HOW TO TURN AN OLD OCEANFRONT CONDO INTO A TIMELESS SANCTUARY
Our days are filled with fast moving information, constant stream of thoughts, productivity and efficiency. There is little room left for a quiet place to think, to breathe, to reflect, to live at our own pace. We all need a place to retreat. Home can be this place. Starting a remodel of a home, it is a chance to create space to retreat and rest, to feel re-energized and inspired, to express what we value.
Simplicity in Design
Our approach to transforming spaces into homes is to quiet the noise of the day. Minimal design is meant to contrast with that noise and brings us closer to our authentic selves. Simplicity, light and natural materials add a spiritual dimension that is essential in creating timeless sanctuaries. Why is it about simplicity?
When the stream of our thoughts is constant, the contrasting simplicity of space grounds us. It reminds us of what is important. With simplicity comes clarity.
How many times have you felt overwhelmed, crowded by the stream of your thoughts and not able to focus or make that important decision with a clear mind? We all need to feel space between our thoughts and our inner selves. It is that space that allows us to put things back in perspective, that deep breath that calms the mind so we can come back to a more balanced version of ourselves. Our homes can become that breath, it encourages us to stay in touch with our essence and to not get lost in the crazy stream of our mass production society.
“When the stream of our thoughts is constant, the contrasting simplicity of space grounds us. It reminds us of what is important.”
Timeless Functionality
Before we dive into the natural flow of a space, let’s talk about functionality. Wether you bought your condo in a brand new building or in a much older one, chances are you wish you could change the layout and storage options to better suit your needs and lifestyle. While living in a building presents more restrictions than a house, there are still a number of options to uncover when we start challenging the status quo.
In this remodel, we were able to greatly modify an existing closed kitchen. Our clients were excited to have an open flow kitchen that uses unobtrusively sensual materials and inspires authenticity. The challenge was a lack of storage due to the removal of most walls. By creating an open nook in the hallway running by the kitchen, only 11” in depth and a couple of feet wide, we were able to extend their new kitchen and create this much needed storage for their everyday dish-ware.
Energy & Flow of Space
Once you have assessed the functionality of your space, the flow can now be defined with a better sense of your needs. Flow is basically the transition from one area to another. These transitions are important, they make the quality of your space. Opening up spaces certainly makes different areas flow more organically but we still have to give a special attention to how we move through these different areas. Here, opening up the kitchen also meant opening a kitchen to living and dining spaces as well as a library area. The dialogue that is now occurring between all these spaces can become about textures, light and proportions.
Above, you can see how the lines of the library continue those of the kitchen shelves, all in proportion to each other. The essence of wood used for the kitchen island is the same one used for the bench, see image above. These are only a couple of examples of the type of dialogues we can create between spaces to make a remarkable spatial experience. You know you have found balance when function and aesthetic work flawlessly together.