Dark and light
CHURCH CONVERSION AND CONDO JUXTAPOSED IN CONTEMPORARY ESTHETIC LISA VAN DE VEN
Old and new. Dark and light. Classic and contemporary. Interior designer Kelly Cray played with contrast in the model vignettes for 260 High Park. “It’s all about layering the textures and details,” says the principal with U31. “It provides a warmer feel to the space.” Inspired by the project itself — which will juxtapose a church conversion with a new condo building — Cray included references to the site’s history within the living room, kitchen and bathroom vignettes, while punctuating the contemporary esthetic with elegant additions. “A lot of our influences were abstractly taken from the concept of a church,” Cray adds. Suites at the Medallion Capital Group site range from 584 to over 4,000 square feet and from $649,000 to over $3 million. The sales office is located at 2150 Bloor St. W., Toronto, and open Saturday to Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 416-766-9935 or visit 260highpark.com.
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Travertine, marble and light wood veneer all add up to create the living room’s visually dynamic accent wall, featuring an integrated shelving unit and fireplace surround. But it’s the custom mural flanking the fireplace and inspired by the church location that makes the wall stand out.
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“In condominiums, in most cases it’s still good to use more tailored furnishings,” says Cray, and he did as much here, with two off-white upholstered chairs from Restoration Hardware. The brass finish of the frames is carried through to accentuate the dark wood coffee table too.
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In the kitchen, the quartz countertops and backsplash create crisp contrast against the darker cabinetry, while waterfall edges on the island complement the contemporary lines. For added elegance, Cray chose upholstered grey stools. “They have a slightly more classic line to them,” he says.
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“We wanted to create something high stature and elegant,” Cray says, and the kitchen was designed to do that. The clean-lined dark cabinets offer punch, while a row of textured glass uppers — lit from within — add extra character. “It’s really great the way it reflects the light,” the designer adds.