DesignAgency

Weekend plans yet? Add to your must list. This recently completed bar and brasserie is the heart of our transformation of the lobby. Swipe through and learn more about our design.

1. A figural mural in the style of Henri Rousseau is the perfect Instagrammable moment.
2. Overscale chandeliers make a bold design statement in Frenchy’s bar lounge area. Curvaceous furniture, layered rugs and a mix of seating in luxurious textures give the large space a warm, residential feel.
3. The gleaming oval bar— inviting from all angles — has marble counters, a burgundy tambour front, and a brass gantry with integrated floral up lights.
4. The dining room features a warm, saturated palette and seating styles to suit everyone.
5. In the Hilton Toronto check-in area, a series of smaller desks allow for attentive one-to-one service.
6. The marketplace boutique is a stylish spot to grab a snack and soft drink on the go.

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Happy International Dog Day to those who celebrate. We certainly do - we love working with clients around the globe who understand the importance of having a furry friend by your side 24/7 whether you’re at home or enjoying a hotel stay. Here are some K9 stars enjoying a few of our pet-friendly projects:

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2. Colindale UK
3. Toronto
4. Washington, D.C. 📷
5. Toronto
6. .living London UK

Sweet escape. The recently completed cottages at offer a fresh take on traditional Florida aesthetics. The 2- and 4-bedroom cottages feature cheerful citrusy palettes, soaring ceilings and expansive windows to bathe interiors in dazzling Florida sunshine. Located within steps of the fairways at this spectacular modern golf resort, each cottage seamlessly blends indoor-outdoor living – perfect for entertaining or as a calming retreat.

Our brand design for works in harmony with the interiors (also by DesignAgency) to express an ethos of exceptional hospitality and relaxed luxury.

The logo’s graceful script is like the handwriting of a stylish friend, while its sans serif type partner brings in a note of art deco and modern flair. A palette anchored by saturated sea blue makes a visual connection to the Mediterranean, whose coastal regions inspire the menu. Graphic flourishes adorning menus echo interior design gestures to communicate a mood of vibrancy, optimism and warmth.
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Our redesign of the third floor at Lightbox in Toronto is getting nods on socials as a great date spot and we couldn’t agree more. Centered around Varda, an intimate café-bar named for the celebrated French filmmaker Agnès Varda, the reimagined third floor is open to the public for pre- and post-screening meetups, with special members programming on Tuesdays. It’s perfect for a drink or coffee à deux.

Our design is inspired by the rich history of international cinema and features saturated jewel-tone hues, plush upholstery and sculptural custom designed seating. A gleaming bar, baby grand piano and marble tables communicate quiet luxury, while views over Toronto’s King Street West connect Varda patrons to the humming Entertainment District. The adjacent corridor features seating clusters, a curated movie poster installation and massive video wall playing immersive atmospheric film clips.

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Thanks to the readers of for voting to include three of our design projects among the Top 10 Best City Hotels in Canada.
1. Carlton Suite at
2. Astor Lounge at
3. Yorkville Suite at

📷: (1&2), (3)

Our Cliffside Condo project hit the real estate market recently, and the sale centre is giving condo shoppers a taste of the inviting interiors we created for this exciting development just east of downtown Toronto. Inspired by the busy neighbourhood and the natural wonder of the nearby Scarborough Bluffs, our design concept features serene hues, bold artistic gestures and a dynamic interplay on contrasting textures. Click through to get a look at what’s to come.

LCH Developments 📷 Niamh Barry (1, 2)

Thrilled to share our just-completed design for ! This multimillion-dollar renovation encompasses all 259 guest rooms including 42 suites, and enhances the luxury experience for guests from around the world.

Our design highlights Toronto’s juxtaposition of urban sophistication and natural beauty. Colours and textures celebrate the surrounding landscape, while furniture designs and surface patterns bring forth the energizing asymmetry found in the natural world. With all furniture designed and fabricated in Canada, and artworks by Canadians and , the interiors create a guest experience with a distinctly regional flair.

Artwork
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4: , , (right)

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Winner! Pleased to share that our Venice Beach project won the International Interior Design Association Southern California Chapter Calibre Award in the Transformation category on Friday.

