Table of contents for Issue 2, 2022 in DESIGNLINES

Sleep Tight Melissa Agostino and her husband, Henry Tyminski, set up shop (and home) in an 1,800 square-foot abode, a former warehouse located in Little Portugal. While the first floor houses their branding design agency, Sali Tabacchi, the top two floors were to be devoted to living space – which they share with their two children, Enzo (12) and Luna (10). The only proverbial fly in the ointment was a shared bedroom between the two siblings on the second floor. “It was important to me that they have their own space,” says Agostino. With only 130 square feet of usable space, the problem called for a unique design solution. Joanne Lam of Picnic Design, a firm specializing in co-living spaces, was hired. “Instead of introducing a wall to separate the…

Anazao Inc. 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 slabs of walnut alongside barn doors with forged steel handles and brackets. Enviable projects include a sleek hydraulic sit–stand desk, sliding doors in an oak herringbone pattern and benches of grouped hexagonal storage modules. 10 JUTLAND RD, ETOBICOKE 647 792 7855 BY APPT ONLY ANAZAO.CA Andreu World Toronto Wood is at the heart of this Spanish manufacturer’s 65-year-long reign producing quality chairs and tables for residential, contract and hospitality use (indoors and out). And just to be clear, we’re talking about premium FSC-certified wood transformed by hand into award-winning products. Showstoppers include Patricia…

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 topnotch 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…

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…

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…

“I want to see more fun, more daring, more pink! I am totally in love and influenced by the new Webster store right now.” – JENNIFER KOMINEK, INTERIOR DESIGNER “Toronto deserves nice things!” – MELISSA AGOSTINO, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SALI TABACCHI “We see design blending function and aesthetics seamlessly. Where the functional piece can also be art and vice versa. And definitely designing with Canadian-made materials and furniture in mind, since we’ve learned in the last two years that we need to sustain our own design and construction industry.” – MY LE NGUYEN AND ROCK HUYNH, 1925WORKBENCH “More revitalizing of existing older neighbourhoods in the downtown core with imaginative smaller building projects, focusing on laneways in need of repurposing for residential and live-work spaces. Fewer nondescript hi-rises sandwiched together that block…

As we move ahead, we asked our contributors to share their thoughts on the next 21 years. (Flip to the back page to read them all.) Here, a lovely vision of Toronto from our friends at Wayback Architects: “How about a city of midrise garden landscaped buildings that provide housing, greenspace, clean air, food and community space to existing neighbourhoods? They could also provide a beautiful backdrop for the existing fabric of homes that make up the city.” We couldn’t agree more. Here’s to the next 21!…

1. PIVOT! If bringing the great outdoors inside is your thing, consider this pivoting door by Andersen. Paired with coordinating windows, the blurred boundary is sure to turn heads. Custom pricing is available upon request, at Andersen. 2. SLEEK SLIDER This window takes a customizable approach to creating an enveloping room that communicates with the outdoors via a full-wall lift and slide door. Custom pricing is available upon request, at Chateau Window & Door Systems. 3. KNOTTED WOOD In lieu of gilded glam, this piece lets you feel the charm of yesteryear with a sleek, modern twist on French doors. Enjoy privacy and commitment to style with this updated take on a knotty alder door set with whimsical baroque glass. Custom pricing is available upon request, at Jeld-Wen. 4. CAMO…

Although Toronto is her neck of the woods, furniture designer Mary Ratcliffe’s influence has a broad reach. The only Canadian designer featured in Phaidon’s Woman Made anthology, Ratcliffe has made a name for herself worldwide through appearances at international shows like ICFF and WantedDesign. An avid crafter, she runs her business according to core principles of sustainability, striving to create timeless designs that will become heirlooms passed down through generations. Ratcliffe’s love of woodworking started early, influenced by her father (who worked in finance, but maintained wood-working as a hobby). “As a child, I would lock myself in my father’s workshop before Christmas and make gifts with scrap pieces of wood, nails, whatever I could find.” It wasn’t until a bit later in life that she turned a predisposition into…

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 seconds…

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…

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…

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…