My Houzz: Color and Creativity Energize a Midcentury Home

Luce Beaulieu and Régis Carlo saw past dated style and a cramped configuration when they bought the ground-floor and basement levels of a duplex in Montreal's Côte-Saint-Paul district. The elderly couple who had previously owned the house had barely touched it in years, and the dwelling was in dire need of an update. "My inclination was to paint everything white," says Carlo, laughing.

Tapping into Beaulieu's creative background (she studied graphic design), the couple transformed their family home into a colorful wonderland. They removed wall paneling and repurposed it to create headboards and other custom projects, and created a personalized accent wall from a graphic wallpaper-like canvas by a local artist. "My wife convinced me to be more adventurous," says Carlo, a planner at the Canadian Space Agency. "I'm happy we did; I love our home the way it is now."

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Luce Beaulieu, Régis Carlo and their son, Elouan
Location: Côte-Saint-Paul district of Montreal
Size: About 2,500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Year built: 1954

The ground floor is now a light-filled, lofty space — nothing like the original. Keeping only the flooring, the couple demolished three walls to open up the kitchen and living room area. The original kitchen cabinetry — a plain, off-white melamine — was replaced with a mix of high-gloss white laminate and stainless steel, with a touch of natural wood for warmth.

Beaulieu and Carlo added an island from Ikea with stainless steel cabinet fronts for easy cleanup. This is now the family's favorite spot in the home. "It's where we work, where we cook and where friends gather when we have them over. It's the heart of our home," says Beaulieu.

Cabinets, island: Ikea


Carlo admits his wife has most of the design talent. "Of course, we make our decisions together," he says, "but it's all about having confidence in each other's decisions. Most people would shy away from bright colors in the house, but not Luce. It is unexpected, and it looks amazing."

When it came to those color choices, Beaulieu sought advice from a feng shui consultant. The couple went with lime green, which represents earth, and a vivid purple, symbolizing fire, to wrap the main floor. The open shelves were cut from butcher block left over from the countertops.


Beaulieu's decorating style is a mix of classic midcentury modern furniture, like this dining set, and original artwork and thrift shop finds. "I also try to go with a style I know my family and I will love for at least seven or eight years," she says. "It's a question of economy, but also of being ecoresponsible."

The dining space hosts many of the treasures and vintage pieces that Beaulieu has collected over the years, such as a dressmaker form that holds bags and purses, and a secondhand midcentury-style pendant light. Personal touches, like their son's original artwork, add even more color.

Dining set: Galerie Danoise


Beaulieu dedicated a wall of their dining room to a bold canvas mural painted by Montreal artist Carlito Dalceggio. The piece, titled "Seaside Philosophic Chinese Soup Ritual and Other Useless Daily Rotations," is affixed to the wall. The mural acts as a backdrop for more vintage items Beaulieu has collected over the years.


As a graphic designer, Beaulieu doesn't shy away from incorporating bold color choices and fun patterns. She painted this wardrobe and stenciled on a pattern to match the colors in the adjoining rooms.


Elouan's bedroom mixes vintage furniture pieces and playful contemporary items, with the idea that the space will still work for him when he gets older. The rocking chair is a family heirloom, and was the same chair that Beaulieu's mother used to rock her in as a baby.

The large wooden wardrobe was inherited from Beaulieu's favorite uncle; she updated the vintage metal doctor's cabinet in the corner with a coat of gray paint.

Bed textiles: Collette Bream


The wallpaper in Elouan's room is a 1930s block print that Beaulieu bought in New York. "We put the wallpaper up in this room before our son was born. I knew I had to incorporate it into my home somehow," she says.

Fun illustrations and prints purchased at the Montreal art flea market Puces Pop give the room a playful vibe.

Wallpaper: Secondhand Rose; playhouse: My Pretty Playhouse, Boutique Cascades; bed: Ikea


The original bathroom was nearly a deal breaker for the couple. "It was so small, and I didn't know if anything could be done to save it," says Beaulieu.

Once they started renovating, the couple felt like they struck gold. "We discovered a skylight in the ceiling that was hidden behind the bathroom's wall," Beaulieu says. "We took the walls down, and that made all the difference. It felt three times bigger, and it gave us a chance to redesign the layout completely."


The couple opted for an open shower layout with black floor-to-ceiling tile, to give the white bathroom a bit of contrast.


"I was looking for Scandinavian teak furniture for the living room, and I found this turquoise set on the Internet for an incredible price," says Beaulieu. Although she had to drive three hours to pick it up, it was well worth it.

The room is used as a family room, so the couple purchased a kid-friendly foam puzzle-piece floor mat, which provides a soft landing pad for their son.


Two open-plan bedrooms (his-and-her style) are located in the basement. A painted chalkboard divider wall separates the spaces and has storage on both sides. It also serves as a place for inspirational quotes and messages. This message, written in French, translates as: "I am at the source of all that occurs in my life and I have the complete ability to now create a free and satisfying life. Life is beautiful, I accept each person for who they are, I am free."




Although situated in the basement of the duplex, this bedroom feels anything but dark. Beaulieu and Carlo kept some of the original wood paneling as a rustic accent, and removed other parts to create their custom bed frames.

Pillow: Anthropologie


The other furniture pieces are a mix of vintage and found items. "I've always made the time to look for special pieces in thrift shops, or brocantes. It's so satisfying to find a great-looking lamp for $15!" says Beaulieu of her nightstand lamp.

Pillows: Etsy


The bedroom's reading corner is furnished entirely with vintage and artisan items in interesting textures to offset the rustic wood paneling.

Pillow: Anthropologie


The previous homeowners left this mint-condition midcentury chair behind for the couple to keep, while the wardrobe is an inherited vintage piece from Beaulieu's family. "I love treasures, and I love family furniture that has a story," she says. "I have always made a point of keeping those pieces and making them work in the homes I have had."


This second master bedroom, used by Carlo, once was a dark basement bar. It's flanked by floor-to-ceiling shelving units that house the couple's ever-growing literature and media collection. Beaulieu designed the artwork that sits on the headboard.


Beaulieu's advice to other homeowners: "Take care to lighten your burden on the earth by choosing long-lasting, ecofriendly materials and finishes." The bedroom is a good example of that; the bed frame and headboard are made from recycled wood paneling.


The couple salvaged wood from old wardrobe units to create the paneling on the bathroom wall and created a custom shower.


Beaulieu and Carlo made this custom bathroom mirror out of the old wall paneling.

Vanity: Godmorgon, Ikea


The couple turned what Beaulieu describes as "a grungy, dirty woodworking area" into a tidy laundry room.


They recently splurged on a new steel and glass front door. "It's amazing how it changes the whole feel of the place," says Carlo.

Door: Fenestration Vitrerie Experts


The family cherishes their time in the garden, where they tend to the tomato and herb plants lining their back fence. "Making organic food grow — it's what we love most about gardening," says Carlo.


"I think our proudest moment as homeowners had to be when the garden design — including the sand and garden boxes which we built — was finally done," says Beaulieu. "We looked at each other and said, 'We made it! No more house projects!'"

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