Interior designthinks smallN5The crowd murmured with a eureka momentwhen Elaine Cecconi revealed the miniaturescale she works in for Torontos newestcondominium projects: The condo units aregetting smaller and tighter were looking atcubic inches, not cubic feet.

As a result, the most forward-thinkinghigh-rise condo developers now consult withinterior designers like Cecconi very early inthe design process rather than as an after-thought. We get involved in suite design atthe beginning before the architectures set.Its really the interiors influencing the exteriors,designing projects from the inside out.

With its newfound knowledge, the crowdlater laughed with Cecconi about a 950 sfone-bedroom layout, a relic from 1995.Condo humour. The truth though: a onebedroom of this size would be a whiteelephant in todays market of 400 square footone bedrooms.

The architect is dead. Long live theinterior designer.

Cecconi, a partner at Toronto-basedinterior design firm Cecconi Simone, spoke atthe final installment of our Trends in Designseries. Last but not least, she revealed theconsiderable amount of interior designthinking that goes into making new condounits efficient and compact yet also appealing.

I guess the question is how small canwe actually go and what do we really need tolive in? she asks.

High ceilings help small interiors: Thevalue of a small unit is in its cubic feet;square footage doesnt really have anyimportance anymore, she explains. To makea volume bright and spacious yet practical,Cecconi uses sliding glass or solid panels for

flexible divisions and borrowed light. You can have space thats totally

compressed and closed or totally open, shesays. Its a really innovative approach toliving. It makes spaces completely flexiblebecause youre not fixed to any specificfunctional requirement.

In these small interiors, kitchen islandsare a new focal point. Theyre whereeveryone tends to gather. All of this is in yourliving room, so were trying to make thekitchen less of a kitchen and an island thatsmore of a design element, she says.

The new scale of condo also requires anew scale of furniture. Initially we foundthings werent scaled appropriately. Furnitureselections have to be a little more considered.Youre not often going to be having a dinnerparty for eight or ten people in 425 sf.

Interesting thing, with units shrinking,developers are paying a lot more attention toa buildings amenities. Lobbies, party rooms,fitness facilities or courtyards theyvebecome extensions of the suites people livein. It doesnt seem to matter what theclimate is, people have a longing to beoutdoors, Cecconi explains about thepremium placed on well-landscaped gardensor rooftops. Outdoor fire pits are great forfall days and extending the seasons.

Boutique hotel lobbies have also becomethe model for condo projects new lobbies/lounges, latter-day parlours, outfitted withlibraries and comfortable lounge seating.Weve looked at these spaces differently, wewanted to look at them more as an extensionof your living room, she says. Its abouthaving places for people to go and reallymeet their neighbours and hang out.

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Elaine Cecconi Partner,Cecconi Simone Interior DesignCecconi Simone is a multi-disciplinary interior designconsulting firm which producesaward winning designs for largescale condominium/loftdevelopments and hotels, for clientsin the restaurant and hospitalityindustry, for corporate clientsranging from major advertisingagencies to insurance companiesand for leading financial institutionsand government agencies.