Harbor Views Enrich a Newfoundland Townhouse
A house with a stunning view of St. John’s Harbour, off-street parking plus a double garage is difficult to find in downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, but Gerrie Nicholas got blessed with her townhouse, one of eight brownstones on a hillside lot. Nicholas remodeled every floor and customized the layout of the main degree, replacing all of the unit’s rear south-facing windows with floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of her exquisite ocean view.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Gerrie Nicholas
Location: Downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Size: 2,400 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths
That’s interesting: The townhouse sits on the site of the former Bishop Spencer College, a Church of England school for women, which functioned from 1845 to 1972.
Before Photo
BEFORE: By removing one of the walls shown here, Nicholas turned an ineffective kitchen layout into yet another conducive for hosting. The island had protruded from a wall, making it embarrassing to walk around in the area. Nicholas rearranged the space, installed hardwood floors and replaced the cupboards.
Becki Peckham
AFTER: Newfoundland is famous for its kitchen celebrations, and Nicholas loves to entertain, so she wanted the space to make an enduring impression. A massive granite-topped island now takes center stage rather than the formerly misplaced island. The encompassing countertops are topped with a complementary darker granite, whereas fresh cabinets are painted with a creamy off-white. The island drawers and cabinets have been stained a deep brown.
Granite: Diamond Stone Formation; cupboards: Cherry Nook; drum lights: Lighting World; appliances: Sears; chairs: Winners; backsplash, door components: Rona
Before Photo
BEFORE: Nicholas substituted these windows over the sink to capitalize on the view.
Becki Peckham
AFTER: The kitchen now has its very own cozy sitting area for reading, with traditional-style furniture. “I am inspired by many fashions and enjoy when periods can be merged harmoniously,” says Nicholas. The chairs are breeding pieces by Councill Craftsmen in North Carolina, and also the ottoman was made by hand in Houston. The hanging Rashdizadeh silk carpet is from Iran, in which Nicholas dwelt with her late husband for a year at the ’70s.
Wall paint: Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore; drum lights: Lighting World; granite: Diamond Stone Formation
Becki Peckham
Storage was really important for Nicholas, as she had moved from a 4,000-square-foot house into this townhouse. New built-in closets serve as a pantry and provide storage for serving dishes. The frosted glass door allows light into the basement, in which there are no windows.
Becki Peckham
The kitchen opens into a deck with a barbecue for outdoor dining during the summer. About giving up a garden at the downsizing, Nicholas says, “that I really like to admire it but do not love the job. I have two decks, and container gardening works for me.”
Paint: Sisal, Benjamin Moore; Trim: White Down, Benjamin Moore
Becki Peckham
The townhouse is built on a hill, and the south side of the basement provides a ground level walk-out via an attached garage. Before the renovation, the basement was one open, unfinished area. Nicholas split the space up by creating a closed-off, independent area for storage along with a porch space for shoes and coats.
Before Photo
BEFORE: Here you can view the preceding hallway that led to the kitchen. Nicholas closed this hallway up and added a compact bathroom. She replaced the iron balusters with wood spindles and painted the whole area a hot white to brighten up everything.
Becki Peckham
AFTER: The townhouse is four stories high, with two collections of walnut hardwood stairs. On the main level are the kitchen, living room and dining room. Throughout the renovation, a whirlpool hallway to the left of the staircase was closed off and turned into a small bathroom and a closet on the other side. The stairs was custom made by local staircase expert Dave Carter.
Wall paint: Indian White, Benjamin Moore; staircase: English Chestnut blot, Rona; canvas printing of cove: Bold Creative
Becki Peckham
The new powder room is just 3 feet by two feet. Nicholas recalls that as being her biggest challenge throughout the renovation. “On paper the dimensions functioned, but I wasn’t convinced until I’d the construction crew do the greatest test. They had to input the powder room, pass the vanity/sink easily and sit on the bathroom.”
Nicholas repurposed a chest of drawers into a vanity and inserted a custom-cut fossil marble countertop.
Wall paint: Smoky Green, Benjamin Moore; bathroom, faucet: James Crawford
Becki Peckham
Nicholas chose a clear vessel sink so as not to obstruct the view of all the gorgeous fossil details in the marble.
Sink: Rona; fossil marble: Diamond Stone Formation
Before Photo
BEFORE: The multipurpose second-story living room had a corner propane fireplace which was too small for the space, and smaller windows.
Becki Peckham
AFTER: Larger windows let enormous quantities of light in and optimize the harbor view. Nicholas also eliminated a corner terrace.
Windows: The Window Shop; wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore
Becki Peckham
Nicholas’ daughter is a musician who resides but comes home for the summer and Christmas. While it was hard to maneuver this baby grand piano up the stairs, it fits perfectly at the far corner of their living room.
Becki Peckham
Nicholas transformed one of the bedroom closetsinto a compact workspace. After removing the doors, she added a built-in desk for her computer. Shelving on every side of the desk keeps clutter to a minimum.
Paint: Hazy Skies, Benjamin Moore
Becki Peckham
With three stories at the front and four at the trunk, Nicholas says, “I get my exercise by climbing flights of stairs daily.” Throughout 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 all the kitchen island.
Wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore; staircase, floor blot: English Chestnut, Rona
Before Photo
BEFORE: The bedroom furniture didn’t match the scale of the space, and the window and door positioning needed reconfiguration. Nicholas made better utilization of the wall resulting in the terrace by installing a single large window and a doorway to the left to allow for space past the bed. She replaced the carpet with hardwood floors.
Becki Peckham
AFTER: The master suite plus 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 appearing fresh, while dim furniture accents warm it up. Two red chairs in front of the huge window provide a relaxing reading place where to enjoy the view.
Wall paint: Timid White, Benjamin Moore
Before Photo
BEFORE: The toilet might be one of the biggest transformations. Before, dated white and cream ceramic tile covered the floor and the tub surround.
Becki Peckham
AFTER: Nicholas rearranged the whole toilet around the tub and made use of the awkward ceiling. Large mirrors assist reflect window light and make the space seem larger than it is. She picked other reflective surfaces for vanity lights, tile and accessories trim, including a glass shower surround to keep things open and light.
Wall paint: Winds Breath, Benjamin Moore
Becki Peckham
The master bedroom features a small terrace with a downtown view. Nicholas replaced the preceding iron railings with glass panels for a uninterrupted view.
Becki Peckham
This is the gorgeous view that offered Nicholas in the Caribbean house. Historical sites including St. John’s Harbour, the Narrows and Signal Hill, where Marconi received the first wireless transatlantic message in 1901, can be viewed 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 vivid colours, which help compensate for the gray rain, drizzle and fog we all experience in abundance.”
Becki Peckham
Gerrie Nicholas loves a glass of wine in her kitchen, where she has spent many nights entertaining guests. “That is my center of operation,” she states. “It is where I reside, read, entertain and reflect.”