Decorating & Design
13 Designer-Approved Tips To Create A Modern & Warm Interior
DESIGN TOMMY SMYTHE & COLIN BAIRD PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK BILLER STYLING DARINA BELLINI
Decorating & Design
13 Designer-Approved Tips To Create A Modern & Warm Interior
Outstanding art, furniture, and design combine in this Toronto condo by TOM Design Collective.
This condo was a total blank canvas when designers Tommy Smythe and Colin Baird were brought on board. “Our client is extremely stylish, but also quite busy, so our role was very much that of facilitators,” says Tommy. It was a unique situation. The client would be bringing nothing from her New York City apartment and she would only be living in the condo with her daughter temporarily, until the daughter finished high school. “The idea was to select artworks, lighting and furnishings that would easily move with her to her next location, where they would be incorporated,” says Tommy. “We’re very pleased that the result is so authentically her and, of course, her involvement and true collaboration has a lot to do with that. I’m happy that the rooms feel so modern without that self-conscious mood that many contemporary, minimally adorned spaces can have. It’s elegant and cozy. It’s light and dark. It’s pretty and a little bit punk. It’s a perfect reflection of the layered and lovely person we made it for.”
Here, advice from Tommy, Colin, and stylist Darina Bellini demystifies how to create a highly personal and elevated design, whether you’re starting from scratch or wanting to transition to a more modern but still warm interior.
ENTRYWAY WALL PAINT, Off Black 57, Farrow & Ball. Alexander McQueen’s Pony RUG; Terra Travertine VASE; Avenue Road.
How to design an elevated home
1. Use colour to evoke emotive responses. “The dark colour in the entrance hall is a device I often employ,” says Tommy. “The idea is that when one travels through a dark, small space and emerges into a large, bright light-coloured space, there is a feeling of ‘opening’ or ‘unfolding.’ It’s a great sensation, and let’s face it—no quantity of white paint is going to make a windowless, narrow interior hallway feel big, so why not embrace (a small dose of) the dark side of decorating?!”
2. Use existing “form” to suggest function. “Look to challenging nooks and alcoves as an opportunity to create functional storage or a design feature, or both,” says Colin. In the entryway, an otherwise unusable nook becomes a focal point with the addition of a walnut floating drawer. The drawer reduces clutter by corralling loose items like keys and mail, and the top of the unit is an ideal spot for a floral arrangement.
LIVING ROOM WALL PAINT, All White 2005, Farrow & Ball. Cor Trio SECTIONAL; Ingo Mauer’s Max FLOOR LAMP; Klaus. Puffy CHAIR AND OTTOMAN, Hem. Walnut SIDE TABLE, Rose Uniacke. Andre linen DRAPERY FABRIC, Tonic Living. Armadillo’s Winnow RUG in Alabaster, Y&Co. Marble VASE, faceted BOX, Avenue Road.
3. Keep an open mind when it comes to floor plans. Sometimes, an unconventional solution is best. Positioning the sectional with its back to the impressive skyline view might seem counterintuitive, but, says Colin, “We knew this furniture plan would be best for entertaining. We carefully chose a low sectional with modular pieces that succeeds at giving the client the best of both worlds.”
4. Lean into texture when working with a limited colour palette. “For the softer elements, we chose carved wool rugs, woven fabrics with depth of texture, plush mohair fabrics that beg to be touched, and soft buttery leathers,” says Colin. “Choose natural elements and live finishes, which means it has no finish, wherever possible. A slate coffee table, unlacquered brass metals, organic stones, and woods with beautiful grain: this is the recipe for a space that will seduce even the most colour-forward friends you have.”
5. “I believe the most successful modern interiors are actually rooted in history,” says Tommy, explaining that their client wanted to have very few things, but for each of those things to be an iconic piece with longevity, like the Puffy chair and ottoman, and the PK61 coffee table.
“The key to using a limited palette is to employ unlimited texture.” – Tommy Smythe
Soap-finish oak CH327 DINING TABLE and CH20 Elbow CHAIRS; Lindsey Adelman’s BB.03 LIGHT FIXTURE; Hollace Cluny. Lionel mohair CHAIR FABRIC in Courageous, Threadcount Textile & Design. Andre linen DRAPERY FABRIC in Marble Cream, Tonic Living. Komm’s Breccia Adriana marble BOWL, Avenue Road. ARTWORK, Kristine Moran’s Island in the Sky – IV, 2022, Daniel Faria Gallery; curator, RB Art Advisory.
6. Simplify. “In any dining room, one is forced to contend with a whole lotta leg,” says Tommy. “Chair legs, table legs, people’s legs! It’s unavoidable. With all that going on, I like a simple plan for everything else: a pendant that’s not busy; one impactful work of art; and simple curtains that blend with the wall colour.”
7. Incorporate warmth into a modern setting. “With a very neutral colour palette, we knew the materials we chose would be important to make this space feel comfortable and grounded,” says Colin. “The use of natural materials is essential in every space, but especially so in a modern setting for extra warmth. The soft grey mohair seat fabric and floor-to-ceiling natural linen sheers create an incredibly inviting setting.”
8. Use colour not only to create mood and beauty but also to mask less pleasing elements. Says Tommy, “Wrapping the wall colour all the way up the walls and across the ceiling in the bedroom was a calculated move that minimized the visual presence of the bulkheads while enveloping the room in the warmth of the colour, which is a very flattering shade of pink, day or night.”
BEDROOM WALL AND CEILING PAINT, Calamine 230, Farrow & Ball. Rua’s Ipanema CHAIR, Avenue Road; CHAIR FABRIC, Gatsby Mohair in Pasha, Threadcount Textile & Design. Anders Large PENDANT, Pinch London. ARTWORK, Will Gill’s Provision Drop, 2021, Christina Parker Gallery; curator, RB Art Advisory. Custom Viola marble BEDSIDE TABLES, Montana Labelle Lifestyle. Whiplash LAMPS, David Weeks Studio. The Rug Company’s carved-wool custom RUG, Avenue Road.
9. “At the risk of sounding a little intimate, of all the rooms in your home, the bedroom should be the most sensual,” says Tommy, who combined linen, mohair, soft wool, and even burlap (on the overhead light) to achieve depth within a limited palette.
10.Throughout the apartment, art makes a statement. Says Colin, “Sometimes, an artwork will inform the room’s colour direction and furniture plans; however, in the bedroom, when our client and her art consultant, Rachel Boyle, proposed this incredible Will Gill piece [above the bed], we knew it was exactly right. The parachute’s silhouette was a great reference to her Pinch pendant, and it provided a needed bit of tension in a room that was drenched in soft pink tones.”
11. Don’t forget to style your rooms. Darina loves to use handmade vessels and one-of-a-kind pieces to bring personality. She says, “While buying everything new is an easier way to decorate, you run the risk of your home lacking in character. Try to include something unexpected and witty.”
12. In the bedroom, Darina styled the bed simply, to keep the focus on the outstanding art and light fixtures.
13. Style with everyday objects. “A home should suggest a life being lived,” says Darina, pointing out the “topographical” high-low arrangement of books on the living room’s coffee table.
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