iLoftCondos.com | Toronto Condos Blog

Luxurious Traditional Kitchen Ideas

2015-02-23T10:37:00.002-05:00

Often traditional style kitchens can be a bit too stately or formal, which doesn't promote their true nature of being the heart of the home. We love traditional kitchens that exude a warm and welcoming spirit. Characteristics of these charming kitchens include inviting color schemes, plentiful pattern, a myriad of finishes, lots of tactile-friendly textures and bountiful lighting. If you spend alot of time in the kitchen preparing meals, enjoying them with family and friends or simply lingering over that first cup of morning coffee, then you'll certainly want to design a kitchen you'll feel most at home in. We've gathered a few kitchens here that we feel have many of those inviting qualities.

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Source: Home Design

Parisian Pad

2015-02-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

As the design world descends on Paris for Maison & Objet, we revisit our feature on Patrick Perrin. The PAD art fair co-founder and fourth-generation Parisian art dealer has filled his apartment with inherited treasures and modern finds, creating a serene and soigné home in a Saint-Germain building that has been in his family for nearly 100 years.

The building in which Patrick Perrin lives on the boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris has belonged to his family for the best part of a century. He still recalls having tricycle races with his brother as a child in his grandfather's antique gallery on the ground floor. 'From time to time, we'd send the other flying into some piece of furniture,' he recounts. 'It would make my grandmother scream with laughter… and my grandfather scream, full stop.'

Patrick comes from a long line of dealers, starting with his great-grandfather in the 1890s. 'My destiny was always to work in the art market,' he says. Today, he's best known as the co-founder of the world's leading fair for twentieth-century art, design and decorative arts - the Pavilion of Arts & Design (PAD), which has been held in Paris every spring since 1998 and, since 2007, in London as well. This year's London version takes place on October 15 - 19 in Berkeley Square and has attracted some 60 exhibitors from as far afield as New York and Beirut. Those from the UK include contemporary design specialists such as David Gill Galleries andGallery Fumi, the Arts and Crafts experts H Blairman & Sons, and photography dealers such as Hamiltons and Michael Hoppen. For Patrick, it's more international than the Paris show. It's also, he thinks, of higher quality - for both good and bad reasons. 'The good reason,' he says, 'is that a lot of the top modern-art galleries are based in London. The bad one is that there are very few young, smaller dealers.'

His 228-square-metre duplex apartment is filled with design pieces he has bought in previous years at PAD. In the sitting room on the upper level are a small Elizabeth Garouste table from En Attendant les Barbares, a Vincent Dubourg shelf from Carpenters Workshop Gallery and numerous objects in glass from Clara Scremini. Between the windows are two wall lights designed by the New York artist Jean-Paul Philippe, which he acquired from Cristina Grajales at the one-off PAD New York in 2011. Patrick currently has plans to take the fair stateside once more - this time to Los Angeles next April.

Not everything, however, is modern. For Patrick, 'true style is all about eclecticism'. He loves the Arts and Crafts Movement and also has a number of family heirlooms, including a Louis XIV silver chandelier in the entry hall. The downstairs study in particular has a more traditional atmosphere. The oak desk there once belonged to the nineteenth-century French painter Gustave Caillebotte. There are jaguar and bobcat skins on the floor, and a striking assortment of artworks on the walls - sanguine drawings by Fragonard and Le Brun, a small painting by Boilly, a Millet ink drawing of a house, a Cocteau sketch of a faun… There are also numerous tortoise shells. Perrin has a collection of roughly 100, the largest of which comes from Namibia.

The heart of the apartment, however, is the upstairs dining room, with its custom-made Valentin Loellmann table and benches, separated from the kitchen by a glass partition. 'It's much more convivial like that,' he says. A keen gastronome, Perrin invites a dozen friends to dinner most Saturdays. 'The rule is that everyone takes their turn in the kitchen,' he says. Recently, the dealer Marc-Antoine Patissier from the Parisian gallery HP Le Studio presented guests with Italian zampone sausages made from pigs' trotters. Once a year, he also hosts a truffle dinner for almost 100. 'There are so many of them you can't see the food underneath,' he says. 'Everything looks black!'

Patrick is not just a bon vivant. It would seem he's also a man content with his lot. 'I love living in Saint-Germain,' he says. 'When you have a nice flat here, you don't need anything else. I don't have any desire to own 12 town mansions stacked up one against the other. This is where I'll end my days.'

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Source: House

Refreshing Apartment Design Overlooking Sarah Roosevelt Park in New York, USA

2015-02-17T10:28:00.001-05:00

Buro Koray Duman Architects completed the renovation of a 750 square foot apartment with a bold and sculptural character, The architects converted the initial three-bedroom dark space from the 1980 into a one-bedroom home with plenty of light and a flexible layout. Located on the corner of the 5th floor of a tenement building overlooking Sarah Roosevelt Park in New York, USA, the apartment offers extensive city views. Its interior is divided by a sculptural wave-like wall that houses the laundry, storage and the powder room.

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Source: Freshome

1884 Caviar Warehouse Transformed Into Spectacular Loft in New York

2015-02-13T09:56:00.004-05:00

Architect Andrew Franz converted a former caviar warehouse into a spectacular loft. Originally built in 1884, the building is located in Manhattan’s landmarked Tribeca North area and displays authenticity throughout. This residential project presented in the photos below is a renovation of the 3,000-square-feet top floor and roof. With flexible living in mind, the architects envisioned open entertaining spaces and an great connection with the outdoors.

Despite the industrial feel, all rooms are vivid and original. A striking element acts as the focal point of the newly renovated apartment: “The residence is transformed by a relocated mezzanine where a sunken interior court with a retractable glass roof connects to the planted green roof garden above. This gesture of subtracting volume from the interior brings the outdoors into the primary living zones. The roof, peeled back, showers the spaces with natural light. When open, ample air flow enters what was once a poorly ventilated and dark loft. By night, the court acts as an internal lantern illuminating the loft below.” A visual dialogue between industrial elements, repurposed building materials and modern furniture additions contributes to a dynamic ambiance.

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Source: Freshome

Gorgeous heritage buildings unveiled at Yonge condo

2015-02-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

After three years of painstaking heritage restoration, the scaffolding has finally come down on a row of century-old storefronts on Yonge St.

The FIVE Condos at the corner of Yonge and St. Joseph have been under construction since the summer of 2011. The podium of the 48-storey residential high rise is made up almost entirely of existing structures, several of them more than a hundred years old. The main entrance, on St. Joseph St., is the painstakingly retained and restored facade of Rawlinson Cartage, one of the oldest moving companies in Toronto.

