{"id":241550,"date":"2026-01-19T23:14:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T23:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/241550\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T23:14:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T23:14:09","slug":"dimitri-chriss-loft-proves-classic-design-can-help-a-rental-feel-entirely-your-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/241550\/","title":{"rendered":"Dimitri Chris\u2019s loft proves classic design can help a rental feel entirely your own"},"content":{"rendered":"

When interior designer Dimitri Chris and his husband, David Marinier, moved into their Toronto loft, they faced a familiar renter\u2019s dilemma. They wanted to make the space their own, even though they didn\u2019t technically own it. <\/p>\n

The bones were great \u2013 1,200 square feet of mostly open space in a converted bubble gum factory, with soaring ceilings and giant windows framing the city\u2019s skyline. But the condition was rough. The previous owners had four cats, and a lot of the cabinetry\u2019s yellowed veneer was scratched or peeling. <\/p>\n

Personalization mattered in part because Chris works from home, his desk set up around a corner from the kitchen. \u201cI\u2019m here all the time,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd to me, a home should always reflect the person who lives in it.\u201d Scuffed cabinets simply did not mirror Chris\u2019s playful and creative personality.<\/p>\n

Any changes had to be strategic. \u201cIt\u2019s a rental property, and it\u2019s also a condo,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can\u2019t move plumbing. You can\u2019t really move anything. And you\u2019re spending your own money on top of rent, so you have to be smart.\u201d The owners were initially hesitant about updates, but Chris convinced them. \u201cThey saw my previous work,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I said I would keep everything neutral enough for future tenants. I know someone will be coming in after me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Chris focused on low-investment, high-impact solutions. The kitchen, which now looks brand new and sits next to the dining and living areas, is actually the original. \u201cI had a tradesperson remove all the cabinet doors and refinish them,\u201d he explains. <\/p>\n

The transformation took three days, which was far less disruptive than a full renovation. He repainted the cabinets in a rich, deep tone from Farrow & Ball, a colour that shifts from warm brown during the day to a restful near-black at night. \u201cI\u2019m so over basic black kitchens,\u201d he says. \u201cThis has depth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moody, dark hues in the kitchen and hallway contrast the white walls and abundance of natural light in the living and dining room space.<\/p>\n

The moody hue extends through the kitchen, the storage zone between the kitchen and Chris\u2019s office, and the bedroom on a second-storey mezzanine. He updated the kitchen backsplash in a matching colour (it was previously a glinting, disco ball silver). \u201cI found end-of-lot tiles on sale,\u201d he says. \u201cThey had the exact amount I needed left.\u201d<\/p>\n

The rest of the loft, including the office itself, is bright white. The workspace is far from a window, and the white helps bounce the light around. \u201cWhite also gives my workspace a sense of energy,\u201d he says. \u201cThe darker areas feel more calming. They help me unwind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n

The loft’s high ceilings and bright white walls serve as a gallery space for Chris\u2019s ever-changing art collection.<\/p>\n

White walls also serve as a gallery for Chris\u2019s ever-changing art collection. (A current showstopper is Les portes de l\u2019Orient by Canadian artist Reynald Pich\u00e9, which is hung behind the TV). \u201cI\u2019m always going into galleries,\u201d he says. \u201cIf I see something I love, I immediately start asking: where am I going to put it?\u201d Pieces rotate frequently; some get displayed, some get stored, others are passed along when he no longer feels connected to them.<\/p>\n

Chris expects to feel a similar detachment when he and Marinier, a financial advisor who specializes in the needs of the LGBTQ+ community, are ready to move. \u201cWe won\u2019t be heartbroken to leave when the time comes,\u201d he says. \u201cI don\u2019t get attached to things anymore. I design it, I live in it, I enjoy it \u2013 and when it\u2019s done, I move on.\u201d<\/p>\n

GET THE LOOK
\n
LC2 armchairs
<\/p>\n

The twin seats in the living room are LC2 armchairs, modern classics designed by Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier in 1928 with two collaborators, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. While Chris\u2019s are vintage, they are still produced by Italian manufacturer Cassina. <\/p>\n


\nBuying options
Price upon request through cassina.com<\/a>
\n
Pulcina moka pot
<\/p>\n

An espresso-coloured kitchen demands a great coffee maker. Chris uses the Pulcina by Italian architect Michele De Lucchi. The bulbous shape and series of connected inner chambers are meant to reduce the amount of bitterness produced in brewing.<\/p>\n


\nBuying options
$122 through bergodesigns.ca<\/a>
\n
Farrow and Ball paint
<\/p>\n

The dark colour in the space is Farrow and Ball\u2019s Off Black. Because it has less blue than other black paints, it feels warm, not cold. <\/p>\n


\nBuying options
From $52\/750 ml through farrow-ball.com<\/a>
\n
Dive sofa
<\/p>\n

Chris moved to Toronto from Montreal 10 years ago. \u201cQuebec has a wonderful tradition of craftsmanship in terms of art, fashion and furniture,\u201d he says. His slouchy, aptly named Dive sofa is from \u00c9l\u00e9ment de Base, a furniture maker from his hometown.<\/p>\n


\nBuying options
$4,190 through elementdebase.com<\/a>
\n
Hay light tubes
<\/p>\n

It can be hard to tell what\u2019s art and what\u2019s not in Chris\u2019s space. The bunny on a marble plinth? Art. The sculptural lights next to it? Those are Neon LED Light Tubes from Danish brand Hay, used to give the loft a bit of extra glow. <\/p>\n


\nBuying options
$175\/tube from Vancouver Special<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When interior designer Dimitri Chris and his husband, David Marinier, moved into their Toronto loft, they faced a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":241551,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[2571,442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,14485,29958,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-241550","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-appwebview","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-arts-and-design","11":"tag-artsanddesign","12":"tag-artsdesign","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment","15":"tag-new-zealand","16":"tag-newzealand","17":"tag-noastack","18":"tag-nopolly","19":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=241550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/241550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/241551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=241550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=241550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=241550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}