By Burnac’s Presentation Gallery Reimagines The Showroom Experience

For its Yorkville showroom supporting The Bedford condominium development, real estate firm By Burnac enlisted designer Paolo Ferrari to build a sales room like no other. The result is an exhibit-esque concept known as The Presentation Gallery. Here, clients walk through a series of spaces, each profiling a distinct feature of the residences to come. By peppering in elements of the building’s interior design, Ferrari captures the essence of The Bedford in a thoughtful and highly conceptual experience. “The aim is to evoke the qualities of The Bedford itself — a space that encourages you to comfortably linger and have a memorable, curated experience,” says Zach Burnett, Vice President, Development at By Burnac.

Entrants are greeted by a sitting room decorated with Studio Paolo Ferrari-designed furniture and lighting exclusive to The Presentation Gallery, as well as new pieces from its Editions collection, including the Boe lounge chair and Cloud sofa. Like the furniture, curved lines are a central element throughout the showroom. This evokes a fluidity, where walking from room to room feels less like a sales floor experience and more like a private gallery tour.

Where the gallery begins, scalloped walls guide visitors through a timeline of The Bedford’s design evolution. Spotlighting its architecture – from Toronto-based firm Audax – the room’s walls are draped in limestone to further reference the building’s exterior. On display: architectural sketches hand-drawn by founding principal Gianpiero Pugliese.

Illuminated walls generate a sense of warmth in the next room, where a sculptural model of The Bedford paints a picture of where it will sit at the corner of Bedford and Davenport Road. “This minimalist setting, like much of the showroom, removes unnecessary distractions, so that our clients can focus on the subject at hand — how the building’s architecture lends its design to functionality,” says Burnett.

The Presentation Room’s theatre room provides a point of rest. “Our tours typically last over an hour, so this area offers a moment to really sink your teeth into the design and architecture of The Bedford,” says Burnett. Here, two short films narrated by architect Gianpiero Pugliese and designer Paolo Ferrari walk through the building plans and amenities offered. Highlights include Haussmann architectural references and a private luxury fitness centre.

Shelves lined with framed flooring samples provide an interactive way to present finishes where clients can pick, choose and arrange as they’d like. “When I first met with Paolo, we both agreed that we wanted to create a tactile experience where people could come up close to touch and interact with the samples,” said Burnett. “The blueprint of an art gallery inspired this entire concept, so this was our way of displaying these samples as you would art.”

High-gloss chrome panels reaffirm the curved, flowy nature of the showroom, creating a sense of intrigue as you turn every corner. This makes for a playful way to display The Bedford’s kitchen and bathroom designs stationed on opposite sides of a dividing wall. From Herringbone to white oak, even the flooring changes to present the unique configurations available.

Marble makes for a luxurious finish to the kitchen island waterfall countertops. Streamlined wood cabinetry is complemented with deep black hardware to match the cabinet interiors.

Clever design details remain until the very end of the tour: hammered-glass doors in the closing room are pulled from The Bedford’s fitness centre along with inbound lighting and black accents. As a case study, By Burnac’s Presentation Gallery has spun the concept of a sales floor in a way that places discovery up front and centre, offering not merely a showroom, but an experience.