A New Project - Brian's Condo




I started a fun new project at the beginning of December that's kept me so busy I havn’t had a chance to post about it until now. I was hired by a bachelor client to completely furnish and outfit (with all the essentials),,,,,an entire condo from scratch. The condo itself is 2 years old but has never been lived in - it was just purchased this past November by my client, Brian. For him its a chance to start fresh and move into a brand new home completely tailored to his needs, reflecting his personality and lifestyle. For me,,,,,well, I've been given the challenge of furnishing this entire condo for him in just 2 months with a budget of $20k.


The only items the budget excludes is design fees and........the flat screen tv's. While its not a huge budget, its one I think a lot of people can relate to - but it gets eaten up pretty fast so every dollar has to be planned for maximum value. At this point things are well under way and over the past few weeks I've sourced, purchased and ordered many of the main pieces. In the upcoming weeks I'll be racing against the clock to get everything else purchased, delivered and in place for February 1st.


THE CONDO is a 2 bed, 2 bath unit measuring approximately 1000 s.f.. Its appointed with fairly generic builder's finishes, the kitchen has upgraded granite counters and stainless steel appliances, but the rest of the condo is pretty standard. I like that the walls are all white and that there's lots of natural light. But you might also notice,,,the unit is made up of many odd angles, a common theme in new buildings which unfortunately makes for a lot of unusable space.




View of Front Entry



View of Living Room Area from Dining area.




Master Ensuite




Guest Bath




THE PLAN: For this initial move-in phase, we're not planning any new construction or on replacing any existing finishes. We will be replacing light fixtures, faucets and cabinet hardware, other than that,,,,the budget is entirely all for furnishings and accessories. The living room has to accommodate a large (very large) flat panel tv and the second bedroom has to accommodate a desk and a sofa bed. Based on that criteria I prepared several furniture layouts for Brian's review before we settled on the furniture layout below. Somethings may be slightly changed or tweeked along the way but this is the direction we're headed.




With the furniture plan agreed upon I set about sourcing and selecting items that would work together and create the kind of vintage modern style we were looking for.  We don't have the budget or timeline to do much, if any, custom work so with the exception of one or two pieces already on order, everything else I purchase for Brian needs to be in-stock or readily available.  This is when it becomes a real hallenge to create spaces that are unique and not 'catalogue' looking.   In the weeks ahead I'll post about each of the individual rooms,,,,,the before pics, the concept plan and after photos.  In the meantime, here's a sneak peak of the design concept for the dining area.


Cheers!








Thank you Santa for bringing us a brand new Aquaovo Ovopur water filtration system!  I've had my designer eye on one of these units for a while now and with a little help from my friend Robyn at Bergo Design, Santa was able to cross that off my wish list!!!  I simply LOVE the clean modern lines of this nature inspired, green approach to water revitalization.

The model we now own is the beautiful Ovopur on the glass stand as shown in the photo above.  A sculptural wooden stand is available as option to the glass base as are four other versions in black and a stunning signature base design made from rough-planed ash with a live edge, seen in the following pics.

If the 11L reservoire is full and filtering isn't needed for a time, you can even remove the filtration cylinder on the top and just use it as a dispenser (shown below).



Ovobar



Ovopur



Caviar: Marcato model



Caviar: Legato model



Caviar: Staccato model



Signature wood base


The Ovopur sysytem was conceived and designed in Canada but inspired by the age-old traditions of Chinese artisan stonecutters, glassblowers and ceramicists.   The egg shape is an integral part of the by design, as the curves ease the circulation and regeneration of the water and symbolizes abundance, purity, rebirth and infinity.  High quality materials like glass, porcelain and steel help preserve and revitalize the water.  The entire filtration system actually reproduces the basic filtration process of the earth's natural water cycle.  The system operates on gravity and uses no electricity and is made from sustainable, renewable and recylable materials.

Not only is this the most beautiful water filtration system I've ever seen but the addition of this sytem in our household means we'll no longer be stocking up on cases of bottled water every week and our blue bins won't be overflowing with the empty plastic bottles anymore.  Now, I'll drink to that!



All Photos:   www.aquaovo.com



Yabu Pushelberg: The Book



I've been waiting anxiously for the arrival of Yabu Pushelberg's book which was scheduled to hit stores this week - so you can bet I'll be out this weekend trying to get my hands on one. The hardcover book is a portfolio of their projects which feature some of the world's most exclusive hotels, restaurants, retail shops and private residences. The Toronto based firm of Yabu Pushelberg have been creating timeless and artistic interiors worldwide for 30 years, with an office of 60 in Toronto and 23 in New York. Their client list includes; Four Season, W-Hotels, Carolina Herrera, Tiffany's, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, and Bergdoff Goodman to name a few.

I often find today that there's a lot of media hype and attention placed on very uninspired design work that's hyped as 'great design' by 'top designers' when most often its simply mediochre decorating at best. Definitely not the case here, the firm of YB epitomizes what excellence in Interior Design is all about and I think its unfortunate that this firm's work is more recognized by the public outside of Canada than it is here at home - these guys should be a household name. As one of our most talented exports, they have garnered international awards and recognition and are sought after around the world by exclusive hoteliers and restauranteurs and retailers who want nothing but the best when it comes to interior design. This firm's success is largely responsible for the reputation Canada has achieved for producing superior design talent.

Yabu Pushelberg have reached the pinnacle of success in their field and enjoy the luxury of being able to turn down jobs that other firms can only dream of one day being considered for.  It appears like they also live a jet-setting, glamourous lifestyle much like the clientele they design for and own homes in Toronto, NYC, Miami and the Hamptons, living amongst neighbours like Calvin Klein and Nicole Kidman. You'll see in the photos below; their projects have exquisite detailing using lots of exotic woods and stone, the lighting in their spaces is sheer perfection, the furniture is stunning and unique, the light fixtures always make a statement and what I love most is their passion for sourcing out local artists and craftsmen to bring one of a kind artistry to each project. I'm especially drawn to their use of artwork in their interiors and the way they often will frame a view like a piece of art.

As a designer I've admired their work since I was a student - here's a look at some of my favorite images from their website portfolio and I look forward to seeing more pages of inspiration in their new book.



St.Regis Hotel, San Francisco


St.Regis Hotel, San Francisco


Blue Fin Restaurant, NYC


Caroline Herrera boutique, NYC


W-Hotel, NYC


Tiffany's, Wall Street, NYC



Las Alcobas Hotel, Mexico City



Las Alcobas Hotel, Mexico City


Las Alcobas Hotel, Mexico City


I'm particularly drawn to the residential projects in their portfolio which feature homes in New York City, Miami and Toronto.....the photos below are of a Toronto residence which I've seen published before and if I remember correctly its also the home of Yabu and Pushelberg.










The next series of photos are of a Miami residence which I believe is Yabu and Pushelberg's personal residence in South Beach, Miami.






This last set of photos is a residence in NYC.







George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg in their NYC condo
Photo by Thomas Loof, for Toronto Life Magazine



All photos except the last one from the website of Yabu Pushelberg