April, a client of Dart Studio, was entering a new phase of her life and wanted her Toronto penthouse condo to feel truly her own. Located in the Casa Loma neighborhood, the 1,500-square-foot space features two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Originally built in 1984, the condo was ready for a complete transformation. The Dart Studio team, led by Olivia Botrie, was tasked with reimagining it from top to bottom. The goal was to create something colorful, quirky, and deeply personal, rather than a typical neutral condo.
Design Approach
April’s love of color, pattern, and English cottage-inspired interiors was a key factor in the design approach. She also had a wonderful collection of family heirlooms, books, and art that she wanted incorporated throughout the home. One of her early requests was for a blue kitchen, indicating she wasn’t afraid to have fun with the design.
The designers mixed traditional architectural details and patterns with contemporary pieces, vintage-inspired forms, and unexpected color. As the project took shape, they introduced wallpaper, saturated paint colors, decorative lighting, custom millwork, and vintage-inspired furniture. Subtle references to flora and fauna also began appearing throughout the home, emerging organically as they layered the materials and patterns.
Challenges and Solutions
Renovating a condo comes with logistical challenges, such as ensuring larger pieces of furniture fit in the elevator. The team was careful with dimensions throughout the project, making sure pieces could be maneuvered through the building and into the suite.
Another challenge was the abundant natural light, which generated a significant amount of heat. They developed window treatments that felt integral to the design while still allowing April to control the sunlight and heat when needed. During construction, before the window treatments were installed, they were amazed by just how hot the condo could become even with the air conditioning running at full blast.
