Modern Condo Renovations
A modern condo renovation involves maximizing space and optimizing the existing layout. It often means knocking down walls that are non-load bearing.
Before beginning any structural changes, it is wise to discuss the detailed plans with a member of your condo board. This will help you avoid the hassles of scheduling, deliveries and other logistical issues later on.
Open Floor Plan
If you’re a fan of open concepts, knocking down walls is an easy way to transform your condo. By removing barriers between kitchen, dining modern condo renovation room, and living areas, you’ll create a brighter and more unified space that promotes social interaction and transparency.
However, it’s important to consider your current and future lifestyle needs before deciding whether an open floor plan is the right fit. For instance, open layouts tend to be more expensive than traditional segmented spaces and may not always increase resale value.
Additionally, without barriers between spaces, noise can easily travel throughout a large area—making it harder to have privacy or quiet time at home. If you love the look of an open floor plan but don’t want to undertake a costly and invasive renovation, Lederman suggests using bookshelves or folding screens to create different zones within your unified living space. You can also use smart furniture design to separate your kitchen and dining rooms from your living room.
Natural Light
Natural light is a priceless amenity in luxury modern homes that redefines space, uplifts moods and showcases architectural aesthetics. It’s an element that can be leveraged in a variety of ways and has numerous benefits including improved productivity, reduced eye strain and better Vitamin D storage.
Adding more natural light to your home is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to make your space feel larger and brighter. The way that light reflects off of different surfaces and accentuates textures can be difficult to replicate with artificial lighting and adds a sense of warmth and depth to your home.
Condo living rooms often have large wall spaces that create a lot of visual impact, and it’s easy to over design them with dark colors that close the space off. Instead, choose a house renovation consultant lighter color that is more reflective of natural light. Or, if you do want to use a darker color, create an accent wall that highlights a hand-painted pattern or texture.
Increasing natural light is sometimes challenging for a condo renovation due to privacy concerns or restrictions on window configurations. Ms. Maydan handles an unattractive view by switching out clear windows for frosted ones and introducing planters outside the window, which can also improve privacy for urban townhouses. Mr. Potter remodeled a landmarked townhouse in Chicago that’s partly below ground without much of a view by replacing divided-light windows with European-style models and adding a series of trees and plantings outside the window to enhance natural light and improve privacy.
Wood Floors
There are a number of flooring options available for a modern condo renovation. Hardwood floors are often the preferred choice for a contemporary look, and can blend both classic and modern styles easily. Hardwood comes in a variety of species, including oak, birch, cherry, maple, and Brazilian cherry. Many homeowners choose dark wood floors, but lighter blonde floors are also becoming increasingly popular as they brighten up a room.
Carpet is a common choice for condos, but it does not provide as much sound proofing as hardwood floors. However, it is relatively easy to clean and is a good option for condos in cold climates. If you decide to go with carpet, consider getting a high quality wool blend to keep the home warm and reduce the risk of staining from spills.
If you choose to install solid wood floors, your condominium corporation may require a sound proof barrier be installed under the floor. This could add to the cost of your renovation project, but it can help protect the integrity of the building. A professional renovation company can help you determine what types of flooring your condominium allows, and can install a sound proof barrier if necessary. In addition, you will need to make sure your contractor has the proper permits and is aware of any restrictions that might be placed on the days or times that materials can be brought into the condo.
Dark Tile
Tiles are more than a practical choice for condo bathroom walls and floors; they can be used to transform the ambiance of a room. With a wide range of colors, patterns, and textures, tiles are an easy way to create a modern and unique style for your bathroom.
Subway tiles are a classic bathroom tile design that can be customized with various grout shades to match or contrast the wall color. The dark grout in this bathroom accentuates the texture of the subway wall tile, creating a warm and contemporary look. Dark floor tile is also a great option for small bathrooms as it can visually expand the space. Consider using large-format tiles, which have fewer grout lines to further visually expand the floor area of your condo bathroom.
Mosaic tiles are a fun and creative way to add personality to your bathroom. These small, colorful tiles can be arranged in an intricate pattern or used as accent pieces to draw attention to specific areas of the room. To make your condo bathroom feel more spacious, use a light color palette and large-format tile to visually open up the room.
