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FASHION | BEAUTY | HOME | TRAVEL | LIFESTYLE

DISCOVER YOURS at NICHEmagazine.caWINTER 2014

S A N D R A B U L L O C KICON

L O N D O N B E R L I N M I L A N VA N C O U V E R N E W Y O R K

EDITOR’S PICKSpractical chic

STYLE

MARC JACOBS

TRAVEL to...

& L O S C A B O SN E C K E R I S L A N D

FACE IT!P U R P L E H A Z E

G L E N P E L O S O is the Principal of Peloso Alexander Interiors and a design expert on the Marilyn Denis Show, weekdays on CTV. As a design journalist, he contributes regularly, and has been profiled or featured in many national magazines and newspapers, as well as other international design publications. PelosoAlexanderInteriors.com

DESIGNEDLIVING LARGE in your condo

WAY YOU LIVEfor the

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B U I L D I N G I S A C T U A L LY B U I L T . O N C E

T H E Y F I N A L LY G E T T H E S PA C E , T H E Y A R E

O V E R C O M E B Y J U S T H O W S M A L L I T I S . . .

If you are moving from a larger place, it may be a good time to get rid of some stuff as you pack. Often when working with clients, we assist in helping them determine what to get rid of and what to keep. Just as you can’t get a mobile home in the garage, sometimes that dining set won’t get into the new dining room.

You really have to maximize the closet space so that it will work for you and provide suitable storage. There is generally a bunch of vertical space in that closet that may get wasted if you don’t use it. Have a closet organizing company help to tackle that project. We have worked with a bunch of them and in the end it is worth every penny for the function they will bring to your life.

Next have a look at the rooms you have available to you and decide what the function of the room is going to be. The sofa might also need to be a bed, or have storage drawers but “just for sitting” isn’t acceptable. A coffee table can also double as a dining table and a desk because of multi height adjustments. A foot stool may also be a storage cube and additional seating for guests. You also want to make great use of the height of the walls. You have far more square footage on the wall than you do on the floor. If you use one wall for a Murphy bed and shelving and let’s say that unit is two feet deep, eight feet long and eight feet tall, that means you have consumed sixteen square feet of floor space and gained one hundred and twenty eight square feet of useable space on the wall.

by Glen Peloso | design columnist

On plan it looked so much bigger!

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When it comes to painting the best thing to do is paint the back of the shelving unit or a recess in the room a warm darker colour and paint the rest of the space in a neutral, light colour. The darker colour in the bookshelves offer the room a sense of depth behind the bookcases or wall unit and features some of your favourite things. The colour palette should be relatively monochromatic in terms of furniture, fabrics and paint colour.

When purchasing furniture for your condo make sure you can see under the furniture you buy. If you are able to see more floor space, you will fool the eye in to believing that there is more floor space. Furniture that sits tight to the floor with a skirt or very short legs seem more like a block and less like something floated in the space. It will also help for you to find furniture like the dining table/desk/coffee table that is made of glass and chrome so that it consumes little or no aesthetic space in the room. Occasional tables/storage might also be made of mirror as the reflective quality of mirror seems to make the item disappear in the space.

We often find that in many condos the space is open concept. If there are several small rooms than opening the space up is often a better choice. You imply that each room is grander and larger because the kitchen visually borrows from the dining room to seem larger, the dining from the living room, etc., and it may be that the furniture you select will also identify the start and end of rooms. When you are looking for those pieces, you also want to be reminded of the reason that you bought the space. Often it will be the view so you want to be sure that you select furniture that

doesn’t obstruct that. Lower back heights allow you to see through to the outside

and dining furniture with finer legs on the table and chairs helps to

maintain that view.

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If you are up for doing more extensive structural work, I highly recommend going with an open concept space to help you feel as though you have a larger space. I would also recommend that you install flat ceilings if you have “popcorn” or a textured ceiling surface. When you have a flat ceiling the space will feel larger and far more elegant. The texture essentially allows for a shadow and light detail which affectively gives the ceiling a colour, and as a result makes the room seem smaller and depressing. The other thing that can really help with the overall feeling of spaciousness and grandeur is to increase the height of the doors. Going up just six inches can make a dramatic affect and if you are doing some structural work already, it is well worth the effort.

Using mirrors can also help the space look larger. There is so much selection with mirrors now, made with different angles, or mosaics, or concentric circles. They are not great to see a clear reflection of yourself, but they do open up the space. In truth, who wants to see their own reflection on a continual basis? The depth angled mirrors add is a great way to imply more space. Even French doors with frosted glass on to bedrooms and bathrooms can help to give the space an open feel. In a smaller space, there is less need for doors to a den or kitchen.

Adding texture and detail to the elements, like the sofa, wall paper, lighting and throw cushions, can make the space feel warm and homey. The reality is that home is where you not only hang your hat but also where you hang your heart. If you fill the space with elements important to you from your travels, and maintain a focus on the features of the condo, like a view to the water or city, you will make your space feel like home, no matter what size it is.

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