Fashion sense
Colourful and contemporary design makes for memorable show suite touches at Milano
By bucking home design trends, getting courageous with colour and embracing fashion, designer Phyllis Lui and her team at Solterra Development have created chic display spaces at Milano, the company’s new community in Burnaby.
While all-neutral palettes, so popular in display suites, help buyers imagine their own belongings in a new home, Lui trusts her own esthetic instincts: She installed a brilliant blue wall unit in one living room and black accents throughout the suite. It’s bold, contemporary and, Liu points out, memorable for busy home hunters.
“Buyers tend to visit multiple sites in a day or weekend that could leave their memories a blur at the end of it. We wanted to stand out and create memory points that our visitors would be able to remember at the end of their day,” says Lui, Solterra’s in-house lead designer.
Lui says the bold shades in the studio suite, one of two plans on display, reflect the tastes and persona of a composite buyer: A young fashion professional in the heart of Paris with a “confident, fashion-forward personality.
“The use of electric blue in contrast with black and the light finishes gives the space a fun, fresh and modern feeling, which resonates with the young-hearted buyers we are trying to appeal to with this floor plan.”
Meanwhile, she spiced up the more neutral palette in the two-bedroom display by contrasting shapes and unexpected textures.
She placed a three-dimensional piece of artwork — a soft fringe — on the wall to contrast a square headboard.
“Sharp, straight lines are contrasted with soft curves, as we can see in the living room, where a gorgeous circular coffee table works beautifully with square ottomans and the streamlined velvet sofa,” she says. “Further, I paired bold patterns with softer plush fabrics when selecting the accent pillows, bedding and upholstery items throughout the home.”
Solterra’s design team emphasizes new uses of space by installing sliding glass doors that open the room for socializing; lift-up kitchen cabinetry stretches to the ceiling to amplify storage space.
In one sleek bathroom, lighting around the mirror creates some high-end luxury and oversized shower tile takes on the look of marble slab.
Details constructed with opulent materials make a huge difference for buyers, particularly in the lower-priced units.
“Using high-end finishes such as the imported Italian cabinetry and the oversized tile in soft, rich hues creates a sense of elegance and elevated luxury,” she says.
“Pot and shower lights were placed strategically in the essential areas (of the bathroom) to create layers of lighting, which is imperative when you are dealing with a variety of uses such as bathing, shaving or putting on makeup.”