J
an Trainor and Nancy Poole have lived in large homes with rampant, demanding gardens for many years. Recently, they moved into a smaller, but still spacious two-storey condo with soaring ceilings, two bedrooms and two ofďŹ ces. Now, after three downsizing exercises and a major lifestyle shift, their home is a 1,240-square-foot condo on Oak Bay Avenue. “We’ve lived in houses twice this size, we’ve cut lawns, replaced windows and put on roofs,â€? says Trainor, who is a retired federal civil servant. “But we didn’t need to be house slaves anymore and we wanted to upgrade from an older building to a new one where we wouldn’t worry about repairs.â€? Eight months before downsizing, they started de-cluttering and wisely hired a “14-year-old lifter and shifter — because it’s a big job and I was a lot younger when I put some of those boxes onto those high shelves.â€? Looking back, she says de-cluttering is something you have to keep on top of and not try and do just before a move. These two thoughtful owners, who enjoy travelling and just visited London and Paris, say a smaller condo makes sense from a lock-andleave perspective too, but most of all, living in a more compact space gives them a feeling of freedom. This condo is smaller, but their lives are bigger. Their third-oor, corner condo in Village Walk was built by Abstract Developments and designed by architect Franc D’Ambrosio. “We did look at a penthouse ďŹ rst, but liked this kitchen better. It’s all along one wall rather than in an L-shape, and the corner views here are beautiful. We love the sunsets, being in the sky, living in something beautifully modern.â€? And somehow, the space feels roomier than their previous condo although they did have to rethink their furniture. “Our previous place had 20-foot ceilings, whereas these are nine feet high, so our furniture didn’t look right.â€? They called upon their friend, interior designer Sheri Peterson, who took them shopping. “Their furniture was the wrong proportion and the
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