We all know that condo living has its advantages and disadvantages and one of the latter can be having enough space.
Organized Interiors has been dealing with getting the most out of small and unusual spaces for more than 40 years now. Our custom design expertise really got a workout on this condo remodel in Toronto.
The project involved redesigning a few areas in this small condo space.
This closet makeover in a Toronto condo adds built-in drawer and shelving storage and attractive sliding glass doors.
4 condo remodel ideas we used for this project
The following condo remodel ideas were used for this project:
- a custom built-in wardrobe was added
- a small home office space was created
- sliding doors were installed in multiple closets
- three bedroom closets were given makeovers
Let’s walk through each step that was taken for the condo remodel and explain how we dealt with some of the design challenges that were encountered.
Custom condo wardrobe
A built-in custom wardrobe and home office space were part of this condo remodel project.
Because closet space is often at a premium in condos, adding a wardrobe is a smart way to increase your clothes storage space.
A new wardrobe closet was needed for the condo’s entrance area. The tall cabinet section in the photo above shows the wardrobe that we built, complete with lower drawers.
You can see that the wardrobe drawers and doors have no pulls visible, so you may be wondering how they are opened. Touch-latch hardware was used. By avoiding installing handles or knobs on the wardrobe’s front, the clean lines of the design are preserved. The doors and drawers simply need to be pressed lightly and they pop open.
We used LED strip lighting across the wardrobe top (facing the ceiling) to provide some ambient lighting for that corner, as the condo’s overhead light fixture in that area is a little further away.
On the immediate left of the wardrobe is the original entrance closet, which had sliding glass doors added. That closet is half-occupied by a stacked washer and dryer, with the remaining half being used for storing cleaning products and linens.
Home office space
Having a home office was useful even before the pandemic. Now a home office has become even more of an asset as working from home becomes the norm for many of us.
Along the adjacent wall to the wardrobe, we built a home office space. It includes a desk with upper drawers and larger file drawers down below, which both use the easy-open touch-latch hardware. An overhead cabinet with lift-up doors provides additional storage space.
As you can see, creating a useful office workspace at home doesn’t require much room. Having a dedicated part of the home you can use for work and studying helps you be more productive and avoid having to use areas like the dining room table to get work done.
The home office is situated between the condo’s entrance and an open kitchen. We used high-gloss white laminate for the custom cabinetry exteriors (including the wardrobe) to match the finish of the kitchen cabinets.
Sliding closet doors
The existing builder-grade sliding mirrored closet doors were replaced with our glass sliding doors. The left closet has a drawer tower and a short hanging rod and the right closet is designed for hanging wardrobe storage.
There were two narrow master bedroom closets on either side of the entrance to the en suite bathroom. All the condo closet doors were builder-grade sliding mirrored doors, which were replaced with our aluminum-framed white laminated glass sliding closet doors.
The challenge with adding doors to these two closets was that we wanted to increase the access to the closet interiors, without affecting access to the bathroom in between.
The solution: our top-hung bypass doors. Using the same door profiles and glass as our regular sliding doors, we used top-hung hardware to create a single large panel for each closet. Each door slides completely to the side in front of the bathroom door, to reveal the entire left or right closet.
The top-hang feature means that there is no floor track in front of the entrance to the bathroom, so you don’t have to step over it each time you enter and exit. If anyone is in the bathroom and someone else uses a closet and forgets to close its door, the doors have the same grip on the front and back so they can be opened and closed from either side.
Sliding doors aren’t just meant for closets in a condo. Using sliding doors as a room partition is ideal for enjoying an open space, while also giving you more privacy when needed.
The Toronto Star included sliding doors (especially in open-concept living spaces) on their list of the home trends that will be popular in 2021.
Condo closet makeover
Deep drawers, easy-to-access shelving, and two hanging rods maximize this small closet’s storage space.
There was another small reach-in closet in the second bedroom. Once again, we added our sliding closet doors, this time with a standard bottom track.
For the interior, we used the same type of design that the left-hand closet in the double master closet has. To maximize the small closet’s storage space and functionality, the drawers are built extra-deep. The shelves above them are shallower to make them more useful higher up. Short upper and lower hanging rods were added as well.
In both closets, the drawers are designed with scooped fronts to once again avoid handles. In this case, it was to ensure any handles did not interfere with the sliding doors.
Talk to us about your house or condo remodel needs
If you’re planning a house or condo remodel, talk to Organized Interiors about what we can do to transform your living space.
Whether it’s giving one of your closets a makeover or you’re considering a bigger scale project like this that involves multiple upgrades for your home, we can help.
Schedule a free design consultation with us to make it happen.
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