This stunning house in Toronto uses white walls to showcase a contemporary art collection

The property

A three-storey house in Toronto, Canada. The basement of this modern home (opens in new tab) has two guest bedrooms (opens in new tab) and a WC, wine cellar, recreation room, home cinema, home office (opens in new tab) and gym. On the ground floor, there’s an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area, as well as a bamboo garden, family room, formal dining room (opens in new tab), guest suite, laundry room, storage space and garage. The first floor has three en-suite bedrooms, a library and a master bedroom (opens in new tab) suite with a walk-in wardrobe and dressing area. Plus, there’s a pool outside.

See more super-chic modern homes around the world (opens in new tab)

atrium/BamBoo garden

The brief for this home designed by architect, Brenda Izen, for Antonio Tadrissi and his family, was to create a contemporary home that feels warm and inviting and that will grow and adapt as their young daughters get older.

Brenda works for Prototype Design Lab in Toronto, Antonio’s architectural and design firm, which specialises in high-end private homes as well as commercial spaces.

The Toronto setting and the family’s love of nature played a big role in the design. In the heart of the house, a lush indoor garden almost screens a Damien Hirst painting. The bamboo will eventually soar through the double-heightspace.

living area

The house is constructed from three different blocks, each with an exterior cladding that reflects what goes on between its walls – natural wood cladding for the entertaining area; utilitarian white quartz for the garage, laundry and other functional areas

A colourful sofa is the perfect place to watch TV. The wood panelled wall is repeated upstairs in the walk-in dressing room (opens in new tab).

The surfaces inside the house are carefully chosen – black onyx to reflect the rugged landscape outside; strong-grained eucalyptus wood in the kitchen (opens in new tab) to add drama and a touch of the exotic; plus acres of white walls to showcase the owners’ collection of contemporary art. It was important to use natural materials such as wood and stone to connect with the view outside.

See Also: Living room ideas - 24 decorating tricks to inspire (opens in new tab)

KITCHEN/DINING AREA

Family meals are eaten in the open-plan space above.

KITCHEN

Handleless eucalyptus wood units and a living moss wall bring verdant rainforest styling to the kitchen.

family room

It was important to have big walls for Antonio's art collection. The low-level sofa is chic but comfortable – perfect for a family that loves to have guests over regularly.

first-floor hall

The family home is peppered with quirky artwork.

master Bedroom

The integrated bed and storage was designed to give a feeling of “his and hers”, with two different colours anda delicate flower motif etched intothe surface. Concealed behind the wall of cupboards is a walk-in wardrobe and dressing room.

sitting area in the master bedroom

This herringbone wall divides the sitting area from the bedroom (opens in new tab) beyond. The idea was to make the house feel cosy, yet cool, which is why this double- aspect fireplace works so well.

girl's bedroom

An oversized upholstered headboard creates a feeling of comfort in the room belonging to the family’s youngest member. Each of the girls’ bedrooms (opens in new tab) is virtually identical, so there are no arguments about who has the biggest.

guest en suite

The tiles were originally planned for the main bathroom, but it was decided the owners might get tired of the look too quickly. Instead, they were installed in the guest en suite, so there is a real “wow factor” when they’re seen for the first time.

See more of Brenda’s work at pdlab.ca (opens in new tab)

Photography / Matthew Williams

See Also: 24 Guest bedroom ideas (opens in new tab) - Gorgeous guest room schemes to make visitors feel at home