MATERIAL WORLD

Designer Alicia Marchioni applies a neutral palette and a few daring finishes to transform a circa 1980s condo into a serene contemporary home.

Designer Alicia Marchioni applies a neutral palette and a few daring finishes to transform a circa 1980s condo into a serene contemporary home.

On the surface, this Toronto condo reads like a luxe hotel, with clean-cut, transitional good looks and a neutral palette that has broad appeal. But dig deeper, and designer Alicia Marchioni’s unique and intentional approach – driven by a finely tuned mix of materials – comes into focus. “My client loved an apartment in Paris he’d seen in an article,” says Alicia, who overhauled the 2,500-square-foot condo. “In European style, they use a lot of materials because they have that old-world layer of the building’s structure. They also use a lot of marble – really textured marble with lots of veining. When we found this marble with the maroon in it, we jumped on it because it was so different.” But overall, the owner wanted a modern look, so Alicia stuck to quieter tones for other materials: “White flat-panel uppers, the ribbed wood to give some warmth, and the rolled-steel range hood – different textures to offset the marble and make it shine as a centrepiece.”

For a cohesive look, Alicia repeated those finishes throughout. The ribbed wood and marble in the kitchen reappear in the family room; black from the range hood is reiterated in the coffee table and built-ins.

Compelling art is the final layer in the sophisticated palette of materials. “My client has a great collection,” Alicia says. “Things like that brightly coloured Andy Warhol apple are so much fun to work with.” And they’re also what imbues the home with charisma – what sets these polished interiors apart from, say, your average boutique hotel.

EDITOR “BLENDING WOOD, MARBLE AND METAL IS ALWAYS A FAVOURITE WAY OF MINE TO ACHIEVE A HIGH-END LOOK. THE THREE TOGETHER ARE CLASSIC AND WILL ALWAYS BE IN STYLE.”

“THE RIBBED WOOD IS A NICE WAY TO BRING TEXTURE INTO A SPACE. IT ADDS INTEREST AND DEPTH, AND IT PAIRS NICELY WITH THAT REALLY PATTERNED MARBLE.”

A sculptural table, pendant light and Edvard Munch woodcut lend a gallery-like presence to the entryway. Designer Alicia Marchioni replaced a black granite floor with a vivacious geometric-pattern mix of three marbles – Nero Marquina, Dolomite and Pietra Grey. “The statement marble floor creates a textured look that flows into the Versailles-patterned hardwood inside,” she says. She retained the handsome existing panelling. “The building isn’t ultra modern, so we didn’t want to step off the elevator into a home that didn’t fit the building.” The recessed ceiling is clad in warm neutral wallpaper. DESIGN, Alicia Marchioni, Harrison Fae Design. BUILDER, Nobility Homes. TABLE, Kravet. PENDANT, Elte. FLOORING, Ciot. Ceiling WALLPAPER, Metro Wallcoverings.

A large ink on paper by Canadian artist Oscar Cahén and a graphic Pierre Frey fabric on the stool riff on the palette and angularity of the marble floor. The black-steel-framed glass door lets light from the condo filter into this space. “The owner has an extensive art collection, so we had to think about the pieces and where they would go in the design,” Alicia explains. “Some are very colourful and some are dark and moody.” Her go-to gallery white for walls is Benjamin Moore’s Oxford White CC-30. DOORS, Chateau Windows and Doors. TABLE, BENCH, CB2. BENCH FABRIC by Pierre Frey, Primavera. SCONCES, Lightmaker Studio.

