Índice para Issue 4, 2019: Modern Renos Edition em DESIGNLINES

Condos come in many shapes and sizes. The more unique the layout, the more creative you can be with functionality and flexibility. For example, a 688 sq. ft. plus balcony floor plan at King’s Landing at Concord Park Place in North York is a narrow-shaped layout with boundless possibilities. Here are some ideas and inspiration from Concord’s designers to demonstrate how streamlined condo living is big on style and creativity for personalized enjoyment and efficiency. Expand your thinking • Capitalize on the 9 ft. ceilings in this suite with tall wall units, picture railings, book shelves or hideaway accent lighting for refined style.• Adorn hallways with artwork and feature lighting to guide sightlines and pique interest.• Place mirrors and glasswork in strategic spots to add depth, reflect light and visually…

THE TYPICAL TORONTO SEMI IS NARROW AND DARK, but people today crave airiness, volume and light. So architects must somehow find ways to open these spaces up. None of the obvious solutions work. You can’t add width to a narrow property. Nor can you put windows on a party wall. Brian O’Brian, who runs the firm Works Office of Brian O’Brian Architect, was recently hired to renovate a century-old Leslieville semi – two floors and three bedrooms – for a family of five. The couple bought the home back in 2007, before prices went skyward. They had no desire to sell, but they wanted better-quality space and an additional bedroom. At first blush, O’Brian’s redesign resembles your typical minimalist Scandi-inspired reno, with white walls and white oak floors and finishes.…

California Closets CC’s customized organization and storage solutions maximize the potential of your home’s rooms and closets. Think: Murphy beds, garage workbenches, tailored wardrobes with adjustable shelving, baskets and pullout hampers. For touches of colour, try doors with back-painted glass inserts, and pulls in graphite or gold. Media centres featuring cubbies, integrated lighting and concealed wiring keep lived-in spaces tidy. 1400 CASTLEFIELD AVE 416 342 1717 (ALSO: 158 DAVENPORT RD 416 342 1717) CALIFORNIACLOSETS.COM Komandor Organization and style are at the root of Komandor’s offerings: custom closets and doors, aluminum partitions, interior millwork and accessories. This Mississauga-based manufacturer uses European panels from brands Krono and Egger in an array of colours, finishes and even 3D textures to create efficient spaces for any room. Get arty with Decorativo’s custom digital prints…

Caesarstone Explore Caesarstone’s proprietary quartz slabs and consult a pro about their many applications. Sixty-two varieties are showcased with helpful graphics explaining how edges may be trimmed for desired effects. Caesarstone furnishings by top designers, including quartz-topped wire stools by Snarkitecture, dot the minimalist space. New in countertops: 2019’s Empira White and industrial manufacturing textures recalling oxidized steel, poured plaster and raw concrete. 350 CALDARI RD, CONCORD 416 479 8400 CAESARSTONE.CA Cambria Gallery Cambria’s Corktown gallery showcases natural stone surfaces in over 160 designs spanning pale neutrals to rich jewel tones. See the brand’s synthetic lines on display in kitchen and bath vignettes. The quartz collections feature luxurious new showstoppers with bold charcoal veins zebra-ing across white backgrounds, or wood-like striations of resplendent tan and walnut-brown veining. 91 PARLIAMENT ST…

Amati Canada AC’s focus is squarely on kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Among the 50-plus brands in store are faucets by Blanco and Hansgrohe, rain showers by Aquabrass and Dornbracht, commercial-grade sinks by Elkay, elegant freestanding soaker tubs by Porcher and therapeutic bath systems by BainUltra. Also here: minimalist fixtures from Riobel, Philippe Starck’s wallmounted toilets for Duravit and extraordinary faucets from Graff. 105 DONCASTER AVE 905 709 0881 AMATICANADA.COM Appliance Canada Find the latest innovations in ultra-premium appliances here, like Thermador ovens that have a seven-minute preheat (the fastest in the luxury oven segment) and integrated fridges with advanced features like eco-mode and automatic door close. Consider flush-faced fridges by Monogram and flush-mounted cooktops by Bosch for the ultimate seamless look; Fisher & Paykel dishwashers offer the convenience of two…