In order to lay the foundation for the residential tower, the three-metre thick wall was suspended on a massive cantilevered steel truss over the excavation pit for more than year.

"That was a bit of a tour de force. I don't think anyone in Toronto had done that kind of work before, that extensively," says Michael McClelland, a principal with E.R.A. Architects, the firm responsible for the heritage elements of the project.

"We did get a lot of comments from people about how huge the truss structure was ... but it was really necessary. That was such a fantastic building with very, very fine brickwork so we wanted to make sure [the support structure] worked."

On Yonge St., the storefronts have been renovated and the upper floors turned into residential units. McLelland says the brick exteriors have been extensively cleaned up, too: thick layers of paint carefully removed from fragile brick and mortar.

"Some of the buildings were painted very heavily, so there was a lot of deterioration of the brick, actually much more than we'd originally anticipated," he says. "The corner building dates from the 1860s so it hadn't really received much attention for a long period of time. That's why the scaffolding was up for such a long period--the work was fairly labour intensive. We're really pleased with how it's turned out."

The FIVE Condo is due to open later this year. McLelland hopes the project will inspire other similar heritage restorations on Yonge.

"That section of Yonge St. is a bit run down, but it could be fantastic, so we're hoping this is a kickstart to getting other fantastic things happening."

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Source: Blog TO

5 Houses That Put a Modern Twist on Exposed Brick

2015-02-11T10:04:00.001-05:00

While the thought of exposed brick might call to mind a hole-in-the-wall Italian bistro, there are a lot of ways that this classic look can be incorporated into a modern space. The five homes in this post range from the dark and sleek to sunny and welcoming but each uses the unique texture and feel of exposed brick to create a space that's truly special.

The first home we are featuring is a residence local in Prague, from designer Angelina Alekseeva. Unlike some spaces that leave just one wall in exposed brick for effect, this one keeps the rough red bricks out in the open on multiple walls. The look contrasts with the smooth, finished wood floors and highly modern furnishings for a trendy ‘unfinished’ feel.

The softness of the neutral furniture and the hard walls and floors makes it that much easier to settle in on the sofa or the cozy built in seating next to the indoor fire pit.

The second home is from designer Howard Chu and uses a few different tactics to incorporate bare brick, including one accent wall with the drywall broken away for precisely that Italian bistro look we spoke of earlier.

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Source: Home Designing

Gold is Chic and Modern: Brass Fixtures to Upgrate your Kitchen

2015-02-10T11:04:00.004-05:00

Yanic Simard, the talented Canadian interior designer, recently renovated his kitchen. With a totally functional layout, the space didn’t need a drastic makeover. But according to the designer, the kitchen did feel dull, therefore needed an upgrade. It’s the feeling you get once you get too used to a certain thing. It becomes mundane and then, out of the sudden, it doesn’t feel interesting anymore.

Now, to add a sense of new to his kitchen (and this is something you might want also to experience at home), Yanic started by respraying the cabinets in a deep masculine tone of colour, with blue undertones: Benjamin Moore 2062-20 Gentleman’s Grey. To make the most of the renovation, here’s a useful painting guide to help you with the job. This is a really cool project for the D.I.Y.-ers, for it totally transforms your kitchen in no time.

Now, here comes the best part: in case you got bored of the same-old, same-old stainless steel faucets and fixtures, here’s a trendy alternative: gold-toned fixtures and faucets with custom brass finish. They really stand out and create an interesting contrast without being too extravagant. You can neatly mix them with stainless steel appliances. Don’t be afraid, they work well together! After all, gold is chic and modern and combined with the right design elements, it make the most of your space.

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Source: Freshome

10 Things You May Not Know About Adding Color to your Boring Kitchen

2015-02-10T10:52:00.001-05:00

If you go through the rooms in your home and consider which one you spend the most time in, undoubtedly it would be your kitchen. While your bedroom could be considered, most of the time you are sleeping and therefore you can’t take full advantage of its rich ambiance for hours at a time. Your kitchen on the other hand is a space that inspires you to create delicious meals for you and your family and should evoke colorful inspiration. How do you go about choosing colors for your kitchen and which ones will help create a welcoming aesthetic for your guests?

1. Choosing kitchen colors should be an extension of you
Whether you are a seasoned chef or just a novice who wants to improve their culinary skills, there is something inspiring about your kitchen. Not only do you cook and prepare food there but for many homes it’s the hub of family conversation, holiday get-togethers and entertaining guests. What colors excite you? Do you love bright pops of orange, red and yellow? Do you prefer a traditional styling of natural wood grains and neutrals instead? Let your personality guide your selections

2. Adding color to your kitchen doesn’t have to be permanent

For many homeowners the reality of choosing colors for their kitchen becomes daunting when they think of having to live with the color palette for years into the future. While you certainly want to love the colors you choose remember there are always options to paint, change flooring, countertop and cabinetry hues over the years. Therefore go for what inspires you now and worry about new trends in kitchen color and designs in the future.

3. You don’t have to match your kitchen with the rest of your home

Depending on your floor plan layout, your kitchen colors don’t have to carry the same color scheme as the rest of your home. With that said there should still be continuity in the main theme of colors that run through your home. If you have a southwestern home that is inspired by desert hues of muted colors, it would be wise to keep this theme in your kitchen. Create a mood in your kitchen that is welcoming and not shocking with color when entering and exiting the space.

4. Colored cabinets can be mixed and matched in your kitchen

The days of having all your kitchen cabinets be the exact same color, style, door front, etc… are gone! In today’s modern kitchens you will see an eclectic mix of using 1-3 different colors cabinetry in the kitchen. This is most effective with blocks of cabinets, such as an island and then a wall of cabinets can differ in color. Seek advice of a kitchen design professional for help in choosing colors and cabinetry styles that work well together.

5. The right kitchen color will be enhanced by the right lighting

While you are excited about your rich cobalt blue cabinet color you just chose for your kitchen if the lighting doesn’t cast a gorgeous glow, your kitchen will feel like a dark dungeon. One of the most important factors of choosing great colors is to find multiple sources of lighting to enhance the kitchen – not just for aesthetics but also for ambiance variety and safety of cooking. Consider choosing recessed ambient lights, pendant lighting, and under cabinet lighting for countertop luminance as well

6. A neutral color palette doesn’t have to be boring

There is often a misconception that neutral colors such as tans, browns, grays, and off-white colors in the kitchen can appear sterile, safe, and unwelcoming. On the contrary – neutral colors paired up with rich wood floors, metallic kitchen backsplashes and eye-catching lighting fixtures can change your mind. Similarly an all-white kitchen design can have the same appeal when paired with rich finishes.

