When Mehmet Bagriacik decided to combine two units vertically, he envisioned a two-storey condo that had the feel of a home.
But his plans were turned upside down in more ways than one.
The kitchen, laundry room and second bathroom migrated downstairs in the process — and his girlfriend of seven years recently moved out.
Although he took occupancy a year ago, he’s been busy lately changing it up, tweaking it just so, making it more homey with an electric fireplace flanked by bookshelves, lots of light and splashes of colour.
“The idea was to make the place look like one house,” he says.
Although he is pleased with the results, he’s not sure he’ll stay, he said recently during a planned unveiling. The suite, at 1,800 square feet, feels too big for one person, he says. A unit of around 1,200 square feet would suit him fine.
“It’s been very stressful,” he admits.
Bagriacik runs a company exporting Canadian commodities such as grains and legumes to Dubai, Istanbul and Moscow.
Despite the upheaval in his personal life, he says he got what he wanted with the unit in The Met, a 43-storey building at Carlton and Yonge streets built by Edilcan Development Corp.
“I’m pretty happy,” says Bagriacik, now 29. “It met my expectations.”
The unit spans the 38th and 39th floors of the highrise. Dark hardwood floors are a nice complement to walls of mustard, a yellowish ochre and sunny yellow downstairs. He replaced the hardwood in the kitchen with off-white ceramic tiles inlaid with a wide red mosaic stripe and repeated the pattern in the foyer.
Dark laminate disguises the fridge and freezer and fronts the cupboards, which are set off with silvery pulls. The washer and dryer are tucked away off the foyer, hidden behind pocket doors.
There are two bedrooms with walk-in closets and full bathrooms on the main floor.
An oak staircase flanked by silver and black leaf wallpaper leads to the second floor.
Bagriacik says he opened up the living room to be “more useful” and designed a custom wall unit to house the electric fireplace and all of his books. Mauve and taupe walls add personality to the living room, with the leafy wallpaper repeating on one portion of the wall.
The dining room features a large mirror and large windows, showing off spectacular views looking north to the top of the city.
The condo’s contemporary look fits his lifestyle — it’s cosy, yet a great place to entertain, he says.
Living in the middle of the “concrete jungle” makes him feel part of the city. He admits it’s hectic, too, as sirens wail from passing fire trucks.
Bagriacik says he’d advise anyone who is considering buying two units to combine to “know your business. Know your market. It’s good to shop around.”
That’s good advice from a man who arrived in New York as a 15-year-old immigrant with “about 25 cents” in his pocket.
Any takers?
Bagriacik estimates his double-decker condo would sell for about $1.15 million in the current market.
