It’s greener here
The palette in The Colours of Emerald City model creates youthful “points of interest” By Lisa Van de Ven
Looking to pack a punch, interior designer Dan Menchions wanted to showcase exactly how to make the most of a condo space, in the model suite for The Colours of Emerald City. The suite — approximately 900 square feet — features a clean, contemporary style, with vibrant pops of colour and some unexpected surprises, including a desk that converts into a bed in the den. “The buyers are modern young families, and we wanted to show them the efficiency of using a condo space,” says Menchions, of II BY IV Design Associates. Accents of turquoise, blue and green are “points of interest” against the otherwise neutral suite. “There’s a whimsy to it,” he adds. Suites at the Elad Canada site range from 495 to 840 square feet and start in the mid $200,000s. The sales office is at Don Mills Road and Sheppard Avenue, North York, and opens Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and weekends from noon to 5 p.m. Call 416-492-0001 or visit emeraldcitylife.ca. “It’s clean and straightlined — no fussy details,” Menchions says of the living room’s contemporary white sofa. Topped with a bright turquoise throw, it’s flanked by mismatched end tables — one in white lacquer, the other wood and metal. “It’s an eclectic mix of furniture,” he adds. Light, wide - plank laminate floors add a rustic but refined quality to the den that’s carried out through the entire suite as well. “The light floors can work really well, especially in smaller spaces,” Menchions says. “And doing one floor throughout a unit really helps to enlarge the space.” A glass coffee table adds function to the living room without breaking up the sightlines in the space. “It doesn’t become an obstacle, but lightens the space,” the designer says, while a neutral area rug adds texture, combining the room’s tones of grey, cream and brown. A glass-and-chrome side table recedes into the den’s wall, while green accents play on the “emerald” of the project’s name. “It’s a nice simple accent, and not offensive,” the designer says. The mesh style of the desk chair, meanwhile, adds to the room’s open feel. Menchions opted to use the classic Egg Chair — upholstered in brown leather — to create a focal point furniture piece in the living room. “It’s a statement piece,” he says. “This might be the one piece that this couple would have saved their money for within their home.” Why choose between a home office or a guest bedroom when you can have both in one room? With cupboard and shelving space surrounding it, this desk pulls down to create a bed. The wenge tone, meanwhile, adds a dark accent that complements the flooring.