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Home Tour: Inside Norra Hem, Quebec’s First Low-Energy Certified Home

Tucked into the Laurentian forest, Norra Hem is a modern sanctuary where comfort, sustainability, and elegance meet. At its heart, a Bo kitchen in White Oak and custom Benjamin Moore colour creates a warm, inviting space.

PHOTOS: Simply Us - ARCHITECT: psb conseils - DECORATIVE ITEMS: @coeurartichautmtl

Nestled in the forest just two hours north of Montreal, Norra Hem stands as a milestone: the first home in Quebec certified as a low-energy building by the Passive House Institute (PHI). Designed to be nearly self-reliant, it’s on track to receive full Passive House certification by year’s end. But beyond its impressive performance, Norra Hem is a showcase of timeless design, and at its center is a kitchen fully dressed in Bo.

The home’s technical innovations are remarkable: 17 inches of insulation in the walls, 30 in the roof, an airtight envelope, hydronic radiant floors, and continuous ventilation. The result? A space that stays warm in winter, cool in summer, and uses almost no energy at all.

But step inside, and the magic lies in the details. The kitchen, always the heart of the home, is finished with Bo Grip and Slab in White Oak (Plain Cut) with a Satin finish, paired with fronts in a custom Benjamin Moore shade (OC-9 Ballet White). Together, they create a warm yet minimalist palette that flows seamlessly into the white oak detailing found throughout the interiors.

It’s a perfect balance: high performance paired with elevated design. With its natural larch exterior blending into the forest and its Bo kitchen anchoring the interiors, Norra Hem shows that sustainable living in Quebec can be not only efficient and forward-thinking, but also elegant, modern, and impressive.