RIGHT AT HOME
RESIDENTS OF HENSLEY WON’T HAVE TO STRAY FAR TO ENJOY PLENTY OF AMENITIES
Linda Gallo and her colleagues at Insight Design are certain that Hensley, a condominium tower planned for Coquitlam, will be a landmark in the community. Chris Dikeakos Architects designed the tower for Cressey Development with a defining look: Five exterior columns will line the building and stretch up to a three-storey penthouse amenity space.
With such bold architecture, Insight Design designers knew they had to fashion interiors that would create as much of a buzz as the exteriors.
“We were really inspired by the architecture of the building, which sees part of the structure undulating in and out from the vertical building face with a unique geometry,” Gallo says.
Gallo and her colleagues approached their work in the amenity space and suite interiors with a mission to set these spaces apart from the outside architecture and renderings show they’re no less stunning.
She expects the kitchen spaces to be popular among visitors to the sales centre. The “Cressey kitchen” has a reputation for its sleek design and integrated storage. Insight Design added touches that make the space look even more refined, such as the customized cabinet “finger pulls.”
Form and function were among their guiding principles when Insight chose the finishes. The designers were particularly pleased with the choice of backsplash material; the porcelain slabs have all the beauty of natural stone, but unlike stone, they’re low maintenance. They transformed
the look of the entire kitchen, Gallo says.
“This backsplash expands the look of the kitchen and makes it feel quite grand,” she notes.
The colour palettes in the two neutral
schemes are simple and evocative. The “Home” option “has storage and cabinets for days, with two fridges and both deep and shallow pantry spaces, and there is no end of places to put all of your stuff,” she says.
The “Hotel” option is tailored to appeal to the frequent traveller.
“I love the round mirror in the main bathroom in,” Gallo says. “It really makes this room for me.”
Most designers will admit to favouring a piece of decor, finishes or materials in homes they work on. Gallo herself is partial to the light fixtures the Insight Design team specified for the amenity space and the homes and the Herman Miller Crosshatch chairs she eyed for the living rooms.
“I would use the chairs in my own home, most definitely. They are comfortable and yet have a lot of lovely and refined details that give them a gorgeous esthetic.”