Sansa Interiors cultivates calm and creativity in a holistic King East condo renovation

Interior designer Jude Kamal, founder of Sansa Interiors, used her holistic design approach to completely transform a 932-square-foot King East condo for a creative client. Kendall Smith, who collects and sells vintage décor pieces through her Instagram shop Today As Before, craved a calm, clean and modern space to call her own. “She wanted a space where she could work, but also relax,” says Kamal. We spoke with Kamal about the process of taking this two-bedroom unit from blah semi-industrial to bright, contemporary and affirming.

Q. What was your design focus?
We designed this condo with a minimalistic approach. The focus is on creating a timeless, elegant space that’s clean and modern. The key to holistic design is simplicity, clean lines, and a neutral colour palette. Our goal was to create a peaceful and clutter-free living environment that fosters tranquility and balance. By minimizing clutter and unnecessary elements, the space is defined by the few essential pieces that make up the design like the living room furniture and tone-on-tone finishes.

Owner Kendall Smith and her dog Logan.

Q. What was your process like?
We began with an analysis of the space and an understanding of the client’s needs and preferences. The use of natural materials, such as wood, stone, and textures (fabrics, rugs, window treatments) adds warmth and depth, while maintaining a minimalist aesthetic.

Lighting was essential. By using natural light and unique hand-selected fixtures, the space is more open, and welcoming.

In addition to aesthetic appeal, this holistic design approach emphasizes functionality in the condo. The space maximizes efficiency, with ample storage solutions that blend seamlessly. We specified three floor-to-ceiling shelving units, which was a very important feature for our client to display potential products she will sell, as well as her own collectible pieces. We focused on unique features like sliding custom fluted-glass doors to provide fully collapsible spaces while giving a luxurious and functional feel. We carried clean lines throughout the space balanced with a neutral colour palette.

Tell me more about those great doors?
They were like a puzzle. We started with a very messy hand sketch and called them “dream doors that take you through walls.” We wanted them to be the WOW element. They run floor to ceiling, which is 10 feet. We worked with a great supplier Metal & Glass Canada to bring our vision of the condo to life. They were able to take our design and translate it exactly how we wanted it. They have custom integrated metal handles, custom tracks and rollers and are super heavy, but thanks to the glides they operate with two fingers. This room is so special to our client because during covid it also operated as her meditation room and home office, so we wanted to offer her the flexibility to have it open or closed, without it feeling too dark. The beauty with the fluted-glass doors is that they allow light in, but still provide privacy when needed.

What was your inspiration? The mood board paints a very calm vibe with lots of warm texture.
It was a mix of things — Japandi, wabi-sabi, and earthy, tone-on-tone palettes.

The outcome is elegant, livable and warm.
We spent many hours to find the perfect lighting, furniture, bedside tables, and to pull everything together. We did push the client a bit beyond her comfort zone when it came to more architectural elements like lighting, doors, and interior layout. The space is long and narrow, so we wanted to create moments of magic as you walk into the space and turn corners. The result is a beautiful harmony that provides a lot of freedom for Kendall to showcase her vintage collection within a clean, holistic condo. Good design takes time, but great design takes putting your soul and every ounce of love into the project and by doing so, you create magic. SANSAINTERIORS.CA