The VUE from the Top

Newly opened club and event venue, the VUE is a combination of elegance and intelligence. Where most clubs only open at night, the VUE transitions from day to evening, with a design that looks great in strong daylight as well as club lighting. LUX design has created the venue so that corporate functions are held during the day and on Friday and Saturday nights, it smoothly converts into a nightclub.

To ensure that the space looks great during the day and night, there had to be a move away from the traditional nightclub design seen in most Toronto venues. Instead of the silver and back motif that looks good only in the dark, LUX Design has opted for exactly the opposite. Instead, gold and white were used for the accents. To combine the classic look with modern edge, grand columns with a graphic flare define the space. At the booths Audrey Hepburn, Betty Davis, and Marilyn Monroe greet the guests in larger than life picture form.

If there was not enough to look at, the venue is next to the Royal Woodbine Golf Club, which means that instead of alleyways or office buildings, the view is of lush greenery. Meetings here can always be followed by a round of golf.

The VUE offers stylish sophistication for almost any event. A night on the town or a business meeting is entitled to the same amount of classic, well designed elegance. LUX design has created a space to suit the needs of everyone from a CEO to a socialite, day or night.

In the Land of Condos

Downtown Toronto is the land of condos. Any given day when you look around, you can see yet another condominium getting its glass façade plastered on. The little upkeep, the convenience of having everything walking distance, and the price of condos compared to houses ensure that demand stays high.

With so many condos how do you make your living space unique? How do you make the condo fit you instead of the other way around? The answer is design. A professional designer knows how to make an empty space a home and at the same time raise the value of your condo drastically.

Even though this is an added expense to an already possibly expensive apartment, the results are well worth the price. For example, LUX Design has taken a condo in downtown Toronto and renovated it for a total cost of $25, 000. The price of the condo went up by $95, 000.

Although every case is different, a usual condo renovation includes new flooring, lighting, and furniture. Most of what you pay for, you take with you to your next home (that is if you ever decide to leave). A good renovation will also take into account space planning. Because most of these condos are so small, it is hard to fit everything that you want into the space. Good space planning ensures that the layout of the furniture works for you and your needs while it still looks fantastic.

There are many perks to living in a condo, especially in downtown Toronto. To really take advantage of the property, bring out its full potential. It might raise the value of your home, but it will definitely raise the quality of your life.

The Imaginary Expansion

As the saying goes, the bigger the better; and we believe it. From SUVs to data plans, we like limitlessness and freedom. The same can be said for our apartments. In out dream land, we all live in penthouse suits with a bathroom the size of a football feild. However, in a reality known as downtown Toronto, most condos are the size of a pinball machine.

As we try to compact our lives into an 8 by 8 living room, certain tricks can be utilized to make us feel like we have a bigger space. We shy away from bright colours, plaster mirros onto walls, and stuff space saving mechanisms into every corner. Although this can all work, the end result can sometimes be a bland, lifeless room.

The trick to expansion is literally a trick, that is to say, a trick of the eye. LUX Design has proven that going against your instincts and following the science of perception can not only add depth to a space, but also a much needed visual boost. Instead of painting all your walls a white, butter cream, or beige, add a dark colour to one wall, most preferably the feature wall, right across from the most frequented line of vision. Although a dark room does in fact make a space seem smaller, just one wall adds depth to a space. It sucks the space back giving you an extra few square feet without so much as hammering in a nail.

Other than making your space look larger, it can also add some visual interest. Although dark colours work best for this, LUX has experimented with different shades, patterns and textures. Your space might not be the biggest on the block, but that does not mean it cannot be the most interesting. All it takes is a little optical illusion.

The Smallest Treasures

From an oyster sized hole of 350 sq. feet, LUX Design brought out a Pearl, quite literally. The Pearl Spa proves that good design can make a space of any size fulfill its function without jeopardizing its form. The space, smaller than most downtown apartments, fits a reception area, message room, fireplace seating, bathroom, and a storage area.

The trick to making a small space seem so big?

"Mirrors and light coloured walls are not the only way to make space appear larger, when designing the Pearl it was all about the details that take each client on a visual and sensory journey." - Isabelle Glinka.

These details include heated bamboo flooring, coffered ceilings, a soothing waterfall, a calming fireplace, and of course, a mother of pearl tile wall detailing. Overall the space is meant to be an escape from the stresses of life. Last but not least, the massage room has led lights embedded into the ceiling that brings to mind a star filled night sky to add to the relaxation.

Smaller does not mean less. Most homeowners and even some designers make the mistake of thinking that a smaller space has less potential, is less work, and is easier to design. This is not true. As LUX Design has shown, the Design is in the Details, especially with smaller spaces since everything counts.

The Pearl Spa proves that size is not a limitation but an opportunity.

One Person’s Trash

Most people would use a napkin and throw it away. To others, it transforms from a mere napkin into a major source of inspiration. LUX Design has taken a napkin, found by a client at a favourite restaurant, and has turned it into a custom reception desk at a Dentist Office at the University of Guelph. the desk front is made out of black adhesive vinyl, the patterns cut with a CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) machine. It was then placed onto a mirror, giving it a luxurious and expensive look for a very decent price.

LUX Design proves that it is the ideas and not money that dictates the result of the space. It is about what the client is drawn to and expanding and moulding the project around this.

Although LUX Design does this on a larger scale, it could easily be applied to projects done at home as well. Take what sparks your interest and put it in your space in a big way. If the roses outside your house put a smile on your face, get them photographed and put a series of pictures in your bedroom. If you are drawn to nature collect branches and weave them into a headboard. If a quote inspires you, write it on your wall.

It is the little details that make big ideas. Take those little things and make them a big part of your space.

The Luxury of Design

Toronto based Interior Design firm LUX Design has caught the attention of designers and non-designers alike. Established by Isabelle Glinka, LUX is making a name for itself with fresh, innovative, and timeless designs. The company had an unexpected, and rather organic beginning, as Isabelle Glinka got one client after another soon after finishing her Design Degree and travels to France, Poland, and Italy. Now they are bringing luxury, innovation and a young twist to Interiors all over Toronto, Hamilton, Waterloo and Niagara.

Their projects range from spas to nightclubs, from dentist offices to hotels. Their fearless and adventurous philosophy in business and life is the root of their designs as well. Yet, LUX’s success is not only due to their design ability, but their well rounded attention to detail. They design not just the Interior but the branding, business cards and overall identity of the client, and stick around to make sure it gets realized. If that is not luxury what is? With that much attention to project management, design ideas, and implementation, LUX Design is bound to keep growing. Design enthusiasts, this is one firm that you should keep your eye on!