7. Natural wood colors can create drama too

When choosing colors for your drab kitchen, remember color doesn’t have to be a paint color chosen from your local paint store. Natural wood and wood stains can offer gorgeous color variations in your kitchen and tend to be timeless in their appeal. From natural wood flooring, butcher block countertops to a variety of wood stains – try looking into natural wood stains as a way to bring organic color into your kitchen.

8. You can add color subtly with kitchen accent tile

While you may love color it doesn’t mean you’re your entire kitchen has to be transformed from floor to ceiling with it. Subtle accent color in the form of backsplashes, tile surrounds at your wall ovens or even flooring can bring in just enough color to create a statement. Look to eye-catching colors in greens, blue, reds and yellow glass tile for reflectance or use metallic tile for an eye-catching pop to your kitchen.

9. Add whimsical colors to your drab kitchen

If you have an eclectic personality then adding color with primary colors could be the answer to your kitchen drabness. Bar stools, tiles, textiles, and kitchen counter decor can be great ways to add pops of color in fun and whimsical ways. After all, if you can’t have fun in the kitchen – what’s the sense of cooking?!

10. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box

We all get caught up in what designer kitchen has this rule and what interior design magazine shows this trend, but it’s perfectly fine to go outside of the box. If your growing family loves to write on the walls – why not use colorful chalkboard paint on your refrigerator front door or on an adjacent wall in a cool and decorative way? When using color in your kitchen it’s all up to you to bring inspiration and creativity to the most beloved room in the house!

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Source: Freshome

Precious Interior Detailing

2015-02-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

This superb set of interior design visualizations, by designer Asaf Bakhshiyev, of Baku, Azerbaijan, displays magical detailing along with a great understanding for small spaces and the shared living areas present in today's modern homes.

Unexpected architectural interest is created in the irregular curve of the doorway between the hall and the living room, featuring circular cutouts that capture tiny vignettes of the room as you draw nearer. A mirror with complimentary elliptical shapes flanks the left side to continue the theme along the full length of the space.
As you enter the living space, segregated shelving nooks hung at different height levels decorate a plain wall, echoing the stunning undulating muli-bulb lighting feature that zones one lounge area from another.

This narrow living room is furnished to provide every bit of storage and style that can be spread out over a larger lounge without appearing overcrowded or unkempt, and instead appears as a little jewel of the home.

A shared children’s room provides each sibling with a feeling of ones own space by the incorporation of a dividing shelf unit between the sleeping areas. Each child can have a zone of their own whilst the rest of the room remains a communal play area, where the cheerful colors are pulled together in a multicolored deep pile rug to provide a comfortable lounging place to spread out toy collections.
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Source: Home Designing

High Rise Apartment with Stunning Minimalist Interior

2015-02-09T09:49:00.001-05:00

Urban living can be extremely hectic. The busy lights, sounds, and schedules of a major city is inherently stressful, even for those that thrive in such an environment. This apartment, from designer Anton Medvedev, manages to quite literally rise above this atmosphere. The stunning interior is perfectly minimal with calming materials, smooth, clean lines, and a color palette that is so neutral you can almost hear the silence of the apartment.

The living room and kitchen are open to one another and both utilize a white, gray, and natural wood look. The slick hardwood floors are certainly notable, serving to unify each part of the apartment. The endtables that flank the soft sofa are hollow, creating simple but elegant lines. This design extends to the kitchen where barstools mimic the same shape.

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Source: Home Designing

Mellow Yellow: 7 Soothing Apartments with Sunny Accents

2015-02-06T10:59:00.003-05:00

Yellow can be a polarizing color. Some people would love nothing more than to wake up to a room full of the bright, sunny shade while others keep it out of their homes altogether. Fortunately for the rest of us, it is possible to find a happy medium. The seven apartments featured in this post use pops of yellow - some subtle and some bold - to take the best that the color has to offer without making their living rooms look like the side of a school bus. Take a look inside these stylish, modern homes and get some ideas about how to incorporate this joyful color into your house.

The first home is a sleek and simple apartment that keeps its lines smooth and its overall color story neutral. However, woven throughout the cool beige and natural wood elements is the idea of yellow. Subtler elements include a splash of throw pillow and a few buds in a vase, while bolder choices are the long, heavy curtains and even the staircase to the upper level.

The second apartment uses much paler shades to a very soothing and almost retroeffect. The buttercup yellow area rug in the living room plays with the yellow patterned throw pillow, but they don’t actually match. The result is a warm and cozy feeling that’s just mismatched enough.

Yellow upholstery is an especially bold choice in this living room. A soft velour sofa in a bright, mustard yellow gives off a 70’s vibe without any of the tackiness. A casually tossed pillow in the bedroom brings that decadent color in there as well.

Yellow paint is an easy way to refresh a space that’s feeling tired. In this home, a yellow accent wall coupled with a single yellow light fixture create a mod theme. More yellow paint made its way into the bedroom and bathroom to give a unified feeling.

The final apartment really takes yellow as an accent, from a yellow glass light fixture to throw pillows and a backsplash. There is no big yellow furniture or even a wall, making this perhaps the most subtle of the seven.

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Source: Home Designing

Take A Peek Inside 432 Park Avenue, the Tallest Residential Building in the Western Hemisphere

2015-02-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

While the towering buildings of the New York City skyline are constantly changing, shifting, and growing, it is rare to have any construction project overtake the most famous skyscrapers in the city. This is particularly true of apartment buildings. However, as of October 2014, when the last bit of concrete was poured, the new building at 432 Park Avenue is the tallest residential building not only in Manhattan, but in the entire western hemisphere.
The building sits between 56th and 57th streets, overlooking Central Park and huge swaths of the city. In fact, some condos even have views all the way out to the Atlantic.
Designed by architect Rafael Viñoly, the building measures 1396 feet (425 meters) tall, which makes it taller than both the iconic Empire State Building and the art deco-style Chrysler Building.

In fact, the massive building is even taller than the new building at One World Trade Center, if you don’t count that building’s towering spire.

Its massive height makes the building visible from every borough and even as far away as Monmouth County in neighboring New Jersey.

Of course, living in a massive luxury building like this one (on Park Avenue nonetheless) does not come without a price tag. The price range for the condos starts at $16.96 million and goes up from there, with the top priced unit being the sprawling penthouse suite, which listed at $95 million. Unfortunately, that one has already sold.

