Brom by AtelierCarle
Set on a lakeside estate that has remained in the same family for nearly a century, Brom by Canadian architecture and interior design studio AtelierCarle is a home deeply rooted in memory, landscape and lineage.
Located in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the new home replaces an early 20th-century house built of timber and rubble stone that had fallen beyond repair. While the original structure could not be salvaged, the new design maintains a strong physical and conceptual connection to its past.
Composed of three timber-clad pavilions, the configuration echoes Le Corbusier’s credo of the house as a “machine for living”, with each pavilion dedicated to a distinct function: living, dining and resting. The pavilions are connected by two limestone vestibules that mark the formal and private entrances. The composition resists monumentality, instead recalling the scale and rhythm of 19th-century rural Canadian architecture.
Adjacent to the formal entry, the living space unfolds around an Eave modular sofa by Norm Architects, positioned beneath reclaimed timber beams that speak to the home’s architectural heritage. A Copine wood armchair by Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, along with a coffee table by Giuseppe Rivadossi, forms a contemplative vignette that echoes the mixed-medium sensibilities of German artist Kim Bartelt’s work displayed behind.
Material choice plays a central role in the design narrative. Stone and timber are used throughout to evoke both permanence and transience – a duality that defines the project’s approach to rural architecture.
The kitchen continues this material honesty with antique beige concrete benchtops and a splashback by Béton Johnstone, complemented by natural cherrywood cabinetry. CH36 chairs by Hans J Wegner surround a custom walnut dining table by Petersen Antiques, creating a refined dining tableau. A loggia extends the living space outward, blurring the boundary between interior and exterior in acknowledgment of the site’s dramatic lakeside setting.
Ultimately, Brom is a reflection on the continuity of both family and place.
Rather than adopting a fixed aesthetic, Brom is shaped by its site. The home is embedded into the natural slope of the land, allowing for full-height, lower-ground private quarters with minimal impact on the landscape. A 1976 work by Bernard Séjourné graces the hallway, weaving the home’s artistic narrative through both public and intimate spaces. This considered approach demonstrates how contemporary rural architecture can embody both environmental sensitivity and spatial generosity.
Ultimately, Brom is a reflection on the continuity of both family and place. It transcends conservation, offering a nuanced, forward-looking interpretation of rural domestic architecture – one that honours the past while embracing the present.
Architecture and interior design by AtelierCarle. Build by BBD Constructions. Landscape design by Oscar Hacche. Artwork by Kim Bartelt, Eva Jablonsky, Bernard Séjourné and Jean-Paul Jérôme.
