Interior designer Franc Ranieri shares the secrets behind one of his most recent luxury projects.

While Franc Ranieri of Kreel Creative had a pretty long leash and an almost bottomless budget when he set about converting two Vancouver penthouses into one dream home, his design philosophies merge luxury with practicality, and can be applied to spaces of any square footage (or dollar value). Below, Ranieri shares four key takeaways from this stunning project that can take any renovation to the next level.

Pick materials that work for your lifestyle.

Though the highly lacquered black flooring included in the home’s original design was quite elegant, it simply wasn’t durable enough for the homeowner’s high-traffic events. Ranieri went with grey limestone tiles instead.

Channel a sense of place with colour and texture.

The homeowner’s partner has roots in New York, so the designer brought in some East Coast design elements to make her feel right at home. That meant walnut panelling and plenty of grey tones in the fabric to get a classic smoky-cigar-room vibe.

If you’re not using square footage in one place, reclaim it for something else.

The homeowner rotates between just eight to 10 suits, so he wasn’t going to be using the walk-in closet to its full potential. Ranieri took back some square footage and used it to expand the ensuite.

Don’t waste a great view.

The original layout blocked the amazing views of Coal Harbour, so Ranieri rearranged things to make sure every room was angled toward this star feature. That included moving the cooktop onto the kitchen island so that, even while prepping dinner, the homeowner can look up and soak in the scenery.