Media
Press / Awards
The Globe and Mail | What two little elephants are doing in this architect’s family room
April 7, 2012
Article by DEIRDRE KELLY | Photograph by DEBORAH BAIC (GLOBE AND MAIL)
Maryam Mansouri is an architect and developer whose latest project, The Perry, is a swank Toronto condo development created with the urbanite in mind. When it comes to her own custom-built, recently finished home on a leafy street in North Toronto, however, her tastes run more toward the traditional, the emphasis being on comfort and family values. Although she has occupied the place for only five months, Mansouri has already earmarked her open-concept family room, where she gets to play house instead of building one, as her favourite in the home.
“It’s a combination kitchen, breakfast and family room, with double French doors opening to an outdoor terrace and garden,” says Mansouri, who holds a master’s degree from the University of Waterloo’s School of Architecture and shares the house with partner Kam Noury, owner of Parc de Prince Inc., the builder of the home.
“We live in this room; we do all our cooking, dining, entertaining and living here.”
The Painting
“Soudi Hejazi is a local artist with a background in classical painting. This piece comes from her latest Red collection. I love how she has mixed the [sinuous]silhouette with the classical detail of the apples.”
The Sofa
“A comfortable, high-quality sofa that looks elegant yet you can also take a nap on was surprisingly challenging to find, so we had this piece designed exactly the way we wanted it in terms of scale and proportion. It was covered in a rich, heavy black leather with cream saddle stitch. And it was all manufactured locally.”
The coffee table
“This is from Roche Bobois. I tend to gravitate toward grounded, timeless pieces. Roche’s pieces are so well designed and built that they will always feel like new, no matter how long they stay part of your collection. I have had this table for five years and still love looking at it every day.”
The bench
“It’s from the Crate & Barrel furniture line. I love the Eastern influence and the fact that it is upholstered in a kilim. I take naps on it – it’s so comfortable.”
The elephants
“I got them at the One of Kind Show. I love them because they are playful and add some animation to the room.”
© Copyright 2012 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.