Houzz Tour: Superclean Modern Suits a Canadian Bachelor
Colorful iconic furniture enhances a soothingly neutral palette in this midtown Toronto home for a businessman
Becky Harris
March 15, 2013
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
Somewhere around the framing stage of construction on this house in Toronto, communication between the homeowner and his architect broke down, so the owner called in interior designer Shirley Meisels, someone he knew who already understood the way he liked to live. "I had worked with this client before, and so he had a lot of faith in my abilities to plan space," Meisels says. "He wound up firing the architect and leaving the layout up to me."
In figuring out what would work best, Meisels asked lots of questions. "We talked a lot about lifestyle — how much entertaining and cooking was he going to do? Did he want a TV downstairs or just upstairs in the den? That sort of thing," she says. "Once we established how he intended to live, I was better able to allot what I call 'real estate value' — something you don't intend on using often simply doesn't get as much square footage. Here's a look at how Meisels doled out the real estate to suit the way her client lives.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A bachelor who owns and runs his family business
Location: Midtown Toronto
Size: About 2,000 square feet
Photography by Stephani Buchman
In figuring out what would work best, Meisels asked lots of questions. "We talked a lot about lifestyle — how much entertaining and cooking was he going to do? Did he want a TV downstairs or just upstairs in the den? That sort of thing," she says. "Once we established how he intended to live, I was better able to allot what I call 'real estate value' — something you don't intend on using often simply doesn't get as much square footage. Here's a look at how Meisels doled out the real estate to suit the way her client lives.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A bachelor who owns and runs his family business
Location: Midtown Toronto
Size: About 2,000 square feet
Photography by Stephani Buchman
Meisels' client is not one to have large dinner parties, so she designed a comfortable dining space for a maximum of eight people.
The entrance opens right into this dining space. "We didn't want to break the space by adding a wall, even a glass wall," Meisels says, "so I had a custom bench made of steel that is both functional for the entrance and defines the eating area."
Light fixture: Moooi; painting: Bill Boyco
The entrance opens right into this dining space. "We didn't want to break the space by adding a wall, even a glass wall," Meisels says, "so I had a custom bench made of steel that is both functional for the entrance and defines the eating area."
Light fixture: Moooi; painting: Bill Boyco
In the sleek kitchen, the island and bank of cabinetry define and anchor the cooking area. Stained walnut contrasts with crisp white.
The kitchen is a good example of a move Meisels made throughout the house. "I layered the woods and stone all in shades of warm grays and whites to soften the modern edges," she says.
Island countertop: Blizzard Ceasarstone; backsplash and cooktop countertop: Calacatta marble; bar stools: Onda, Stua
The kitchen is a good example of a move Meisels made throughout the house. "I layered the woods and stone all in shades of warm grays and whites to soften the modern edges," she says.
Island countertop: Blizzard Ceasarstone; backsplash and cooktop countertop: Calacatta marble; bar stools: Onda, Stua
As for living room "real estate value," the client does like to lounge and listen to music, so Meisels designed a large fireplace with cabinetry to house his turntable and music collection.
"My client was really keen on a superclean, modern look with bursts of color and punch," she describes. A large fireplace wall and clear coffee table provide the superclean, the Eames Lounge Chair provides the iconic modern, and the rug and pair of bright yellow chairs provide the color and punch.
Chairs: Ligne Roset
"My client was really keen on a superclean, modern look with bursts of color and punch," she describes. A large fireplace wall and clear coffee table provide the superclean, the Eames Lounge Chair provides the iconic modern, and the rug and pair of bright yellow chairs provide the color and punch.
Chairs: Ligne Roset
"We had originally intended for the fireplace wall to be poured concrete, but it ended up being a bit cost and time prohibitive, so I used 24-inch by 48-inch porcelain tile that has a wonderful concrete look," Meisels says.
The window treatments are Sheerweave mechanized blinds; they diffuse the light much like translucent glass does.
The window treatments are Sheerweave mechanized blinds; they diffuse the light much like translucent glass does.
In the family room, there is a TV with a full wall of built-in storage across from this sectional sofa. The framed rock posters have traveled along with the homeowner after his last collaboration with Meisels.
Light fixture: Armadillo, LZF; chairs: Paulistano, Epasso
Light fixture: Armadillo, LZF; chairs: Paulistano, Epasso
The bedroom is dark and minimalist yet warm, thanks to a thick rug and walnut bed. "I had the bed custom made from a local shop here called Commute," Meisels says. "They sandwiched an old piece of distressed barn board into the walnut of the headboard."
Wall-mounted reading sonces save space on the nightstands, while a Hans Wegner CH07 chair adds more warm wood and some curves.
Sconces: Restoration Hardware; wallpaper: Elitis
Wall-mounted reading sonces save space on the nightstands, while a Hans Wegner CH07 chair adds more warm wood and some curves.
Sconces: Restoration Hardware; wallpaper: Elitis
The client was not a TV-in-the-bedroom type, so Meisels created a master closet that feels like a den and has a TV.
"He travels a lot, so the coffee table in the middle is a great place for him to pack his bags; the drawers double as laundry storage," she says. The unique lounge has built-in closet cabinetry, a wall-mounted TV, a comfortable bright yellow Womb Chair and an Ingo Maurer chandelier. A gray area rug softens the modern lines.
"He travels a lot, so the coffee table in the middle is a great place for him to pack his bags; the drawers double as laundry storage," she says. The unique lounge has built-in closet cabinetry, a wall-mounted TV, a comfortable bright yellow Womb Chair and an Ingo Maurer chandelier. A gray area rug softens the modern lines.
The master bath was only about 8 feet wide, and the client wanted to include a freestanding bathtub.
"It was very tricky space, because it's actually fairly small for a master," Meisels says. She solved the tub problem by placing it in the shower stall. "Though it's a bit tight, we still wanted it to feel very luxurious, so I used lots of stone and mosaic to create layers of texture and warmth," Meisels says. She used full sheets of 4-by-8 Calacatta marble to create the shower room and balanced it out with a much smaller mosaic tile on the floor and other walls.
"It was very tricky space, because it's actually fairly small for a master," Meisels says. She solved the tub problem by placing it in the shower stall. "Though it's a bit tight, we still wanted it to feel very luxurious, so I used lots of stone and mosaic to create layers of texture and warmth," Meisels says. She used full sheets of 4-by-8 Calacatta marble to create the shower room and balanced it out with a much smaller mosaic tile on the floor and other walls.
"Given the small space, I designed the cabinetry to be streamlined airy," she says. A cantilevered vanity makes the room feel larger and more open. Again, the color palette softens the straight modern lines.
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Just took another look, as a comment came up on my email. Wow, wow! Just love this place.
I wish I could lay down in that chair by the fireplace...