Sarah 101 - Season 2

On this week's program of Sarah 101 - Season 2 {episode 7} the main living area of a small two story condo apartment in Toronto was renovated. The main floor of the condo is only 350 sq ft, so it brought a multitude of design challenges for Sarah and Tommy. The one saving grace is that the ceilings are high and it gives the illusion of more  space.

............ I can't resist showing the finished room first.

Soft mint green and cream shades of the new living area.

BEFORE ........... this is so small !

BEFORE

The walls were painted a soft mint green colour called Eyelet from the Sarah Richardson Designer Paint Palette for Para Paints. The jumping off point for the room was found in a verde green metal console table base {via The Door Store}.

The ceilings were painted in a colour called White Cap {Sarah Richardson Paint Palette for Para Paints} and highlighted further with crown molding trim. Custom cabinets were added to bring good form and function to the small dining area. Tall shelves house books and trinkets, cabinets with custom trim inlay keep things tucked away and serve as a base to the extended table.
The table provides options for working as a desk area or a dining table. The legs of the table were originally columns that Sarah had custom fitted to support the top. After a few unsuccessful attempts to find just the right chair for the space, these were found as the room was almost completed. And Sarah demonstrates again how to transform the blah old chairs with paint (colour : Oyster} and re upholstery.

Every inch of the tiny kitchen was used and packaged together with custom cabinets and finishing touches that would typically be found in a large home. Sarah proves that you do not have to compromise great features and style in a small space. The cabinets were retrofitted with a trim in the grove of the face of the doors to bring in another layer of elegance.

The original cabinets and bulkhead were removed to make room for the new tall cabinets. The added pillar style double sided cabinet gives the kitchen more storage and adds a solid design element that grounds the kitchen island.

 

 Lower height stools were installed under the island to allow guests to sit and chat to their hostess, and as another element for seating in the living area. 

 Here you can see the trim inserted on the cabinet inlay that adds a layer of elegance. I really love the colour combination, the back splash and the faucets in gold to pull in all of the other matte gold finishes throughout the space. 

Adding antique mirror backs to the open shelves gives another layer of custom finishes that makes a room stand out above the cookie cutter designs.

The sofa was designed by Sarah and is part of her furniture collection. 

One of the items revamped but not discussed on the show is the stair railing. From the early 'before' image you can see it was a plain builders railing, now the opening has been custom fitted with and iron railing that adds a lot of impact as you enter the space. The custom railing was created by The Door Store.
For those of us who live in the Toronto area it is always fun to watch when Sarah and Tommy go on a hunt for items to use in their designs, and we too can sneak off and hunt for treasures at their favourite shops. The Door Store is one of my personal favourites - I wrote about it here and showed a picture of one of our great finds.

I am impressed by the transformation of this tiny space. The use of quality treatments in the kitchen and a unified soft colour palette makes the small space stand tall.

all images via hgtv.ca - here