Perfection Achieved
When houseguests enter George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg’s Toronto home, they have an immediate choice to make: head upstairs or down. But no matter which direction they travel, visitors are instantly captivated by the home’s most interesting architectural element, a series of floor-to-ceiling windows that runs the width of the back of the home and overlooks a spacious, tree-shaded deck. “This architectural redesign of the back part of the house highlights the scenic view,” says Pushelberg. “With these windows, we are able to elaborate on the outside beauty, whereas typically much of design is focused on the interior of a home.”
But Yabu and Pushelberg also wanted to ensure their comfort and privacy as homeowners through their design. So they left the front part of the original home untouched and edited the structure of the building’s back side. Here, they replaced the walls with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing the sunlight to flow easily throughout the white-walled home while still maintaining the privacy they desired.
The natural white walls and gentle outdoor light also worked in the designers’ favor by providing an ideal environment to showcase their contemporary art collection. After arranging the furniture in a given room, the couple decided upon the style of art they desired for the room and found a placement that fit the room’s layout and mood. In the living spaces where wall space was not as limited as it was in other rooms, they highlighted modern, dramatic, and abstract pieces from their collection. Then they incorporated pieces like mirrors, portraits, and framed art into the mix to create a calming aesthetic and a balance within their collection.
The home’s classic, clean-lined design is typical of Yabu and Pushelberg’s style and exemplary of the work they do through their internationally renowned interior design firm, Yabu Pushelberg. The partners founded the firm in 1980 and now have offices in New York City, Toronto, and Guangzhou, China. Each of their projects—whether a specialized retail space, a hotel, a restaurant, or their own home—showcases their talents for experimenting with new materials to create original interiors that defy design type and transcend trendiness.
When working on a personal project like this three-story Canada residence, the duo brings the same design sensibilities to the table. “We make sure to approach all our recent projects in a smart, effective, and timeless way, opting for classic and clear looks as opposed to those of the recent over-styled, complicated design projects,” says Pushelberg.
Part of their approach in designing their 3,000-square-foot home in Toronto’s residential Bennington Heights neighborhood was to invite the outside environment in whenever possible. “Our residence in Bennington Heights is settled within a beautiful wooded area with a running stream that interlaces between our backyard and the surrounding greenery,” says Pushelberg. “The house resembles much of what the environment reflects. We wanted to bring in as much of the natural light and forest ravine as we could, so we decided to use natural grays, dark hunter greens, and soft tones through the living spaces, with wood accents to integrate the outdoors.”
Yabu and Pushelberg chose an eclectic mix of furnishings in the living room. Soft shades of gray and white allow the varying wood tones to sing. The duo designed the dining table shown in the background.
The furniture in each space complements the art and adds personality to the home without detracting from the serene outdoor landscape. Many of the pieces were gathered on the couple’s international travels and selected for longevity and comfort. Yabu and Pushelberg were also drawn to pieces that created an eye-catching composition and those that utilized materials that replicated the home’s exteriors and outdoor environment inside the residence. “For instance, we used mahogany and rosewood leather to accent the furnishings while including the natural color palette,” says Pushelberg.
The home’s clean lines, luxe furniture, and intriguing art collection have come together to create a modern ‘60s-style residence that’s as close to perfection in a project as the
partners have come.
