Show homes at The Private Residences at the Hotel Georgia have stunning outlooks and elegant interiors
Residences have stunning outlooks
At its best, interior design — like most of the finer arts — can help calm the mind, and let the eye rest on beauty.
The four display suites at the Private Residences at the Hotel Georgia find that rare balance between solace and engagement. The outlooks are stunning. And indoors, there’s a neutral warmth and lush elegance.
Getting there took a team of committed designers who crafted the different suites on the 25th floor of the tower, which sits directly beside the restored 85-year-old Rosewood Hotel Georgia. The plan wasn’t without its challenges, says Gerald Day, who designed the suites with the Mitchell Freedland Design team that also included Angela Bombardir, Ronee Cheun, Sarah Kurtz and Freedland himself. It made for interesting work, Day says. “The homeowner profiles we aimed for were as varied as the suites — an older couple who are well travelled — perhaps they are downsizing; a younger single business person who entertains; a young modern couple with forward tastes, and a female entrepreneur with a more adventurous sense of style.”
To date, the suites have attracted empty nesters who may have sold large single-family homes and done well. It’s easy to see the attraction: soft neutrals in large, open layouts that make for an inviting ambience.
To achieve this mood, the designers stayed away from jarring graphics on objects or art, and favoured organic materials over fabricated. Natural stone set against polished metal fixtures offer a sense of balance. Oversized mahogany veneer doors, floor-to-ceiling windows and a large and open layout give a sense of grandeur. And then there’s the big “distraction.” The views from the 25th floor are surely a selling point. But without careful design, the stunning vista could overpower the visitor’s senses.
The group had to make sure that “the homeowner doesn’t feel like they’re on an observation deck,” Day says.
They did this by highlighting the urban views with drapery and shades, says Day. In other suites, furnishings like a desk against a window, and a mirrored wall reflecting the vista were added.
While creating a look of luxury in the suites was vital, it need not break the bank, Day says.
Those of us with lesser means can take the team’s cues: use colour to unify and highlight belongings. Bring art work in to add punch to a space. Much of the ambience can be found through using the right materials. Rugs, for example, add a sense of warmth, says Day, who used rugs by local designer Zoe Luyendijk.
“A good rug is tactile and visual and forces you to focus your furniture arrangement.”