When first-time homeowner Elena Atsaidis was looking for the perfect place to call her very own, this airy, open-plan condo wasn’t what she had in mind. “I was initially looking for a place in the suburbs,” Atsaidis says, “but when I saw the interior of this building, I had been sold.”
It is now 13 decades after, also Atsaidis, an interior designer and project manager in Montreal, has transformed the industrial attic space to an expression of her hot and creative character, incorporating DIY jobs with artifacts from her travels and mementos from childhood.
in a Glance
Who lives here: Elena Atsaidis and poodle mix Finnigan
Location: Outremont neighborhood of Montreal
Size: 1,200 square feet, 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
That’s interesting: The attic complex dates to the 1940s, when it turned into a warehouse for the electronics company Marconi.
Laura Garner
Atsaidis, shown here, appreciates different tastes and fashions however, knows that one particular decorating style does not work for everyone. “I love the notion of an amazing home, by way of example,” she says. “I toyed with the idea, but I could never do it. It just wasn’t appropriate for me. Especially having a dog.”
She says her style is transitional and that she makes a point of ridding her rooms and rotating her artwork every few months to keep things interesting.
Laura Garner
Using its 11-foot ceilings, big paneled windows and industrial cement beams, this space was Atsaidis’ dream. The entire living-dining area is flooded with light during the day, which makes the glass table in this place an ideal place for working from your home. The yellowish triptych is on loan from a buddy, Québécois artist Pascale Poulin.
Glass container, table, floor lamp: HomeSense
Laura Garner
“I change the photographs every few months or so, to update the space,” she says. These, in matching silver frames, are from a recent trip to Maine.
Flooring lamp, vases: HomeSense
Laura Garner
Contrasting materials, such as this velvet armchair near a concrete support, play the home’s architectural capabilities. An oversized mirror reflects light and interior views, which makes the space appear larger.
Mirror, armchair: HomeSense
Laura Garner
Atsaidis put her oversize sectional within an angle away from the wall to give the illusion of a larger space. After she dropped for the sofa (in the Sears socket), found it was discontinued, and finally tracked it down, it almost didn’t fit in her living area.
Bowl: HomeSense
Laura Garner
When confronted with the design challenge of working with 11-foot ceilings, Atsaidis knew a mild paint colour wasn’t the solution. “I wanted a rich, luxurious shade to generate the bedroom feel cozier, more intimate,” she says. “White would have left the space feel too big, too empty. I completely fell in love with this colour.”
She included vibrant accessories and rich textiles to match the deep chocolate-brown walls. Her entire bed was an ambitious DIY project: she created the headboard from two pieces of plywood (“I could not find one piece that was big enough,” she recalls) and covered it with fabric panels she sewed together. She left her bedspread and bed skirt by hand, “a project that was a lot more difficult than I’d imagined,” she says, laughing.
Paint: Brown Eyes, Behr; pillows, nightstands, vase: HomeSense
Laura Garner
The mirrored nightstand houses things from Atsaidis’ childhood, such as her first pair of shoes and a jewelry box made from her own uncle in Greece. The lamp was something that she grew up with, updated with a new colour.
Laura Garner
Wanting a piece of artwork that would tie the space together, Atsaidis got creative and made one herself: She made a frame from plywood and stretched the yarn to get the size she needed. “It was cheaper than purchasing a canvas this size, and I needed it to become thicker,” she says. “It is hard to find that in stores.” Using leftover paint, she improvised the abstract artwork.
Laura Garner
This chaise longue, found at a thrift shop and reupholstered, and practical vintage-style phone give the bedroom some glam. Atsaidis is frequently inspired by old Hollywood–fashion insides; Barbara Barry and Vincent Wolf are one of her layout muses.
Chaise: Village des Valeurs; pedestal: HomeSense; telephone: Crate & Barrel
Laura Garner
The kitchen was renovated prior to her moving in and is the only space that she’s not made over. “The kitchen is pretty simple, but it works,” she says. “I add character to it with images and accessories.”
Laura Garner
“Cookie cutter insides can drive me mad,” she says. “I much prefer it when things tie together without being indistinguishable.” These dining chairs were purchased as a pair, then reupholstered with mismatched fabric.
Laura Garner
Calling it her Zen den, Atsaidis fashioned a sanctuary off the dining area, where she comes to meditate and relax.
Laura Garner
The Zen den exhibits mementos collected from her life and travels. A framework from her childhood retains a cloth from India. The assortment of plates belonged to her parents, who obtained them decorations in an waltz contest from the 1940s.
Laura Garner
Atsaidis made the bathroom mirror from tin ceiling tiles salvaged from an old house in Quebec and painted. The mirror is screwed directly into the wall to support its own weight.
Laura Garner
The back balcony is a lovely place for a summer dinner or read.
Laura Garner
Finnigan the dog has a dedicated corner. “He’s a part of the household, so that he deserves his private space,” Atsaidis says.