Allan Rug Company ARC’s 1,200-square-metre showroom boasts a staggering selection of versatile contemporary flooring solutions, from carpet tiles and area rugs to hardwood, laminate and luxury vinyl. Find innovative products from custom and handmade rugs to extra-wide hardwood planks, as well as CorkWood from Toronto-based Torlys, which offers the look of wood, the durability of laminate and the comfort of cork. 103 MIRANDA AVE 416 639 2545 ALLANRUG.COM Amala Carpets Amala’s house-designed artisanal rugs made with vegetable-based dyes in Nepalese wool and Thai silk pop against this whitewashed industrial showroom. The six-generation family business works directly with the craftspeople who harvest and weave its creations using sustainable methods. Zee Silk makes for an environmentally friendly carpet with shimmering hand-reeled silk fibres, while the hand-trimmed Himalayan sheep’s-wool rugs are exquisite. 990…

Are & Be This Annex shop stocks striking floor coverings and wallpaper otherwise impossible to find in the city. It’s the exclusive Canadian retailer of Object Carpet, whose residential and commercial-grade carpet tiles, broadloom and area rugs come in various sizes, colours and patterns. Look for Elli Popp’s edgy yet feminine papers and, for a more architectural feel, NLXL’s Concrete and Scrapwood collections. 1213 BATHURST ST 416 533 3203 AREANDBE.COM Century Architexture Get the look of loft living without the cost and hassle of bricklaying. CA’s seven-millimetrethick pre-engineered brick wall panels affix to a mesh backing, making them a cinch to install. Made from sandblasted reclaimed brick and replicated from century-old walls, they’re incredibly convincing. The showroom displays a variety of uses for the manufactured-on-site panels: backsplashes, bathroom walls and…

Eugene Ong took the mundane task of knife sharpening and turned it on its head – or point, rather. While employed at a friend’s restaurant as a line cook, he took up honing duties and, against the advice of the head chef, used the opposite side of a whetstone. To both of their surprise, this yielded more refined results than the recommended technique. Fascinated by his discovery, he decided to make a few trips to Japan to learn about the art of knife-making. In 2009, Ong opened his storefront. Knife is equal parts gallery for Ong’s inventory of artisanal Japanese knives and display of the craftsmanship that goes into each blade. The store’s clientele of professional cooks and kitchenware aficionados is promised high-quality knives forged from stainless steel, with handles…

A 2018 poll conducted by CIBC found that 71 per cent of Canadians faced with the choice of renovating or moving would opt for the former. This makes sense, both to me and to Stephen “Love the One You’re With” Stills. But whether you buy new or fix up what you already have, for a forever home to make you happy, it must work. I thought a lot about effort while putting together our annual Reno issue – both ours and that of the homeowners we feature. There’s the polished write-ups and the professional photos printed on semigloss paper. At shoots, we hide electrical outlets with plants; we disappear watermarks with Photoshop. Yes, the magazine treatment can gloss over the nitty-gritty, the brains and brawn invested by the homeowners (and…

Have you ever seen a time capsule? I have, at last year’s Interior Design Show. At a metre and a half long, the black walnut credenza is broad-shouldered with a cinched waist; its legs straddle an elegant undercarriage. Behind two gliding doors are stacked shelves and a no-longer-secret drawer. Examples of its maker’s exquisite joinery can be found within – David Gruetter hand-picks his planks from local arborists, salvage companies and sawmills; he hand-oils them, too. The credenza is charismatic: before you know it, you’re thinking about where you will showcase it. But while the casegood might be ready to fill now, it was long in the making, taking six weeks of labour and a lifetime of study. Daniel Gruetter left Bella Coola, British Columbia, for Toronto in 2010, bringing…

When photographer Stephanie Bonas first laid eyes on the semi she eventually bought in West Queen West, the place was in rough shape. “It was as though Wes Anderson redirected Grey Gardens in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland,” she says. The heritage-listed Victorian had been given over to the raccoons for years, then a false start by a developer left a disjointed jumble of stray Ikea kitchens and crumbling walls. For Bonas, after two years of losing bidding wars, a massive overhaul was better than staying in a too-small laneway house with her seven-year-old son, Lennox. “I was committed to a full gut,” she says, standing in her now exquisitely remodelled ground floor – an open-plan, maple-and-brick-lined space where a living–dining area can easily be reconfigured into a photography studio.…

