House 117 by Izen Architecture
House 117 is a house in Toronto, Canada, designed by Izen Architecture, with interiors developed in collaboration with DS Interiors. Designed in 2026, the project is shaped by an elevated plan, elongated gray brickwork, and a restrained material palette that carries from the facade to the stair, kitchen, and baths. Light moves deep into the home through cut openings, recessed windows, and a skylit shower.
About House 117
House 117 brings together strong material choices, clear spatial organization, and careful detailing across the exterior and interior. Set on a quiet streetscape, the house is defined by clean lines, deep-set windows, and composed brickwork. Each gray brick is twice the length of a standard unit, giving the facade an elongated rhythm. At the base of the large brick volume, the bricks turn to a vertical orientation, shifting the texture and subtly underscoring the elevated floor plan.
Recessed windows, edged with precise metal detailing, reinforce the building’s deliberate simplicity. A restrained material palette continues inside and out, creating a strong sense of continuity. Black metal plates appear throughout the exterior detailing and return inside as the sculptural guard to the central stair, tying the house together through repeated elements rather than ornament.
Inside, the house unfolds around that stair, which acts as a sectional spine connecting all levels and drawing light downward through a series of carefully placed openings. Although the floor plan is elevated, the entry sits graciously at grade, reducing the run of exterior steps and creating an unexpectedly gentle arrival. Light is treated as a guiding principle from the outset, brought deep into the home through cuts in the building that shift the atmosphere over the course of the day.
A pop-out at the stair allows light to wash across the landings from the side. In the primary bath, a skylight is integrated directly into the shower, turning a daily routine into a quiet spatial event. These moves give the house much of its character, not through excess, but through the steady calibration of opening, volume, and surface.
The collaboration between Izen Architecture and DS Interiors, who is both the homeowner and interior designer, gives the house its distinct voice. The result is sculpted, materially restrained, and deeply luminous, with a shared vision carried from the exterior envelope into the interior junctions and finishes.
Wood flooring throughout introduces a quiet warmth, lending comfort and intimacy to each room. On the main floor, the material extends beyond the horizontal plane and wraps vertically around the central mass to create a subtle but powerful division. That gesture preserves the openness of the plan while still giving the impression of distinct, defined rooms. The wood continues onto full-height pocket doors, allowing areas to close off for privacy without interrupting visual continuity.
Precision detailing reinforces that cohesion. Baseboards dissolve into a minimalist reveal between drywall and floor, and the lighting is fully mudded in, without trims. Carefully selected fixtures, including double-head pot lights in the kitchen and a recessed multi-head track above the island, support the house’s restrained visual register.
The kitchen is grounded in a rich composition of black finishes: black veneer cabinetry, a black granite countertop and backsplash, an integrated undermount sink, and matching black fixtures. These darker surfaces are set against a natural stone island, whose pronounced veining introduces texture and softness. Floor-to-ceiling glazing brings in ample daylight, keeping the palette sleek, modern, and inviting rather than heavy.
Directly off the kitchen, the family room is centered on a three-sided gas fireplace framed by curved, reeded millwork that appears to float above. The dining area is scaled to seat eighteen guests and is anchored by a table made from two slabs of natural stone. Overhead, an LED rope pendant introduces a playful counterpoint to the otherwise disciplined material palette.
That same approach carries through the rest of the house. In the powder room, cove lighting, smoked mirror, plastered concrete-like walls, and a floating natural stone vanity with an integrated sink deepen the sense of drama. In the principal bathroom, large-format tiles continue across floors, walls, a floating bench, and a recessed niche, creating a calm, spa-like setting. A wall-hung vanity with a black granite countertop, black porcelain undermount sinks, and black fixtures echoes the finishes used elsewhere, while integrated LED lighting casts a warm, steady glow.
Across the home, the bold but minimal palette brings together natural and nature-inspired materials. Paired with abundant daylight, those selections create an inviting atmosphere that remains consistent from room to room. The result is a house that connects its interiors to the surrounding landscape by drawing the outdoors inward through light, material, and carefully framed openings.
Photography by Younes Bounhar / DoubleSpace
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