Interior: Classic elegance

Elegant – that’s the word Sloan Mauran comes back to again and again when talking about her approach to design. And looking at her transformation of this 3,000-square-foot Toronto home, it’s hard to think of a better descriptor. Sunbeams pour into the living room through arched windows, making the ivory silk curtains glow and highlighting the soaring ceilings and custom millwork. Every sightline is considered – a glimpse of marble here, a gracious antique there – and each vignette is layered with Sloan’s tailored glam style. And to think it might never have happened.

The designer toured the home on a self-admitted whim, looking for a place her family could call home during the extensive two-year renovation of their forever house. When she saw an open house sign on a street near her 11-year-old daughter Sophia’s school, Sloan couldn’t resist a peek. Though the charming brick facade gave way to the dreaded three Ds – “dowdy, dark and dated,” she says with a laugh – Sloan could see the home was a diamond in the rough, with solid architectural bones and the potential for great light thanks to its corner lot. “I walked in and knew exactly what to do and what this house could be,” she says. “By opening up the space and using a lot of white paint, I knew it would be fantastic.”


Living room design
Apple green throw pillows and a pair of covered stools in a tiger print loosen up the living room’s formality. Ceiling-height ivory drapes both emphasize and unify the differently shaped windows.