the esplanade
“The unique shape of a room will always influence the entire layout.”
For this Esplanade condo, we had to work with the architecture, not against it. When analyzing this contemporary condo design, the slender living, kitchen and dining space had an incredible view of Toronto with the windows oriented toward a structural column. During design development, we found ways to check off our client’s wants while creating a unique, functional layout that emphasized the skyline view.
Category
LIVE | Refresh
LOCATION
Downtown, Toronto
Size
1200 sq/f.
photography
Vinh Le
YEAR
2022
TESTIMONIAL
Not only does the condo look and feel like a home, but it is wildly functional.
Amelia M
cultural inspiration
Elevating this builder-grade condo meant layering a refined, feminine aesthetic over its basic bones. Inspired by graceful silhouettes and traditional Chinese design motifs, we used our client’s cherished family heirlooms as the foundation for the design. By introducing softer textures and an intentional, modern layout, we seamlessly integrated her heritage pieces to create a functional and deeply personal home.
adding custom elements
We developed the design scheme to work with the existing upgraded finishes our client chose when this unit was purchased directly from the builder. Many additional custom elements were incorporated into the design such as the island, fireplace wall and storage to achieve a tailored look and the maximum amount of functionality.
Our final layout resulted in building a new kitchen island to match the existing upgraded Italian kitchen finishes and have the same countertop waterfall on 3 sides.
We then designed a custom made dining table in a unique shard-like form extending on a diagonal towards the column which emphasized the shape of the room and sits right up against the island. This design allows everyone at the dining table the luxury of enjoying an amazing view of Toronto while also having ample circulation space around the kitchen and access to the balcony sliding door. It also makes the island feel as if it was always there.
The furniture placement in the living room achieves the same result. Furniture is kept low and the boucle settee by the window allows the view to pass through. A fireplace feature wall in Lavastone acts as a subtle focal point to bring some warmth to this living room and does not compete with the number one contender:
- the view
One bedroom was turned into a home office with custom bookshelves to feature our client’s love of reading. Charcoal grey walls allow this room to feel very cozy in the day and allows someone to marvel at the amazing cityscape at night.
Our client had a beautiful antique Chinese curio cabinet that was open on both sides to continuously bring the cityscape inside. With a love of family and ancestry, we curated a collection of family photos going back generations opposite the marble base desk, creating the perfect backdrop for video calls.
This custom bookshelf was also strategically designed with an opening of 66″ so that it can house a queen size mattress in the future with the bookshelf acting as a visual feature headboard should our client ever need it.
The second bedroom was inspired by the antique Chinese chairs our client owned. We carried their deep merlot colours onto the walls and added a sofa bed for guests to maximize functionality.
The primary bedroom is more serene with a softer palette of pinks and lavender. A fluted upholstered wall paired with a wallpaper motif creates the headboard of a low platform bed frame. A vanity console table acts as both an end table and a functional desk to apply makeup to start the day.
An empty open niche was turned into a more functional pantry for storage and pulls in the colours, materials and finishes throughout the other rooms.
Purple, pink and grey were the main colours used throughout this home to strike a balance between a feminine vibe and culturally inspired elements.
