NEW YORK STATE OF MIND

Can a suburban bungalow resemble a Manhattan loft? This abode does one better

Can a suburban bungalow resemble a Manhattan loft? This Etobicoke, Ont., abode does one better.

HELEN AND LEO ROMANO FREQUENTLY TRAVEL for their IT consultant jobs, so they often find themselves in chic hotel rooms across North America. “I’m very lucky,” says Helen, adding that her favourite places to stay are the loft-like suites in Manhattan. So it’s no surprise that in 2015, when the couple decided to take the plunge and renovate their 2,200-square-foot Etobicoke, Ont., bungalow, the banks of the Hudson River were top of mind.

“Her inspiration was a Tribeca neighbourhood loft with floor-toceiling windows,” says Stacy McLennan, the interior designer

Helen called upon to execute her vision. To create the light-filled airy look she desired, the first item on the agenda became removing the walls that separated the kitchen, dining room and living space. New windows were a close second. “I knew exactly what I wanted,” says Helen, who collaborated with the supplier to replicate the thin black window frames she’d seen in her travels. “With their horizontal mullions, the windows instantly changed the space, making it look more linear and contemporary,” says Stacy.

But Helen and Leo didn’t want to just drag and drop the metropolitan feel into their circa-1955 abode. They hoped to pay homage to their home’s past while giving it a look befitting the present – and beyond. Stacy answered with a timeless transitional aesthetic. In the white-on-white kitchen, that meant introducing traditional Shaker-style cabinetry augmented by edgy black accessories. In the living room, cozy-yetstreamlined furniture layered with textural elements offers interest to a muted palette. And in the dining room, the clients’ own upholstered chairs and square table feel current in updated surrounds.

Best of all, far from hustle and bustle, those big city-esque windows overlook a peaceful suburban scene. “I didn’t even put up any drapes,” says Helen, noting that this area of the house offers garden views. “I feel very relaxed in my house, in every room.” It’s clear that for these frequent flyers, there truly is no place like home.

“THE MIX GIVES THIS SPACE LONGEVITY.”

FOR SOURCES, SEE OUR WORKBOOK

DESIGN, Stacy McLennan Interiors, stacyminteriors.com; Dune White CC-70 WALL PAINT (throughout), Benjamin Moore; WINDOWS & DOORS (throughout), Fieldstone Windows & Doors; Iron Ore SW 7069 WINDOW & DOOR PAINT (throughout), SherwinWilliams; CHANDELIER, Union Lighting and Furnishings; VASE, HomeSense; glass CLOCHE, IKEA.