Christine Brun, a state-licensed interior designer and member of the American Society of Interior Designers, has worked with clients setting up second homes. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

Whether downsizing from a sprawling home after the kids are gone or moving up into first-time ownership, Downtown’s new residents share a common desire for style. “Many people move Downtown because they are changing their lives, making it more of what they want and less of what they don’t want, like commuting and yard work and inconvenience,” says Beverly Feldman, an ASID member interior designer. “There’s spatial challenges as their sense of home grows to include what’s outside the front door and a whole different mindset that’s about how to make a small space feel big.”

While an increasing number of people moving Downtown are apartment dwellers used to the condominium scale for their digs, many are empty-nest baby boomers who are leaving big houses and big responsibilities for a new way to live.

Sandy Newton knows what it’s like to leave a house and a yard and move upscale and downsize. She and her husband moved to CityFront Terrace four years ago.

“We moved from a big house in Coronado and we thought 1,400 square feet would be enough but we felt like we were on top of each other,” Newton says.

A kitchen designed by Christine Brun.

Newton, Feldman and Christine Brun, all American Society of Interior Design members and state-licensed interior designers, have worked with clients setting up second homes as well as settling into a full-time household.

“There’s a group of people who have homes in North County and they are creating a weekend getaway from Rancho Santa Fe or Escondido,” Brun says. “They have different needs than people who live here full time.”

There’s a significant difference between what full-time residents and the weekend- and summer-away clients are looking for, says Harold Pell, an ASID designer.

“For people who are there part time, it’s about entertaining. Does the table expand? Is the upholstery stain-resistant? Are there extra beds?” Pell says. “They want it tasteful and to have the image of luxury and achievement, but it’s not their home base.”

Those who move Downtown to live full time are usually making a lifestyle change, Brun says. “You choose this location because you love the environment — a ball game on a summer night, walking the streets lined with galleries and great retail shops, the great restaurants and theater,” Brun says. “It’s upscale and there’s a sophistication and elegance about Downtown living. But you don’t want to feel like you’re in a hotel room, so how do you create a sense of sanctuary?”

Interior designer Harold Pell says there’s a big difference between what full-time residents and weekend- and summer-away clients are looking for in their homes. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

Living Downtown means making every square inch of space count. And that doesn’t mean filling every square inch, either.

“The smaller spaces don’t always work well for conventional design,” says Feldman. “You have to think about how you will live. Do you want to entertain at home? And what does that mean? Dinner parties or a serious entertainment center for sports and Oscar parties? Will you have overnight guests often? Do you have a collection to showcase? Will you work at home or bring work home? You have to think about how you want to use your space.”

Sandy Newton found she and her husband didn’t use their dining room — despite dedicating a good amount of space to it. “We enlarged the living room into that area and added a counter in the kitchen with bar stools where we eat when we’re home,” she says. “Now we’re using that room where it used to just eat up precious space.”

When Pell began working on a client’s condominium in Park Laurel, he found a living room corner that seemed to be meant for storage. Set against the bathroom wall, it just looked awkward. “We used the plumbing on the other side of the wall to put in a wet bar that my clients just love,” Pell says. “It fits with how they want to live.”

How people feel about their view — and there are amazing views of the bay, the ballpark, the hills to the south and east — is a primary consideration for decorating. “For many clients, the view is the focus and we’ve shaped the furniture arrangements to make the most of it,” says Newton.

An interior designed by Sandy Newton. Newton and her husband moved to CityFront Terrace four years ago.

But not everyone cares that much about the view for day-to-day living. “I think the views, particularly the bay views are just grand,” says Pell. “You can see storms rolling in, the cruise ships and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Many times my clients have said we can see it just fine — we want the furniture arranged so our home looks beautiful. I had a client tell me he’s always lived in a high-rise so it just wasn’t that important to him.”

Homes with west-facing windows may need some kind of window treatment just to deal with the intense heat and glare of the late afternoon sun, the designers say. Solar shades and window treatments add charm as long as they are functional and proportionate.

All of the designers say lighting is crucial to creating the desired effects, including spaciousness and coziness. “Appropriate lighting makes a home sparkle,” Newton says. “You need the upper portion lit as well as the middle and bottom. You should think about functional lighting and accent lighting, like a backlit plant in a corner or lighting that accentuates art or architectural features. Lighting can be very effective to make a room look larger and ceilings look higher.”

Beverly Feldman, an interior designer, stocks a number of versatile furnishings in her shop. ‘Go vertical, go hidden, go flexible,’ she says of people furnishing Downtown condos. (photo/lambertphoto.com)

And color, from painting contrasting accent walls to bright accessories or blending colors for a smooth and consistent look, will change the way a space looks and feels. “One client, when we were almost finished with his space, just didn’t feel the condo coming together,” Newton recalls. “We painted a single wall brown and, for $30 worth of paint, it made a huge difference.”

Other finishing materials, like crown molding, hardwood floors and translucent glass cabinet doors, also can help add a personal signature to a new Downtown home. “Most of my clients are newly single or independent, not yet ready to retire but restless for a change,” Brun says. “The real question for most people is, how do you make what you have fit? If you want to have the Downtown experience, you just have to get rid of things.”

But, even pared down from a lifetime’s amassing, people moving Downtown still find they don’t quite fit into their new homes. Often, pieces of furniture that fit in the 3,800-square-foot house doesn’t work in a 1,000-square-foot condo because they are just too big.

“It’s hard to find the right size of furniture here, since there are relatively few furniture stores and they tend to have the oversized pieces that go into the big houses,” Brun says. “I help people find older pieces that were made for smaller homes at consignment stores and I’m always looking for smaller appliances. Designers have lots of resources for that, and we can have stuff custom made to fit into smaller spaces, but there’s a real lack of furniture sized for condos.”

Designer Phil Feinberg used this glass table on casters to do double duty as a work station by day, dining table at night.

Furnishing that new Downtown condo for an upscale look isn’t limited by chrome and glass. Many buildings use traditional materials, including brick and wood. Antiques or traditional furniture styles can fit in beautifully.

“Look for solutions,” says Feldman, who stocks a number of versatile pieces in her shop. “Go vertical, go hidden, go flexible, look at casters to be able to move things aside and create a different arrangement.”

Feldman helped create an office space for a client that disappears at the end of the work day when he can stash the computer and files into floor-to-ceiling bookcases, then roll the glasstop desk and chairs to make a dining set. “Transformation is the key,” Feldman says. “It can go from home office to dining space in minutes.”

Newton has found armoires, both modern and antique, to serve as entertainment centers and office storage. “When you close the doors, that part of the household disappears,” she says.

That uncluttered look becomes particularly important to condo living, and at the heart of it is simply having less stuff. While many people aspire to a simpler, less cluttered life, getting there can mean a difficult time of parting with extra stuff.

“You will have to pick and choose among your possessions because you’ll never have a good-looking space if you have it packed with stuff,” Brun says. “Part of what you’re buying is what’s outside the walls, a vibrant life full of possibility. You have to give some things up for that.”