And the luxury does not stop with the exterior of the building. The units’ interiors were designed by Deborah Berke and include solid oak floors and Italian marble countertops, plus luxurious 12.5-foot ceilings.

But it is really the views that are worth the price. With stunning 10 foot by 10 foot windows, residents can enjoy unmatched views of the city from every room. Even from the bath. Every condo sits about 365 feet, so while a penthouse view doesn’t come with each unit, there are no sidewalk-level options, either.
The building has many amenities, too, including a restaurant on the ground level, a private gym, pool, and billiards room.
Residents are expected to be able to move in to the building starting in 2015.
But even without occupants, the skyline of the Big Apple has already been permanently altered by this impressive structure.

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Source: Home Designing

14 space saving solutions to make your home feel larger without actually breaking down the walls

2015-02-04T09:23:00.000-05:00

Adding an extension to your house sounds like a great way to enlarge its square footage but it's expensive, time consuming and oftentimes, impossible. If you feel your walls are closing in on you and your worldly possessions are taking over, you can blame it (at least in part) on poor design.

Here are 14 easy solutions to make your home more spacious and bright - even if it's by tricking your visual perception of things.

1 Floor-to-ceiling shelves
Floor-to-ceiling shelving allows you to clear floor clutter and make use of wall space. A top-to-bottom unit, which can work particularly well in bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, draws the eye upward and the ceilings instantly appear higher.

2 Light paint colours
Dark, striking wall colours can make a room feel smaller because light can't reflect and make the walls appear to recede. Instead, to open up a room, use whites or monochromatic schemes of greys, creams and yellows because of their light-bouncing abilities.

3 Mirrors
Anything that reflects light is key and mirrors are one of those things. A large floor or tabletop mirror placed opposite a window can instantly expand a room's scope. Just remember that you don't want the mirror to reflect a cluttered or cornered space or its purpose is defeated.

4 Get rid of clutter
By taking a minimalist approach to your decor, you can create a seamless and airy space. The easiest way to achieve this is to get rid of barely used items that make a room look too busy. Edit, edit, edit.

5 Over-the-door storage
In places like the bathroom and bedroom, you can use over-the-door hooks to store bags, shoes,accessories and your daily beauty needs to eliminate floor and counter clutter.

6 Smart furniture
Multi-functional pieces like a drop-leaf table or bedframe with drawers are perfect for maximizing space while acting as storage.

7 Windows
Uncovered windows or ones with sheer coverings brighten up a room with natural light and draw the eyes outdoors. If drapes go past the windows, whether vertically and horizontally, it not only gives the illusion that your windows are larger but that the room is as well.

8 Scaled furniture
A small space doesn't mean you can't have larger pieces. It's better to have a polished space with one oversized piece than several smaller ones. Furniture should never block pathways or natural light sources and should blend well with the wall colour for uniformity.

9 Vertical view
A line of vision that extends from one corner of the house to the other instantly elongates the look of a space's distance. To do this, you may have to open parts of a wall and set furniture on an angle, away from sightlines.

10 Lighting
Lighting is important when it comes to opening up a small space. Recessed lighting is great because it's visually appealing and bounces light where you need it. If your ceilings are on the higher side, you can alternatively use hanging lights, instead of recessed lighting, to make your room more welcoming.

11 Light colours on the ceiling
The ceiling is essentially a fifth wall that shouldn't be overlooked. Light colours on the ceiling open up the above space, complement any wall colour and reflect light.

12 Wall art
One large painting as opposed to several small ones makes walls appear larger than they are. Try to hang your wall art at the average eye height so that there's a lot of space above the work, making the room appear taller.

13 Flooring
When you lay flooring diagonally across a room, the space instantly looks bigger and whether you opt for hardwood, stone, or laminate, the rule applies for all. To create a seamless look that ties one room into the other, use the same flooring throughout. Dark wood floors will make your space look bigger if paired with light wall colour, trim and molding.

14 Pocket doors
Pocket doors slide along a track instead of out like a standard door. By sliding side to side, they take up less floor space and are less likely to obstruct than if they opened outwardly.

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Source: Style at Home

Ontario's next investment hotspots

2015-02-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

As declining oil prices threaten the real estate markets out west, experts are predicting a positive impact on the Ontario market – but which areas should investors be looking into?

“Barrie has experienced significant growth with the re-introduction of the GO Train service,” said Jules Mckenzie, a real estate investor with properties in the area.

“There are also a lot of small employers that have cropped up. We’re seeing significant economic growth.”

The Canadian Real Estate Association’s latest figures show year-over-year increases in both price and new listings in Barrie and the surrounding area.

The average year-over-year price grew nearly 20 per cent, from $289,201 in December 2013 to $346,584 in December 2014, while new listings were up in that period as well, from 206 to 252, one of the largest increases in the province.

As Barrie attracts more employers, it is also developing a hip downtown and subsequently attracting Generation Y. Mckenzie added: “That has impacted prices, not just of purchasing an investment property in downtown Barrie, but also impacted how much a landlord can charge for rent.”

Meanwhile, in neighbouring Orillia, the prices are still pretty good for investors. “You can charge a significant amount of rent to cover your expenses and have some good, positive cash flow,” said Mckenzie.

“A good lesson for investors is to look carefully at location,” he added. “Your local area may not be the best place to invest. West of Toronto – there is a lot more there.”

Are you looking to find out more about a specific Canadian city or neighbourhood?

CREW's new Investment Hot Spot tool, which you can access here, offers comprehensive neighbourhood profiles detailing house and unit medians, capital growth, demographics and much more.

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Source: Canadian Real Estate Wealth

Condos in 2015 are going up, up, up

2015-02-03T10:33:00.002-05:00

To make a prediction for Canada’s crazy housing market would be, well, crazy, but like RE/MAX Condos Plus, some agents believe it’s safe to say high-rise living will continue to post strong gains in major markets – especially for larger family-friendly units.

“I think this will be another solid year for [condos],” says Matt Elkind, an agent with The Condo Store in Toronto. “The demand is going to continue. That trend away from houses, just with the prices of housing going up dramatically, more people are happy being downtown and living the condo lifestyle.”

RE/MAX Condos Plus said it expects demand for larger units – particularly those with two bedrooms or more – to increase, especially for two of Canada’s most active demographics moving up and down the property ladder.

“It’s two things really,” says Armand Gilks, a sales rep with Bosley Real Estate inToronto. “One is people downsizing, and the other is people currently in condos and, as their need for more space as their families grow, many are opting for larger condos rather than low-rise housing.”

