space. Nicholas rearranged the room, installed hardwood floors and replaced the cabinets.
AFTER: Newfoundland is known for its kitchen parties, and Nicholas loves to entertain, so she wanted the room to make a lasting impression. A massive granite-topped island now takes center stage in place of the previously misplaced island. The surrounding countertops are topped with a complementary darker granite, while new cabinets are painted a creamy off-white. The island cabinets and drawers are stained a deep brown.
Granite: Diamond Stone Formation; cabinets: Cherry Nook; drum lights: Lighting World; appliances: Sears; chairs: Winners; backsplash, door hardware: Rona
Granite: Diamond Stone Formation; cabinets: Cherry Nook; drum lights: Lighting World; appliances: Sears; chairs: Winners; backsplash, door hardware: Rona
AFTER: The kitchen now has its own cozy sitting area for reading, with traditional-style furniture. "I am inspired by many styles and enjoy when periods can be merged harmoniously," says Nicholas. The chairs are reproduction pieces by Councill Craftsmen in North Carolina, and the ottoman was made by hand in Houston. The hanging Rashdizadeh silk rug is from Iran, where Nicholas lived with her late husband for a year in the '70s.
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; drum lights: Lighting World; granite: Diamond Stone Formation
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; drum lights: Lighting World; granite: Diamond Stone Formation
Storage was really important for Nicholas, as she had moved from a 4,000-square-foot home into this townhouse. New built-in cabinets serve as a pantry and provide storage for serving dishes. The frosted glass door allows light into the basement, where there are no windows.
The kitchen opens to a deck with a barbecue for outdoor dining during the summer. About giving up a garden in the downsizing, Nicholas says, "I love to admire it but don't love the work. I now have two decks, and container gardening works for me."
Paint: Sisal, Benjamin Moore; Trim: White Down, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Sisal, Benjamin Moore; Trim: White Down, Benjamin Moore
The townhouse is built on a hill, and the south side of the basement provides a ground level walk-out through an attached garage. Prior to the renovation, the basement was one open, unfinished space. Nicholas split the space up by creating a porch area for coats and shoes and a closed-off, separate unfinished area for storage.
AFTER: The townhouse is four stories high, with two sets of oak hardwood stairs. On the main level are the kitchen, living room and dining room. During the renovation, a redundant hallway to the left of the stairs was closed off and turned into a small bathroom and a closet on the other side. The staircase was custom fabricated by local staircase specialist Dave Carter.
Wall paint: Indian White, Benjamin Moore; stairs: English Chestnut stain, Rona; canvas print of cove: Bold Creative
Wall paint: Indian White, Benjamin Moore; stairs: English Chestnut stain, Rona; canvas print of cove: Bold Creative
The new powder room is only 3 feet by 2 feet. Nicholas recalls that as being her biggest challenge during the renovation. "On paper the measurements worked, but I wasn't convinced until I had the construction crew do the ultimate test. They had to enter the powder room, pass the vanity/sink with ease and sit on the toilet."
Nicholas repurposed a chest of drawers into a vanity and added a custom-cut fossil marble countertop.
Wall paint: Smoky Green, Benjamin Moore; toilet, faucet: James Crawford
Nicholas repurposed a chest of drawers into a vanity and added a custom-cut fossil marble countertop.
Wall paint: Smoky Green, Benjamin Moore; toilet, faucet: James Crawford
Nicholas chose a clear vessel sink so as not to obstruct the view of the beautiful fossil details in the marble.
Sink: Rona; fossil marble: Diamond Stone Formation
Sink: Rona; fossil marble: Diamond Stone Formation
AFTER: Larger windows let massive amounts of light in and optimize the harbor view. Nicholas also removed a corner fireplace.
Windows: The Window Shop; wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore
Windows: The Window Shop; wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore
Nicholas' daughter is a musician who lives away but comes home for the summer and Christmas. While it was difficult to move this baby grand piano up the stairs, it fits perfectly in the far corner of the living room.
Nicholas converted one of the bedroom closets into a compact workspace. After removing the doors, she added a built-in desk for her computer. Shelving on each side of the desk keeps clutter to a minimum.
Paint: Hazy Skies, Benjamin Moore
Paint: Hazy Skies, Benjamin Moore
With three stories in the front and four in the back, Nicholas says, "I get my exercise by climbing flights of stairs all day." During the renovation she replaced the stair treads and refinished all the floors in the house. The dark railing nicely contrasts the medium brown floors and light walls, and ties in with the kitchen island.
Wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore; stairs, floor stain: English Chestnut, Rona
Wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore; stairs, floor stain: English Chestnut, Rona
BEFORE: The bedroom furniture did not match the scale of the space, and the window and door placement needed reconfiguration. Nicholas made better use of the wall leading to the patio by installing one large window and a door to the left to allow for space beyond the bed. She also replaced the carpet with hardwood floors.
AFTER: The master suite and a small laundry closet are on the top floor, the reward for the stair climb being a spectacular harbour view. High ceilings and white walls keep the space looking fresh, while dark furniture accents warm it up. Two red chairs in front of the large window provide a relaxing reading area from which to enjoy the view.
Wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore
AFTER: Nicholas rearranged the entire bathroom around the tub and made use of the awkward ceiling eaves. Large mirrors help reflect window light and make the space appear larger than it is. She also chose other reflective surfaces for vanity lights, accessories and tile trim, including a glass shower surround to help keep things light and open.
Wall paint: Winds Breath, Benjamin Moore
Wall paint: Winds Breath, Benjamin Moore
The master bedroom features a small patio with a downtown view. Nicholas replaced the previous iron rails with glass panels for an uninterrupted view.
This is the gorgeous view that sold Nicholas on the downtown house. Historical sites including St. John's Harbour, the Narrows and Signal Hill, where Marconi received the first wireless transatlantic message in 1901, can all be seen from her upstairs bedroom. "Downtown St. John's has historic buildings and the colored 'jelly bean' houses," Nicholas says. "The row houses are painted different bright colors, which help compensate for the gray rain, drizzle and fog we experience in abundance."
Gerrie Nicholas enjoys a glass of wine in her kitchen, where she has spent many nights entertaining guests. "This is my center of operation," she says. "It is where I live, read, reflect and entertain."