Every day there are thousands of properties being designed, built and renovated. We all see them in our travels about town, craning our necks and quietly judging the stylistic choices being made, mentally swiping “like” or “dislike” in our minds like a Tinder dating app. More difficult to see, however, are the changes to condo suites. Visually hidden by the hallway or the street, some dramatic and very impactful renovations shred the original developer-builder layouts and finishes and replace them with newly creative ways to organize and dress the interiors.
For the most part, upgrades are bound to the four walls of the suite and often tied to existing service runs, so relocating walls, plumbing, electrical or mechanical plants can seem almost impossible.
Almost!
Below we explore a downtown Toronto penthouse loft project that pushes the limits of layout and finish and serves as an example of how to get things done right. We break it down by key components to enable you to envision what may be possible in your own loft or condo.
Priority one - the living area
In this open-concept layout combining the kitchen and the family room, the space had stock cabinets with an island and an inline setup of appliances, which limited the workspace for any chef trying to prepare a meal. Common in many loft and condominium spaces is underused square footage and ignored cubic footage ripe for exploitation. The same is true here – 10-ft.-tall ceilings and upper cabinets that only rise to below the eight-ft. mark. As well, the operational layout of the kitchen had a fridge, sink, stove and overhead microwave hood fan crammed into 10 linear feet – a tight fit by any standards.
The first design solution was to spread the millwork from the end wall of the kitchen into the exterior glass wall and terminate it with a waterfall edge for the primary run, and also extend the island to the windows in the same way, creating a peninsula. Relocating the microwave, sink and dishwasher to the peninsula wasn’t easy, as power and water needed to jump across a slab we were not permitted to touch. The result is significant more counter prep area, split workspaces and more storage.
Hiding the dishwasher and microwave within the peninsula and panelling the refrigerator also diverts focus away from these appliances. Adding custom power-actuated upper cabinets increased storage, and changed the accessibility of the items inside, as the doors open and close with a push of the touch latch operator. Under-cabinet hidden strip-LED lighting and Bocci system 22 receptacle devices, highlight and hide the critical electrical power services. The porcelain slab counters wrap everything in style, from the waterfall edges to the backsplash and peninsula backer plate, creating a splash of panache seen from everywhere in the suite and from the street.
Equal challenge – bedrooms and bathrooms
For a young family of three, this loft seemed nicely appointed, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms …or so the listing suggested. The challenge – and the reality – was the primary bedroom was closed off from the main living area with only a sliding glass barn door that hung from the ceiling (plus, the wall above did not reach the ceiling and was open) and the second bathroom was only a two-piece powder room. So, there was little to no privacy for the hard-working adults who paid for the loft.
Not only was the bedroom exposed to the common area, but the couple’s child had to walk through the primary bedroom every day to take a shower in the main ensuite.
The design team, combined with the field crews, devised and executed a strategy to create a full custom walk-in shower by stealing bedroom space from a closet and replacing it with custom millwork storage elsewhere within the room. The primary bedroom was expanded by six inches. Pocket doors were installed within a full privacy wall system, and new millwork with built-in storage, including in the custom bed, was added to maximize traffic flow, storage capacity and the aesthetic quality of the space. Now the loft truly functions as it was initially described – as a properly functioning two-bedroom, two-bathroom suite.
Customizations continued
Each space within this suite was painstakingly thought out, designed and built to maximize the visual impact as well as the functional role required of each element. It begins at the front entry, where standard ‘builder basic’ closets were ripped out, framed-in and replaced with custom flush-front millwork that elegantly conceals the owners’ shoes, bags and coats.
Within the same run of millwork, a bi-folding pocket door opens to reveal a full-size stacking laundry, then closes again when not in use.
In the family room, a concrete column was clad with millwork to match the kitchen, enlarged for a large art and media display and concealment cabinet, which also placed wires and components out of sight.
In the primary bedroom, flanking custom interior-lit millwork replaced a cramped walk-in closet. The concrete support column inset in the room is side-saddled with a narrow vertical shoe closet. And in the secondary bedroom, a standard closet was taken to install the new shower, which created a small cubby that was refitted as a desk space, while a built-in armoire now houses clothing.
In the bathrooms, while the major undertaking of adding a shower was done, the seemingly minor changes such as raising the ceilings, changing the ventilation fans and adding in-suite riser shut-offs, made these spaces function significantly better than before.
Overall finish
As an exposed loft, some concrete and raw services were left to be seen, while others were relocated for function and to soften the industrial vibe that seemed to visually overpower the space. Trim was replaced with solid poplar, doors were converted to solid core for privacy, and door handles, light fixtures (both exposed and accenting concealed), and plumbing taps – are all premium finishes sourced from specialty stores throughout the design-decor district. Large format tiles grace the floors and the walls for a monochromatic marble palette. Strip white oak engineered hardwood and Benjamin Moore Aura paint all set the backdrop for the owners’ quiet contemporary furnishings, loud beautiful artwork and choice selections of books and display pieces. Electric-operated window coverings provide privacy from the burgeoning city beyond the glass and rise to reveal the view inside for those outside and vice versa when boldness prevails.
Final thoughts
A loft or condominium can feel like ‘what you see is what you get’ – but with professional knowledge and creative skill, many things can be modified to better make use of the space available. Rules and regulations about common elements, board approvals, renovation rules and material staging can all be difficult to stickhandle, but when you pair with a professional with experience in working through those impediments, a truly amazing space can be created.