Decorating & Design
January 29, 2018
Tour Drake’s Event Planner Catriona Smart’s Glam Toronto Home
How do you plan a party for 1,000 guests in less than a week? If you’re VIP event planner Catriona Smart, and the client is Drake, you take a deep breath, make some calls and come up with something never seen before. Thanks to her, the official launch of Drake’s 2016 Views album was the talk of the town. The creator of lifestyle blog Coco & Cowe and co-founder of Halo PR Group, Catriona specializes in unique experiences for big names, and her client list reads like a Who’s Who of today’s sexiest brands: Rémy Martin, Cointreau, Guerlain, Dior and Four Seasons hotels, to name a few.
Catriona clearly knows how to make an impression, and that extends to her dramatic three-storey, 9,000-square-foot home in Toronto, which she shares with her five-year-old daughter Harlowe. Catriona says the interior design is a combination of everything she loves, which includes a statement-making fireplace and vintage glam accents. Click through for a look inside.
Catriona in her front entry, where unique details such as the geometric tiles and an ornamental bench, shaped to look like a pair of cupped hands, welcome guests.
“I wanted something in my home that would catch your eye,” says homeowner Catriona Smart of the front room’s dark, granite-clad fireplace.
A tufted bench and cocktail tables with integrated loops can be easily moved around the room to suit the entertaining occasion.
In each room, large-scale artwork makes a dramatic statement — a great conversation starter for gatherings.
The dining room’s original coffered ceiling adds character, while a modern glass table and chandelier with fluorescent tubes bring the room into the 21st century. Plush navy velvet chairs are comfortable for long dinners.
Large floor tiles, hardware-free cabinetry and unobtrusive recessed lighting create a streamlined space with a soothing effect. “I like it to be peaceful when I cook,” says Catriona. “To me, a clean, white kitchen is as peaceful as it gets.” A chevron-tiled backsplash provides a hint of texture amidst otherwise sleek surfaces.
New York loft spaces inspired the living room’s atrium. Arched stained glass windows were swapped out for black, reinforced-metal French doors and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The powder room is enveloped in striking black and white wallpaper — the perfect foil for modern white porcelain fixtures.
Alex Lukey
House & Home December 2017
Kirsten Marshall, Palmerston Design