Glamour plus

Moving from a large, traditional family home to a chic inner-city penthouse is a certain lifestyle change. But it's not just a different way of living such a move can create a need for a whole new collection of furnishings and accessories.

When the owners of this penthouse moved from a large house, they knew their traditional furniture would be out of place in a contemporary setting. Consequently, they commissioned Bridget Coles and Anne Roy of Furnishscene to design the new interior from the floor up.

"The couple wanted to get right away from the traditional look of their previous home," says Coles. "They wanted a crisp, clean interior not too sharp. And it needed to have their personal stamp."

Using the existing white-lacquered kitchen and dark charcoal carpet as starting points, the designers opted for a mainly monochromatic palette of black and white. All the walls were painted in a black-tinted white, which creates an ideal gallery-style backdrop for the couple's extensive art collection.

With its glittering mirrored niche, the entrance is reminiscent of a Park Avenue, New York apartment. The designers crisscrossed the mirrored walls with dark-stained wood battens. The graphic look is reinforced by a black-and-white striped rug and the upholstery materials. These include a silver-and-cream-patterned Unique fabric on four chairs in the casual seating area beside the kitchen.

"Because we introduced such a simple colour palette, we put a lot of emphasis on contrasting textures," says Coles.

The silver-patterned chair fabric and the mirrored elements, including a hall table with mirrored stainless steel trim, are contrasted by the natural wool carpet, orange fabric dining chairs and a corner suite upholstered in a wide-striped Warwick fabric.

"This seating arrangement helps to define the television viewing area within the large living space," says Coles. "The other end of the room features a more formal seating area, which includes two white Natuzzi leather chairs."

A campaign-style table custom designed by Furnishscene also serves to visually separate the two seating areas.

An additional circular sunroom, which the owners call the Wintergarden, provided an opportunity to create a more relaxed, outdoor look. The designers specified Dedon outdoor furniture, a Walter Knoll designer table, cowhide rug and large lizard's tongue plants.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes