Issue 3, 2021: Organizing it All, From the Ground Up

DESIGNLINES

Your ultimate guide to Toronto's best contemporary design destinations

DESIGNLINES2 min read
Re-connecting The Dots
At our house, we’ve been puttering almost nonstop – rearranging every little thing. Not renovation, but reinvention: painting lampshades, sewing tassels, turning old into new. Lines blending as our relationship to the world inside and out has shifted
DESIGNLINES2 min read
One Thing
Have you ever looked at a work of art and been reminded of a moment in time? If not, might we recommend peeking at the newest collection from Jeff Goodman Studio, Telescope? Designed by executive and creative director Sylvia Lee, Chroma glass – a fla
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Space We Love
Newly opened 1 Hotel Toronto, the latest outpost of the boutique hotel chain, didn’t arrive in the city so much as grow out of it. For a destination that only just opened, it already has a surprisingly deep connection to the region – if you know wher
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Stand-Up Affair
Mid-century vibes and materiality come to the fore in CB2’s Pavo Double. The powder-coated shades, marble base and contrasting leather wraps make for an aesthetic callback that, thanks to its swivelling task lamp, brings as much function as form. In
DESIGNLINES2 min read
'70s Revival
Design cues from the 1970s have been broadly overlooked for ages in favour of crowd-pleasing mid-century modern (which, to be clear, we’re also fans of). But a new surge of interest in the decade proves that '70s design, much like disco, never did di
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Media Review
Canadian postwar graphic design is having a moment. The colourful, confident aesthetic coincided with the emergence of still-recognizable images – including the CBC logo and our national flag – but it didn’t happen in a vacuum. In this history of loc
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Designlines Magazine CA
Editor-In-Chief Catherine MacIntosh Associate Editor / Web Editor Gregory Furgala Editor Emeritus Tory Healy Contributors David Agnew Veronika Aquila Iris Benaroia Stephanie Calvet Beth Hitchcock Simon Lewsen Ceri Marsh Eric Mutrie Stefan Novakovic C
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Dinner Partying
The hand-thrown look of these blue-black plates belies their affordability. Up your serving game with a metal and teak bar cart by Blu Dot. 5. Light Bright Pombucha’s combination of hard cider, kombucha and a delicate fizz makes Drinklab’s ready-to-e
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Democratizing Density
I want to live in Naama Blonder’s Toronto. The architect, urban designer and co-founder of Smart Density celebrates an intimate metropolis of neighbourhoods, punctuated by eclectic streets of small, independent shops. This is a vision of the future w
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Starry, Starry Night
The latest addition to Portland Street is named after a constellation. Vela is Latin for “sails,” and refers to the Argo Navis piloted by Jason and the Argonauts. It’s a fittingly romantic name for a spot inspired by the world’s great hotel lobby bar
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Company Company
Company Company gets its name from a strategic merger. “It’s about business, but also the clients and team that I’m with,” says founder Rachelle LeBlanc. Her studio’s portfolio – which features everything from elegant plywood furnishings to The Drake
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Space Invaders
From vintage looks to natural vibes, the best new styles all offer something familiar
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
Art and Craft
Design has a domino effect. The owners of this handsome Georgian home – a couple with three daughters – hired Toronto’s Wayback Architects after admiring its work on a neighbour’s kitchen and bath. The ask? Carve out two extra bedrooms and renovate t
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
Dulcet Tones
When Les, a tech entrepreneur, and his girlfriend, Alex, an artist and talent agent, hired interior designer Suzanne Dimma to renovate their Leslieville loft, they told her they wanted to clean up the unit without making it cushy. “We still wanted it
DESIGNLINES1 min readArchitecture
Closet Systems
CC’s customized organization and storage solutions maximize the potential of your rooms and closets. Think: Murphy beds, garage workbenches, tailored wardrobes with adjustable shelving, baskets and pullout hampers. Go beyond utilitarian and appoint a
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Urban Sanctuary
