Pied-à-Terre Proper

One part hotel chic and one part urban retreat, this downtown Toronto condo sits high in the sky overlooking Lake Ontario and the bustling city streets. It’s not every day that we’re asked to design a condo that looks like a hotel, so we jumped at the chance to convert a 2 bedroom + den condo into a 3 bedroom hotel-like abode complete with separate media systems and in-room amenities so our clients can host friends and entertain in the big city.

After months of planning, load in day went off without a hitch. But it took some problem solving along the way to get us there. Read on to discover how we tackled every challenge, and make note of each solution to help you conquer your next design dilemma.

The challenge: 

Deciding on the right mix of furniture

The solution: 

Plan your jumping off point

When investing in new furniture, it’s always a good idea to play it safe with your sofa - keep it streamlined and neutral. The leather accent chairs and credenza follow suit in classic black. To create the wow, be brazen with your accent colour and choose one piece of furniture as your jumping off point. Our newest addition to the SRD furniture collection - the Adelaide ottoman, upholstered for this project in lush emerald green velvet, was positioned as the room's showpiece. Its large-scale, pared down design with smart piping makes it the ideal piece for a modern space. To offset the neutral backdrop, we played up the green hue with a pair of fabulous abstract art prints flanking the tv from Celadon Art.

The Challenge:

Selecting a statement pendant that won't overwhelm an open space

The Solution:

Make an understated statement

Statement lighting can make or break a space if you're not careful. After walking through this condo and taking in the impressive city views, there's one thing we knew for sure: the pendant over the dining table had to be big enough to fill up the space, but not so big that it steels the show. In spaces graced with large or floor to ceiling windows, the last thing you want is to hinder the light or grandioseness of the view. The sleek black hardware in this pendant ties in with our black accented furnishings, and the cascading textured glass discs ensure the view remains the centre of attention. 

The Challenge:

Installing blackout curtains that won't overwhelm the window or put you over budget

The Solution:

Sew in the detail

With windows this large that overlook Lake Ontario, no ordinary drapery will do. To get a luxurious look that won’t break the bank, we came up with a clever workaround to splurging on top-of-the-line drapery. 2-inch thick black ribbon sewn in a stripe pattern on inexpensive white lined linen creates a tailored look and complements the grid-like accents featured in the artwork, pillow fabric, blanket and window panes.

The Challenge:

Finding a space-saving and stylish console table

The Solution:

Choose transparent

When shopping for a console table, transparent pieces made of glass or acrylic are often overlooked because they're considered too precious. But when your goal is to keep the room sleek and pared down - with furnishings that optimize the view rather than hinder it, a peekaboo table like this one is the right choice. The view from bed is just too good to mess with, so we said no to bulky pieces and opted for a seamless clear surface for a table lamp, books and even a cable box! 

The Challenge:

How to incorporate hidden storage into a condo unit

The Solution:

Invest in a storage bed

Condo units are often limited when it comes to storage space, and this unit was no exception. A storage bed is a clever way to hide away items you don't need on the regular like seasonal bedding, extra pillows, and even travel accessories like luggage and duffle bags. Storage beds commonly have pull out drawers, but we wanted to keep the space as minimal as possible and opted for a storage bed that lifts up revealing one large unrestricted space to fill up. This bed had the look and functional properties we craved.