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The Tale of “The Lady Of The Lake Goes Condo”


Chapter One: A Living Space for a Mermaid and a Dragon


Once upon a time, there was an extraordinary woman, the Lady of the Lake: beautiful and brilliant with a powerful ancestry including a mermaid grandmother and a fire-breathing, flying dragon grandfather – yes! Another tale for sure! The Lady’s Mother, not unlike the little Mermaid, but with a few extra paternal powers, fell in love with an earthly mortal, a fine Duke, who was a kind and just businessman, dynamic swordsman, and also a purveyor of the finest chocolates in the land, (her mother’s absolute weakness, as her seaweed delicacies just became monotonous!) Her Mother lovingly welcomed her life of both worlds – water and earth – and shared this love with her precious daughter, the Lady of the Lake! She also shared her fire-breathing talents to create for her daughter, the Lady, the best S’mores she ever tasted!


The Lady of the Lake with eyes like the sky, twinkling with fire, grew strong into her unique abilities, wielding all the magical and practical talents of her gifted family. Her love and command of the elements – air, water, earth, and fire – were evident in a passion for all she did. Like her father, the Duke, she became a great business leader, and managed her inherited golden sword with mindfulness, creating inspiration and generosity for all. The Lady loved the children and showered them with her gourmet treats fired with her breath of kindness and a few Reese’s Pieces!


Drawn to water, compelled to it (as were the women in her family) she moved to a condo on the great lake of Ontario, high above in the sky, satiating her flying dragon soul! During the day she wrestled and tamed grand creatures of business, but during the night she calmed her pure nature by deep meditation transforming magically into her essence, the Lady of the Lake.


The Lady wished her new home to bring all the elements of her rich past harmoniously together, and create a space that would warmly welcome her magical family, her friends and esteemed business associates. She also imagined an enchanting place to practice her miraculous powers bequeathed her, and to breathe, and be, in the company of her spiritual ancestors and guides. And then our Lady made her bidding call to the Design Fairy Godmother, knowing of the Lady of the Lake’s goodness, took great pleasure in granting this lovely Lady’s selfless home with beauty and harmony. Out came her wand and in flowed the magic!


First, creating a color palette based on the Lady’s own essence, the Design Fairy Godmother brought sunshine into her kitchen/living room/dining room/office space; water and air into her guest room; and nature’s sun-kissed green in her master bedroom with the magic of her favorite paint from Sir Benjamin Moore.


Next, fixed design elements combining earth energy and water energy were achieved by mixing tumbled stone tiles in shades of taupe and light mocha from TILES PLUS and watery glass tile inserts from CIOT, where the colors matched the exquisite lake below. This castle/villa wall created the division between the kitchen and the rest of the living space. The Design Fairy Godmother and her merry men of mirth, and Tile Magic also created a frame in the same tumbled stone and glass, to surround a window featuring a glorious view of the lake, in the Lady of the Lake’s office area.

The kitchen and living space, although painted in the dirty contractor’s off-white, was dark and dingy. Its kitchen, suffocated with extra cabinets hanging down into the counter space, creating only a tiny slot of air. It lacked personality, detail, and design magic!
The Blue Fairy was not here. These gray/blue cabinets had no sparkle! Without a budget to replace the cabinetry, we needed to transform them… And the countertops, and a new backsplash, and more!
One of our merry mermen worked his artistry with our tumbled stone tiles and our watery glass tile inserts, placed in diamond formation! The tumbled stone wall and glass insert placement was designed by Andrea Carini (the Design Fairy Godmother)!
More artistry with a backsplash that coordinates with our beautiful stone wall. This lovely detail brings warmth and the Lady’s personality into this once bland space. All the counters and appliances were replaced with stainless steel!

Then, deep cherry wood floors were laid, the front door stained to match the floor’s stain and a watery wave design was cut into the flooring where the kitchen tile meets the wood planks. Ahh, now this is lovely.

Old carpeting, linoleum and condo concrete weighed everything down with the ugh factor!
Beautiful cherry stained wood floors replaced the carpeting the concrete! New tile floors were installed in the kitchen! And the piece de resistance, a wave design was cut and curved into the wood and tile, to marry them in this harmonious meeting of fixed elements.

The kitchen was revamped by removing cabinetry over the counter (completed by a merry woman!) to open the space to the living room. The remaining cabinets were painted a gorgeous warm Ivory White, BM #CC-130, to lighten and brighten the space. The Design Fairy Godmother waved her wand and placed custom stainless counters in the kitchen, including the counter ledge. Watery curved stainless handles were found at HOME DEPOT and replaced the old hardware.


Then, a stroke of artistic genius... The Design Fairy Godmother would create a movable console/counter table for this kitchen/living area. She called upon a French Dragon she had long ago encountered in her travels to the fiery realms of Anvilla. He was brilliant with iron design, and his fiery breath could forge the epitome of iron art. She took her sketch forth, and soon this French Dragon created a piece that no one could equal. Next she visited the Crystal Phoenix at CASCADE CRYSTAL an artistic master, of crystal and glass. She gave him a pattern design for a long undulating wave that would grace the top of this iron table and included a color to paint under the wave glass to match one of the watery tiles used in the stone wall. The effect perfect! Fini!

The ahh factor. All the elements come together with lots of pizzazz!
The cabinets are transformed in ivory white for a gentle airy quality. The stainless counters and appliances reflect soft glow. Wavy, watery details in cabinet handles, counter console, art and even glass food containers adorn this space!

The wave console fit elegantly into the space and the Lady of the Lake found counter stools she loved.

Rough design sketches with detailed notes (and an actual size paper pattern for the wave glass) are given to the artists to create this amazing art piece, the moveable console table!
The console art piece finishes our functional and beautiful dwelling! Sea urchin martinis, anyone? Conch fritters?
Forged, twisted steel, and under-painted thick, tempered, undulating glass, create this watery fantasy console!

The rest of the décor featured an array of art and decorative elements, collected by the Lady, tying in all the elements of earth, fire, air and water, with sculptures of trees, paintings of water and skies, fiery red accents, and rich chocolate brown wood furniture. Bravo!

Lacking all things inviting...
Two shades of a tender golden yellow kiss the walls, new dining room furniture placed happily- now entertain the invited and loved! And a painting, dear to the Lady, brings to her table, the intimacy of a warmhearted spirit and culture. This feeling truly permeates her space!
An unbelievable view of the lake needed to be featured and framed in beauty!
No, this is not a photograph or painting but the real deal! A gorgeous view outside the office area window! We framed the view in out tumbled stone & glass combination, bringing this design detail into yet another area of the condo space.
In need of a place to rest, relax and rejuvenate… The dragon waits.
With two shades of a golden green placed strategically, this small space now breathes expansion! A water dragon quilt emanates scales in watery colors. Deep espresso furniture grounds the space, and a wooden dragon reminds the Lady of her nature. Strong yet peaceful, this bedroom is her sanctuary!

And, then, the Lady rested and enjoyed, and the Design Fairy Godmother went on to work her Magic for others. Until, one day, the Lady of the Lake called upon her again...


THE END


AFTER photos by Michael McDonald INTERIOR DESIGN by Andrea Carini for Your Sacred Space Interiors

© Andrea Carini for Your Sacred Space Interiors. 
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