Hi everyone! Hope you are having a spectacular week! Today we wanted to introduce our newly staged 985 sq ft showroom condo located at the Oakville The Millionaire’s Daughter store.
It was such a wonderful experience staging The Stinson School House Lofts last year. So we expanded our Oakville showroom and created a staged condo right in the store! We wanted to take this opportunity to show all of you that your don’t need 4000 sq ft to make your space look great. It’s amazing what a handful of great high-end consignment pieces can do for a two bedroom condo just under 1000 sq ft.
This project was made possible by the incredible hard work and creativity of Margaret, Oakville’s stores doyenne and the support of all the other staff members; Shelley, Cynthia, Kerry and Lily. Here is Margaret to tell you all about our newly staged showroom condo located in our Oakville store 427 Speers Road!
A few months ago a great space became available adjacent to our showroom in Oakville. We were excited to expand our showroom into this space but wondered how to best use it to stage our incredible consignment furniture and décor items. Building on design inspiration from other retail outlets that showcase furnished spaces that customers could imagine as their own, we decided to develop the idea of a 985 square foot urban condo, furnished completely with items from our ever changing inventory. With the assistance of a very talented artist, Brenda Carbone, who created a whimsical kitchen and window features, and our great moving team and Oakville staff, the TMD 985 square foot Condo Project was born.
From a design perspective, we decided to have 3 focal points that would remain constant around which we could constantly restage the spaces, based on current inventory. Various types of screens and greenery delineate the rooms without creating too many visual barriers. We want our customers to feel welcome and at home in this space, imaging the furniture and décor items in their homes/condos. Our defining statement for this space is “Live Well – Imagine the Possibilities” and we hope that is just what our customers do when they shop at The Millionaire’s Daughter.
– Margaret
5 Décor solutions for decorating a small condo or apartment
Whether you are moving into your very first apartment or downsizing from your family home we are here to help! Here are the top 10 things we learned from staging our showroom condo at The Millionaire’s Daughter.
Problem #1: Layout
Solution: Planning is everything. Take measurements of your condo, consider the approximate size of the furniture pieces you want to have, then roughly determine how they’ll work in your floor plan. There are some great online resources for room planning or just a old pen and paper works too! Try and picture your apartment without any furniture. Then decide if the room is large enough to accommodate multiple conversation zones with wing back chairs and loveseats. Screens and room dividers are great ways to divide up the space of an open floor plan!
Problem #2: Lack of wall space
Solution: Find unexpected ways to display artwork. The perfect way to make a statement in your condo is to create an art gallery wall. We love to see people creating a focal point in the space with an art gallery wall using all their favourite pieces of art, eclectically hung all together! Tip: mirrors are also great way to make the room appear larger than it is!
Problem #3: Budget
Solution: Choose quality furnishings, go cheap on décor! For first time condo owners or anyone looking to save money, quality furniture will last you years. Condo living doesn’t mean every piece of furniture needs to be miniature-sized; you just need to configure things properly to maximize space. Consider dual-purpose furniture, it will make the best use of a small living space. A blanket box or chest makes a wonderful coffee table that doubles as a storage space for blankets, books, or throw pillows.
Problem #4: Windows, windows, windows
Solution: Dress up your windows. More and more of the newer condo feature wall-to-wall windows, while they give off a spectacular view, they can also be a little intimidating — anchor your furniture by putting a sofa table against the window styled with lamps and your favourite accessories. Hang striking full-length drapes to frame the window and add intimacy.
Problem #5: Floor Coverings
Solution: Say yes to the carpet. Often if you are renting your apartment, you are stuck with whatever finishes are in place when you sign the lease. This may include less than stylish flooring. Camouflage the problem with an extra-large area rug that coordinates with your other decor. Place smaller rugs with bright patterned or striped rugs on your floor to give the room a larger look. Tip: using rugs that have small patterns or stripes on them will also extend the look of the room!
Decorating a small living space can be challenging. As we continue to stage our showroom condo with new furniture arriving daily make sure you pop by our Oakville store for more condo-inspired decor solutions! Live well – Imagine the possibilities!
Bye for now!