Port Credit Custom Residence: A Lake Ontario Masterpiece by Studio Kimi
Jul 10
4 min read
Some homes look impressive in photographs. Then there are homes built around how people actually live — where every proportion, material, and room sequence has been considered not just for the camera, but for a Tuesday morning. Mona, a new-build custom residence on the Lake Ontario shoreline of Port Credit, Mississauga, belongs firmly to the second category.
Designed and executed in full by Studio Kimi Interior Inc., the project spans just over 6,000 square feet and represents the studio's most comprehensive commission to date. Kimi handled everything — the interior design, the millwork, the trades, the finishes — shaping a home that carries a single, coherent vision from the foundation up.
Volume, Warmth, and the Room That Sets the Tone
The main floor announces itself immediately. A double-height living room — anchored by a linear fireplace clad in dramatic white marble — draws the eye upward while keeping the atmosphere grounded and intimate. The soaring ceiling is tempered by a warm material palette: white oak chevron flooring runs wall to wall, its herringbone geometry adding visual rhythm underfoot without ever competing for attention.
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
The custom millwork flanking the fireplace is lit from within, creating illuminated shelving columns that function as both storage and soft architecture. The effect is less showroom, more sanctuary — a space that invites long evenings and quiet mornings in equal measure.
The Dual Kitchen, the Private Suite, and the Logic of Intelligent Planning
The kitchen strategy at Mona is one of the project's most thoughtful decisions. Rather than a single grand cooking space, the plan splits the work: a main kitchen surfaced entirely in Taj Mahal quartzite takes centre stage for everyday life, its stone a study in restrained luxury — creamy, veined, endlessly photogenic. Behind it, a fully equipped spice kitchen absorbs the heavier work of entertaining and traditional cooking, keeping the visual calm of the main space intact.
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Upstairs, four bedrooms each arrive with their own ensuite and walk-in closet — a quiet insistence on privacy and personal space that speaks directly to how modern families share a home without living on top of each other. A crafting area tucked off the main hall adds a note of practicality that feels genuinely considered rather than decorative.
“Kookdo knows how to deliver your ideas… he delivered it to perfection. Kookdo is very professional and empathetic.” — Fatima Zehra.
The primary bedroom suite deserves particular attention. A fireplace anchors one wall; a circular chandelier in brushed brass warms the ceiling; custom built-ins frame the space with the same white oak and cream palette that runs through the rest of the home. It is a room that functions as a retreat, reading nook, and dressing suite all at once — a place designed to begin and end the day well.
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
A Lower Level That Lives Like a Home of Its Own
The basement at Mona refuses the conventional vocabulary of the finished lower level. Rather than the predictable mix of carpet tiles and pot lights, Studio Kimi extended the full material story downstairs — walnut cabinetry, marble fireplace walls, and the same careful attention to proportion and light that defines the floors above. The result is a space that functions as a complete secondary home: a bar, home theatre, gym, spa, two guest bedrooms, and three bathrooms, all connected in a single fluid sequence.
It is the kind of planning that reflects how people actually host — keeping guests comfortable and independent while protecting the family's daily rhythms. Outside, a pool and basketball court complete the property, extending the home's sense of considered abundance into the landscape.
What makes Mona memorable is not any single room but the consistency of intention across all of them. The material story — warm white oak underfoot, Taj Mahal quartzite on the surfaces that get touched and seen, custom millwork built specifically for each space — never wavers from the ground floor to the basement. That kind of coherence is rare in custom residential work, and it is almost impossible to achieve without a single studio controlling every element of the process.
Studio Kimi did exactly that. The result is a home that earns its architecture — not through spectacle, but through the accumulating quiet pleasure of details that are consistently right.
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Port Credit Custom Residence:A Lake Ontario Masterpiece. Image courtesy of: Studio Kimi Interior Inc
Studio Kimi Interior Inc. is a professional, design-driven interior design firm serving Mississauga, Oakville, and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). They specialize in residential remodelling and boutique commercial spaces, offering a seamless, full-service approach that takes clients from the initial concept through to the final construction and reveal.
At the core of their practice is the belief that every element within a home contributes to the "quiet rhythm of how you live, gather, and rest." They focus on creating refined, highly functional spaces that are tailored to their clients' unique lifestyles.
The firm is led by a highly experienced duo who not only design beautiful spaces but also teach the next generation of designers as professors at Sheridan College.
Kookdo Kim (Principal Designer & Co-Founder): With over 15 years of experience in the residential and hospitality sectors, Kookdo combines creative vision with technical compliance. As a certified designer and project manager, he guides clients smoothly from start to finish.
Junghee Kim (Co-Principal & Interior Designer): Junghee holds a Master's degree in Interior Design from the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design and brings deep experience from high-end residential and commercial firms across the GTA. She expertly manages the entire creative lifecycle, from client profiling to meticulous design development.
