Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Semi-Charmed Condo

March's Style At Home featured a lovely spread on Cityline expert Lynn Spence's condo. (For you non-Canucks, Cityline is a daytime lifestyle show filmed here in Toronto)  This spread is a good example of sprucing up a temporary space on a budget and without structural changes.

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I of course was immediately drawn to the cowhide in Lynn's dining area, which was featured on the cover of the mag. I love the painted console and the elegant look of the chairs.

Fun fact: the chairs were from Wal-Mart but Lynn had them recovered in linen to up the class factor.

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Lot's of artwork, pottery and books inject a sense of uniform style to the space, which lacks any special finishes. The standard parquet floors and minimal molding are dressed up with area rugs and interesting accessories - a good tip for those who are renting or don't want to spend on installing extra building features.

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Lynne added personal touches to give the otherwise non-descript kitchen some life. The lack of fancy countertops and backsplash are not as noticeable with cute kitchen accessories, flowers and  framed artwork.

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I love the inviting warm neutral tones of the bedroom. I am a sucker for traditional poufy beds that you look forward to sinking into at the end of the day. Flat and low has never been for me; bring on the height and layers!

The interplay of textures in the linens and the unique trimmed lamps are lovely but I could probably do without the starburst mirror and chandelier.

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A large linen cabinet also sits in the bedroom. I like how the box with the bows can store things discreetly while the glass panels on the doors lessens the visual impact of such a large piece in such a small space.

And there are some stylish stacked boxes featured in the vignette on top. Gotta love those boxes!

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The unremarkable bathroom is made more attractive with graphic black and white accessories, such as an antique stool, a black vase with a long-lasting orchid and framed abstract art. All of these are easy to replicate on your own and won't dig deep into your pockets.

5 comments:

Jennifer Lee said...

Taking old or cheaper furniture and reupholstering is a great way to jazz them up!

Great article and great images :)

M said...

I liked this one too. I have a friend who works for the magazine and she was surprised this was Spence's taste, and I agreed. having watched Cityline, I thought she'd be a little more eclectic. I love how she has symmetrically arranged everything. Cool post!

Lauren said...

I am a sucker for symmetrical wall groupings, and I especially love how she made her not so special kitchen look a lot better. Great pictures!

-Lauren
Material Girls Blog

condo in Philippines said...

I will just have to live vicariously through you and your wonderful photos.

Paula M

condo in Philippines said...

Hi it's me again, I just can't get over with this post because it really inspire me, I want to have a condo like that someday. Seems really nice to live with.