City Homes

A Minimalist Finds His Zen In A Pared-back Loft

Updated on January 8, 2024

Projects have a way of snowballing, no matter the size. For Glen Hunt, a business coach–consultant, what started as painting and swapping out some cabinets escalated into a total reno after he consulted his ex-wife, designer Stephanie Houghton. Then Glen and a friend got to work. “I started demo and was surprised at just how much damage one could do with a sledgehammer and crowbar,” says Glen. “I woke up in a daze surrounded by rubble thinking, ‘What the hell did we just do!?’”

Longing for a relaxing space rather than a construction zone, he didn’t think twice about his choice of designer. “I knew Stephanie was the right person,” he says. “She has this ability to make the extremely difficult seem effortless. She’s part designer, part project manager and the daughter of an architect.” Stephanie is a partner along with Emily Griffin at the Toronto firm Griffin Houghton.“He talked about how his kitchen needed a facelift and, from there, we pulled that dangling thread on the proverbial hem,” says Stephanie. “Then, we discussed replacing the tile in the principal bathroom, working on the overall layout and the lack of natural light… soon, we were renovating the whole 1,000-square-foot loft.”

Scroll down to see inside Glen’s cool and collected condo!