lf you wander into the residence of Czech Ambassador Pavel Hrncir in tony Rockcliffe, you might think you are in the wrong place. In an area known for its baronial manor houses, this house has none of the typical stucco and stone exteriors, no stone columns, no wrought-iron balconies and no circular driveway. Inside you won’t find floor-to-ceiling drapes, a marble foyer, brocade chairs or a dining room that seats 24.
No, when you’re at home with Hrncir and his wife, Veronika Holcova, you are in a simple, wide-open modern space filled with light and surrounded by windows and skylights, bright paintings and books. And these are not just any paintings and books, but modern, abstract, brightly coloured works of art by Holcova, a well-known professional artist in her own country, and delightful children’s books written by her husband, a career diplomat.
If the residents themselves are a conversation piece for their youthful style and verve, so is their house. A modern masterpiece of the 1970s, it was designed by Schoeler & Heaton Architects Inc. and built in 1972 on a large, leafy lot on Minto Place. Paul Schoeler, who died in 2008 at 84, was known as a leader in modernist architecture in Ottawa and credited for a style that embraced clean lines. He designed carefully proportioned residences in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.
The house was purchased by the Czech Republic in 1993 and an additional building was added that year by the firm of Murray and Murray, including the staff room over the garage, which is now a studio for Holcova.
The two-storey square wood house faces north with a row of windows above the front door and windows encircling the house on the other three sides. Two large decks face the garden, one on each level. The intricately carved wooden front door is a beautiful work of art. The house is painted a dark brown, although the ambassador admits he would like to have it painted a much darker colour one day.
Through the front door, a foyer opens into a sizable square reception room with parquet floors, an oriental carpet and much open space. What captures the eye is the light, the space and the sense of freedom.
The room, and indeed the main floor, are open to the roof, where a skylight spills in light on a grey day. A railing allows one to look down from the second floor, which consists of four bedrooms and the ambassador’s study.
A modern wood dining room table for eight takes up part of the space. The ambassador admits they bought the table at a sale in the basement of the former Saint Charles Church on Beechwood Avenue. They bought eight new chairs with white covers to go with it. An upright piano and grey sectional sofas sit near a very small, modern fireplace built into a side wall. Nearby, a coffee table is piled high with art books featuring Holcova and her work. Not to be outdone, Hrncir’s colourful children’s books are also nearby. He writes for one hour each morning before leaving for work.
Three steps down is a more formal reception room, again very open and bright with windows all around and a larger fireplace and more prominent furniture. “This is really a house for art,” says the ambassador, who points out several large, colourful pieces by his wife, and other smaller works by some of their favourite artists. “We sometimes swap and trade with each other,” says Holcova.
Another stunning feature of the main floor is the winding staircase near the front door, which combines light wood and silver railings and is highlighted by a long silver light fixture hanging from the ceiling above. A thoroughly modern gunmetal grey kitchen boasts a large breakfast table and windows looking out on the garden and doors to the patio deck.
The embassy employs a Czech chef who makes sure there is a typical national dish included in each meal served when the couple entertains. Sometimes it might be something scrumptious like strudel, they say. But they admit the best parties are always after an opening at their Gallery 17/18. The gallery, located at the embassy on Cooper Street, is an initiative they started when they came to Canada two years ago. The name celebrates Canada’s 150th birthday this year and the Czech Republic’s 100th in 2018. Each show pairs up an artist from each country.
Above the garage is Holcova’s studio, happily for her a room full of windows. She has already had a successful one-person show in Toronto and has shown her art in Montreal and each year in Ottawa, she holds an open house for neighbours and friends.
To an outsider, the residence, which they share with Holcova’s 13-year-old-son, (they both have children from first marriages) seems like a house they might have built for themselves; a place to work, think, create and have fun.
Margo Roston is Diplomat’s culture editor.
