Decorating & Design
February 8, 2022
See These Stunning Spaces By Designer Christine Ralphs
Stylist, designer and partner to Michelle Lloyd at the firm Lloyd Ralphs Design, Christine Ralphs, who died in December 2021, produced standout, sexy spaces in her trademark white-and-black palette. From charming cottages to moderns city homes, we look back at her dreamiest projects designed by the duo, including some of the homes Christine designed for herself.
Scroll down to see stunning spaces by Christine Ralphs!
Christine’s Cool Tonal Condo
Christine (shown with her wire fox terrier Lucky) was a master of creating statement-making tableaux with a limited palette. This mix became her signature and made her a favorite among the chic set — she helped launch the Club Monaco brand in 1985 and counted beauty brands, exotic hotels and fashionable homeowners among her clients.
A 10-foot-long island is the kitchen’s central feature. It doubles as a dining table, and serves as a desk and work table. “I’ve always called my homes the land of cupboards,’” said Chrisine. “Storage is essential if you want to create a feeling of space.” In the kitchen, built-in appliances free up countertops while a cubist vase and Karl Lagerfeld portrait keep it fun.
Christine’s bedroom showcases a collection of her favorite artifacts accumulated over the years. A large mirror visually expands one wall.
Organic details, such as the raffia tassel that adorns the door to the bathroom and the touches of greenery, bring the room’s modern lines down to earth. In a small space, Christine believed that you have two options: Increase the clutter and give in to the chaos, or create a neutral palette throughout to make the space seem open and fresh. In this case, she opted for the latter, working in statement pieces, textured accents and warm metals to balance the crisp aesthetic.
Christine used the bedroom windowsill to display a set of clay obelisks and Richard Avedon books.
A Hockey Star’s Dallas Home
Lloyd Ralphs Design decorated the Dallas home of retired two-time NHL All-Star Jason Arnott and his wife, Dina. The vibe was described by Dina as, “a Mick Jagger-style Brit estate with lush English gardens, floral wallpaper and contemporary art.” Two arched windows frame the fireplace and a painting by Terrell James sets the stage for the perfect symmetry of the living room. Extra-long 10-foot sofas are deep enough to host a crowd of athletes.
A dark wall color in the dining room gives the space intimacy, while a vintage Italian chandelier and leather chairs add a luxe note.
In the kitchen, a luxurious Himalayan white marble backsplash return wraps around the cooking area and contrasts the black hood.
In the principal bedroom, a snowflake-like chandelier looks ethereal against the cerused pecky cypress wood ceiling.
Hand-painted Gracie paper is an elegant nod to the wallpaper’s popularity in the South. The floating vanity is built into the window well for maximum daylight when applying makeup, while toiletries are stored in Dina’s “mini Sephora” floating cabinet to the right.
This covered, open-air seating area overlooking the pool (and equipped with hidden, motorized mosquito screens) is Jason’s go-to spot to catch the game, or to review hockey footage while scouting for the St. Louis Blues.
A Toronto Doctor’s Chic Georgian
Michelle and Christine picked out a statement-making console from Patina Antiques for dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki’s Toronto living room. “My love of ’50s Hollywood antiques was a natural fit with the Palm Beach stores Christine and Michelle frequent,” says Sandy. The gallery wall includes pieces by Francesco Scavullo and Edward Burtynsky.
A backgammon-style runner was at the top of Sandy’s decor wish list — the same one appears in Kelly Wearstler’s L.A. home. A Buddha seems to float on the Plexi pedestal while a zebra-print cowhide adds exoticism.
The designers opened up access to the kitchen on all sides and enlarged its arched window to create drama and mirror the arched brick wall outside. The focal point is the chandelier by David Weeks hung low to play up the expanse of the room.
The crowded second floor was reconfigured to accommodate a principal suite with a spacious bedroom at its heart. “I felt a bit selfish taking such a big space for myself, but it almost doubles as my own apartment when the kids are away,” Sandy says. She anchored it with a plush silk-viscose rug and furnished it with a linen-upholstered bed, dressing table and leather ottoman from her old house, and a modern chair by Russell Spanner. Darker artwork, by Ramón Serrano (left, Corkin Gallery) and Tony Scherman, balances the airy white-on-white palette.
In the home office, the white cabinetry breaks apart to display collected sculptures and art books.
A simple brass-legged dining table with wooden benches gives this indoor-outdoor space a glamorous vibe. The warm brass is picked up in the coffee table, and fur throws add a hit of cozy texture.
