Inside a glamorous city apartment where paintings and sculptures line the walls

Colton Slater and Geoffrey Bernstein’s midtown Toronto condo is filled with unique art and decor, pieces that the couple has acquired out of sincere appreciation and are reflective of their personal tastes. But they also frequently part with them. 

For Slater, this comes with owning an antiques business: the pair’s home is often an intermediary stop or “test lab” on the way to his shop, Housebound Interiors. “There’s always a constant rotation of different pieces coming and going,” he says in this episode of On the Inside.

It’s a passion for the pursuit of rare finds that feeds the rotation. “Our travels have afforded us this opportunity to really collect all of this stuff,” says Bernstein, adding that the couple likes to frequent estate sales, auctions, antique malls and local shops alike. “It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves, chances are we are finding an antique store.” 

And with a layout almost as open as a studio (the sole bedroom has dividing walls but no door), the condo showcases their collections at nearly every turn.

Treasured books join the paintings and sculptures that line a wall-spanning built-in bookshelf in the living room — one of the features that drew them to the condo. “We kept it painted out in the same wall colour,” says Slater, “so that the objects and sculpture that are actually in the bookcase pop.” Picture lights affixed to the bulkhead highlight the carefully curated displays.

The most noteworthy feature of our home is the bookcase in our living room. It’s more than just shelving — it’s a living archive of our travels and passions.- Colton Slater

Slater describes the overall feeling of their condo as traditional, neoclassical and whimsical. “It may look very formal, but we are very casual people,” he says.

The colour story of their home, meanwhile, could be described as black, white and gold all over. Bernstein laid the nero marquina and Carrara marble checkerboard floor in the entryway himself, then painted the doors a high-gloss black to play off the crisp white walls. Unlacquered brass light fixtures and door handles complement the golden tones of the tiger-print chairs and Scalamandré throw pillows on the couch. 

In the galley kitchen, Slater was inspired to tile the wall from counter to ceiling in a mirrored subway tile, which Bernstein also installed. “Because we don’t get the most light in this space, I thought it would be a nice reflection from the window,” he says, adding that the space “kind of feels like a little bar in the evening.”

A gallery wall appears in a less-than-unexpected place — the powder room. Bernstein placed Picasso lithographs from a 1950s copy of Verve magazine in red lacquer frames.

In the living room, two of Bernstein’s most treasured paintings hang in a corner above a chair. “This wire-haired terrier, down below, is English 18th century,” he says of one piece in its original frame, which the couple had re-gilded. “And then above, he’s also a cute little terrier … he’s from the early 1800s. You can almost get a feel for their personality and their quirks.”

A cubist painting hangs at the other end of the wall, above Slater’s favourite lamp (“a shocking eBay discovery that we paid peanuts for,” he says), and prized estate-sale finds, including a bust and a 1970s-era Cartier travel clock.

In between the two groupings is a 19th-century marble fireplace mantel, situated to create a focal point. With little wall space for more paintings, the couple placed a Picasso print inside the hearth and flanked it with ornate gold andirons. Nearby, a camel side table sits beside a fringed velvet armchair.

Yet even with so many interesting places for the eye to linger on in the living room, the display of busts arguably steals the spotlight. After falling in love with busts on a visit to the Getty Villa in California, Slater began acquiring and housing them in a Gustavian-style cabinet. 

“Some are plaster, some are marble, some even iron,” Slater says of the ones currently on show. “Mixing materials and price points is an interesting way to have a unique collection.”

With so much going on elsewhere, the couple made a deliberate decision to keep the bedroom’s design more minimal. A Belgian linen bed frame and creamy white sheets feel calming, while an alabaster ceiling light gives off a warm, comforting glow. “When we go to bed, it’s a place for ourselves to rest and our eyes to rest as well,” says Bernstein.

Watch this episode of On the Inside to see Slater and Bernstein’s chic yet playfully curated apartment, and read on for more about Slater’s approach to design.

Colton Slater on home decor and design 

(As told to CBC Life. These answers have been edited and condensed.)

I gravitate toward pieces with history and craftsmanship — objects that carry a story — and I love the way those sit alongside quieter, timeless foundations. For me, a home should never feel decorated; it should feel collected, deeply personal and alive with character.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that decorating … takes time. It’s tempting to rush or to compare your space to others, but the most authentic interiors evolve gradually.- Colton Slater

Sculptures and busts play a central role in my interiors, grounding spaces with a sense of history and classical form. I love layering rich textures — plaster, linen, patinated metals — against paintings and works on paper, often with ornate or purposely selected frames to create visual depth and dialogue. Each layer is intentional: art and objects are arranged so that they not only complement one another but also invite conversation.

The most noteworthy feature of our home is the bookcase in our living room. It’s more than just shelving — it’s a living archive of our travels and passions. We’ve filled it with rare first editions, collected objects and pieces that carry stories with them. 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that decorating — and sourcing the right pieces — takes time. It’s tempting to rush or to compare your space to others, but the most authentic interiors evolve gradually. When you allow yourself that time, each object you bring in carries meaning, and the result is a home that feels personal, layered and truly your own.

When it comes to my own home, I start with feeling rather than rules. I think about the atmosphere I want to live in — calm, layered and soulful — and let that guide everything else. Often it begins with a single piece that anchors the room, and I build around it with textures, tones and finishes that feel enduring.