Great Minds DESIGN ALIKE
A neuroscientist and a designer put their heads together to make a west Toronto new build feel like home.
Details matter,” says homeowner Ivonne Suridjan. “Whether the field is science, writing or design, what distinguishes an amateur from a professional is their attention to detail.” On the same day that she and husband Alex Cui bought their first home, Ivonne contacted a designer to take care of the details. “I love home decor, but I’m trained in science, not in design,” says the neuroscientist. “I wanted to experience the mind of someone who spends hundreds of hours a week focusing on making rooms beautiful.” That “someone” was interior designer and blogger Jacquelyn Clark.
The pair connected immediately. “I love that Ivonne knew what she wanted, yet was open to input,” says Jacquelyn. The house was less than 10 years old, with an awkward layout spread over four floors, switching from boxy rooms to open-concept spaces. “Architecturally, this was the exact opposite of Ivonne’s preference for older, more traditional homes. So, our challenge was obvious: How would we transform this builder-basic home into a place of timeless elegance?”
Since an all-traditional space can come across as more formal than inviting, Jacquelyn suggested ways to soften
the look. She recommended adding layers of texture, such as velvet, silk and even a fuzzy ottoman topper, in the living room. She also noted that a blush and gold palette, though breathtaking, is on-trend, so it would be best to keep it to a whisper. “For large pieces, go traditional. For accents, go trendy,” says Jacquelyn. “That way, your home never goes out of style.” The living room’s blush-coloured chair, though, was a happy exception to the rule. “I simply fell in love with it,” says Ivonne. But the piece wasn’t available in Canada. That’s where Alex came in. “Can you believe he actually drove to Buffalo, N.Y., and brought it back? Amazing!”
As the project unfolded, Ivonne expressed a desire for more contrast. To that end, she and Jacquelyn changed the kitchen island from cement grey to black and echoed it in the adjacent dining room with a black sideboard. A tonal backsplash in a bold geometric pattern amplified the contrast, while wooden shelves and stool seats bring warmth to the grey, blush and gold scheme. “The wood’s gold tones play into the palette without being
obvious,” says Jacquelyn. For a little sparkle, a metallic gold finish was selected for the dining room chandelier. And the whole time, Ivonne felt like a key part of the design process.
“I’d never worked with a designer before,” says Ivonne. “I thought of decor as an end point. But what I learned from Jacquelyn is that home design is a process. It constantly evolves. And even though it’s creative, you need a plan. It’s methodical, too. As a scientist, I get that!
“Jacquelyn made me feel like a collaborator – I learned so much. Now that we’re done, Alex and I can begin to add in pieces that have a story. That’s something that’s missing, since our house is so new to us. But hey, we can’t fake time and we can’t fake life. So, we’ll just have to let it unfold – and let the design unfold with us!”
“For large pieces, go traditional. For accents, go trendy. THAT WAY, YOUR HOME NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE.”