Some homes reveal themselves as soon as you step into the foyer. Your eye darts to the flashy kitchen, maybe. But Atelier SUN’s latest project in East York has a gentler nature. Seamless storage, a vanishing vestibule bench, a rear kitchen and a layo
DESIGNLINES18 min read
Contemporary Furniture
Anazao designs, builds and installs fine custom wood furniture and decor, as well as architectural millwork and handcrafted steel. Homeowners and designers will find contemporary bespoke beds, dining tables, vanities and dressers made from single sla
DESIGNLINES14 min read
Design Accessories
Brothers Chris and Mark Siemicki agree: “Home is where the heart is.” The two opened 313 in their childhood abode to house their shared passion: fun and playful design-forward objects by cool international brands. Home accessories from Dusen Dusen, M
DESIGNLINES10 min readArchitecture
Flooring, Surfacing & Tiles
Consult Caesarstone professionals on your desired applications of their proprietary quartz slabs; this global innovator’s Toronto showroom features 62 varieties. Use Piatto’s deep black hues for dramatic kitchen islands and backsplashes. Calacatta’s
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Home Entertainment Systems
A long-standing institution, BBR is a centre for sight and sound from the world’s leading brands. Drawing on the best TVs from Sony and Samsung, high-fidelity sound options in a range of price points and a topnotch selection of headphones and turntab
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Kids’ Furniture
This Yorkville lifestyle boutique caters to the design-loving parent and child. Personalize your nursery with blankets from Autumn Paris, seagrass changing baskets from Olli Ella and beautiful rattan doll furniture from Bonton. Lovely home decor abou
DESIGNLINES11 min read
Kitchen & Bath
AC’s focus is squarely on kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Among the 50-plus brands in store are faucets by Blanco and Hansgrohe, rain showers by Aquabrass and Dornbracht, commercial-grade sinks by Elkay, elegant free-standing soaker tubs by Porcher an
DESIGNLINES5 min readArchitecture
Lighting
Here’s something a little different: innovative luminaires in a lovingly restored and fully furnished heritage home where consumers and industry pros alike can explore functional vignettes of architectural and decorative lighting. Good ideas abound:
DESIGNLINES3 min readArchitecture
Outdoor Furniture
Transforming your backyard or balcony into a resortinspired retreat? ARD Outdoor has all the upscale patio furnishings and accessories you’ll need, including futuristic European line Vondom. Seating abounds in colourful Sunbrella fabrics – sectionals
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Textiles
This trade-only showroom specializes in fabric and drapery from such high-end brands as MissoniHome, Scalamandré, Ashley Wilde, Pindler and Maxwell, as well as its own in-house collection. JF&C’s equally impressive wallcovering collection features su
DESIGNLINES5 min readArchitecture
Rugs & Carpeting
ARC’s newly renovated 1,263-square-metre showroom boasts a staggering selection of versatile flooring solutions suited to home and office environments. This long-standing family-owned business – one of Toronto’s largest carpet and flooring showrooms
DESIGNLINES4 min read
Vintage & Reclaimed Furniture
Lawrence Blairs’s compact boutique presents a tightly curated, high-end collection of authentic vintage art and design restored to glory. Current exceptional offerings include Hans Wegner’s iconic black leather Wing chair, Tobia Scarpa’s architectura
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
Wallcoverings & Paint
Loft living without the cost and hassle of bricklaying: CA’s seven-millimetre-thick pre-engineered brick veneer wall panels affix to a mesh backing, making them a cinch to install. Locally hand-cast from gypsum to replicate the look and feel of centu
DESIGNLINES6 min readArchitecture
Windows, Doors & Fireplaces
A true love of craft – for solid wood and traditional techniques – is on full display at 1925, with its studio in the front, workshop in the back. And the specialty: handcrafted solid wooden doors and furniture, panel and glass doors, and hand-welded
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Workplace Furniture
Klaus, the famous showroom run by Klaus Nienkämper, has reinvented itself. Büro Klaus carries contemporary and classic designs by such esteemed manufacturers as Lambert & Fils, e15, COR, Fredericia and &Tradition, as well as an in-house line that inc
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Two-Faced
Out on the ice in the late ‘60s, Gerry Cheevers looked terrifying. Though aggressive, the Boston Bruins goaltender wasn’t particularly imposing, nor was he a “goon.” But his mask was the stuff of nightmares. Exaggerated black “stitches” criss-crossed

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