An industrial loft in the old CBC building gets a $350,000 rethink

Neighbourhood: Corktown Reno cost: $350,000 Designers: Whitaker Construction; Fia and Company

With its black-framed floor-to-ceiling windows and jaw-dropping 14-foot ceilings, this 2,450-square-foot loft on Sumach Street is, as designer Erika Floysvik puts it, a one-of-a-kind dream space. To be fair, when she moved in, that dream wasn’t yet fully realized—the unit’s production-lot past was all too apparent in the raw concrete features that dominated its dated decor. In collaboration with Whitaker Construction, she undertook a total overhaul, turning the loft into a true two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. The logistics of the renovation were dictated by the space—the massive concrete support pillars, for instance, are a permanent fixture, so Floysvik engineered the revamped floor plan around them, using their bulk to help establish clear walkways and to provide guidelines for where the kitchen should start and stop. To create a sense of cozy intimacy in the loft’s airy expanse, Floysvik dropped the ceiling and brought in the walls in the central living area.

Here’s the exterior—it’s the old CBC building near Sumach and Shuter:

The floors were originally exposed concrete—as were the hefty cylindrical pillars. Floysvik painted the supports white, effectively camouflaging them, installed white oak floors throughout, and bought this custom 29-by-14-foot rug to add warmth:

For the kitchen, Floysvik chose licorice-stained walnut on the upper and outer sections to complement the white island, countertops and lower cabinets:

She loves the graphic punch of the powder room, with its boxy free-standing sink and high-contrast fixtures:

In the master ensuite, a steam shower stall on the left is mirrored by a self-contained water closet on the right: