CREATIVE WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Designer creates loft-style condo with office up front, living area at the rear
It is not unusual for condo owners or renters to set up a home office in a corner of the living room or one of their bedrooms. Some people work part-time from home. Others are self-employed. That is the case with Sandra Donaldson, a Montreal landscape architect who also renovates houses. Her work is largely focused on outside spaces, but she is also an interior designer.
Instead of setting up a home office in a spare room of her loftstyle condo, Donaldson bought an empty space in what had been a commercial building and set up her home in the back section behind her work area, which takes up the entire front section of her condo.
“I bought 1,650 square feet of concrete!” recalled Donaldson. “It was a completely raw space. There was no electricity and no plumbing. I had to put all that in.”
The local bylaws allowed Donaldson to use one-third of her space as an office so she divided the interior into 550 square feet at the front and the balance at the back. Within that space, however, she has created little “islands” that perform different functions.
Just inside the front door, slightly above street level, is the main work area, divided into a conference room, a library and a design studio. Accommodating up to six people, the section includes desks, computers and a drafting board.
A giant weeping fig stands midfloor, providing a touch of greenery and privacy from anybody peeking in from the outside. The studio’s wall of windows casts light across the room — ideal for people working on various assignments.
When planning the interior of her office-condo, Donaldson’s goal was to create an airy, loft-like feeling, allowing the eye to flow around the interior.
“I figured out ways to divide up the space using the furnishings I already had,” she said. “It was a pretty cost-effective way to lay out the interior. Renovating doesn’t have to cost a fortune.”
Before doing any of that, however, the concrete shell had to be turned into livable (and workable) space. The first step was to install plumbing and electricity and to cover the concrete walls and ceilings with Gyprock. No major reconstruction was necessary other than converting a “tiny little toilet” — now a stylish bathroom with a whirlpool tub and a black stone sink.
Donaldson also added a garden room off what she calls the bedroom suite, at the far end of the office-condo — a fenced-in, flagstone patio that she planted with a Russian olive bush and a crab apple tree.
Befitting of a living area where relaxation, rather than work, is the priority, the dining room, kitchen and bedroom are decorated in softer tones. The floors are covered with textured taupe carpeting, while the kitchen has solid beech cabinets and greige Italian ceramic flooring. The doors of the built-in closets in the bedroom are blond wood.
Donaldson sourced the materials herself, “right down to the handles of the kitchen cabinets,” an easy task given her knowledge of household furnishing stores and her wide network of professional contacts.
“It was great fun choosing everything,” said Donaldson. “At first, it was a bit too much. When I have a client, I give them a questionnaire to determine what they like and don’t like, but when it came to myself, I had to put the brakes on. I said, ‘Gee! Where do I stop?’”
All told, Donaldson spent about $100,000 on the conversion (including labour costs) but that was accounting for the fact that she bought most of her materials wholesale.
Each of the “rooms” in her home has its own distinctive character. The living room has two sofas — one upholstered in beige, the other covered in black leather. They’re placed in an L-shape in front of a bookcase, which divides this seating area from the office.
The bedroom has a large window similar to the one at the front office and this area is bright and cheery. Donaldson has decorated it with books, paintings and houseplants. A door to the right of her bed leads to the outside patio.