Published As:
DRAMATIC EFFECT
Interior Design: Sharon Mimran and Powell & Bonnell
Text: Erika Heet
Photography: Margaret Mulligan
This condominium project in the Toronto neighborhood of Yorkville is what the designers refer to as a full circle moment. Some 30 years ago, the client, designer Sharon Mimran, ran her business in a building in which the design firm, Powell & Bonnell, rented space for their very first design studio. Fast forward three decades, and the designers have combined their talents for Mimran’s own residence, which she shares with her partner, David Jafine. To further strengthen the circle, Powell & Bonnell’s current studio is just steps away from Mimran’s building, for whom Powell & Bonnell have designed the porte cochere entrance, concierge and public amenities such as the swimming pool and dining rooms.
Two elements immediately command attention in this project: the incredible city views (highlights include the Royal Ontario Museum, The University of Toronto and the CN tower) and the dramatic use of deep black paint and finishes. Since Mimran has a Miami home with a white palette, “she wanted the opposite here in Toronto,” says Powell & Bonnell principal Albert Limshue. “But it really is more than that—the black backdrop helps to showcase the art and has a sharpening effect on the pieces.” Cases in point: The Jerry Schatzberg portrait of Bob Dylan in the dining room and the tomato-red Alex Katz print in the primary bedroom absolutely dominate against their black backgrounds. Elsewhere, another Katz, in yellow this time; a portrait of women on rafts; works by Joan Miró; a Mónica Van Asperen photograph of two people entwined by skinny balloons; and a Lou Reed tapestry by Chuck Close are all benefited by similar backdrops.
The black finishes, notes Limshue, “also make spaces feel larger, which is often thought of in reverse. The dark coloring eliminates corners, which eliminates the definition of where walls end…they appear to go on forever.” Indeed, as the living area transitions to the dining area and kitchen, true depths fade and give way to a feeling of being enveloped in warm, luxurious materials. European oak floors, Calacatta Verde and Valakas marbles, and a wood-topped table by Brazilian designer Jader Almeida are catapulted to the forefront. “Black has the power to make things feel more rich or vibrant in contrast to its depth and intensity,” Limshue says.
The mix is powerful in this project. In the living room, a custom sofa in a deep black joins round martini tables from Elte and a collection of aqueduct models from Blackman Cruz. The dining room’s Almeida table is surrounded by Roche Bobois chairs with sconces, buffet and chandelier from the venerable Stanley Wagman Antiques, where much of the lighting for the project was sourced. “The pieces are mostly Italian, recovered from hotels and the like,” Limshue says. “They add a sense of history to the suite, where more contemporary pieces like the dining table and chairs play off of them for an unexpected mix.” In the primary bedroom, where Limshue balanced the black wall behind the bed with light gray walls on either side, stacked block lamps from Wagman grace the bedside tables from Elte, with black-and-white throw pillows from Fornasetti depicting their signature faces.
As makers of artful furniture, Powell & Bonnell could easily outfit an entire project with their designs, but here the firm added select pieces just where they were needed, such as their Avenue stools in the kitchen, set beneath pendants by Jonathan Browning found at South Hill Home. “They mix well with the classic furnishings in the living room,” Limshue says. Beyond the contemporary furniture, says Limshue, most of the other pieces are collected items. “As a designer looking in on another designer’s collection, I understand how easy it is to have an eclectic collection like this, and how such a wild mix of items, from a white-painted church bench to leather sling chairs and a stainless steel trestle desk can be so vastly different, but when put together be so definitive of that designer’s specific style.”
With such auspicious connections going back decades, it is no surprise that Powell & Bonnell and Mimran worked so well together on her home. “Sharon is well known for her chic style, and her ability to mix antique with modern—a skill our studio shares and appreciates in others,” Limshue says. “She knew she wanted to work with someone who would understand the same objective…someone who would have the same point of view.” Powell & Bonnell, powellandbonnell.com