Immigration is also expected to boost condo demand in 2015. The RE/MAX report suggests Toronto requires more than 35,000 units annually to keep up with in-migration – meaning the 20,000 units currently being completed will lead to a shortage.

“I do see demand for larger units growing,” Gilks says, “and this is especially as the condo market matures.”

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Source: Canadian Real Estate Wealth

Prepping your home for resale

2015-01-29T10:46:00.003-05:00

There is always a lot of talk about buying real estate; discussions around the water cooler mainly reference open houses viewed the weekend before, price comparisons of similar houses in different neighbourhoods and whether or not the closing date might be right. But what about when you’re selling? That’s a whole different experience, with a whole different set of talking points.

This new column will focus on the selling side; it will look at ways to optimize your return through planning and preparation. Send us your questions and we’ll connect with agents and other experts for advice you can use. We’ll look at decluttering, paint colours, whether to create two large bedrooms out of three small ones, the necessity of a main-floor powder room, boosting curb appeal and anything else your home might be in need of prior to listing.

Royal LePage’s House Price Survey out this week says that across Canada, a standard bungalow rose 6.7% to $406,218, a standard two-storey home rose 6% to $43,379 and a standard condo rose 4.5% to %257,624. In Toronto, arguably the country’s hottest market, a standard two-storey home rose 8.6% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to $745,062 and condos rose 6.9% to $384,680. It forecasts a 4.5% increase across the board in 2015 for the city.

“The social and economic factors that have influenced the Toronto market in recent years remain unchanged,” Gino Romanese, senior vice-president at Royal LePage says in the report, “so it is reasonable to expect we will see continued price appreciation in 2015.”

However, other parts of the country are starting to feel the effects of lower oil prices and modest job growth. The Canadian Real Estate Association said December sales were down from the previous month in almost two-thirds of all local housing markets, led by declines of about 25% in Calgary and Edmonton. Calgary alone has seen a jump of 39% more listings in the past year.

Traditionally, more listings come onstream for the spring market, regardless of local activity. Having your home optimally primed for sale can mean beating those new listings to a quicker, and likely higher-priced, transaction. Many realtors offer staging as part of their service, but because there are elements of a home that may require longer-term preparation, it pays to have both broader insight and specific advice well before you’re ready to list.

This may be the most important thing to know: “No one wants to buy your dirt or your work,” says Anne Bourne, the owner/operator of Toronto-based StagingWorks.

“Buyers want to purchase a home that is move-in ready.”

It’s said that many buyers decide on a house within the first 90 seconds. They won’t stop to ask about the details if the appearance doesn’t grab them right away. Making that great first impression is all-important.

“Home staging is ensuring a property looks its very best in order to get the highest price in the shortest amount of time,” Ms. Bourne says; this can involve everything from minimal decluttering and rearranging of furniture to opening up a space, painting, replacing light fixtures, refinishing kitchen cabinets, and then finally lacing the home with new furniture and accessories.

If your house or condo needs extensive work, the fix could take several weeks or more. Costs, of course, vary, depending on the size of a property.

Ms. Bourne adds that “properties that are cluttered, dirty, a bit rundown may not even get buyers in the front door. People search online before seeing a home in person…

They will be most excited to see the ones that look like they have been well-maintained and cared for.” (Renovators may be the exception, and the minority.)

A well-presented home unquestionably stands out from one that isn’t. Here’s a how-to for the staging process:

Get references from friends, family and your agent. This is vital, as the staging industry is unregulated, so you could end up with a look that does more harm than good.

Ask if they’re insured, and get references.

Then, “generally speaking, the actual staging takes a day or two,” Ms. Bourne says. “We can bring in a crew of several assistants and movers to turn around even a large property in one day. This assumes any other work and decluttering is completed before the staging day.”

Most professionals follow this process when determining what work needs to be done:

Consultation — A home stager walks through a space to assess its needs. The stager will prioritize changes based on budget to ensure maximum return on investment.

They’ll discuss whether to rid your house of the children’s toys, the dog bed, the hot rod in the driveway. Can you leave the wedding photos on the sideboard? Should you hide that water stain on the wood floor with a potted plant? Maybe you’ll discover that what you thought would need changing, doesn’t. Trust the experts.

Clean Up — This is where the hard work is, and could involve everything from painting and fixing the property inside and/or out. Maybe they’ll suggest you replace your old windows, or cut back the landscaping or fix the cracked path. Then, you’ll pack up your clutter (er, personal and beloved possessions) and take the boxes to off-site storage. Unless you have thousands of square feet to spare, removing boxes from the house is the best policy.

Staging Day — The home stager brings in whatever new furniture and accessories necessary to create the most sellable look for the most likely buyer demographic; it will work with your existing decor, unless the entire house has been emptied. They work to ensure each space looks as large and as inviting as possible. It may not be your look, but go with it — it’s no longer about you, it’s about the buyer. You can live with it a while.

Once the paperwork is signed and there are no more househunters coming through your place, the staging materials are removed and your own stuff is returned (just know, you may like the new look so much, you may not want it back).

“As soon as you are serious about putting your house on the market,” Ms. Bourne says, “have a home stager walk through your space and do a consultation. Depending on the neighbourhood and the type of potential buyers, stagers are able to put a plan together to ensure that the target buyer is going to fall in love with your home. How a gorgeous downtown condo is staged is completely different than the property around the corner from the school in Leaside.”

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Source: The National Post

Emerging Trend Using the look of Natural Concrete Instead of Hiding It

2015-01-29T10:41:00.005-05:00

This apartment is located on the top-most floor of a building developed in the mid 1960′s. It is located near Venice, in San Dona di Piave. The penthouse studio flat faces a beautiful view of the Piave river in the distance behind the tree-tops. It also has a large terrace with a gorgeous south-easternly view.

The dwelling offers fully upgraded technological programs and are in term with the most up to date power effecienecy standards. This offers both all-season comfort in a wide range of temperatures. It was designed from the get-go to be an open space with theoutdoor terrace in mind. In summer or springtime, the terrace turns into an extension of the viewing room, allowing even more breathtaking views of the Piave river.

We can see the interior environment utilizes the natural concrete structure quite well and blends it in with the overall theme of the decor. The colors match well with what one would normally assume to be ugly concrete pillars. The hardwood floors even accentuate the look to make it appear more sharp. Overall, everything blends together to make an absolutely beautiful indoor penthouse.

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Source: Interior Decorating Article

Tall tales: Comparing new condo heights in Toronto and New York City

2015-01-27T11:01:00.001-05:00

The flocks of construction cranes crowding Toronto’s skyline won’t be going away any time soon. In late August, City Council approved an incredible amount of development over the course of just one week – 755 storeys of space over 18 new buildings.

