Moulton Hill House, Lennoxville, Que.: Cars need an architect

How can you display 11 beautiful vehicles in your 1960s home in Quebec’s eastern townships when it needs renovation? Hire an architect! “Our number one priority was to find someone who understood our very different and extremely modern tastes,” says Lisa Stern, owner of Moulton Hill House.

François in Parenteauof 1628 Inc., in Magog, Que.

‘Fortunately, François got us at ‘hello’ or ‘bonjour’. The challenge was to transform a 1960s home into a modern, sleek 2000s home,” says Stern.

And of course a showroom for the cars.

Parenteau says: “The owners, big car collectors, wanted an interior space to repatriate their collection. We created a large room under the extension and courtyard to house the collection.

“It’s more of an exhibition space than a garage. A turntable was also installed to turn the cars.”

Stern’s husband Zachary Gillman says, “We think of the garage as part of our home’s living space.”

The project nearly doubled the home’s square footage to 6,400 square feet. On the main floor there is a large chef’s kitchen, the living and dining rooms, two guest bedrooms and bathrooms, a study and the master suite. A home theater and gym are located on the lower level along with the car display.

Parenteau explains: “The existing house, which dates from the 1960s, had good room layouts and beautiful volumes, but a somewhat outdated appearance. We have retained these good elements and given them a modern twist. We were also inspired by the way of life of the owners and the fact that they have a company that makes concrete products. We integrated concrete finishing elements on the outside and inside of the house as the signature of the owners.

“Then the car collection was an element that influenced us enormously.”

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