Studio-Knox - Our Journey Blog

Etobicoke Townhouse Refresh

6/24/2019

Sharing our Etobicoke Townhouse project today!

Our client is a young professional who purchased a new construction townhome as an income property. Uniquely, his target demographic are other young professionals who require a space to reside in for short to mid term use (i.e. under a year). With that in mind my client wanted the space to be trendy, but feel comfortable at the same time. My client had an idea of what he was looking for, but was unsure of how to pull it all together, so that's where we came in ;)

We wanted the space to be gender neutral so we went with a monochromatic palette using blacks, whites and grays. And to add some colour and warmth to the space, we used pops of blue, green and gold accents.

We chose furniture that was modern but still comfortable as this space would generally be rented for months at a time. We wanted the space to have style but still feel cozy like home.

We chose a sofa with a modern profile but in a linen fabric to provide that comfort. For the rug, we chose a black and white geometric rug that provided a lot of texture and style to the space. Also, rugs are great for open concept spaces as they really help to ground a space and define it from other adjacent rooms.

To bring some warmth to the space, we chose a wooden coffee table. Wood accents and furniture really help to warm up a space when you're using a monochromatic palette, as generally this type of palette can causes spaces to look cold.

We used artwork, ottomans and plants to add pops of colour and more warmth to the space. What's great about this is that if you ever get sick of the colour or feel like you need a change and a refresh in the future, these pieces can easily be replaced without breaking the bank :)

For my client's target demographic dining is generally not too important, but having a work space is. We created a work space where the dining space would normally be in this townhome. Being the in living area, this is the perfect spot for tenants to get some work done and relax at the same time. What's also great about this work space is that it adds another focal point in the room, leading your eyes from one side of the room all the way to the other.

Since we converted the dining space into a work space, we added some bar stools to the kitchen island which provides the perfect amount of seating for quick meals.

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Downtown Toronto York Street Condo

8/22/2018

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One of our favourite types of projects are quick refreshes. Our clients purchased a condo in a popular downtown Toronto district as an income property. In order to attract the right type of tenants, their goal was to match the condo to its trendy surrounding. It was important for our clients that we complete the project as soon as possible so they could find tenants and avoid carrying costs. It was also important that we reuse as much existing furniture as possible to remain within their budget. In just over a week we were able to transform the space with a simple face lift.

BEFORE

The condo was built in a curved shape, so we had some awkward angles to work with, as well as a massive pillar in the center of the living space. Laying down rugs on a diagonal is not a personal favourite, but in this case it really worked well in bringing the two different angles of the living space together.

AFTER

SCALE, SCALE, SCALE. Scale is KEY. People often don't realize that the scale of decor can make or break a design. Using furniture, artwork or decor that is too small will leave your designs looking amateur. Don't be afraid to go big. Go big or go home! :P

A particularly challenging room we had to work with was the "den", which was really just a nook right off the front door of the condo. Our clients originally had a bed placed there which allowed for extra lounge/sleeping space for tenants. Working with our clients' requirements we transformed the space into something more natural, like it belonged there. We kept the bed but added new linens and a bunch of throw pillows, making it more of a lounge space, somewhere you could curl up and read a book and just hang out. We also wanted the room to feel like its own space so we painted a dark grey accent wall and added a mirror to give the illusion of a larger room.

BEFORE