03 Dec 2024
Perron, an interior design studio creating transformative experiences for its clients, proudly introduces its new home: Maison Perron. Located in a 3-storey building at 212 Cremazie West in Quebec City, the Studio’s new home comprises a ground floor commercial space, multiple offices, and two residential units.
Purchased in 2023, the evolutionary design of Maison Perron exudes the essence of the complete Perron world, where the Studio’s unique vision of interior design and architecture has been brought to life on a canvas of colourful expressions and branding opportunities.
“We set out with an initial focus to find office space, and we took our time searching for a new location,” explains Rebekha Maciagowski, Interior Designer at Perron. “But when we found this building, we recognized the potential to create something that embodies the way Perron works and designs, and we fell in love with the endless possibilities of what it could be.”
A new iteration Originally built in 1915, the building now housing Maison Perron has a long history that includes iterations as a general store, a butcher shop, a paint store, a clothing store, and an accounting firm’s office the arrival of its new owners. The latter tenants had condensed the space by blocking out its storefront windows and separating the interior into a series of small offices.
Armed with a vision for Maison Perron that would combine all of the Studio’s colourful operations under a single roof, the project began with a total teardown of the interior spaces; a process that revealed some surprises.
“When we purchased the building, we had no idea of the treasures that lay underneath, like original brick walls and wood flooring,” says Sarah Eve Hébert, Partner and Artistic Director at Perron. “Once we had stripped the entire space down, we discovered pleasant surprises in terms of colours and textures that fit quite naturally with our style, but also some contrasts between old and new that aligned in a balanced presentation.”
A family affair From Day 1, the entire Perron team was involved in the project, working daily in collaboration with contractors to realize their vision. With many years of collective experience among the team of 12 designers and coordinators, it was critically important for every member to have a seat at the table. Team members were on site every day, and their creative ideas dictated design plans that evolved on an almost weekly basis.
“It’s always harder to make decisions when you are both the designer and the client,” notes Sarah Eve Hébert. “But despite the fluidity of the design and the day-to-day challenges of coordinating the project, we were always on the same page and managed to maintain a clear and unified vision.”
A room with a view Upon first glance from street level, the building’s exterior struck a chord as offering huge potential for exposing the Perron brand. Having never had a true boutique showroom as part of their operations, the new location’s expansive storefront windows provided a golden opportunity to add a boutique with inward views from a bustling retail street.
“Part of our business revolves around designing store interiors for our clients, so this was an opportunity to harness our expertise,” says Rebekah Maciagowski. “As the project progressed, our vision was validated daily by curious pedestrians stopping in to learn more about their new neighbour and Perron’s business.”
In line with that neighbourly vibe, the Studio had the names of all of the Perron team members printed on one of the storefront windows, emphasizing the importance of letting people know who they are as an integral part of the Studio’s brand and culture.
“The Perron culture and work environment is something that we were only able to express verbally to our clients in the past,” explains Sarah Eve Hébert. “We are now able to display our work in progress, including meetings, object placements, and the entire Perron team process.”
A creative blend of ideas While maintaining the original dimensions of the exterior, the large windows and front doors were replaced with cleaner, modern versions, all trimmed in baby blue to give it a more approachable feel. The spaces between the windows were then leveraged to create boutique ‘sneak peeks’ from the street, providing a visual plane into the space through sheer drapes.
Entering Maison Perron feels like a well-balanced mix of commercial space and a cosy home environment. The front door opens to reveal a reception desk for greeting visitors. To one side, a piscina blue table by Ionna Vautrin for Sancal and a large work-oriented countertop invite visitors to observe or collaborate. On the other side, a boutique space embodies the look and feel of a living room, with Perron’s product lines taking centre stage in very natural ways.
An infusion of lamps, furnishings, and other objects from some of the Studio’s international partners, including Door (It), Sancal (Es), Hubsch (Dk), Gropius (Es) and Sowden (It) are subtly deployed in such a way as to not overwhelmingly fee like a boutique. Framing the space, the walls are dotted with photos of completed Perron projects that complement the boutique presentation.
Something old, something new The original interior of the main level was comprised of carpeted floors and a suspended ceiling, which were both removed. There was also a single exposed brick wall, which the Perron team soon discovered had more to unveil. Original arches were also preserved, and new ones were replicated.
From the reception area, an archway leads to a corridor of formal office space, including the office of Owner and Lead Designer, Nathalie Perron. A second small entrance leads to shared office space for collaborative meetings, and a staircase leads down to a basement level that houses additional private offices, meeting rooms, and a private kitchen for the Perron team.
One entire side of the building now features an exposed original brick wall, extending up from a natural stone foundation in the basement, which has been painted purple. Tying it all together, the Perron team added thin brick and stone patterns to sections of the flooring to complement original elements in a modern design, with the reception area retaining original wood flooring that has been painted.
Home Sweet HomeAlong the way, each discovery at Maison Perron altered the design to accommodate new visions that differed from the initial concept. One deviation involved the two residential units on the top floor of the building, and the decision that they would become the living quarters of Nathalie Perron and Gisele Perron, team and family members. The idea of turning those units into personal home spaces added to the evolving vision of Maison Perron, and they embarked on a condo redesign as part of the overall project.
“Despite it being personal spaces for Nathalie and Gisele, it was still a project that involved the entire team,” notes Rebekah Maciagowski. “The spaces incorporate the same style of objects, colours, and textures as the boutique and office spaces below, so it was a very familiar approach for the team.”
The upstairs process began as it had below, with most existing elements being stripped away. Original elements were brought back to life wherever possible, such as archways, exposed brick, and original moulding. In a nod to tradition, the kitchen is divided into separate spaces on opposite sides of the unit, with major appliances on one side, and a back kitchen housing a pantry ana d variety of additional spaces. From the back kitchen, a doorway opens onto an outdoor terrace. From the entrance to Nathalie’s condo, an archway leads to a bathroom and a bedroom, with the latter featuring a continuation of the building’s exposed brick wall, painted for a more elegant feel. Faced with a small, narrow, and elongated bathroom space, the Perron Design stepped up to the challenge to create a T-zone that now serves as a cosy cocoon. From the toilet and sink area, two steps rise to a bathtub embraced by tiles, with a separate glass-enclosed shower space installed on the other side of the T.
The residential spaces are rendered cosy and warm with the infusion of Perron's favourite brands, allowing them to also serve as lived-in showrooms when appropriate. Due to their unique nooks and crannies, the condos enable displays of the same products and colours as showcased below, but with more ‘outside of the box’ layouts.
A true consolidation After 6 months of dedicated collaboration between the entire Perron team, Maison Perron captures the full essence of the brand and culture, combining the very best of the Studio’s worlds in a single location. The connected environment exudes the inspirations, styles, colours, and textures of Perron’s exclusive brands, and engulfs it all in the colourful personalities of its team members.
Since opening in 2023, Maison Perron has been a home within a home for the design team, and the epitome of the Studio’s very human vision of fabulous design. It's a comfortable and colourful place where people love to come to work and have fun, and it’s a resounding statement from a design studio that is now able to walk the talk.
“Having a showroom to present our furniture, accessories, and folding doors (Door) is priceless,” concludes Sarah Eve Hébert. “We love that people can walk into Maison Perron to discover our world, and we look forward to greeting them with the same warmth, passion, and enthusiasm that our reputation has been built upon.”
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