A Classic Muskoka Cottage Reboot
Michelle and Christine overhauled the woodsy, 1970s interiors of this property, with its two-storey, two-bedroom cottage and boathouse with two more bedrooms. The big, sunny dock alongside the boathouse is invitingly outfitted with ample Adirondack chairs and an all-weather rug. To improve the livability of the outdoor spaces, Christine and Michelle Lloyd (shown right and left) broadened and updated decks, stairs and paths.
In this cottage living room, a bohemian vibe comes from the mix of pattern, graphic rug, raffia stool and vibrant vintage Indian fabrics on the throw pillows.
Despite its polish, the cottage maintains its innate simplicity and rusticity — its traditional Muskoka essence. A rough-hewn modern table from RH accommodates eight comfortably. The unique pendant lights are wicker fishing traps that Christine and Michelle and Lloyd stumbled upon.
In the cottage’s principal bedroom, a raffia headboard from John & Chris Interiors adds warmth to the airy space while the iconic ladderback chair and rush-seated bench, which came with the home, reference traditional country style. A glamorous oil portrait of Elizabeth Taylor — a housewarming gift — pops against the white palette.
A dormer on the upper level was the perfect space for Christine and Michelle to tuck a sumptuous daybed, making it a quiet hangout or quarters for extra overnight guests. Ample windows and dormers throughout the cottage offer tree-lined views in every room.
A Moroccan stool and hammam towels add global glamor to the zen principal bathroom. A contemporary freestanding tub and a glassed-in shower create a spa-like atmosphere. Centring the vanity from RH on the window and framing that with mirrors is a playful, view-friendly move, and the extra-wide vanity offers loads of storage.
The designers painted an old pine cabinet original to the cottage and filled the glassed-in shelves with objets trouvé like bark and twigs from around the island, plus old Lake Muskoka yearbooks and family photos to create simple still lifes in the hall.
Christine and Michelle struck a balance between modern and exotic, even in the main-floor powder room, where the all-white palette is energized by worldly touches.
Christine’s Graphic Victorian In Midtown Toronto
The streamlined black, white and neutral palette is the perfect backdrop to a home full of clever storage ideas — even her artwork is creatively organized. While the space is very well curated, it feels completely organic.
“I feel very strongly about buying what you love. If you follow that rule — and I have, ever since the beginning — when you start putting your stuff all together, you’ll notice a theme. Every person has a point of view that comes together honestly. Mine just happens to be about being neutral rather than being black and white,” said Christine.
A simple tailored sectional in a neutral camel keeps the space looking neat by minimizing visual clutter. The window was a bit boring before, but painted black, it adds drama to the room. The deer, affectionately named Twiggy, stays up year-round. Christine positioned the sofa with its back against the windows to face a faux fireplace, punched up the scheme with large printed pillows and chose black-painted window frames for maximum drama and contrast.
A glass-topped dining table creates an airy feel, making a seamless transition between the dining and living spaces and the kitchen.
Storage is everywhere, from the ample island to the floor-to-ceiling black cabinets flanking the white cupboards. Positioning the white cabinets lower makes room for creative display up top.
In the home office, simple storage boxes maintain a sense of order and create a beautiful display. The bulletin board is filled with inspirational tear sheets.
In the principal bathroom, drawers of many shapes and sizes accommodate storage needs.
A Fashionista’s Lakeside Townhouse
For fashion personality Lisa Rogers, Lloyd Ralphs Design played up the beach proximity of her west-end Toronto townhouse on the deck. In the outdoor space, modern teak furniture and feathery exotic plants offer a distinctly tropical air, even though it overlooks Lake Ontario, not the Caribbean.
The interior has all the signatures of a Lloyd Ralphs home: a stylishly reserved black and white palette, sleek furnishings, a dollop of glamor and a dash of quirky one-of-a-kind pieces for a personal look. “The black and white palette is especially suitable here because it lets the architecture and the lake stand out,” says Christine. While contemporary elements like a modern white leather chair, curvy glass coffee table and patchwork calfskin rug create an über-stylish atmosphere in the living room’s TV area, the look is tempered by quirky accessories.
The well-appointed kitchen is open to the dining room to allow Lisa and her partner, John Zanini, to easily entertain. Lisa’s collection of copper pots provide a warm, soft counterpoint to the dark wood cabinetry.
The second floor principal suite incorporates a bathroom and his and hers dressing rooms. In the bedroom, a soft taupe feature wall offsets the quietly luxurious elements, like the sleek white upholstered headboard and mirrored side tables and lamps. Black and white linens continue the home’s two-tone palette into the space.
It’s the epitome of the graphic-meets-glam look: a room inspired by a print of Marilyn Monroe by the king of pop art, Andy Warhol. The gold-toned bed in daughter Chanel’s room is a warm contrast to the black and white furniture and linens.
Modern teak furniture and feather exotic plants give the back deck’s dining area a distinctly tropical air.