A Splash of Mint Makes This Modern Staircase Pop
Earlier this year, Pantone named “Classic Blue” Color of the Year for 2020. But not everyone loves it, and as far as much of the design community is concerned, green is the real MVP — especially bright, fresh tones that evoke the lushness of thriving greenery. Vogue even called green “the new millennial pink,” and in a survey of 50,000 designers, 1stdibs found it to be the most in-demand color of the moment.
Trend forecaster WGSN, which influences designers across multiple industries, instead backed a shade they call “neo mint,” which takes inspiration from a fusion of nature, science, and technology. This invigorating shade is subtle enough to easily work into many interior design color palettes — so much so that WGSN felt confident enough to call it a great contemporary alternative to gray, providing a semi-neutral option that still feels rich and vibrant.
In one recently renovated Montreal home, mint is the color that greets you from the very beginning. Naturehumaine Architects blended the shade with gray and natural wood tones for the facade, and the effect makes every other house in the area look drab in comparison. The green-painted section is a cantilevered addition, offering the clients a whole new bedroom, to boot.
Inside, use of the color gets even bolder. Within an otherwise neutral space, a minty central staircase acts as a striking sculptural focal point. The simplicity of the hardware-free cabinetry, gallery-like walls, and sleek fixtures lets this element shine, while the whitewashed wood brings in just the right amount of texture. Best of all, it’s all warmed up by natural wood floors and beams. The only other pop of color in the home is the cheerful yellow tilework surrounding a tub in the children’s bathroom.
Granted, the architects call the accent color they’ve chosen “sage green,” but it’s really more of a spearmint. The effect is the same no matter what you call it, of course, and “Victoria Residence” is undeniably a great example of how strategic use of color can dramatically transform the feel of a space.
The architects add that “the design concept is defined by the transformation of the house by integrating three structural architectural elements. First, the addition of Victoria’s bedroom on the back facade forms a cantilevered box attached to the facade, secondly by creating a new balcony on the front facade, and finally, in the heart of the house, a new staircase articulates and organizes the functions of the house. These three elements are distinguished by the use of a unique color in a sage green shade, which, depending on the light intensity and the changing exposure during the day, presents a wide variation in contrasts and shades.”
“In the heart of the house, this touch of color on the stairs attracts the attention and becomes a playful and geometric element. The monochrome staircase is designed as lightweight structural work, composed of steel blades and painted cabinetry panels. It defines the playground area in double height by extending the color applied to the floor. Also, this central space is surmounted by a large skylight that brings light to the heart of the house as well as to all of the surrounding service rooms, particularly the bathrooms, which are equipped with large glass imposts.”
