Issue 3-4, 2020: The Reno Issue

DESIGNLINES

Your ultimate guide to Toronto's best contemporary design destinations

DESIGNLINES1 min read
Designlines Magazine CA
Editor-In-Chief Tory Healy Associate Editor Gregory Furgala Contributors David Agnew Caroline Aksich Veronika Aquila Stephanie Calvet Alexandra Caufin Anya Georgijevic Matthew Hague Simon Lewsen Catherine MacIntosh Amrit Phull Carolyn Pioro Art Direc
DESIGNLINES2 min read
From Lockdown to Love
Weird, eh? COVID, I mean. Sheltering-in-place, ordering everything in, the unnerving social interactions. The pandemic put a halt to our New Builds Issue, and it’s been eight months since we last connected. Man, are we glad to be back, full of fresh
DESIGNLINES1 min readArchitecture
One Thing
Before you hire a woodworker, do your research. A background check would be smart, not for anything nefarious, of course, but to carefully consider their artistic past. See, many times, woodworkers supplement their earnings with, well, run-of-the-mil
DESIGNLINES1 min readArchitecture
The DL
Home makeover takeaways from a facelift specialist Clinics need not look clinical, and Rejuuv Medi Spa’s newest outpost is proof. In lieu of out-of-date magazines and dingy plastic chairs, Trevor Wallace, principal of Reflect Architecture, crafted a
DESIGNLINES1 min read
The Latest Made-in-TO Wares
Jamie Wolfond’s 2x2 paper organizer is pure business – and aptly named. Two sheets of metal are folded, soldered and stacked, making for an efficient means to declutter home offices. $160, at Casson Hardware The Jupiter console is all about the legs.
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Positive Step
The porcelain slabs of ABK’s Sensi Up collection mimic the dappled shades of genuine marble. Made with a minimum of 40 per cent recycled material, they include a hint of green, too. From $16.50/sf, at SS Tiles and Stone From a familyowned mill in Nor
DESIGNLINES1 min readHome & Garden
Squeaky Clean
Precise curves meet crisp edgework for a tailored, naturalistic feel in Riobel’s Parabola faucet. Available in black, chrome, polished nickel and brushed gold. From $500, at Taps Launched in the 1960s, the Arne Jacobsen–designed 060A shower head by V
DESIGNLINES1 min read
High Design
Pre-legalization, cannabis and pot paraphernalia were divorced. Papers, bongs and pipes were sold at psychedelic poster–clad head shops; the green stuff was procured by other means. But thanks to a new crop of outlets marrying marijuana with refined
DESIGNLINES1 min read
Sing for Your Supper
Tom Dixon’s line of mouth-blown glassware looks plucked from a Paul Klee painting: cubist coupes, flutes and glasses all anchored by a puck-shaped base. From $125; for retailers see TOMDIXON.NET Grohe’s Blue Chilled & Sparkling 2.0 faucet controls te
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Public Renaissance
01 Joy Restored. Despite the millions of commuters passing beneath its glass roof each year, Glencairn Station remains a gem hidden in plain sight. The subway stop – one of the least-used in the transit system – is also the most whimsically beautiful
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
From Mess Halls to Cool Cucinas
A kitchen upgrade by the architects at Urbanscape proves boxy can be done right: the fresh design has doubled the size and storage capacity of this kitchen’s original closed-off condition. Imagined as the new social centre of a corner condo unit, the
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
Going Dutch
It is possible. Sometimes a space can be too open concept. Omar Habbal knows the feeling. Two years ago, when the project manager bought his King West loft – a 1990s addition to a converted 1930s perfume factory – he liked the amount of space he had:
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
Block Party
An open mind and a willingness to take risks define this Roncesvalles-area home, one replete with texture, millwork and large swathes of colour. The three-storey Edwardian-era semi underwent an overhaul that knits together the ideals of one creative
DESIGNLINES2 min readArchitecture
Everything New Is Old Again
“A lot of people mistakenly associate modern architecture with coldness,” says Todd McMillan, co-founder of the Burlington design and construction firm Ben Homes. Granted, some contemporary houses with boxy interiors, high ceilings and slick finishes
DESIGNLINES1 min readArchitecture
Shop Guide Inside: Fresh For The Home: Fall Product Launches
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 readArchitecture
Symphony of Style
The timelessness of a tuxedo. It’s the visual that Merike Bauer of Reigo & Bauer had in mind while reimagining Forest Hill House, a grey-stoned Midtown estate. As it was one of the first homes built in the neighbourhood, Bauer and her clients agreed
DESIGNLINES20 min read
Contemporary Furniture
This showroom packs in avant-garde, everinnovating European furniture lines. Find impeccably made Spanish seating from CasaDesús and Beltá & Frajumar, whose unconventional benches expand playfully. Sweden’s Johanson makes more restrained modular sofa
DESIGNLINES14 min readFashion
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, Mo
DESIGNLINES2 min readTechnology & Engineering
Home Entertainment Systems
This long-standing Toronto institution is a mecca for audio- and video-philes. BBR’s custom design department advises on residential, corporate and professional installations. The Sonos One smart speaker provides voice-controlled music, available in
DESIGNLINES9 min readArchitecture
Flooring, Surfacing & Tiles
Explore Caesarstone’s proprietary quartz slabs and consult with a pro about their many applications. Sixty-two varieties are showcased with helpful graphics explaining how edges may be trimmed for desired effects. Caesarstone furnishings by top desig
DESIGNLINES2 min read
Kids’ Furniture
Refined and cozy, this Rosedale boutique caters to the design-loving parent. Personalize your nursery with bed cushions and printed linens from artist-turned-designer Caroline Z Hurley, poufs and woven baskets from D.A.R Projects and the Eza collecti
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:
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Outdoor Furniture
ARD Outdoor has all the upscale patio furnishings and accessories you’ll need to transform your backyard or balcony into a resort-inspired retreat, including newly added European line Vondom. Seating abounds – sectionals, loveseats, accent chairs and
DESIGNLINES4 min read
Rugs & Carpeting
ARC’s newly renovated 1,300-square-metre showroom boasts a staggering selection of versatile contemporary flooring solutions, from carpet and area rugs to hardwood, cork, laminate and luxury vinyl. Here, you’ll find contemporary solutions perfectly s
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. JF&C’s equally impressive wallcovering collection features sumptuous silks, grasscloth, paper weaves,
DESIGNLINES5 min readFashion
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 preengineered 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 centur
DESIGNLINES6 min readArchitecture
Windows, Doors & Fireplaces
This charming maker-studio builds custom handcrafted wooden doors and furniture in white oak, walnut, poplar, fir and pine, all finished with brass, stainless steel or heavy metal hardware. Highlights include patented single-track bypass barn-door ha
DESIGNLINES3 min read
Workplace Furniture
Klaus, the infamous 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 i
DESIGNLINES1 min readEconomics
Philosophy, Designed
A conversation with Klaus Nienkämper Sr. helped Lee Fletcher, an industrial designer and co-founder of Fig40, to clarify his approach to design. The long-time furniture manufacturer told Fletcher that he didn’t like the Aeron chair, a lauded classic.

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