About this Project

This space was previously closed off and lacked functionality, with a cramped, dimly lit kitchen that made hosting gatherings challenging. Walls divided the area into separate, disconnected sections, creating a sense of isolation and limiting the flow of natural light.

After removing almost all the walls around the kitchen, it was hard to believe that this bright condo unit is on the main floor. The amount of light that floods into the space feels as though it’s been doubled. We completely transformed the space into an open, inviting environment perfect for hosting and entertaining. The removal of the former walls has created a seamless flow between the entry, living, dining, and kitchen, enhancing both openness and functionality.

The concept behind the space was to create a clean and bright, minimalistic earthy space with Scandinavian influences. We used materials that mimicked the look of natural wood, foliage and stones to make it feel like you were walking through the forest on a sunny spring day. Starting from the floors, we had to replace the old existing tiles in the kitchen to achieve the layout we wanted. So, we chose a very light warm grey porcelain tile that looks like clay, added painted cabinets with a soft olive-green hue, and topped it with “Fresh Concrete” Caesarstone Quartz countertops. We usually recommend the darker shades on the base cabinets as they tend to carry a heavier visual weight. This helps ground the space and make it appear larger. On the green millwork, we added a touch of golden hardware to bring in some warmth. This green is just so harmonious with warm golden tones. The upper cabinets & ceiling details are made of one of our newest obsessions, Uniboard Laminate “Nobella-Whisper”. This laminate mimics the texture and appearance of natural wood so convincingly that it’s almost impossible to tell the difference— The surface has a natural, tactile feel that enhances its authenticity, while providing the durability of laminate.

The white tile backsplash adds just the right amount of texture and variety to transition into the soft organic graining in the upper cabinets. Now you are probably wondering, why didn’t we just do an island and get rid of the entire wall? And that was the goal, to remove the entire wall and create a large kitchen island to create an open concept kitchen. However, we encountered significant challenges since the unit is on the main floor, and the wall in question was a load-bearing structure, supporting the entire building above it. Despite this setback, we were determined to maximize the wall’s removal. With the help of engineers, inspectors, and the necessary city permits, we added a large beam to carry the load and had to keep a portion of the wall in place. The beam required was 12” thick with a large post next to the window walls. This added a large bulkhead to the area above the new island. To conceal the beam and make it look intentional in the design, we added a wood slat detail and wrapped the bulkhead with the laminate. Instead of pendant lights, we went with sleek and minimal surface mounts that add a bright focal point to the center of the space. The L shape lines on the ceiling was repeated on the countertop waterfall leg directly below, incorporating this curveball into an intentional design element that is one of our favourites to date.