Small space interior: Urban living

Toronto designer Byron Patton is renowned for bringing life to prestigious spaces through brilliant design -- he combines the playful with the elegant, and design elements as diverse as chalk and cheese. His latest playground is Schoolhouse (by Empire Communities), a chic collection of 19 condo suites in a converted wing of Loretto College built in 1915 in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood. Each suite is named after a famous seat of higher learning -- The U of T, The Brown, the Berkeley, The Harvard, the Yale etc. Patton, who can claim triumphs in Toronto low and high-rise, rural, lakeside and corporate design, says there are many ways to maximize condo living through seamless, intelligent design.


Style at Home Condo living seems to be a massive trend now. Not too long ago, condos seemed like compromises – what happened?
Byron Patton It’s all about lifestyle and the demands of the boomer generation. Condos offer a carefree alternative for sophisticated living. The suite layouts are better, people travel more or have second homes and there are great services and amenities available in many buildings.