The Urban Minimalist

It took special skills to transform this downtown condo into a clean, contemporary space — without turning it into a “Swedish hospital.”

Sleek, personalized condo transformation success in Victoria BC — While this penthouse condo was redesigned to the homeowner’s minimal specifications, the modest room has easily hosted more than 25 people, thanks in part to its priority on function. Ultra-slim shelving, recessed lighting and riffed-and-quartered white-oak flooring keep the space open and bright.

By Danielle Pope | Photos by Jody Beck

When David Choboter was looking for his next home, he wasn’t really considering a condo.

He’d recently sold his home on the water and was renting downtown, so he was ready for a space he could fully customize — one that had tonnes of light, a feeling of luxury and, most importantly, a kitchen made for culinary adventures.

So, it surprised Choboter as much as anyone that one particular penthouse in the downtown core checked most of those boxes. At least, it could with a few tweaks.

“It had great southwest exposure, a really large patio, and was very bright with tall windows — but the question was, could I turn this into what I wanted?” says Choboter.

With only himself and his dog to worry about at the time, Choboter took a chance. He knew the floor plan would need a rejig and he rejected the cookie-cutter appliances and standardized motif throughout the building.

“That’s when I started to look for a designer. I had some experiences with renos and design, but never had carte blanche,” he said. “This would be my first big palette to work with.”

Lighting is a crucial feature of the design in this minimal space. On this kitchen display shelf, backlit cabinetry keeps things highly visible while showcasing objects as art. The result is a space that works for entertaining as much as it does livability.

Ultra-compact porcelain stone was used for the counters and fireplace face, bringing a subtle cohesion throughout the home even when tones vary. The simple white-and-black motifs add a touch of masculine drama to this home.

A Completely New Space

Choboter enlisted the help of interior designer Pamela Billinghurst and the team from Aryze Developments. Thanks to their strategies, Choboter says the end result brought personality, form and function to what has become a completely new space.

“I basically wanted a Swedish hospital,” says Choboter with a laugh. “Pamela directed me away from something clinically dead and into something a little more white and lively.”

To her credit, Billinghurst took Choboter’s initially sterile inspiration and transformed it into a clean, minimal space that functioned as the true design feature of the home.

“We wanted to create a contemporary but urban minimalist lifestyle for David, so that meant clever storage and a really efficient layout,” says Billinghurst. “We were able to achieve that through some very careful space planning.”

The dining room, for example, was painfully small, but could be extended by borrowing a few square feet from its neighbouring office. That scored enough space to add a coffee nook and wine bar. Now, the flow is built for entertaining — Choboter has since hosted upwards of 25 guests in the modest space.

Another move merged the powder room and guest bathroom (which initially backed onto each other) into one large bathroom — adding additional storage space and a robust closet. Smaller changes included removing the door to the ensuite to make the flow more seamless and adding high-quality finishes. Those features included the white ultra-compact porcelain stone used on the island and fireplace fascia, the Silestone quartz used on the kitchen and dining room countertops, backsplashes and other areas, and a riffed-and-quartered white-oak flooring. Ultra-slim shelving and recessed lighting kept the lines remarkably clean.

Above: The “tight reveals” in this project are well demonstrated in the bathroom, which has no baseboards to cover transition lines. Instead, precision tile setting creates a clean look, showcasing only the natural materials.

Additional storage and an open floor plan were created by removing the door to the ensuite for a seamless flow. A fluted feature wall brings modernity to the space.

“Simplifying the material palette made the space feel more open and airy, and it meant we could focus on the design details,” says Billinghurst. “In condos, storage is always lacking, so we wanted to integrate space in a discreet way while maximizing every square inch.”

“Simplifying the material palette made the space feel more open and airy, and it meant we could focus on the design details.”
Interior designer Pamela Billinghurst

Below: Simple, elegant lines were the wish for this homeowner, which meant reducing the material palette. White, oak, glass and high-quality finishes elevate each room.

Precision and Perfection

Transforming this unit into its deceptively “simple”  look was no small feat from a construction standpoint.

“David knew what he wanted. He has a big thing for precision and modern design,” says Matthew Jardine, Aryze’s co-founder and principal, construction. “We were at a Level 5 drywall finish for this project — which is considered the highest level of precision. As you’re doing it, you lay mud across the whole surface of a wall so it creates a perfectly flat and uniform surface. Ninety-eight per cent of units would never have that level of finish.”

The move was to “go flush” with everything, says Jardine. That meant no baseboards that traditionally cover imperfections and allow for transitions, and using “tight reveals” that recess into materials.

“When you get into this level of modernity, there’s no hiding anything,” says Jardine. “Every feature is part of it and it’s all about the tight lines.”

A downtown penthouse was transformed into a bright, modern space with personalized design, maximizing luxury and functionality. — The living area is David Choboter’s self-confessed favourite spot. He resisted the idea of having a “man cave,” but wanted a contemporary space that allowed for prime relaxation. The inset wall and offset fireplace were specifically built to accommodate his nearly 80-inch TV.

Today, Choboter couldn’t be happier with the result. One of his favourite spaces is the living area, where his nearly 80-inch TV was stylized into the design (not hung over the fireplace as is often the case).

“It’s by far my favourite place,” he says. “A comfy modern sofa, large-screen TV, fireplace, full surround sound — it’s my mini movie theatre. Pam thought my TV was too big, but that was an absolute must for me. Before, everything looked like it was trying to be something nice, but it was all fake marble and browns. Now, this space is made exactly for me.”