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WHEN IT CAME TIME TO RENOVATE this luxe, 6,000-square-foot penthouse condo in Calgary’s downtown core, the homeowner (a flying Dutchman financier and real estate developer who divides his time between Europe and Calgary) wanted a timeless, contemporary second home. "My vision was of a residence conceived with the utmost simplicity in mind," he explains. He envisioned a space where the extensive use of glass, glossy surfaces and bright, saturated colours would contrast dramatically with the stark white finishes.
Interior designer Andrea Raimondi, owner and principal of the Calgary firm Ingenium Design Group, had already worked with the client on a variety of developments. "It can be tricky to do minimalism, as it has to be purposeful and yet incorporate a level of sophistication," says Raimondi, whose work nabbed her a gold at the 2009 Interior Design Institute of BC Awards.
Armed with her client’s wish list, Raimondi set about creating an international, design-savvy look. First among his wishes: a floor-to-ceiling water feature. This triple-sided stunner is visible the moment you step off the elevator into the condo’s entryway, and becomes a centrepiece of the living room and the master bedroom. It’s not only dramatic but highly functional: it maintains the humidity level, which is necessary for the preservation of the antique Steinway piano the owner imported from Europe.
A rich yet minimal look is achieved throughout the penthouse by repeating materials, such as the polished stainless steel that is echoed from the appliances into the glass-topped dining table and right up to the crystal chandeliers with transparent metallic shades. Two Moooi lamps in the dining room-oversize crystal chandeliers wrapped in transparent metallic shades-are a Dutch design treat.
Upstairs in the master bedroom, stainless steel trim enlivens a white leather headboard. The concept of a pristine white backdrop, broken by pops of colour, is repeated in the contemporary white leather dining room chairs that are trimmed with cobalt blue details. A bright yellow sideboard provides more contrast.
In the master bedroom, yellow and blue bedding accents and sliding orange resin doors to the ensuite bath are the juicy accents anchored by a deep soaker tub, which was retrofitted with white-backed painted glass on the outside.
LEDs were cleverly used to create a spa-like atmosphere in the ensuite through chromatherapy (light and colour therapy). Panels of the colour-changing LEDs line the room, providing an ever-changing glow. More are included in the showerhead, a winter-beating trick that is designed to create an overall sense of well-being during your daily scrubdown. Another one of the owner’s must-haves, a flat-screen television visible from the tub, is cleverly recessed behind the bathroom vanity mirror and activated by a touch panel.
Perhaps the most unexpected touch is carefully concealed behind a metal curtain: an antique jukebox bought at an auction overseas. The vintage piece provides just the right whimsical note to balance the otherwise contemporary space.
SOURCES
DUTCH TREAT
PAGES 40-44
Designer, Ingenium Design Group, Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Builder, Homburg-Centron Teamworks, Calgary, 403-252-1120, centronconstruction.com
PAGE 40 DINING ROOM:
Moooi Light Shade hanging lamps, Inform Interiors, Vancouver, 604-682-3868, informinteriors.com; OnlyHuman, Victoria, 250-383-6659, onlyhuman.ca; Robert Sweep Homefurnishings, Calgary, 403-262-8525, robertsweep.com.
White leather and cobalt stained wood chairs, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Alias Frametable XL dining room table, aliasdesign.it, Inform Interiors, Vancouver, 604-682-3868, informinteriors.com
Dupioni Silk Drapery, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
PAGE 41 KITCHEN:
Stainless Steel Dining Table, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Arron R. Thomas Acrylic Z Chair, Aaron R. Thomas Inc., San Juan Capistrano, California, 949-274-9766, aaronrthomas.com
High-gloss orange laminate flat panel cabinetry, custom milled for Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Original artwork, "Yellow Boy 3 Series" painting by artist Barry Lorne
Frameless white back-painted glass cabinetry, custom milled for Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
PAGE 42 LIVING ROOM:
White leather sofa, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Orange leather armchair and cushions, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Cassina Note Coffee Table with U Form Top, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, 250-384-2554, gabrialross.com; Inform Interiors, Vancouver, 604-682-3868, informinteriors.com
Custom roller shades, RGO, Calgary, 403-569-4400, rgo.ca
Orange area rug, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Painting over couch, original artwork by Marcel Barbeau, Montreal, marcelbarbeau.com
Artemide Swivel Lamp, Gabriel Ross, Victoria, 250-384-2554, gabrialross.com; Livingspace, Vancouver, 604-683-1116, livingspace.ca; Lightform, Calgary, 403-508-9980, lightform.ca; Vivid Concepts, Edmonton, 780-488-0797, vividconcepts.ca;
2-Way Urban Fireplace, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
