Ivy Studio models Montreal dry cleaners on a Parisian apartment

Ivy Studio has used moulding, brass lights and herringbone floors to make this dry cleaning shop in Montreal evocative of a European residence.

Les Nettoyeurs White's dry cleaners is located in Montreal's residential Boucherville neighbourhood.

Local firm Ivy Studio transformed an 800-square-foot (74-square-metre) commercial space with the aim to create the "cosy" Les Nettoyeurs White's dry cleaners.

Details such as the plethora of mouldings that the studio applied across the walls are intended to make the high space feel more intimate. "The exaggerated existing ceiling height presented the principal challenge in creating a cosy ambience," said Ivy Studio.Other elements that are more akin to homes are large brass light fixtures designed by local studio Lambert et Fils and tan-hued handmade terracotta tiles line the floors in a herringbone style.

"Inspired by traditional Parisian apartments, the space has a classical and elegant atmosphere portrayed through extensive moulding details, graceful volumes and noble materials," said Ivy Studio.Large windows front the store, bringing in plenty of natural light, and framing views of the service counter. This volume clad in black marble and features a white grain across its front, picking up on the hues that dominate the shop.

An L-shaped rod next to the volume accommodates clothes on racks for cleaning. Other details include built-in storage and a nook in the wall for displaying products for purchase. It is designed like a library and accented with a custom sliding ladder.

Completing the minimal decor are a series of lowered lighting globes that hang down from the ceiling.

A frosted glass wall in the rear conceals the in-house operations, such as the movement of clothes on a hidden conveyor.Rounding out the project is a factory for the White's dry cleaning company, which is located in a different part of the city.

This space similarly features a monochrome palette with a minimal and industrial feel, including black washers, sinks, racks and work stations. White floors and white walls complete the stark aesthetic.Ivy Studio is led by architects Gabrielle Rousseau and Philip Staszeksi in Montreal. Other projects by the firm are a grungy, tropical restaurant and a stark white boutique, both in the city.

Other laundromats include a light-filled spot in Brooklyn with a lofted coffee shop and a tiled outpost complete with a hair salon in Ghent.