From New York to Atlanta to (hopefully) Paris this year, Peridot Decorative Homewear co-ow...

1. Condo tour: Edgy luxe design
From New York to Atlanta to (hopefully) Paris this year, Peridot Decorative Homewear co-owner
Leah Balderson spends tons of time searching out unique pieces for her store. And when she's not
scouting? She's designing one-of-a-kind furniture for her clients. Because if there's one thing Leah
avoids at all costs, it's having the same decor as everyone around her. After all, who likes showing
up at a party in the same dress as someone else?
So when Leah moved to her 800-square-foot one-bedroom condo in Vancouver's Fairview
neighbourhood three years ago, she first set about customizing the bones. Though she loved its
muted neutral palette and simple modern architecture, the condo was a typical new build. "To make
it feel more special, I took off all the door casings, plastered the back wall of the kitchen for extra
texture and tiled a feature wall in the living room, recessing the TV right in," she says.
"Because I'm very social, I wanted a comfortable space with a lounge feel at the centre of my home,"
she says. Built-in pieces like the concrete sofa base, display ledge and bed frame also optimize the
limiting layout while asserting the cutting-edge style Leah sought.
Condo tour: Edgy luxe design
Slideshow
Condo tour: Edgy luxe design
Design must-haves
Homeowner Leah Balderson's must-have design list for her home includes shimmery wall
treatments, jewellery-like accents and industrial finishes.

3. Living room
For the living room coffee table, Leah found the teak and crackled resin blocks in New York City
("they weight like a million pounds," she says) and had the Lucite tabletop custom made to offer
surface space sans visual clutter. "It slides back and forth so people can slip through."

4. Recessed feature wall
In the living room, the TV was recessed into the feature wall adorned with glass tiles that designer
and homeowner Leah Balderson loves for their iridescent lustre. In lieu of a medi unit, Leah had a
display ledge installed to mimic a fireplace hearth.

5. Bar cart displays
"Bar carts are a great way to display beautiful things in a small place where you don't have many
surfaces," says Leah.

6. Bling and luxury
"The woman who designed the living room's quartz-spiked side table is also a jewellery design," says
Leah. "I love her flair for bling and luxury."

8. Bedroom decor
Leah chose a spiky brass chandelier for her bedroom to play off the living room side table while
matching the raw feel of the concrete bed frame.

9. Entryway
In the teeny entryway, a sleek white floor lamp, an elegant wall hanging and a rustic womven stool
establish the raw-luxe look carried throughout the space.

11. Read more in Homes and Small Spaces
http://www.styleathome.com/homes/small-spaces/condo-tour-edgy-luxe-design/a/60645