Largely concentrated in the downtown and the burgeoning South Core district along the lake, the approval of the new structures raised the specter of the “Manhattanization” of Toronto as the building boom continues with no end in sight. The term is often thrown about when discussing big cities undergoing big increases in density and tower heights.

But how does Toronto measure up against its American counterpart when it comes to skyscrapers? Toronto is famous for its volume, but can it reach the dizzying heights of the new builds coming to Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen and Park Avenue?

Not quite.

We looked into the ten tallest new residential builds in both cities, looking into condos completed within the last five years, currently under construction, or in the pre-construction phase. And despite Toronto’s growth spurt, Manhattan still dwarfs us.

Toronto’s architectural ambitions reach up to 1,000 feet (or 305 metres) with the design for the much-discussed Mirvish+Gehry project, planned for King Street West and Simcoe. New York City’s tallest building, the Nordstrom Tower at 225 West 57th Street, will rise an astonishing 1,775 feet or 541 metres. Once finished, the skyscraper will be the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere and a symbolic one foot shorter than the 1,776-foot-tall One World Trade Center.

If you were to transport Mirvish+Gehry into Manhattan, it would come in seventh place among the ten tallest New York City condos, taking the place alongside the 1,000-foot tall 35 Hudson Yards project.

The ten tallest New York City condos are all located in Manhattan, which is undergoing its own uniquely shaped building boom. Vanity Fair described the construction trend thusly: “These days, it is not just a woman who can never be too rich or too thin. You can say almost exactly the same thing about skyscrapers, or at least about the latest residential ones now going up in New York City, which are much taller, much thinner, and much, much more expensive than their predecessors.”

The third tallest new condo in New York, which goes by both 111 West 57th Street or 107 West 57th Street, is vying for the title of skinniest skyscraper in the world with a width of just 60 feet or 18 metres.

There are still plenty of towers that could reach up to similar heights in New York City in the years to come. For example, 125 Greenwich and 101 Tribeca are in the works, but permits have yet to be approved and their final height are yet to be confirmed.

Want to see how the two cities stack up? Check out our infographic below. We chose to go by total height as opposed to storeys since storey heights and podium sizes can differ greatly from building to building.

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Source: BuzzBuzz News

Toronto's Stunning Skyline Transformation Captured In A Single GIF

2015-01-27T10:46:00.003-05:00

Toronto has been experiencing a real estate boom since the turn of the century. You hear about it all the time, but it's difficult to visualize just how dramatically Toronto has changed over the last 14 years.

But thanks to the city's Planning and Growth Management Committee you can take in the totality of Toronto's transformation in just one GIF.

Condos have played a huge roll in Toronto's metamorphosis. According to the city, roughly 50 per cent of all building permits in the first three quarters of 2014 were for high rise residential developments.

Meanwhile, the total number of building permits issued by the city has exploded. In 2000, the city granted less than 30,000 permits. In 2013, it issued more than 45,000.

No wonder Toronto's skyline has gone from being dominated by the CN Tower and a few bank buildings to looking more like the horizon in Hong Kong.

Whether you're waiting for the bubble to burst or believe the boom will never end, it's truly amazing to see just how far Canada's largest city has come in such a short time.

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Source: The Huffington Post

As banks hold off on cuts, brokers see record-low mortgage rates

2015-01-26T11:02:00.001-05:00

Canada’s major lenders are so far holding off cutting mortgage rates in the wake of the Bank of Canada’s quarter-point interest rate cut, but industry officials predict rates will fall to historic new lows just in time for the all-important spring housing market.

Toronto-Dominion Bank said it is not planning to lower its prime rate following the central bank’s decision. Both Royal Bank of Canada and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce said Thursday they were reviewing their rates in light of a lower overnight rate.

Mortgage brokers, however, say it is only a matter of time – anywhere from a few days to a few weeks – before banks start slashing their rates, with some predicting that as Government of Canada bond yields plummet below 1 per cent, five-year fixed rates could hit a new record-low 2.5 per cent, reigniting a fierce competition for new borrowers.

“Spring is around the corner and market-share battles will start to heat up,” said Vince Gaetano of Monstermortgage.ca. “The first bank to make that change, it’s going to be huge from a market-share perspective.

“Someone will blink and that will probably lead everybody down the same path.”

Some small non-bank lenders have already begun cutting their fixed-mortgage offerings, said Drew Donaldson, a mortgage broker and executive vice-president Safebridge Financial Group. Consumers with variable-rate mortgages and preapprovals have been calling Mr. Donaldson’s office in droves looking to find out when their rates might drop.

In the past, when rates were high and lenders could expect wide margins on their mortgage businesses, the major banks would quickly follow on the heels of a Bank of Canada rate movement.

But with bond yields and interest rates plummeting to new lows and lenders facing a host of new regulatory requirements in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, banks have become far more reluctant to slash rates, mortgage planner Robert McLister said.

Banks will likely wait until the end of the fiscal quarter on Jan. 31, after a large share of homeowners have refinanced their mortgages, to slash rates in order to protect their profits, Mr. Gaetano said.

Some industry officials say that while banks will inevitably be forced to drop their fixed mortgage rates if bond yields settle at record lows, they may put off dropping their prime rate, which affects variable-rate mortgages along with a host of non-mortgage lending, such as car loans and personal lines of credit, in order to protect their non-mortgage profits and push borrowers toward longer-term fixed rate mortgage contracts.

Others speculated that federal regulators may be pressuring banks not to lower their rates too drastically by warning that they could introduce tighter lending rules to avoid driving up already high levels of household debt.

“They may very well be considering that and discussing it quietly,” said Will Dunning, chief economist of the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals. He warned the threat of new mortgage rules could spell bad news for the housing market, where continued growth is likely to be one of the main drivers of the economy as oil prices stay low.

“It would be very harmful, not just to the housing market, but to the economy as well to reduce mortgage lending.”

But with the average five-year rate among the major banks now sitting around 195 basis points above five-year government bond yields, well above the historical range of between 150 and 160 basis points, most expect the banks to eventually bow to consumer pressure to slash their rates, sending potential buyers running back into the housing market.

“You’ll definitely get more interest in homebuying when you see rates go below 2.5 per cent,” Mr. McLister said.

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Source: The Globe and Mail

How women over 55 are reshaping the Toronto condo market

2015-01-26T10:52:00.003-05:00

Ms. Booth has a bichon frise herself, so the mess in the $549,000 space isn’t the real problem. The deal-breakers are the unit’s low, popcorn ceilings and dated kitchen, both typical of buildings that went up in the 1990s. “No, not interested,” Ms. Booth said within 10 minutes of unlocking the door, the two are finished with the unit.

