Natasha Koifman of NKPR's family room
Natasha Koifman, president of the Toronto boutique PR firm NKPR, will spend most of the week during the Toronto International Film Festival hosting celebrities at the IT Lounge, the gifting suite she runs out of her office. She'll also be hitting a host of star-studded events, including the red-carpet party she's organizing for Canadian filmmaker Paul Haggis' charity Artists for Peace and Justice. At the end of such long days, Koifman retreats to her 100-year-old home on the edge of a ravine, where she curls up on the couch in her family room, her favourite in the house. "It's truly a haven from the non-stop world of PR and my chaotic schedule," Koifman, the mother of a university-age son, says. "It's clean and contemporary, but also cozy and comfortable – a peaceful oasis."
Lanvin snow globe
"This is one of my favourite pieces. It's a limited-edition musical Lanvin snow globe that I brought back from a recent trip to Paris. It has a lot of sentimental value."
The coffee table
"The coffee table is from Minotti, purchased at Interior Elements. Because there are two levels, I can stack up all of my favourite design magazines and my collection of coffee-table books. The tray is from L'Atelier and is wrapped in lizard skin."
The wraparound couch
"The wraparound couch is by Jesse and I bought it at South Hill Home [in Toronto] It's one of those couches that you can sink right into. I love how comfortable it is. When I'm home, I spend most of my time curled up on it, wrapped in a blanket."
The windows
"I told designer Connie Braemer of Connie Braemer Design that I wanted that L.A. contemporary minimalist feel but still wanted [the room]to be warm and inviting. And she delivered. The windows go right to the ground – no edge, no lip, straight down to the tile – to improve the continuity from inside to outside. They frame the view of the swimming pool and the lounge areas perfectly."
The floors
"The white floor is made of mini crystals, a quartz product that looks just like seamless marble. Its composition allowed us to have heated floors by putting coils in the cement underneath. My dogs love to lie down and warm their bellies on it."
The fireplace
"I wanted this room to be contemporary and minimalist, but I'm always cold – sometimes I even turn the fireplace on in the summer – so a fireplace was one of my must-haves. This raised fireplace can be seen from every corner of the room and adds warmth without detracting from the view of the backyard."
The black wall with TV
"I'm a TV junkie, so there are actually four TVs in the house; this 72-inch plasma is the biggest. Being in the PR industry, I'm constantly watching the news and talk shows to stay current. I'm also a movie buff, so we added surround sound to create a mini at-home theatre. And to counteract all the snacks I eat from Baker Street [a favourite Toronto bakery]while I'm lounging in front of the TV, I try to squeeze in an at-home workout here whenever I can."