Table of contents for Issue 1, 2022 in DESIGNLINES

My son and I love listening to a local radio station, New Classical 96.3, whose tagline is “Beautiful Music for a Crazy World.” I was thinking about this phrase while putting together this issue of Designlines. Despite the world today, we all need some beauty around us, particularly in our homes. In this issue, we explore four houses that do just that – and then some. Each one offers up creative interior design solutions to improve flow and function and, more importantly, to foster joy in the people living there. Our cover star, by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, is the epitome of serene, with its bold, curvaceous staircase and soothing palette. The recent return to curved edges and arched entryways reflects a craving for nature, I feel – our affinity…

While meandering through our beloved city of tomorrow, one may witness what feels like a wasted opportunity to develop our urban landscape: rows of century-old homes being razed to erect towers in their place, civic addresses being gobbled up with nary a whisper of opposition. But fair enough. If tomorrow’s city today is the goal, then best stand clear of the thresher. Toronto has a history, of course, but it’s not a historic town. There are, mercifully, some saving graces of late. St. James Town is broad in diversity and high in density. It’s a neighbourhood growing into itself decades after the maligned towers of yester-year went up. In the 1950s, Victorian-era homes were quickly removed. Now, there seems to be a movement (and by-laws) to save the ones still…

In 2007, a ceramicist and her husband, an entrepreneur in the travel industry, purchased a tired Victorian semi in the South Annex. The rooms were dark and poky, the floorboards cracked, the framing rotting, and (for lack of a better option) one of the three kids had to make do with a bedroom barely larger than a walk-in closet. The family also had an eclectic collection of furniture and tchotchkes – too much for an already-cramped space. “It was cluttered, like a cabinet of curiosities,” says the owner. “It was cluttered, like a cabinet of curiosities.” The couple hired Heather Dubbeldam, principal of Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, to streamline and open up the space. She added 440 square feet to the back, enlarging the kitchen and creating enough space for…

313 Design Market 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, MoMA, Poketo and Areaware happily mingle with throws and pillows by David Fussenegger. Also: watch for installations, pop-up markets, design-related talks and workshops in this space. 313 RONCESVALLES AVE 416 537 2220 313DESIGNMARKET.COM Average (now AAVVGG) Average is a collection of contemporary and classic home objects designed for everyday life. The revolving QW showroom’s founders hand-pick unique pieces from Japanese and European design houses. Find practical yet stylish counter and bar stools, as well as coat hooks in powder-coated steel from Menu and, from Valerie Objects, multicoloured…

Advice from a Caterpillar 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 abounds: Astier de Villatte’s ceramic incense holders and candlesticks, Iris Hantverk’s eco-friendly tooth- and hairbrushes, Mifuko’s woven baskets and plenty of stay-cozy clothes. 41 HAZELTON AVE 416 960 2223 ADVICEFROMACATERPILLAR.CA BB Buggy Find everything that stylish soon-to-be parents want and little ones need at BBB, including rockers and bassinets, beds, bookshelves and changing tables. Canadian-made Natart cribs with matching dressers and handcrafted Dutailier gliders will add warmth to any nursery. Sleep sacks, organic loungers and Leander’s foam Matty changers make for chic baby-shower gifts. The Bugaboo play yard unfolds in…

ARD Outdoor Transforming your backyard or balcony into a resort-inspired 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, loveseats, accent chairs and canopied daybeds. Cantilevered umbrellas and Tuuci parasols pair with dining tables in teak, resin and powder-coated aluminum. Maximize your nighttime downtime with a Dekko concrete firepit and ambiance lighting. 3019 DUFFERIN ST 416 551 6055 ARDOUTDOOR.COM Casualife Outdoor Living If you are seeking furniture for outdoor entertainment spaces, exterior family rooms and private oases, Casualife’s on-staff designers will navigate you through wares made from teak, aluminum and woven resin. Look for luxe daybeds, loungers with sunshades, and poufs that perform triple-duty as side tables, footstools and seating. Create ambiance with…

Atomic Design 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 architectural coffee table and a pair of Victor Vasarely black and white Cinetique serigraphs. AD’s smaller decor accents also delight: sculptural modernist lighting, abstract neon and a vibrant selection of Scandinavian and Italian art glass. 955 QUEEN ST W 416 912 2358 ATOMICDESIGN.CA Bungalow Aficionados of mid-century Scandinavian furniture and accents make Bungalow in Kensington Market a regular stop, thanks to its rotating collection of impeccably maintained and refurbished vintage dining sets, modular wall units and occasional chairs from Domino, Dyrlund, Herman Miller, Vejle Stole and Niels Koefoed. Art glass from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s…