Six years ago, Ms. Booth got divorced, then renovated and sold her Rosedale home. After that, she moved into her first condo. The 66-year-old retired project manager didn’t choose a pretty little single-lady pad: instead, she decided to overhaul a 3,500-square-foot unit on Yonge just north of Bloor, adding gorgeous wallpapers, dark wood floors, and lots of marble. Now, she’s ready to actually downsize. She’s looking for about 1,200 square feet, and a unit that’s move-in-ready. “I’m getting a little tired of renovating,” she says.

Ms. Booth is at the crest of a wave: the single woman over 55, a powerful force in Toronto’s condominium market. Twenty-eight per cent of Canadians lived alone in 2011, more than twice as many as did so in 1971: there are influencing factors at all age groups, especially later marriages among young adults and a rising divorce rate among those 55 and older. For women around retirement age, the number of single-person households jumps to 76 per cent. All solo dwellers are far more likely to be homeowners than renters than they used to be, and due to both affordability and ease of care, many older female buyers have decided that condominiums are where they want to live.

“Condos are appealing to single buyers because you don’t have to worry about a whole layer of infrastructure,” says Jennifer Keesmat, chief planner for the City of Toronto. “Pooling resources to pay someone to do maintenance really reduces the burden on an individual, unlike a single family home.” Safety is another key concern for single women, who appreciate not having to leave their home empty when they travel, says Ms. Keesmat, and not having to answer the door to strangers.

Walkability is another key factor for this demographic. Downsizing often means eliminating a car, and almost everyone in Toronto wants to cut their commute time. Retirees may not have to worry about getting to work, but that doesn’t mean transportation isn’t a factor. “There will come a time when I can’t drive, and I don’t want to be dependent,” says Ms. Booth.

The affluent neighbourhood north of Bay and Bloor has solid appeal among older, solo females. Minto Communities launched a 200-unit midrise at Cumberland Ave. and Bellair St. this season, and also began selling units in a 20-storey tower at Bathurst and Front. Planning for both involved focus groups at every stage of the process, potential buyers who shared their opinions on amenities, the design of shared spaces and the specific finishes available at different price points. Among these groups were plenty of older women, who mentioned safety features like concierges and staffed lobbies, as well as attractive, ample lighting, and underground parking.

“Women over 50 are our fastest growing market segment,” says Amanda Wilson Watkins, the VP of marketing and sales for Minto Communities. “Aesthetically, women in this segment know what they like.” Big closets are important, as are extra guest suites. Units for visitors are a must-have for Ms. Booth now that she’s cutting her space by two-thirds. Her brother lives in Saskatoon, and her son is in British Columbia with his family (though even if his parents are in a guest suite, Ms. Booth plans to have her eight-year-old grandson in her apartment).

That condos are less work than a house is an obvious part of their appeal, but though downsizers are willing to give up a yard, that doesn’t mean they don’t need outdoor access. Minto’s focus groups also showed that older women really like pets, and those pets aren’t always teacup-sized.

“Other buildings weren’t taking bigger dogs,” says Defne Berkin about why Minto’s Floriane on Avenue Rd. was the condo she chose after getting fed up with houses (her basement wouldn’t stop flooding). The 57-year-old industrial engineer has a 74-lb Airedale terrier, which means that a terrace and quick outdoor access are a must. She’s just bought into the developer’s new Yorkville project, slated to open in 2018, and is curious about the “doggie spa” it will include, with a washing station for cleaning mud off of paws on rainy or snowy days. “There’s really nothing I don’t like about condo living,” says Ms. Berkin. “I love it—no work, no investment of time on my part.”

Fixed incomes are an issue for retirees at all price points. For buyers like Ms. Booth, it means weighing the intimacy of a smaller building against the higher maintenance fees that come from a smaller pool of units sharing costs. For lower-income women, the chance to own a condo can mean a type of security that they might never have had before. Two new projects were launched this year by Options for Homes, a non-profit consultant that designs condominiums that are streamlined to maximize affordability.

Neither its new 16-storey building at Danforth Rd. and Eglinton Ave. E. or a 275-unit tower being built at Danforth and Main St. has any fancy amenities. Both project are to be built by Tridel’s Deltera, and units are currently being sold at cost. Half of the buyers at the Eglinton project are single women and 38 per cent of those are over 50. Forty per cent of those who chose Main are solo female buyers .

“My daughter was worried that it was some type of scam,” says Lata Swarn of the Options for Homes ad she saw in the Toronto Star in 2007. The 66-year-old used to live with her oldest daughter in Scarborough, since it seemed impossible to afford her own place on the salary she earned as settlement worker for newcomers.

It was slightly unbelievable that Options for Homes would help her organize a second mortgage that she didn’t have to pay back, but it was true: Only when buyers sell or rent out their place are they on the hook for the original loan (Ms. Swarn’s was $20,000) plus a percentage of increased market value. She signed up for a space in a new building near Dundas St. W. and Keele in the Junction, and visited the construction site regularly as the 643-unit tower rose from the ground.

When Ms. Booth began her search, she planned to stay in Yorkville. She toured a modern, high-ceilinged space on Avenue Road that had lots of design appeal but will be within earshot of construction for the next few years. A sunny unit on Bloor East overlooking the Rosedale ravine was a bit too close to a neighbour’s window for privacy.

Ms. Booth widened her search area, and soon found what she was looking for closer to St. Clair: a spacious two-bedroom unit with two bathrooms and a spacious kitchen. It’s farther north that she expected, but right on the streetcar line.

“A lady of my era, the more walking I do, the better for my mental and physical well-being,” says Ms. Booth about frequenting her favourite Yorkville hangouts. “A little bit more walking in the summertime is not going to be so bad.”

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Source: The Globe and Mail

Bank of Canada supports housing market with surprise rate cut

2015-01-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

Canada’s soaring real estate market survived the 2008 financial crisis with barely a scratch. With a surprise rate cut, Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz is trying to make sure it survives an oil price crash.

The central bank cut its benchmark interest rate a quarter of a percentage point to 0.75 percent on Wednesday, an unexpected move it said would buffer the Group of Seven’s largest oil exporter from a 55 percent drop in crude oil since June.

In addition to weighing on inflation, business and government spending, the central bank said the “unambiguously negative” drop in oil prices will be a hit to jobs and income that may rattle consumption and housing.

