Interior design: A modern townhome

Cookie-cutter. Builder-boring. It’s not uncommon to associate condominiums and townhomes with these unflattering design phrases. But it’s also apparent that there are many exceptions to the “plain old box” rule. Case in point: Catherine and Nick Chan’s modern townhouse, which they purchased pre-construction in Toronto’s trendy King West area three years ago, showcases a distinctive, inviting look overflowing with design-savvy touches and personal style.

The house is a reflection of Catherine’s character, say Ryan Martin and Amy Kent of Croma Design, the firm that helped tweak her decisions throughout this project and where Catherine worked as a project manager a few years ago. “She likes a modern, clean, spare aesthetic, but she has a lot of texture in her personality,” says Ryan.

Living room display
The living room’s display cabinet, which homeowner Catherine Chan purchased from Craigslist, houses items received from friends or picked up on travels. “It’s a glass cabinet, so we can still see things, but they don’t collect as much dust!” says Catherine. The quirky Art-imals rabbit sculpture adds a hit of red decor.