Simply inviting
At Metrotown’s Midori, the welcoming design is in the details
In Burnaby’s Metrotown neighbourhood, where apartment living is the norm, the last decade has seen condo towers shoot up to create a cityscape at a quick pace of growth. In this environment, developers of new homes must offer residences that stand out from the rest.
Celia Dawson and Sofie LaForest from Polygon’s design team know that it’s not always just fine furnishings and interior decor that capture homebuyers’ imaginations the moment they walk into a display suite.
Rather, it’s all about feel, flow and layout.
“I believe what makes a home unique is the well thought-out floor plate,” says Dawson, Polygon’s vicepresident of design. Dawson worked with LaForest on the display home for Midori, the developer’s new Metrotown offering.
“Every inch matters and we agonize over every floor plan to make sure our spaces can accommodate a home’s furniture pieces and that the layout is simple and allows for a good flow to the home — flow that is inviting and creates good circulation for the homeowner.”
Once they get accustomed to that ease of movement and circulation, visitors to the Midori suite will notice the details the design team laboured over to distinguish the space. Among the touches “that add a touch of luxury” to the home, says Dawson: a spice rack pullout drawer in the kitchen, hidden beneath a cabinet space, and a shower bench, niche and rain shower bar with thermostatic controls in the bathroom.
The designers set up a dining area in a corner lined with oversized windows, the defining feature of the suite that makes the setup look much bigger than it is. Those who may not have the advantage of such natural light could maximize space in other ways, such as scaling furniture in proportion to the room, as large furniture will crowd the room, the designers say. Dawson and the team’s “less is more” credo is a hallmark of a Polygon home.
For the designers, the placement of the soft chandelier over the dining room table is as strategic as it is esthetically pleasing. LaForest and Dawson mix shapes, with the soft light against rectangular/square furnishings, to add interest.
“We like to use contrasting colours and sometimes shape into a space to add interest and drama. Light versus dark, hard versus soft furnishings help to draw your eye in and around a space.”
The kitchen contains more than enough storage with clean, minimalist all-white cabinetry and an island with more than enough room for dishes and small appliances. The entire room is clean and unadorned — a simplicity that is key to the designers’ goal of achieving a modern look, Dawson says.
“Using an all-white kitchen will also make the space feel more open and spacious.”