This Old Coach House: a century-old house in the Annex that’s as quiet as a cottage
This Old Coach House: a century-old house in the Annex that’s as quiet as a cottage
The People: Klaus Nienkämper, 43, and Marisa Simunovic, 40, who together run the King East design store Klaus.
The Place: A contemporary coach house in the Annex.
Nienkämper is a connoisseur of quirk. He collects cast iron toys and kitschy cuckoo clocks. He stocks his King East furniture store with doughnut-shaped fruit bowls and lamps inspired by Mickey Mouse. And he’s drawn to unusual homes (he used to live in a former railway conductor’s house in the Annex). The century-old converted coach house he shares with Simunovic and their twins, Oliver and Otto, is only 1,400 square feet, but Nienkämper says that’s more than enough: “In my line of work, you see a lot of enormous homes. You don’t really need that much space.” It helps that the house feels as private as a cottage—it’s backed by an acre of wooded green space.
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- The vintage chair and desk, from <b>Smash,</b> are mounted to the floor. “We have two three-year-olds, so you need to bolt everything down. It’s like having two raccoons running around.”
- (Image: Derek Shapton)
- This Old Coach House: a contemporary coach house in the Annex
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- The side entrance leads out onto a stone terrace.
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- The wallpaper art, called “Industry,” is by <b>Studio Job,</b> a Dutch husband-and-wife duo.
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- The Fjord Stone ottomans, by the Italian company <b>Moroso,</b> are made of foam-core and fabric with leather tops.
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- The solid oak pew is originally from a Deer Park church.
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- The whimsical blanket chest is also by Studio Job.
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- The carpet is by Moroso. The designers take a simple image, blow it up and alter the scale to create a playful effect.
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- The bed, side tables and lamps are all by the Frankfurt-based designer <b>E15.</b>
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- The table is solid Indiana limestone from <b>Castor</b> design studio.
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- The cast bronze relief is from <b>Queen West Antique Centre.</b><br /> <p><br /> The complaints box is from <b>Millhaven Penitentiary.</b> “To my great surprise,” says Nienkämper, “it was empty.”</p>
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- The hand-carved figurines—one on a moose, the other on horseback—are from the Eastern Townships.
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. The century-old converted coach house he shares with Simunovic and their twins, Oliver and Otto, is only 1,400 square feet, but Nienkämper says that’s more than enough: “In my line of work, you see a lot of enormous homes. You don’t really need that much space.” It helps that the house feels as private as a cottage—it’s backed by an acre of wooded green space.
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