I rode the elevator up to the 31st floor and got off on a floor with only two suites on it. I was greeted when I came in by the designer Andrew Bottecchia. Once we were all there, our little party of bloggers and media got a private tour from him about how he designed each room. I kind of loved being in a professionally designed condo vs a house because I could see all the issues he had to face with strange cutouts and wonky floor plans that come hand in hand with condo living. (See the floor plan here).
At one end of the condo is a great living/dining space. I loved how Andrew made the fireplace a focal point by framing it in shiny black. He kept the living side of the room very traditional, but went modern in the dining space at the other end. The custom wallpaper by the dining table really was beautiful in person! Right by the living room was a small powder room, which I had thought was a closet at first (the condo is FULL of closets). Andrew chose to go a bit bolder in here with the wallpaper, but it still tied into colours used throughout the condo. I think that keeping a common colour scheme is key to decorating a small condo.
Right outside this room is one of the THREE balconies that grace the sides of this condo. This one was the main one with gorgeous outdoor furniture and durable and easy-to-clean outdoor carpet. The patio also had a gas barbeque hookup and a view of the lake, so it would be the perfect place to entertain on a warm, sunny day.
Going back in through the hall, you come to the front hall on your left (with a mirrored wall on one side and two large closets on the other) and a galley kitchen on your right. Condo kitchens rarely have windows, and we all loved the more traditional windows in this space that really let you feel like you were in a house, not a condo (unless you looked out them and saw the view!). The kitchen also had a hook up for a gas oven, but the real draw to me was all the storage! So many cupboards and there was even an additional pantry in the hallway. There weren't a lot of countertops, but Andrew solved this with a gorgeous narrow marble-topped table that doubles as a breakfast bar.
Do you see the gorgeous floors in here? They continue throughout the home and seem more grey or more taupe, depending on the rooms decor. They are engineered hardwood (so good for kitchens!) and I loved them.
After the kitchen was the media room- which was one of my favourites. The room is a den that originally had french doors but Andrew took them down because they got in the way of furniture placement. This room is so awkward being 13ft long and only 7ft wide with weird cutouts everywhere, but he made it work as a cozy TV space to lounge in after a hard day. The bookshelf wallpaper was custom made to pick up the orange accents in the space. There are two windows in the space, but they were mismatched so one was covered with drapes that matched the wall colour.
After the media room was the laundry room! Yes, there was an actual laundry room in this condo. And it even had a window so it was very bright and welcoming. Andrew had actually switched the original layout of the machines and the sink, which made the room seem larger. I think I would actually enjoy doing laundry if I had a space like this.
After the laundry room was the guest bedroom. It was a very small room and only really fit a double bed and two nightstands. However, it actually had a walk-in closet with a window so I really don't think any guest would be complaining about a lack of storage! As you continue down the hall you pass the guest bathroom (small, but very lovely in marble finishes).
At the end of the hall you enter the master suite, which has a little seating area at the entrance, and then the main space is past that. There is a door to a balcony from the seating area. Andrew faced a challenge with fitting a king sized bed in here. While the room has space, there was a cutout in the wall that forced the bed into a tight space and no room for side tables. By floating the bed forward, with a table behind to take up the empty space, he was able to center the bed and make the flow of the room much better.
The master bedroom also had a large bathroom with separate tub and shower, his and hers sinks, and a water closet! I think it was bigger than the guest bedroom. There was also a large walk in closet with custom shelving (and no, we asked and there was nothing in those Burberry bags....)
Isn't this place gorgeous? I was definitely hunting for some design ideas for my new place. Would you believe me if I told you that most of the artwork, decor pieces, and lamps in this space were from HomeSense?? Andrew also mentioned that he was on a strict budget and carefully hunted for sales through this whole process, which definitely shows that you don't need to spend a lot of money to make your home look like a $1.4 million dollar penthouse! Though, having a penthouse to start with probably does help :)
If you saw any items you liked, there is a source list available on the Princess Margaret website here. Most of the furniture was from Casalife and the Art Shoppe. I know that I, for one, am keeping an eye on this dresser, which is similar to the one that I saw in the bedroom at the penthouse...however I think I may have to wait for it to go on sale.
Of course, if you liked everything in these photos (and who wouldn't?), you should enter the lottery because this baby comes furnished if you win! You can buy tickets from the Princess Margaret Lotto Website. The only stipulation if you win is that you have to invite me to live with you. I will even let you have the master bedroom, because I am generous like that.
Wow - love it! I love looking at model homes and getting ideas! Sheila
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