The family room is the condo’s Grand Central Station, with all other spaces — including the study (in the background) and primary bedroom suite (through black-framed glass door on right) — radiating off from here. The wall between the family room and study was opened up, and Alicia added the centre column “to separate the space and make room for a TV that can be viewed from the kitchen when cooking,” she says. No gas access in the building meant a fireplace wasn’t doable, but Alicia designed the column to have a similar look, with a ribbed white oak chimney breast and a Breccia Medicea marble base outfitted with storage shelves. “The white walls and light white oak help keep the space light and airy,” Alicia says. “We brought in the black metal and the patterned marble to make sure it wasn’t too stark and boring. These two elements definitely create that transitional style.” She removed heavy crown mouldings from the existing recessed ceilings to lighten and modernize the look. A high-gloss paint on the ceiling reflects light and makes the ceilings appear taller. Ribbed MILLWORK, Crisstar Cabinets. MARBLE, Crystal Tile & Marble. Marble shelving FABRICATION, Marble Treasures. CHANDELIERS, Lightmaker Studio. SECTIONAL, Silva Custom Upholstery. COFFEE TABLE, RH. RUG, brass-frame CHAIRS, Elte. Apple SCREENPRINT by Andy Warhol.

BELOW Although new, the black-stained mahogany console reads like a midcentury piece. The large family room offers space for seating plus artful vignettes, like this simple but eye-catching arrangement. The lighter finish on the wood flooring dovetails well with the new ribbed white oak cabinetry in the kitchen and family room. CABINET, Black Rooster. LAMP, RH.

LEFT A pair of cozy swivel chairs in the family room afford stunning views of the downtown skyline from the southwest-facing window. Alicia had the once dark Versailles-style hardwood flooring refinished in a Scandi-modern blonde “to make all the other elements pop.” The semi-sheer drapes in a wool-linen blend gently filter the light. (Roller blinds can be lowered to darken the room for premium movie viewing.) CHAIRS, OTTOMAN, brass READING LAMPS, oak CONSOLE (foreground), RH. BASKET, Pottery Barn. SIDE TABLE, Black Rooster. DRAPERY, My Shade. PLANT, POT, Quince Flowers.

RIGHT Before overhauling the condo’s finishes, Alicia swapped the locations of the kitchen and dining room (through the passageway at back left), so that the kitchen would be more connected to the family room. The showstopping Breccia Medicea marble island and rolled steel vent hood play the lead roles in the otherwise understated room. The ribbed white oak cabinets are gutsy enough to balance the marble, but not so dramatic that they clash. “The ribbed wood feels very ’70s. It’s coming back around in a more modern way,” she says. “We mixed it with modern flat-panel uppers. Everything else is really crisp and clean.” The black metal archway adds architectural definition. CABINETRY, RANGE HOOD, Crisstar Cabinets. WALL OVENS, Miele. MARBLE, Crystal Tile & Marble. Island FABRICATION, Marble Treasures. Blanco SINK, FAUCET, Taps. Fridge cabinet HANDLES, RH. Island STOOLS, Black Rooster.

A work by Connor Brothers sets a theatrical tone in the dining room. Alicia fearlessly mixed brass, chrome, black and bronze finishes. “If you’re going to mix the metals, do it throughout,” she says, advising that you include a balance of all finishes in each space. The fridge is tucked in a cabinet near the dining room. TABLE, Black Rooster. CHAIRS, RH. CHANDELIER, Lightmaker Studio.

RIGHT The dining room’s shallow marble ledge acts as a serving platform in lieu of a sideboard in the tight space, but it also introduces handsome architectural detailing that links with the kitchen and family room. A limited-edition print by Joan Miró adds a playful dollop of colour.

LEFT Often, it’s the little things that make a home feel truly personal. In the dining room, that’s the luxe bar wall with a stunning marbleadorned serving counter, a walk-in wine cellar, and glass-front bottle shelves. When the cellar door is closed, the whole thing resembles a continuous built-in cabinet. “It’s a unique conversation piece when entertaining, not too many people have this in a condo,” Alicia says. She transformed the otherwise unusable octagonal-shaped space that’s now the cellar into a feature. “We blocked it out to create a normalshaped dining room and provide space for a small wine closet,” she says. “The condo is in a very angular 1980s building, so there are lots of odd nooks and corners.” Wine cellar CONSTRUCTION, Crisstar Cabinets and Nobility Homes. WINE RACK, Wayfair. MARBLE, Crystal Tile & Marble. TABLE, Black Rooster. CHAIRS, RH. CHANDELIER, SCONCES, Lightmaker Studio.