PAGE 44 BEDROOM:
Prospetto Light’s Fiorelliono light, available Canadawide through Rod Halvorsen & Associates Inc., 1-877-901-5511, rodneyh@telus.net
Asymmetrical TV bench with polished chrome base and cushions, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Wooden/metal short table, end of the bed Polished aluminum & ochre methacrylite Side Board by Alias
Bed frame, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
White leather & stainless steel panel headboard, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
3Form Chroma Mai Tai EcoResin silding doors, Grosvenor North America, Vancouver, 604-602-0566, grosvenorna.com; 3 Form, Calgary, 403-669-1111, 3-form.com; 3 Form, Winnipeg, 204-452-5334, 3-form.com
Custom mandarin orange ultra suede pillows & duvets w. down inserts, custom design by Ingenium Design Group Inc., Calgary, 403-252-6510, ingeniumdesign.ca
Model Akoya Maple Engineered Hardwood flooring, GC Canada Hardwood & Laminate, Victoria, 1-250-590-5605, canadalaminateandhardwood.com; Canadian Carpet & Tile, Vancouver, 604-568-9399, canadiancarpet.com; Divine Hardwood Flooring, Calgary, 403-285-2188, divinehardwood.com; Divine Hardwood Flooring, Edmonton, 1-780-488-7882, divinehardwood.com; Heartland Wood & Cork Floor Co., Winnipeg, 204-784-8300, theheartlandfloorcompany.com
PAGE 44 MASTER BATH:
Duravit Rectangular Vessel Sink, Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware Ltd., Vancouver, 604-688-1252; Victoria, 250-382-1252, cantubathrooms.com; Robinson Lighting and Bath Centre, Calgary, 403-245-8637; Edmonton, 780-453-5714, rlrbc.com; Wolseley Kitchen & Bath Classics, Regina, 306-565-2284, wolseleyinc.ca; B.A. Express, Saskatoon, 306-664-2389, barobinson.com; Robinson Bath Centre, Winnipeg, 204-784-0111, barobinson.com
Duravit Rectangle tub Starck model free-standing bathtub, Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware Ltd., Vancouver, 604-688-1252; Victoria, 250-382-1252, cantubathrooms.com; Robinson Lighting and Bath Centre, Calgary, 403-245-8637; Edmonton, 780-453-5714, rlrbc.com; Wolseley Kitchen & Bath Classics, Regina, 306-565-2284, wolseleyinc.ca; B.A. Express, Saskatoon, 306-664-2389, barobinson.com; Robinson Bath Centre, Winnipeg, 204-784-0111, barobinson.com
Hansgrohe Starck X Wall-mount sink faucet, Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware Ltd., Vancouver, 604-688-1252; Victoria, 250-382-1252, cantubathrooms.com; Bartle & Gibson, Calgary, 403-291-1099; Edmonton, 780-483-1411, bartlegibson.com; Jones Goodridge, Regina, 306-585-2854; B.A. Express, Saskatoon, 306-664-2389, barobinson.com; Dynasty Bathrooms, Winnipeg, 204-947-0986, dynastybath.com.
Hansgrohe Starck Free-Standing Tub Filler, Cantu Bathrooms & Hardware Ltd., Vancouver, 604-688-1252; Victoria, 250-382-1252, cantubathrooms.com; Bartle & Gibson, Calgary, 403-291-1099; Edmonton, 780-483-1411, bartlegibson.com; Jones Goodridge, Regina, 306-585-2854; B.A. Express, Saskatoon, 306-664-2389, barobinson.com; Dynasty Bathrooms, Winnipeg, 204-947-0986, dynastybath.com.
Caesarstone Blizzard Quartz Countertop, Urbana, Victoria, 250-383-2635, urbanakitchens.ca; Amichi Living Concepts, Vancouver, 604-568-5730, amichi.com; Empire Kitchen & Bath, Calgary, 403-252-2458, empirekitchenandbath.com; Expressions Home Interiors, Edmonton, 780-441-9944, expressionshomeinteriors.com; The Bevelled Edge, Regina, 306-790-8488, the bevellededge.com; Tait Kitchen Centre, Saskatoon, 306-668-6177, taitkitchens.com; White-Wood, Winnipeg, 204-694-6003, white-wood.com
Custom illuminated TV mirror by Séura, Green Bay, Wisconson, U.S.A, 800-957-3872, seura.com
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Surfacing Essential advice on colour and texture from Andrea Raimondi.
Follow Fashion The colours of the runway in Paris all float into interiors-you can draw inspiration from the pages of Vogue. I’m known for my bright orange Prada purse, and this condo’s kitchen uses the same colour.
Be Clear The more saturated the colour, the more purposefully it needs to be applied. Use a neutral, crisp back palette of whites or greys.
Space Matters Smaller spaces require only small punches of colour-like a bright red or yellow stove by Bertazzoni. (The stoves sport Ferrari’s colours, and are painted at the Ferrari factory.)
Divide and Conquer The biggest mistake people make? They mix too many highly saturated colours, creating chaos. Another one: allowing a mid-range of colours to confuse things when there ought to be a strong contrast between crisp whites and bold colours.
Plan Ahead If you’re trying to imagine what a colour or texture will look like on a wall or sofa (and you don’t have a designer making renderings for you) get a one-by-one-foot colour chip, or a metre of fabric; bring it home, and live with it for a couple of weeks before deciding.
Go Flat Older buildings don’t like glossy paint; it shows all the defects of a wall. A flat paint gives a powdery texture. But beware if you have kids-it also marks easily.
Play Safe Intense colours done in intense textures can be too weighty. It’s far safer to use neutral colours when ramping up the texture. And, conversely, consider bold colours where the texture is plain and simple.
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