Bang & Olufsen Toronto Private residence or showroom? This immersive outpost for statement-making high-end electronics combines the atmospheres of both. Situated within its luxurious living-room setting, you’ll discover TVs and speakers more akin to sculpture than technology, while the kitchen island doubles as a wireless headphone display. Art lovers will be drawn to the BeoVision Eclipse television with its customizable soundbar, as well as the hexagonal modules of BeoSound Shape’s wall-mounted speakers. 100 DAVENPORT RD 416 935 1919 BEOTORONTO.COM Bay Bloor Radio This longstanding Toronto institution is a mecca for audio- and videophiles. BBR’s custom design department advises on residential, corporate, and professional installations. The Sonos One smart speaker provides voice-controlled music, available in five limited-edition colours from Danish furnishings brand HAY. Panasonic OLED TVs are tuned by real Hollywood…

AM Studio AM’s versatile custom lighting studio is home to intricate and imaginative fixtures handmade in Toronto. The gallery is aglow with Swarovski crystal, metal and glass fused, blown and drawn into dramatic sculptural forms. Find shapely porcelain pendants, linear sconces, or staggering plate and orb chandeliers designed in collaboration with glass artist Karli Sears. The showroom also showcases ready-made beauties from Bomma, Siemon & Salazar and Lasvit. 1270 CASTLEFIELD AVE 416 783 4100 AMSTUDIO.CA Artemide Artemide’s Distillery shop is dedicated to the Italian lighting brand, recognized for its iconic collaborations with renowned designers. Its sleekly futuristic lineup includes founder Ernesto Gismondi’s Discovery pendant, a vertical ring whose transparent interior fills with soft light. Also on hand: Bjarke Ingels Group’s wall-mounted Alphabet of Light illuminated letters and numbers in graphic…

JF & Co. This trade-only showroom specializes in fabric, wallcoverings and drapery from such Canadian and international brands as Pindler, Maxwell and Villa. The whimsical Abundance line of wallpaper by JF Fabrics includes prints of swordfish or Victorian rooftops that are sure to liven up any room. Popular draws include grasscloth wallcoverings, and extra-wide multi-purpose drapes and textiles Crypton-treated to resist stains, odour and pilling. 326 DAVENPORT RD 416 238 5254 JFANDCO.CA Kate Thornley-Hall Decorative flat weaves and even handwoven wool and silk rugs from Nepal are to be found among this local designer’s diverse assortment of home goods. Her Cayman Islands line, featuring abstracted trellis, coral and palm patterns, is available both as handwoven carpets and as wallpapers. A wallpaper collaboration with Candice Kaye includes a painterly hummingbird print…

The building started as a 604-squaremetre, single-storey edifice that former Joe Beef prep cook Max Meighen took over in 2017; it took two and a half years to transform the former bean sprout manufacturing plant into a two-storey brewery with a ground-floor restaurant and large rooftop garden. Taking its name from the Norwegian word for “crop,” Avling was inspired by the ability of Nordic chefs to create good, new food from good, old ingredients. Chef Suzanne Barr (formerly of Saturday Dinette) concocted its novel spins on local cuisine (the kitchen is now being overseen by Barr’s protégé Mohammed Khodadadi). Highlights of the menu, which is dotted with herbs and vegetables grown on the roof, include an excellent turnip cake in buttermilk ranch dressing. Wei-Han Vivian Lee and James Macgillivray of…

Sharine Taylor What have you done for us lately? My first byline for DL is “Tipping Point,” a story about the Dundas West shop Knife. (p. 104) What did you learn from your visit to the store? I didn’t know that niche boutiques like this one – devoted exclusively to Japanese knives – existed. Speaking retrospectively, my knife skills are probably not as good as I thought, now that I know there are techniques to abide by. I’m looking forward to learning more. Caroline Shaheed What have you done for us lately? I got to be a voyeur in artist Anna Church’s gorgeous and newly renovated Victorian in Riverside. (p. 73) What’s the secret to marrying traditional and modern design elements? Anna’s home has a very organic feel. There are…

Space to Visit Batay-Csorba Architects creates an airy home for a ballet academy – in a shopping mall When Chan Hon Goh’s parents – both professional dancers – drove past a 1912 neoclassical building in Vancouver in the late ’70s, the ballerinas fell hard. “This looks like a classical academy. This looks like a dance school,” they gushed. In 1985, they founded the Goh Ballet Academy in that same heritage building. Today, Goh, a former principal dancer at the National Ballet of Canada, has established an outpost at the Bayview Village mall in North York. Sure, the upscale plaza is a far cry from the family’s West Coast jewel. But thanks to Batay-Csorba Architects, Goh has pulled off a light landing in suburbia. An accordion-like wall treatment, a vividly pink…

