DESIGNLINES

Designing a dream home is never easy. The sheer number of decisions one has to make about the materials, colours and decor is daunting – fun, but daunting. White oak or walnut? Contemporary or classic? Modern or mid-century? It’s easy to get caught u

The fabric of the city is made up of us all – the sum of its people and their combined energies and vision. We all impart something. This issue is about clean slates, new homes and fresh ideas, all with a bit of gritty, spunky, can-do spirit. Inside,

It started with her. She had been with Odami’s Michael Fohring and Aránzazu González Bernardo for years, but the couple had moved on and replaced her. Reluctant to put her on the street in winter, they let her stay – maybe better accommodations could

There’s perhaps no more recognizable lighting design than the PH series by Poul Henningsen. You know the one: its series of nestled shades, occasionally offset by others inverted above, is synonymous with Danish design. Part of that familiarity is a

In the midst of a disruptive year, MOCA put a deceptively challenging question to 21 artists and collectives: What feels most urgent to you today? The unique responses are articulated in a broad series of works for GTA21, including site-specific scul

If you’re a Leslieville local, don’t worry: Biblio Lofts won’t upset the low-key vibe. The NVSBLE Developments mid-rise, designed by BDP Quadrangle, subtly nods at the nearby architecture, maintaining vintage Toronto’s low-slung stature and red brick

CUTTING CORNERS Sight, touch and sound: Creative Matters drew on each to create Prism – part of its Sonance collection, which brings together acoustic-inspired visuals in luxurious hand-knotted wool and silk. $135 sq.ft., at Creative Matters IN CONVE

DREAM DECOR Paris-based Maison Neva certainly doesn’t lack luxury. The Hirondelle pattern in its Haiku collection, handmade and printed on silk, conjures up a rich pastel dreamscape – a definite splurge. From $2760/roll, at NewWall SUNSET STRIP Thoug

The start of an urban walkabout coincided with the first pandemic lockdown. Each new day offered up our city’s byways, though not quite barren, empty enough to be remarkable. The days prior, busy and honking. The lack of competition left the cityscap

“It’s an additive process, organic, imperfect,” says photographer Justin Ming Yong of his newfound love, quilting. Even before the pandemic hit, Yong had been itching to explore a new creative medium. In early 2020, the 32-year-old was flipping throu

A photographer by trade, Yong is the son of a quilter but didn’t take to the craft until the pandemic. Yong uses scraps from various sources, helping businesses do something artful with their waste material. Though derivative of traditional quilting

In a nunnery turned family home, character emerges in a palette rich in texture and organic hues: natural white-oak flooring, a finely grained walnut island, subtly veined quartz countertops and stony matte black fixtures. If not for its flawless fin

Scratch-built homes have a lot of moving parts, from site-plan approvals to rounding up reliable trades to pinning down the exacting details of an architecturally nuanced design. Remarkably, Joel Tanner, the CEO of SMPL Design Studio, built his spell

“It’s really the house that claustrophobia built,” says owner Dan Nuttall, who, along with his husband Frank Infante, was looking for some breathing space outside the city. “As we explored rural Southwestern Ontario, our eyes were drawn to the charac

Before starting their own design–development studio called HXOME in 2017, Parviz Bozorgmanesh and his son James Manesh always shared a love of simple, timeless design. Parviz, who founded Parviz Kitchens, has been a cabinetmaker for over 40 years, wh

Even when faced with the need for a radically different home, it’s sometimes best to stop short of a full rebuild. Not because it’s more efficient (although it occasionally is) or that the existing shell is full of heritage charm (although it occasio

At the push of a button – or the tap of a screen – the home is transformed. With seamless simplicity, motorized window treatments can welcome in the light or create soothing blackout darkness, all while providing essential energy savings, sound absor

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

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

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

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

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

There’s a vacant lot just across the street from the northwestern edge of Christie Pits Park. Formerly the site of the St. Raymond Catholic School, it’s now home to a lone chimney – no hearth, no home, just a stack of white bricks piled 10 metres in