Büro Klaus 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 includes both reinterpretations of Nienkämper classics – iconic Canadian-made office furniture – and new furnishings developed in collaboration with renowned designers. The underlying theme is enduring furniture so beautiful that it serves equally well for residential or contract use. 296 KING ST E 416 362 3434 BUROKLAUS.COM Haworth Haworth’s affinity for the “resimercial” (commercial – home hybrid) model defines its showroom. Discover adaptability with pops of colour and texture in their dashing task chairs, desk sets and storage options, courtesy of design stars Marcel Wanders, Jasper Morrison and Patricia Urquiola.…

As artistic director of DesignTO, a non-profit arts organization that is best known for its annual design festival, I first encountered Rebecca Sun Collins’s work at the exhibition “Slanted/Enchanted” at the gallery Erin Stump Projects, part of the 2022 DesignTO Festival. Her Twofold Light stood out to me thanks to its texture, apparent simplicity and size. A large, pixelated octahedron, it’s crafted of folded white Tyvek – a material that is naturally durable and diffuses light. For Collins, it seemed logical to use the material this way because it acts like paper but is durable enough to withstand the folding and the patterning she creates with score lines. Like many of its pendant lamp predecessors, George Nelson’s Bubble lamp or Isamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures, what makes it a lamp…

Some creative projects start with a mood board; others, a cold call. In the case of this top-to-bottom renovation, it was both. For Meg Graham, principal at Superkül, it was love at first site visit. “The house is on a bend in the road, which exposes the side more than on a conventional property, and it also backs onto a ravine,” says Graham. “I knew we could bring a ton more light into the front of the house and take advantage of the rear views.” But this was no ordinary renovation. Laura leads the Canadian branch of art advisory firm Mason Lane, while Jonah is a partner at a law firm. The home needed to feel clean and contemporary enough for the couple’s growing art collection but warm and comfortable…

California Closets 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 family room, library or home office with high-gloss smoke or champagne slab doors and hardware pulls in graphite or gold. Media centres featuring cubbies, integrated lighting and concealed wiring keep lived-in spaces tidy. 1400 CASTLEFIELD AVE 647 503 1057 (ALSO: 146 LAKESHORE RD E, OAKVILLE 905 842 9044) CALIFORNIACLOSETS.CA Komandor Organization and style permeate Komandor’s offerings: fully customizable closets and doors, aluminum partitions, interior millwork and accessories. This Mississauga-based manufacturer uses European panels from brands Krono and Egger in an array of colours, finishes and even 3D textures to create efficient spaces for bedroom to…

Caesarstone 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 greige oversized veins traverse a crisp white background, creating that marble-clad spa effect for your bathroom. If the industrial look is your thing, pair Oxidian countertops with gunmetal cabinetry and copper hardware. 350 CALDARI RD, CONCORD 416 479 8400 CAESARSTONE.CA Cambria Gallery Cambria’s Corktown gallery showcases American-made natural quartz surfaces in over 160 designs spanning from pale neutrals to rich jewel tones. See the brand’s durable, stain-resistant, maintenance-free lines on display in kitchen and bathroom vignettes. Think beyond countertops and backsplashes to clad walls, fireplaces and shower surrounds. Inject a sense of motion with bold charcoal…

Amati Canada 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 and therapeutic bath systems by BainUltra. Also in store: minimalist fixtures from Riobel, Philippe Starck’s wall-mounted toilets for Duravit and extraordinary faucets from Graff. 105 DONCASTER AVE 905 709 0881 AMATICANADA.COM Appliance Canada Find the latest innovations in ultra-premium appliances here, including Thermador ovens with patented Star Burner technology (which delivers superior flame spread) and Freedom induction cooktops that are controlled using a full-colour touchscreen. Consider Hestan wall ovens, refrigerators, wine cellars and outdoor grills with colourful finishes, and Fisher & Paykel dishwashers that offer the convenience of two independent…

Allan Rug Company 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 – carries Missoni, Nourison, Stanton, Karastan, Bloomsburg and many more. Also at ARC: custom and hand-knotted rugs in modern and traditional designs. Cork, laminate and extra-wide hardwood and vinyl planks from Lauzon and Fuzion Flooring round out the selection. 103 MIRANDA AVE 416 787 1707 ALLANRUG.COM Amala Carpets For their local, designed-in-house artisanal rugs, Amala uses Nepalese wool and Thai silk. The six-generation family business works directly with the craftspeople who harvest and weave creations using sustainable methods and vegetable-based dyes. Find exquisite transitional and contemporary designs in hand-trimmed Himalayan sheep’s wool and shimmering hand-reeled…

