A luxury suite claims its own personal style amidst dominant architecture and competing views.
Photography By Sarjoun Faour
Standing taller than any other tower in the city, the Shangri-La in Vancouver boasts impressive architectural features and is amongst the city’s most prestigious buildings. Luxuriously styled and modern minimalistic, this structure provides incomparable views of the bustling west coast metropolitan.
LUX Design approached the interior design of their client’s suite within the Shangri-La with intent and purpose. Carefully balancing the client’s style with the character of the building and riveting scenery, a remarkably striking interior space was created.
IMPRESSIVE START
Crisp white walls, rich hardwood floors and tall baseboards help set the scene in this high-end, high-rise suite. Floor-to-ceiling windows invite views of downtown skyscrapers, and offer a contemporary quality of construction.
LAYERS OF STYLE
Looking to create a masculine interior that would complement the space as opposed to competing with it, we were deliberate in selecting pieces with refined lines and unique elements with sophisticated finishes.
The selection of furniture also played a critical role in accentuating the space while maintaining a welcoming environment.
LIVING ROOM
In the living room, two lavish grey armchairs sit across from a modern chaise lounge. The low backs of these pieces invite accentuated views of the city from across the room to the windows. Echoing the clean lines of the architecture, a unique buffet in this area adds character, flair and premium storage space, borrowing elements in the style of mid-century modern.
A custom-wood feature wall and fireplace— conceptualized and created by LUX Design—injects a tactile quality to the space and adds natural warmth. Continuing the linearity of the vertical wood wall, a textured area rug adds visual interest and overall comfort to the room.
DINING ROOM
Adding some weight to a space is important, however, in smaller areas it is important to do so in a way that does not visually overtake the room. An example of this is seen in the dining area. The sculptural table base creates a powerful yet subtle statement below the glass table top and globe light fixture above—a nod to the contemporary vibe of the Shangri-La.
The weightless contour of each dining room chair—inspired by classic 1960s silhouettes—helps balance the rich dark-brown leather seat. Playing within the scale and proportions of the dining room, a long console fills out the space perfectly, while not visually dominating the small area.
Not drawing too much attention away from the views outside of the adjacent window, a simple and exquisite piece of art hangs above the console, helping to complete the space and leaves a lasting impression for guests while reflecting the homeowner’s style.
BEDROOM
The clean lines throughout the suite carry through to the bedroom area, where they can be seen in the bed linens and tables. Utilizing mirroredbedside tables not only provides storage, but helps to visually expand the room.
In alignment with the homeowner’s esthetic, we selected solid black lamps, which are balanced by their soft curvilinear shape and brightwhite shades.
FAMILY ROOM
To create a masculine palette in the family room, we integrated earthtone textiles, leather accents and hints of blue. A dark-metal table is nestled in closely to the plush sofa, allowing the homeowner to put his feet up at the end of a busy work day.
INJECTING YOUR STYLE IN A SPACE
So…how can you define your style and make a space your own amid dominant architecture and competing views? As shown in this Shangri-La suite, it is a careful balance between key elements and characteristics.
Choose finishes and furniture pieces that complement one another without competing against each other. Create visual interest through texture that echoes the architecture of the space and choose pieces that play up its style. Use reflective surfaces to create brightness and openness throughout, allowing for unobstructed views and ensuring that no single element dominates the space or feels too heavy. Finally, inject your own style in bold but subtle ways, like a large piece of art against a stark white wall or a hint of your favourite colour throughout.
SOURCES – LIVING ROOM: CHAISE: Van Gogh, Ginger custom chaise; WALLPAPER: Metro brown grasscloth, vinyl DINING ROOM: DINING TABLE: Suite 22, Cattelan Italia Skorpio round dining table CEILING LIGHT ABOVE TABLE: Sescolite, 14U51 9-globe sculpture pendant BEDROOM: BED: Van Gogh, Skyler custom double bed with velvet upholstery BEDSIDE TABLE LAMPS: Surya, BRY-341 black textured mid-century base with white shade
Isabelle Boba is the Principal and Founder of LUX Design specializing in creating award-winning, luxurious residential spaces for clients within Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. luxdesign.ca