the double oven. A wine cooler keeps beverages at the right temperature. The easy-tomaintain white quartz countertop is complemented by the cotton-white cabinets, which in turn are offset by dark walnut open shelving. Karen and Geoffrey chose the same walnut finish when completing their closets, storage cabinets and desk. The living room’s wall-mounted gas fireplace provides ambience, while the television suspended above hides its cords in the chimney. The owners like the many design elements introduced by Nygaard Interiors. “Sandy Nygaard has excellent taste,” Karen says. “We even like the doorknobs. We chose the light colour palette, so the floors are made of soft, white-oak engineered planks throughout our condo.” Pointing out the laundry and bathroom’s light-grey porcelain floor, Karen says: “See that linen-look strip of tile running in the middle of the rectangular tiles? It’s a great esthetic.” When buying a condo in new construction, owners benefit from technologies not often available in older buildings. For example, the Maddison includes an underground garage with bike storage and wiring for charging an electric car. The laundry features a sink beside the full-sized stacked washer/dryer. The condo’s pot lights and other lighting are part of the installation, as are the window shades. Triple glazing helps control heat loss/ gain and strongly reduces traffic noise. Comfortable in-floor radiant heat warms the penthouse, but it can also be cooled by multi-zone air conditioning. An on-demand water heater lowers energy bills. Smart-home Control 4 technology includes a multi-zone built-in stereo system, whose LCD touchscreen also controls dimmable lighting.
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The living room’s seating is placed opposite the wallmounted Montigo gas fireplace, whose flame creates a cozy atmosphere, while also providing space for a large-screen television. The jutting chimney hides all electrical cords for a clean look.