HOME DESIGN: NEW BUILD, ARTFUL TOUCHES

When the principals of Harmen Design were given a free hand to design the interiors of an investment new-build in the Broadway-Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, they were delighted, and more than a little surprised.  

Typically, investor clients who intend to sell a property upon completion ask for a more conservative design approach to appeal to a wider range of potential purchasers. But not this time.   

“Whenever I begin a new (project), I tell my team that I want the final result to be at a significantly higher level than the standard of the neighbourhood,” says investor and custom home builder Sam Kohrangi of Dream Homes Construction, who worked with Harmen principals Goli Basiri and Kia Kazemian to design and build the house. Beyond requesting that it be functional and a step up in terms of taste and design, Kohrangi was familiar enough with Basiri and Kazemian’s talents to simply step back and let them create.  

As it turned out, Kohrangi’s faith in the designers was well placed: The completed project walked off with the global grand prize at the prestigious international SBID interior design awards, in the Residential House Over £1M category. 

The front door opens more or less directly into the main living area; while there’s a definite sense of rooms on this level, there are few conventional walls. An undulating partition divides the living room from the dining room, perforated by a double-sided fireplace enclosed on both sides by glass.  Curvy shapes and radial lines repeat throughout the house, giving it a living, organic feel.  

At the same time —   or perhaps to contrast the flowing curves and soft shapes — the side walls feature rectilinear grooves that resemble panelling; directly above the main front window is a fluted panel. Meanwhile, at floor level, narrow recesses called reveals take the place of baseboards. The overall effect is a pared-down take on the kind of traditional trim found in older houses nearby. 

Fluted insets and panel-like grooves appear again in the dining room, and here, the opening in the fireplace wall reveals a dual purpose. As with many close-set city properties, there are no side windows, so getting light into the centre of the house is a challenge. The fireplace opening not only provides firelight for diners in the evening but by day floods the room with sunlight that pours in from the front window. 

The dining room also features the first of several porcelain slabs deployed like artwork throughout: here, a smoky-grey marble-look piece, shot through with delicate gold and charcoal veining, creates a stylish backdrop for wine storage above a floating credenza. The piece forms an interesting counterpoint to the snaking curves of a tubular alabaster pendant light suspended by leather straps over the table, subtly contrasting the natural and manmade. 

Kazemian and Basiri are particularly proud of the kitchen. From the piano-key-shaped alabaster sconces above the unique Dutch cooktop, set directly into the porcelain countertop, to the elegantly radiused and fluted corners of the island and range hood, there are no shortage of artful details in the room. But it’s the island countertop that catches the eye, and it proved the greatest technical challenge, as Basiri describes.  

“To get the thickness we wanted, we had to sandwich three layers of porcelain together, and that in itself is difficult to do. But also, unlike natural stone, with porcelain the pattern doesn’t go all the way through the slab, which made creating radius corners difficult. Then we wanted the centre layer to be recessed, which added another challenge.” She laughs that of all the design puzzles in this elegantly minimalist room — and there are others — this one was the thorniest. 

In the family room, sculpting the planes of the Venetian plaster fireplace surround was another technical feat: the fireplace insert recedes within a shallow horizontal dip between upper and lower sections, visually emphasizing the width of the room and making it feel more expansive than it is. The sculptural hearth is practical, too: hidden cupboards on each side store games, toys and other family room essentials. 

In contrast to the soothing creams, greys and tawny browns of the main floor, the lower level takes on a moodier, more masculine air. Down here, there’s a second family room and a home theatre with an Art Deco-inspired entrance. There’s also a handsome bar. Its dramatic deep-brown backdrop, charcoal porcelain island counter and flashes of horizontal LED tube lighting add a touch of glamour, and it’s well-equipped enough to function as a second kitchen for parties. 

The most impressive design-as-art-piece is found in the primary bedroom, two floors up: an intricate computer-designed installation set above the headboard, made from individually cut pieces of matte-black MDF that, lined up together, seem to ripple like fabric or water. Kazemian, who has a master’s degree in computer-aided design, notes the piece was inspired by the work of the celebrated Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid.  

“When the project was completed, what I loved most was the warm, inviting feeling that flows throughout the house, especially the kitchen, family room and master bedroom,” says Kohrangi. “And even though we followed a minimal, contemporary approach, the home still feels cozy and comfortable, a place where you can truly relax and feel at home.” 

“The flow of a house is not just about how you move from room to room,” Basiri adds, “but how the design moves you as you travel through the house. Here, the sculptural elements, in the kitchen and all through the house, turn it into a form of artistic expression.” 

2025-11-04T14:01:40Z