POPS of PERSONALITY
BRISTOL HEIGHTS SHOW SPACES DESIGNED TO REFLECT A RANGE OF RESIDENTS
If the display spaces at the new Bristol Heights community in Abbotsford prove anything about Polygon’s design team, it’s the power of a strong work ethic.
Three homes at the site reflect distinct personalities designed to appeal to a range of buyers. Even for the experienced team, the task proved to be a challenge.
“It is an immense amount of work in a very short time ... but the designers are truly amazing at wrapping their heads around the feel of the home and putting them together so wonderfully and smoothly,” says Polygon Homes senior vice-president Celia Dawson.
Envisioning a unique personality for each home (including a creative strategy for children’s rooms), creating schedules and co-ordinating the work of tradespeople and suppliers is a juggling act that demands precision and patience.
“The personality of each display is looked at carefully,” says Dawson. “What is our demographic? And for this demographic, what kind of look
might be the most fitting?”
In one display space, the light of a chandelier bounces off a huge dining-room mirror. When choosing such a centrepiece, Dawson is as much a curator as a designer.
“It is like sculptural art and like art ... it needs to be well curated into the space to work and speak with all
the art and furnishings of the room,” Dawson says.
Dawson and her designers go for contrast between the plush upholstered pieces — one sofa and two club chairs in the case of one display home — against the dark stone fireplace and the coffee table in dark wood and glass.
Every member of Dawson’s group knows how to find a bargain, a shared professional trait that fills her with pride.
“It always amazes me how the designers can find well-priced materials and ‘deals’ that always look like a million dollars when they design them into the homes.”
Experience has taught them where to spend and where to splurge.
“Millwork, carpets and the odd accessory are key focal points in a room and sometimes this means spending a little more in these areas.” Dawson says that conventional, loved artwork can transform a space even more.
“You can have an empty room with white paint and it will come alive just by hanging original art, art that you relate to and have a strong passion and emotion for. I have said from the start of my career that I would invest in one piece of art a year. My first pieces of art were not expensive, but I loved them and they brought my home alive.”