After moving out of the house she had lived in for the last 48 years, a retiree found ease and elegance in a well-established North Toronto neighbourhood. She moved into a condo after finding the upkeep on her house too much to manage. Her design choices for her condo as well as her lifestyle change are all about transitions and the positive energy they bring.
“I feel like I deserve this at this stage of my life,” she said.
It was an angled wall in her condo’s main bedroom that prompted the retiree to seek out the help of a designer. She turned to Ldesigns’ creative principal, Lenore Raposo, for her advice.
They consulted over several months in what the retiree describes as “a collaboration.”
“Through Lenore’s eyes I saw things differently,” she said.“Lenore had vision. I was pleased with her suggestions. I would not have thought of them on my own.”
The light-filled living room is now the gracious, welcoming space for friends and family that the condo owner desired. Colour was a key design element for her. “I wanted colours that made me feel good and alive.”
Fuchsia-accented pillows add a warm, feminine touch. Their patterns echo the subtle brocade design in the client’s original upholstered furniture, as well as in the room’s artwork and lamps.
In the centre of the room sits a gracious glass table. Its thin silhouette allows light into the room, as do the mirrors. Custom-made stools covered in teal fabric coupled with the blue rug lend soft, deep punctuation to the couch and chairs.
“Keep the investment pieces in a room neutral, but go wild with the fabric for pillows,” Reposo advises.
The condo’s bedroom is situated at the end of a corridor on the right-hand side of the living room. When designing for a condo, “make sure the rooms are integrated. This keeps the condo feeling larger, preventing rooms from feeling ‘choppy’ and visually cluttered,” Reposo said.
Transitions are important in this condo’s design. The living room’s stools can be used as dining room seating. Four bergère chairs have been upholstered in fabrics that complement all of the condo’s rooms. This extends the chairs’ beautiful utility so they can be used throughout the condo.
Custom-made pillows, a throw, and artwork bring gentle brush strokes of colour to the bedroom’s restful neutrals. Providing storage for the room are two good-quality side tables in dark wood. With its open, rounded shelves the table closest to the door offers the room an easy flow. Drapery gives the room luxurious privacy. The longest wall is angled.
“We worked with the angle. We lined furniture up against it,” Reposo notes.
With its splashes of light, glass, and delicacy, the condo shimmers like a jewel box. “People are over the moon when they see it,” the retiree said.
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Sources:
• Small Blue Upholstered Stools, Area Rug, Minster Interiors, Artage Coffee Table, Pillow, Draperies, Bench: Fauteuile, Ldesigns, www.ldesigns.ca
• Accessories, Lamps, Throw, Bedroom Accent Table: HomeSense, www.homesense.ca
• Striped Pillow Shams: Elte, www.elte.com
• Side Tables: Geovin, www.geovin.com
• Floor Lamp: Union Lighting, www.unionlightingandfurnishings.com
Stylish Condo Redesign
After moving out of the house she had lived in for the last 48 years, a retiree found ease and elegance in a well-established North Toronto neighbourhood.
11/10/2014
Updated: 11/11/2014
