Verve in the Village
By Eric Pacella |
|
When Brian Swanson bought his Victorian Village condominium two and a half years ago, it was a completely different place.
"It was straight out of the '80s. They hadn't done anything to it, so I came through and basically did everything in here," he said. "I completely gutted it out."
Swanson redesigned his interior, removing walls to connect his dining room and living room, and to add an extra bathroom. As a man who spent several years in the real estate business, flipping condos and houses, he says designing just the right floor plan takes experience.
Brian Swanson, livin' it up in his Vic Village condo
Photo: Patrick Mizenko
The experience shows - especially in the kitchen, where iridescent glass tile and hardwood flooring compliment granite countertops and dark-stained cabinets. "I wanted something that really popped in here," Swanson said. "That's why I went with the tile."
A two-seat bar sets the boundary between the grandiose kitchen and the simpler dining room, which hosts a humble four-seated table, a potted plant, and a piece of abstract wall art, color-coordinated with the walls of the room. These finishing touches keep the room from becoming boring without stealing the spotlight from the kitchen. Double doors open onto the condo's second-story deck; their east-facing windowpanes allow plenty of sunlight to enter the room at breakfast time.
Further inspection reveals a brick patio with modest landscaping, and a hot tub. "You can fit 6 or 7 people in there easily," Swanson explained. He declined to comment on the maximum number that the tub had ever poached at one time.
Swanson's living room is simple, containing a large flat screen television, a Bose sound system, and his favorite piece of furniture in the house: "It's the most comfortable couch in the world," he said. The key to this room is in the entryway, which combines a doorway with a large cutout in the wall, opening the room to the kitchen area.
Photo: Patrick Mizenko
"I like the way the place flows, I love how you can be sitting in here and still talk to people in the kitchen," Swanson said. The openness of this floor sets a casual mood, perfect for entertaining a small group of guests.
The first floor of the condo, which is comprised of a storage room and a two-car garage, is about functionality, and the second floor is for entertainment. The third floor of Swanson's condo is his true home.
The master bedroom is the perfect place for Swanson to take refuge from the outside world. A vaulted ceiling lends a striking presence to the room, beautifully lit by two skylight windows. A set of double doors leads to the piece de resistance, the majestic master bathroom. A complex pattern of tiled embellishments makes the room truly extraordinary. A small LCD screen hangs above the intricately tiled bathtub, complete with a faucet system that can only be described as complicated, with water seemingly sourced by ornate rectangular fixtures. Swanson said he watches the news as he prepares for each day.
Design elements in the house were placed with more than his own preference in mind, Swanson said. "Being in the real estate business, I built around what the next buyer would want, too," Swanson said. "I've had friends who have tried to buy it from me."
Sorry, folks. He isn't planning to sell any time soon.
Originally Published: August 1, 2009
