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An Art Deco Home Brought Back From Ruin

The Hambly House was built in 1939 and stood with only a few other Art Moderne houses in Ontario, Canada. The original home was built for Jack Hambly, and with its flat roof, archetypal curved corner, speed-striped stucco walls, and nautical-inspired elements, like a porthole window, the house was the perfect example of late Art Deco in the Hamilton area of Ontario. The house was in ruin when it was purchased by new owners in 2013 who wanted to celebrate its history while also reimagining it. They brought in DPAI Architecture, along with Toms + McNally Design, to make it happen.

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They added an addition and renovated the existing house while maintaining the charm and character of the original. The addition needed to respect the spirit of the house, while also modernizing it, so they built a second floor that includes a glass-enclosed living area. The curves mimic those of the ground floor helping to tie the two together.

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Part of the addition included adding a back dining room and loggia to help open and expand the kitchen into the backyard.

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Throughout the renovation, they paid made sure to save as much of the original details as possible, including the plasterwork ceiling and marble fireplace.

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The cheery kitchen got a turquoise fridge and stove from the new owner’s former home and those were paired with white cabinets and countertops.

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The upper story has a light-filled living room with a rooftop patio right off of it.

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A master bedroom with bathroom is also part of the new upstairs addition.

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Photos by Revelateur Studio.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.