Average Average is a collection of contemporary and classic home objects designed for everyday life. Its founders hand-pick unique pieces from Japanese and European design houses. Find exquisite stationery from Notem, clay kitchenware by 2016/ Arita and fashion-forward bedding from Tekla Fabrics. Moebe’s modular shelving systems that fasten with wood wedges and Please Wait to Be Seated’s tray-bearing metal-frame coffee tables are covetable. 1081 QUEEN ST W 416 822 8374 AVERAGE.IS Bergo Designs Boasting home accessories from top European manufacturers, BD offers an eclectic array of international design. Discover a medley of objects and whimsical gifts, watches, jewellery and gadgets. Peruse impressive collections: Cec LePage’s colourful Lucite vases, Seletti’s unusual Hybrid tableware fusing east and west influences, and Toronto’s largest selection of Georg Jensen’s house decor and Alessi products (think…

Advice from a Caterpillar Refined and cozy, this Rosedale boutique caters to the design-loving parent. Personalize your nursery with bed cushions and printed linens from artist-turned-designer Caroline Z Hurley, poufs and woven baskets from D.A.R Projects, and the EZA collection of porcelain mugs capped with zoo animals. The adjacent home-concept shop boasts rattan stools and bamboo loungers from Indaba, mirrors and micro-shelves from Ferm Living, and linens from France’s Autumn. 8 PRICE ST 416 960 2223 ADVICEFROMACATERPILLAR.CA BB Buggy Find everything that stylish soon-to-be parents want and little ones need at BBB, including cribs, rockers and bassinets, beds, bookshelves and changing tables. With its slim side rails, slender spindles and elegant turned legs, Oeuf’s Sparrow crib will add Scandinavian warmth to any nursery, while the family of cotton elephants that…

ARD Outdoor ARD has all the upscale patio furnishings and accessories you’ll need to transform your backyard or balcony into a resort-inspired retreat. Find abundant seating, including sectionals, loveseats, orb-shaped club chairs and wavy-seated wicker benches. Colourful cantilevered umbrellas and Tucci parasols pair with dining tables in teak or powder-coated aluminum. Brighten your nights with a Dekko concrete firepit and colour-shifting LED globe lights. 3019 DUFFERIN ST 416 551 6055 ARDOUTDOOR.COM Casualife Seeking furniture for outdoor entertainment spaces, exterior family rooms and private oases? Casualife’s on-staff designers excel in space planning and will navigate you through wares made from teak, aluminum and woven resin. Look for stainless-steel sofas and luxe daybeds, woven loungers with sunshades, and poufs with weather-resistant resin weave on aluminum frames that perform triple duty as side…

Anazao Inc. Anazao designs, builds and installs exceptional custom wood furniture, flooring, decor and accents – much of it made from reclaimed and salvaged lumber – as well as complex architectural millwork. Homeowners count on these architects and designers for extendable dining tables with hand-rubbed oil, dressers made from single slabs of walnut and brilliant barn doors with forged steel handles and brackets. 10 JUTLAND RD, ETOBICOKE 647 792 7855 BY APPT ONLY ANAZAOINC.COM Atomic Design Lawrence Blairs’s expansive collection of mid-century pieces (heavy on the Eameses, Verner Panton and Pierre Paulin) includes refurbished 1950s and ’60s originals and postmodern designs from the ’70s and early ’80s. AD’s smaller decor accents delight: neon art, a selection of Scandinavian and Italian glassware, and SparK in-house custom lighting, including table and suspension…

Haworth The dashing task chairs, desk sets and storage options found in this showroom channel the verve of Suits, courtesy of such design stars as Marcel Wanders, Jasper Morrison and Patricia Urquiola. The Italian-designed, U.S.-produced Lotus chair, available in vibrant turquoise, and the Poppy dowel chair will certainly liven up any boardroom, while Cappellini’s commercial–home hybrid furniture makes being at the office a much more inviting prospect. 55 UNIVERSITY AVE 416 363 3486 HAWORTH.COM Humanscale This LEED Gold–winning HQ houses a wealth of ergonomic and responsibly made desk chairs and LED task lamps. QuickStand Eco is an easy-to-use accessory that creates an adjustable sit-stand workspace out of any surface, including at home, while OfficeIQ, an activity tracker integrated into chairs and desks, reminds users when it’s time to move. Another…