Condos

A Small Condo Gets Character From Modern Art And Vintage Finds

Author: Rosemary Poole

Updated on November 28, 2023

Sometimes, the process of renovating and redecorating is a journey, not a destination. That’s certainly true for Anne-Marie Egan, who has a habit of selling every four years. In 2019, she sold her Toronto condo and moved with her partner, Marco Peressin, to a smaller, rental condo while they considered buying something together. “We called it our stopgap year,” says Anne-Marie, “but it still had to feel like home.”

The condo’s abundant natural light and contemporary finishes provide a gallery-like setting for Anne-Marie’s collection of art, sculpture and small ceramics. For furniture, she trawled Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace and local vintage shops, layering in 20th-century pieces with interesting profiles. She favors solid stone and wood, and furniture in leather or rattan, which tend to hold up better than standard upholstery.

The former marketing manager now helms her own design firm (By AME Studio) and says the aim is always to create collected, personal spaces that hold together organically. “When you only buy pieces you love, they work together, even if you didn’t plan it that way,” she says. There’s a budget-friendly element to hunting down treasures online, too. Art excepted, none of the furniture or accessories cost more than $300 per piece. Not even the curved sofa, a Kijiji find that she drove to Windsor, Ont., to pick up and found brand-new.

While Anne-Marie is on a hiatus from homeownership, the mix will continue to evolve: a mirror moved, different art swapped in and a Fog & Mørup accordion sconce recently added over the dining table for task lighting. It’s a visiting exhibition after all, not a permanent collection.

Scroll down to see more of this stylish condo!

Photographer:

Lauren Miller

Source:

House & Home September 2021

Designer:

Anne-Marie Egan, By AME Studio