For Jennifer, her condo is her sanctuary. “It’s so spacious and tranquil. It has a relaxing feel, like a ski chalet in Banff. I always feel like I’m on vacation when I come home!” The loft area overlooking the spacious living room definitely gives the home a sense of the unusual, and it acts as a great retreat. Jennifer has made the loft into a casual TV area where she can unwind while keeping the living room as more of an entertaining space.

Nevertheless, the living room is still a great space for her to relax on the couch with one of her many style magazines.

While the kitchen is small, it has a large opening above the counter that offers a view into the rest of the home. This lets Jennifer continue conversations with her guests when she’s in the kitchen, while they sit at the dining table or in the living room. It also gives the whole space flow, providing a view from the kitchen through the dining area to the living room.

The space really “makes sense in that it was easy to lay out furniture; it’s practical,” she explains. Because it is quite an open plan, the condo allows for more play with larger pieces such as Jennifer’s bookshelf and her comfy loveseat. This type of floor plan gives more flexibility for those coming from a larger space or for those who have some large showcase pieces. And unlike some older condos (Jennifer’s was built in the early 1980s), it was well kept and didn’t require a lot of work when she moved in. All she did was bring in some painters to give everything (ceiling, walls and doors) a fresh coat of paint in a neutral tone, and she added new baseboards and some new lighting fixtures.

From there, Jennifer went on to give the home a very contemporary and minimalist style. You won’t find a clutter of random knickknacks in this home. “I like my home to have clean lines and to be monochromatic,” she affirms. “As you can see, there isn’t a lot of colour here. Even my designer friend says it looks nice. I thought, ‘Wow, thanks designer girl!”

Jennifer is quite the designer girl herself, what with her job in the cosmetics industry that requires her to be up on the latest fashion trends as well as her previous experience with a home builder that heightened her already juiced-up interest in interior design. Her place reflects her panache with the few but classy accessories along with her Paris and Montreal images and her penchant for taking vintage or retro furniture pieces, such as her couch in the loft, and recreating them so they are new and stylish again.

Upstairs, Jennifer’s bedroom is huge a rarity in many homes, leaving ample space between her bed, dresser and chair to continue with the minimalist theme. Her closet is equally large, giving her plenty of storage for all of her clothes and shoes — a major necessity for any fashionable girl. She also has a spacious five-piece bathroom as well as a storage room which she converted into a computer room (and even houses her treadmill!).

However, the biggest draw of the condo is not so much its tangible components, but rather the lifestyle that it accommodates. Like many single professionals, Jennifer is continually dashing to and from her home, sometimes without a lot of notice. “I like a maintenance-free lifestyle,” she says. “I like to come and go as I please and not have to worry about shovelling snow or cutting grass. Living in a condo, I feel a bit like I’m living in a hotel, minus the room service,” she laughs. “Really, I don’t have to do a damn thing!”

Jennifer’s building has both a condo board made up of owners and a management company to look after all the details that she would rather not deal with. “It’s especially nice if you have a carefree lifestyle or travel a lot. A lot of my neighbours definitely like condo living for that,” she affirms. “Plus, you have a sense of community. Besides, I have no interest in having a basement or a yard” though she does have a good-sized balcony perfect for lounging on lazy summer days.

“This condo is perfect for me, but it would still work for a couple,” comments Jennifer. With its double vanity bathroom and the large bedroom, the home would certainly make an ideal living space should Jennifer decide to share it with a special someone down the road.

In the meantime, she’s content having it all to herself. “Even if I had to move, I’d still want to keep this place. Unless I get a job in Paris, I’ll be here for a few more years. I just love it!”   CL