THEORY OF EVOLUTION

A natural selection of textures and materials give lived-in comfort to a main floor waiting to be loved.

A natural selection of textures and materials give lived-in comfort to a main floor waiting to be loved.

Asfar as design assignments go, this one was pretty sweet. “It was a beautiful blank slate just waiting to be decorated,” says Toronto-based designer Sarah Birnie. The owners had just moved into the brownstone in the city’s Annex neighbourhood and hired Sarah to furnish and style the first floor. “They were coming from a smaller home so needed lots of new pieces,” she says. While the freedom of starting from scratch was exciting, the last thing Sarah wanted was for the space to look new. “My vision was to imbue it with the depth and warmth that only a mix of styles, textures and natural materials can bring.” Her dynamic contemporary-meets-cozy approach netted an interior that strikes the right balance between lovely and livable. Says Sarah, “This isn’t a ‘furniture museum,’ rather a really comfortable and stylish place to hang out.”