Top Design Secrets for Decorating Your Toronto Condo

In a housing market like Toronto’s, where the cost of homeownership can be prohibitive, embracing condo living makes a lot of financial sense. Buying or renting a condo may not provide you with the most spacious home environment, but it can put you in the heart of a bustling neighbourhood.

Whether you own or have a condo for rent in Toronto, you can make the most of the space you have with these design secrets from interior decorating pros. Grab city living by the horns and transform your condo into your chic, stylish pad on top of the city.

Maximize Your Space

Condo living can put space at a premium. It’s one of the downsides of life in the city, but there are some simple design interventions you can use to squeeze more out of what you’ve got. Many condos feature open plans to make them feel more spacious.

This is a great feature to have, but it takes some restraint when it comes to decorating. Resist the urge to fill every square inch of floor space with furniture. You’re going to appreciate having lots of room to move around in, and if that means letting go of some furniture, it may be time to embrace minimalism.

Curtains to Balance Light and Privacy

The type of curtains you want to buy may depend on your relationship with light. Some people love waking up to natural morning light filtering in through their curtains, and there’s a solid body of research that shows that getting natural light early in the morning is great for improving your sleep habits, reducing anxiety, and making you feel more energized throughout the day. Lighter, transparent curtains that provide privacy but don’t obscure sunlight are the way to go.

But let’s be honest, that’s not always how city living works. If you have west-facing windows, your bedroom can turn into a green room on a hot summer evening. You might also be sensitive to the lights coming in through your window at night. In this case, it makes a lot of sense to get heavier curtains that will block out more light.

Find a Theme

One of the common complaints people have about condos is that they all look the same. They have the same layout, the same appliances, and the same finishes. There’s no small amount of house elitism going on there (seriously, if you look inside most single-family homes in Ontario, you’ll quickly realize that they’re identical to every other house built during the same era), but you can add more personality to your condo by finding a design theme.

Start with three foundational principles: colour, layout, and furniture. What are the essentials you’re bringing to your place that you don’t plan on replacing? From there, you can start building out a matching theme. Build a mood board around these essentials, including different colours and swatches, to start visualizing what’s possible with your space.

There’s plenty of free inspiration online, but you can also check out design magazines for professional opinions. Then, start shopping around to find those perfect pieces that will turn your condo into an urban oasis.