28th Annual Best of Canada Award Winner

House of Books wins a Best of Canada Design Award. From the jury:

“A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors,” as Charles Baudelaire once said. And in the case of this luminous renovation for a family of bibliophiles, books are also a primary design motif. Rebuilt from front to back with a third-floor addition and a newly expanded basement for bike storage, the home’s spirit is mounted on two pillars: a reconfigured kitchen that doubles as a vibrant reading room; and a sunlit reading nook. Both spaces engage the house with warmth and quiet charm as custom bookshelves wrap the walls, transforming it into a domestic library where recipes, novels, and memories coexist. Books flow through the home like a narrative thread, framing the fireplace, lining liminal spaces and integrating into bedrooms. Natural light, warm wood, and refined detailing blend old soul with contemporary function. This is a home where story and structure are deeply entwined.

The Best of Canada Awards has long been a premier national program recognizing the pinnacle of interior design across the country, showcasing the vision and craft of designers who shape the spaces we inhabit with innovation and nuance. Selected through a rigorous jury process by a group of design leaders and industry experts, the winners exemplify excellence, creativity, and a future-forward ethos across a wide array of fields. But this year, the importance of such national recognition takes on deeper resonance. As political pressures challenge the sovereignty and autonomy of Canada, we are reminded that identity is not simply a matter of borders or policy. It is also expressed through culture, creativity, and the physical environments we craft for ourselves. The Best of Canada Awards stands as more than just a celebration of interior design; it becomes an affirmation of a distinct Canadian voice, one that is thoughtful, inclusive, and unafraid to assert itself on the global stage.

Photos by Scott Norsworthy Build by Struktur Design Build Inc.