Century Architexture 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 century-old reclaimed brick, they’re incredibly convincing. The showroom’s own backsplashes, bathroom walls and media room exemplify a variety of uses for the manufactured-on-site panels. 1401 THE QUEENSWAY, UNITS # 5 & #6, ETOBICOKE 416 503 3889 CENTURYARCHITEXTURE.COM Farrow & Ball Britain’s F&B offers a medley of handcrafted wallpapers showcasing the rich pigments it is best known for, as well as an expansive selection of paints ranging from contemporary neutrals to heritage tones. Chromologists will relish the latest hues from F&B’s collaboration with London’s Natural History Museum. Covetable metallic-print wallpapers with…

A SAGE CHOICE Topping the list, this soothing green is the colour preferred by several paint companies this year. Defined as a gently shaded sage that quietly anchors while encouraging creative expression, October Mist (pictured, left) is one of six greens in Benjamin Moore’s 2022 collection. Sharon Grech, media spokesperson at Benjamin Moore, extols the adaptability of this soft green. “It makes easy connections and flows seamlessly into spaces and surfaces with other hues.” For a fun, graphic wall treatment, she suggests using the winning shade on the lower portion of a wall and a paler green above, like Morning Dew. BENJAMINMOORE.COM WARM AND SUNNY Bright primary colours take centre stage this year. Farrow & Ball’s Babouche No. 223 or Annie Sloan’s Carnaby Yellow (pictured, right) are perfect examples. This…

More often than not, the renovation of a house is fuelled by a desire for more square footage. The renovation of this one – well, not exactly. “I recommended removing a one-storey addition that completely cut the house off from the backyard,” says architect Kyra Clarkson. Her slightly radical-for-downtown idea was actually carefully considered. The owners – a young couple who were starting a family when they purchased the place in 2017 – wanted a light-filled, open-plan first floor that connected to the backyard. Nixing the 225-square-foot add-on opened up the desired sightline to the outside, and while it did reduce the depth of the house, it presented a unique design opportunity. After the tear-down, Clarkson squared off the house with a tiny addition parallel to the kitchen, which netted…

Bay Bloor Radio 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 top-notch selection of headphones and turntables, BBR’s custom design department will advise you on all your AV installation needs. Standouts include Samsung’s atypical The Frame television, invisible speakers from Bowers & Wilkins and media consoles from BDI. MANULIFE CENTRE, 55 BLOOR ST W 416 967 1122 BAYBLOORRADIO.COM Great Metropolitan Sound The services on offer at this audiovisual design and installation hub include lighting, shade- and climate-control automation and computer networking. Integrating the latest from RTI, Crestron, Sonos, NAD, Bluesound and Marantz, the team installs multi-room music systems and surround-sound home…

The Adelaide Project 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: Nod suspension lights by XAL in the bedroom create a variety of moods thanks to a rotatable head and changeable height; in the living room, the fabric diffuser of the celestial Manto suspension lamp by Axolight provides the perfect balance of illumination and ambiance. 509 ADELAIDE ST W 416 538 6548 BY APPT ONLY THEADELAIDEPROJECT.COM AM Studio AM’s versatile custom lighting studio is home to intricate and imaginative fixtures handmade in Toronto. The gallery is aglow with Swarovski crystal, metal and glass fused, blown and drawn into dramatic sculptural forms. Find shapely porcelain pendants,…

JF & Co. 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 sumptuous silks, grasscloth, paper weaves, cork, screen-printed novelties and digital prints that are sure to enliven any room. A sweeping drapery hardware line and decorative tapes, tassels and trims for those finishing touches are also available here. 326 DAVENPORT RD 416 238 5254 JFANDCO.CA Kate Thornley-Hall Collaborating with artists, local designer KTH transforms their work into home furnishings, wallpapers, decorative flatweaves and custom handwoven wool and silk rugs, or what we call “art you can walk on.” Patterns include butterflies and bees, playful birds, peacock feathers and decorative florals. A new partnership with…

1925Workbench 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 metal. Highlights include patented single-track bypass barn-door hardware (made in Canada), walnut slab doors with transom-like cut-outs and nearly five-metre-tall rolling or hook ladders. 198 30TH ST, ETOBICOKE 416 878 1869 BY APPT ONLY 1925WORKBENCH.COM ADH Fine Hardware ADH offers tried-and-true solutions – in traditional and contemporary styles – from Baldwin, Emtek and Rocky Mountain. Unlock your creative side with stylish jewelled knobs by Matthew Studios, leather loop straps by Scrim or custom forged bronze handles by Hamilton Sinkler. Or go the minimalist route: tiny…