This design provides us with all of the amenities of a house while offering all of the conveniences of an apartment,” says Gianpiero Pugliese, Principal of Audax.
One unique feature that separates The Home in Little Italy from other Audax projects is the fact that it is the home of the firm’s principal, Gianpiero Pugliese. Married with two children, Gianpiero and his wife began to look for something different from the standard Toronto house when searching for a new home to meet their growing family’s needs. Without wanting to give up their downtown lifestyles, they purchased a floor of a commercial building with the vision of converting it into a family-friendly home.
The interior layout was modeled after a New York style apartment to include all the comforts of a house, including a formal foyer, three bedrooms, two washrooms, an open-concept living, kitchen and dining room, and a generously sized laundry. Their family also enjoy direct access to their unit from the street with a private elevator.
The interior design features a harmonious mix of modern and traditional elements. To create a warm and cozy base, they selected a herringbone wood floor and traditional door casing, trim and hardware. The traditional envelope is then layered with modern luxuries, including a sleek and contemporary-styled kitchen and modern Italian-inspired furniture. Many of the pieces used in the home are from Audax’s very own furniture collection, including the Evelyn Armchair, Vasari Dining Table, Raphael Dining Chair and the Donatello Console.
A winter garden was also designed in this unit, which is an enclosed living room with operable windows on two sides. This is a unique and coveted amenity to have in the heart of the city. When the windows are opened in the summertime, the living space is converted into a covered terrace. This allows Gianpiero and his family to enjoy a private open-air space in lieu of a backyard, which can also be used year-round as indoor space.
Photo credit: Erik Rotter
Designed by: Audax
Technical Info
- Architecture/Interior Design: Audax
- Custom Furnishings: Audax
- Press distribution: v2com
About Audax
Founded in 2007, Audax is an award-winning architecture and interior design firm with expertise in the luxury real estate market, and a strong focus on high-end residential design. Under the design leadership of Gianpiero Pugliese, Audax’s projects are diverse in design style. The firm’s work is motivated by Human Architecture, a design approach developed by the studio that combines the best elements of traditional architecture with a modern aesthetic.
By offering both architecture and interior design services, Audax provides a holistic approach to design that balances the technical, aesthetic, and functional objectives of a project. The results of this combined expertise are buildings and interior spaces with a clearly articulated design language and a seamless integration between its architecture, interior design and décor.
About Gianpiero Pugliese, Founding Principal, B.A., M.Arch., O.A.A.
Leading all architectural and interior design activities at Audax, Gianpiero has a Primary of Architecture from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. He also studied design at the Venice Institute of Architecture in Italy. Prior to founding Audax, Gianpiero worked as a project architect responsible for the design of numerous large-scale, mixed-use developments throughout North America.
His current work at Audax explores the relationship between traditional design principles and the modern aesthetic. This approach, which he coined as Human Architecture, aims to bring the tactile, relatable and human-scaled elements that were lost during the Modern period back into contemporary design. The results of using this approach are buildings and interior spaces that appeal to those who admire the warmth and detailing of traditional architecture but also appreciate modern design.
