Phillip Shapiro and Lina Santella Enjoy a blank canvas. As two of their initial residential inhabitants in a five-story 1909 Montreal construction — it was a spinning factory, since abandoned — the few chose two floors in a prime sun-soaked corner overlooking the Lachine Canal to put up their custom upholstery workshop, showroom and open-concept attic.
Shapiro has a background in fashion design and upholstery, and Santella is a hairdresser-turned-artist that repurposes mementos in to decor. Virtually every part in their home is a custom DIY job — as is the layout. After living in their attic for 16 years, the few recently downsized their living space by half, creating a wall and hammering out bricked-up windows.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Phillip Shapiro and Lina Santella
Location: Montreal
Size: 1,500-square-foot attic and showroom and workshop downstairs; 1 1/2 baths
That’s interesting: The building was formerly a turning factory.
Esther Hershcovich
Natural light was on top of Santella’s list of renovation must-haves. The couple blew the bricks out covering the window to the right once they downsized. Their spacious attic boasts 18-foot ceilings, and with exposed beams.
Mosaic skull artwork: Hayes Nulman
Esther Hershcovich
The majority of the furnishings in the couple’s attic are DIY projects, including this massive media unit made in their previous headboard. Santella and Shapiro assembled it in their woodshop with cutouts for both DVDs and speakers. Storage cupboards flank the repurposed headboard.
Artwork: Corno (centre), scultpure (left) by Edith Brodkin
Esther Hershcovich
A gallery of art lines the entry hall. Santella made the flooring lamp using a tempered glass tabletop and two large parts of horsehair interlining. The bench is also a DIY job, made by repurposing the bottoms of a classic snooker table.
Artwork: styled fighter poster, Anisetta Evangelisti by Carlo Biscaretti, L’affichiste
Esther Hershcovich
The couple built their workspace more than steel flat filing drawers. The area includes different his-and-her sections, matching reupholstered chairs along with a printer on wheels tucked beneath the desk. A yellowish tinted glass worktop highlights cards and photos, while vacant frames made by Santella hang above.
Esther Hershcovich
Santella uses a photography daylighting lamp to operate on her art.
Esther Hershcovich
For their living room sofa, Santella designed an ottoman with double purposes. It could be transferred and used as an arm for each couch or as an extra sitting room that faces her workspace.
Esther Hershcovich
A turning circular sofa sits at the far corner of their living room. On the wall hangs a framed collection of crosses Santella has accumulated through the years.
Esther Hershcovich
A workout corner was set up right close to the windows looking out in a view of town. Santella tucks away some gear in a massive chest nearby.
Esther Hershcovich
Framed art from fruit crates, collected on a road trip down Route 1 California, lines the top of the kitchen cabinets. Frosted-glass cabinets with interior light add to the L-shaped kitchen’s open texture, while the stainless steel staircase provides extra storage space. The carpet in the kitchen was handwoven by people in Maine from older T-shirts.
Esther Hershcovich
The couple went vertical with their storage to save space, such as hanging baskets and pans. This view also shows that the staircase and mezzanine level in the trunk.
Esther Hershcovich
Throughout Montreal’s infamous 1998 ice storm, Shapiro helped pickup dropped barns of Quebec’s farmers and utilized some of the barn wood to build their dining table. It had been recently cut brief to better fit the room and is presently surrounded by avant-garde chairs. Santella says, “We like the comparison of modern and older. We like mixing whatever works”
Esther Hershcovich
The unit only full bathroom doubles as a hairdressing salon for Santella’s occasional client.
Esther Hershcovich
Shapiro’s rubber ducky collection keeps watch on the bathtub.
Esther Hershcovich
Together the hallway, a set of stairs leads up to the bedroom, a bathroom and a laundry room. The decal on the wall captures one of the few life mottoes.
Esther Hershcovich
This niche sits on peak of the mezzanine stairs, complete with a custom-made houndstooth chair and some artwork out of Shapiro’s mother.
Esther Hershcovich
The couple intends to build a frame on the wall behind their bed in the master bedroom and sew the wall-to-wall open closet with drapes.
Esther Hershcovich
They built this massive sink into a wooden base themselves for an extra-sturdy laundry room installation.
Esther Hershcovich
Downstairs in the attic, Shapiro’s L’Atelier Mirage showroom showcases his custom chairs.
Esther Hershcovich
Pictured here’s Shapiro’s framing shop. “When I see the wood stacked up,” he says, “I could imagine endless possibilities of what could be generated.”
Esther Hershcovich
Shapiro, shown here, also enjoys playing songs, and he made a small cordoned place in his showroom to maintain his 12 guitars, recording applications and amp. “While Lina wants light, I like dark,” he says. He is often seen playing chords in complete darkness.
Esther Hershcovich
Phillip Shapiro and Lina Santella unwind in their living room.
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