“The big point here is that this decline in oil prices has been a shock to Canadian incomes, which from a debt-to- disposable income point of view is not good news,” Carolyn Wilkins, senior deputy governor at the bank, said Wednesday in Ottawa. “Certainly the interest rate movement we made today is designed to offset part of that.”

Canada’s housing market has been on a decade-long tear, with the average price of a house in Vancouver rising 67 percent since January 2005 to $638,500 in December. Toronto prices jumped 71 percent in the same period to $521,300, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

The mortgages Canadians have shouldered to buy those houses helped send the ratio of household debt to a record 162.6 percent of disposable income in the third quarter.

The bank said the slump in oil will affect housing activity in energy-intensive regions, noting there has been a decrease in housing starts and a “sharp” drop in resales and sales-to- listings ratios in Alberta in December.

CALGARY MARKET

Existing home sales slid 25 percent in December from November in Calgary, the country’s oil capital, while listings rose 36 percent, according to industry data.

“Near term housing activity elsewhere is expected to remain high, supported by very low mortgage rates, although the extent to which the downturn already evident in Alberta will spill over into other regions remains to be seen,” the bank said in its monetary policy report released with the rate decision from Ottawa.

The bank calculates that housing’s contribution to output would drop by 0.6 percent if oil prices stay at $60 a barrel through 2016, relative to $110, according to the policy report.

The bank is concerned “with declining oil prices and the fact that that’s going to detract from the overall economic growth and housing market in the country,” Jim Murphy, chief executive officer of the Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals, said by phone. “They take these measures to ensure the Canadian economy is stimulated.”

JOB CUTS

While the drop in oil prices should give consumers a break, the bank said the windfall may be used to pay debt rather than spending and stoking the economy, especially with energy companies such as Suncor Energy Inc. cutting 1,000 jobs.

“With increased risks of layoffs, those households whose incomes rely on the oil sector will have greater incentives to build precautionary savings or pay down debt,” the bank said in its report.

There’s a risk the surprise rate cut may encourage Canadians to increase their debt burden, Peter Routledge, an analyst at National Bank Financial, said.

“The risk is that household borrowing takes off again because you’ve cut rates,” he said. “They’re balancing that off against the risk of letting a period of disinflation that entrenches itself and creates longer-term problems for the economy and the housing sector.”

Canada’s largest lenders, including Toronto-Dominion Bank, have kept their prime rates unchanged so far following today’s move. That rate, which serves as a benchmark for variable mortgages to credit lines have been at 3 percent since September 2010.

“Our decision regarding our prime rate is impacted by factors beyond just the Bank of Canada’s overnight rate,” spokesman Mohammed Nakhooda said today in an e-mailed statement. “Not only do we operate in a competitive environment, but our prime rate is influenced by the broader economic environment, and its impact on credit.”

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Source: Business News Network

Price gap between new GTA low-rise homes and condos hits new high in 2014

2015-01-22T09:51:00.000-05:00

In 2014, the average price for a low-rise home in the GTA rose eight per cent, year-over-year, to $705,813. Not only was this a record high price for low-rises, but as new high-rise prices increased four per cent to $454,476, the price gap between the housing types was at its largest ever. The record-breaking gulf that separates the two housing types now sits at $251,337.

“The desire to curb sprawl and encourage intensification has led to the continued condominium boom in the 416, spiking home prices and a widening price gap between low-rise and high-rise housing product,” said George Carras, President of RealNet, Altus Group.

Altogether, new home sales tallied 39,736, a 41 per cent jump over 2013, with low-rise leading the increases. Even though supply increased by 33 per cent in 2014, demand for new, ground-level homes more than kept up. Last year, 17,745 new low-rise homes were sold, a 46 per cent boost over a much weaker 2013.

Counting 21,991 sales, the new condo market recorded its third highest sales figures in the last decade (2007 and 2011 came out slightly higher with 22,211 and 28,492 suites sold, respectively).

High-rise units broke yet another record with 25,571 condo completions by end the of year. As for suite sizes, the average size of a new high-rise unit in the GTA rose to 816 square feet. RealNet suggested the increase is due to a shift in the market towards more two-bedroom condos.

Prices also edged upwards with the average price per square foot increasing 2 per cent to $557.

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Source: BuzzBuzz Report

Tiny Swedish Apartment

2014-10-24T07:57:00.000-04:00

When this Stockholm apartment went on the market in 2012, it had been uninhabited for 30 years. There was no electricity, peeling wallpaper, and rat droppings in the bathroom. But the new owner had big plans — not just to bring this abandoned apartment into the modern era, but to create a space with a bedroom, a walk-in closet, a luxurious bathroom, a kitchen big enough to move around in, and a spacious, airy feel. All in 388 square feet.

The end result is a master class in going vertical. What the designers, at Karin Matz, came up with is a sort of living machine where the bed, with what looks like a rotating wardrobe underneath, is surrounded by shelves and cabinets. The shelves wrap around and the end of the bed become the beginning of the kitchen. Both can be closed off from the main living space by shades that roll down from the ceiling.

Squeezing all these functions — bed, closet, kitchen — to one side of the apartment leaves the living/dining area feeling nice and roomy. Here the designers have made an unusual choice: leaving the peeling wallpaper and paint from a past era, as a stark contrast to the squeaky-clean newness of the hyper-efficient living cube.

It's not a solution that will work for everyone — but it does make you want to loft your bed. And maybe embrace your apartment's quirks and its unique history, because those things can be beautiful.

Interested in getting your own unique space? Check out some hot Toronto Condos here.

Design: Mesmerizing Bambu Inda Resort, Bali!

2014-10-21T08:17:00.000-04:00

On the Indonesian island of Bali, Ubud is a town that serves as an arts and cultural center for the island. It's also a tourism hub that calls to mind images of rice terraces, beautiful beaches, and enchanting temple ceremonies. A visitor favorite, Ubud is home to popular music and dance shows, Balinese cultural activities, spas, and exotic resorts - one of which is the Bambu Indah. Founded in 2005 when owners John and Cynthia Hardy brought eleven antique Javanese bridal homes to Bali, Bambu Indah is one of Ubud's finest resorts, offering the charm and history of Indonesia with the luxurious comfort of a boutique hotel. Bambu Indah combines together the best of antique architecture and design with modern sustainability. Stroll along the flat stone paths through rice paddies before taking a swim in fresh pool of water. Then, visit the Bambu Indah spa for a traditional Balinese massage before retiring to one of the Javanese teak wood houses on the property. Each served as a bridal house for a Javanese nobleman and provides exceptional comfort in lovingly restored and luxurious furnishings.