By Susan Kelly
Built in 2005, this stunning modern home in the upscale Lawrence Park area of Toronto stands as a shining example of exceptional early-millennium modern architecture. But for many years, the exterior’s extraordinary and edgy lines were downplayed, says the designer charged with adding impact.
“The facade had been painted white,” explains Maryam Alavinasab, co-owner of M&M Interior Design of Toronto. “So it was difficult to see the distinctive angles. We emphasized the modern lines by adding black accents. The change was so striking that neighbours who had walked by it for years suddenly stopped to take a second look.”
It was an audacious move, but this former structural engineer is no stranger to dramatic transformation; she moved to Toronto from Iran just before the pandemic. With the world in lockdown, no openings in her field and two children to support, Alavinasab made a quick pivot.
She began by doing luxury home staging for local real estate agents. Dazzled by the deft way Alavinasab brought out a home’s best qualities, clients soon clamoured for more services. She joined with another engineer with design skills, Mahsa Barandeh, to found M&M Interior Design. Alongside a team of professionals that includes engineer Alireza Mahmodian, they handle not only luxury staging but bespoke interior design and refined renovations to transform both new builds and existing homes.
The new owners of this home commissioned a sophisticated update to the interior as well. The empty nesters wanted a contemporary look that would respect the home’s original and striking modern architecture. And being in the high-rise construction industry, they had seen enough generic modern design; they wanted something unique but classic enough to age gracefully.
The house encompasses an impressive 5,000 square feet, yet the original space felt cramped because of closed-off rooms on the main floor. “Transforming from closed to open concept is something of a specialty for us,” Alavinasab says. “With our engineering backgrounds, our clients can rest easy knowing that a fresh aesthetic comes with structural integrity.” By removing several walls, a magnificently spacious floor plan was created, while raising the ceilings allowed for a soaring 28-foot height in the foyer.
“The change was so striking that neighbours who had walked by it for years suddenly stopped to take a second look.”
The new configuration encourages fluid flow between the kitchen, family room and dining area, which is made intimate by a see-through wine rack partition. A clean, minimalist kitchen featuring white flat-front cabinetry and white with grey-veined countertops and backsplash abuts a hidden kitchen used for day-to-day meal preparation, ingeniously keeping clutter out of sight while the main area remains pristine for entertaining.
To accommodate the homeowners’ adult children, M&M Interiors restructured the second floor to transform an existing balcony into a fourth bedroom and give each its own ensuite bathroom.
The M&M team handled every detail of the elegant and extensive renovation, down to the smallest touches, such as judiciously placed house plants. Not finding the perfect coffee table for the family room, the designer devised a chic walnut and marble version herself. M&M’s furniture collection is a new venture for the company, launched in response to client demand.
And in the end, “The homeowners were thrilled with their new home and a joy to work with,” Alavinasab says. “It’s especially gratifying for me knowing that we perfectly incorporated their very sophisticated tastes.”