The project started with a storied 1920s brick building imbued with history and soul, but with a modest footprint that wouldn’t serve current needs. After seismic upgrades and the annexation of an adjacent warehouse, the now-23,000 sq ft interior provides ample space for a variety of work, social and cultural activities. Interiors capture the idea the endless California summer through an earth-bound palette, locally made elements and modernist furnishings.

Congrats to our partners at , , . And thanks to !

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Forever a favourite of our designs! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for covering our design for Abrielle!

This week DesignAgency co-founder Matthew Davis is a featured speaker at the Canadian Hotel Investment Conference. Matt shares his insights into Projects & Concepts Breaking the Mold on Tues. Apr. 9, 9:25am at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

Register here: https://www.hotelinvest.ca/chic2024/Registration
Big Picture Conferences Inc

We’re hiring a Proposal Coordinator in our Toronto Studio! If you’re interested, click on the link below and apply directly on our website! https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/recruitment.html?cid=f69ccc0d-a294-47e4-a42e-86664fee2335&ccId=19000101_000001&jobId=512079&lang=en_CA&source=CC2

Meet Abrielle. Our latest restaurant design project is delighting guests with its romantic flair and delectable coastal Mediterranean fare. Interiors and brand design are a confection of colour and flourish. The bar, with its antiqued mirror, detailed millwork and abundant seating is a see-and-be-seen magnet for craft cocktail lovers. Showstopping scalloped pendant lights turn the heads of passersby on Toronto’s bustling King Street West.

Cocooning banquettes and curvy custom seating welcome patrons inside to linger.

Art plays a starring role throughout, including salon walls of curated works and a hand-painted seascape mural by Tammy Flynn Seybold - Artist

See more photos: https://www.thedesignagency.ca/portfolio-item/abrielle-toronto/

Ascari Hospitality Group The Sutton Place Hotels 📷 Maya Visnyei

Views for days. Congratulations to our partners at Cabot Saint Lucia on the recent opening of the beach experience and stunning Point Hardy Golf Club (pic 3). Now members can enjoy socializing and some Vitamin Sea after (or instead of) a round of golf. Our design for the beach experience is phase one of this exciting project — stay tuned for updates on the full scope.
📷 Photographer Jacob Sjoman Cabot Collection

We're proud to be part of this team! Congrats to our partners.

We're pleased to be designing a restaurant in this remarkable development in Halifax. Stay tuned as we inch closer to opening.

Learn more:

Mister MacKay-Lyons' Neighbourhood Elizabeth Pagliacolo meets up with Nova Scotia architect Brian MacKay-Lyons at the places that he has had a continuous role in evolving.

Some guiding wisdom for tonight’s festivities…and perhaps for 2024. Happy New Year! 🪩
The karaoke space at at .
📷 Anthony Mair.

Thanks to our clients, collaborators and community for making 2023 extraordinary. Bolstered by your support we're pleased to share that we've made a contribution to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) to help fund the vital work its dedicated staff do in regions around the globe experiencing conflict, natural disasters, pandemics or other health crises.

We hope the upcoming holidays offer you a chance for quietude and an energy reset. Wishing you health and happiness for the year ahead.

Hurray! Our interior design for NeueHouse won an Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Award for Co-working Office! We’re pleased to celebrate along with our partners on the project: Loescher Meachem Architects BLVD Hospitality and Bold Lighting 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 . Thanks so much to the editors, and in particular editor in chief, Cindy Allen, for the honour. Special thanks to Yoshihiro Makino for capturing beautiful images.

See more of NeueHouse Venice Beach: https://www.thedesignagency.ca/portfolio-item/neuehouse-venice-beach-california/

Nice to see 4 of our hotel designs — The Drake Hotel, The Broadview Hotel, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts Toronto and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Toronto — make this list!

14 Best Hotels in Toronto From historic grand dames to to art-focused newcomers.

So pleased to see our latest restaurant design project Abrielle featured on Citytv Breakfast Television this week.

Ascari Hospitality

This new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant is living up to the luxe coastal vibe – Breakfast Television

Recently we had the honour of presenting the first DesignAgency Good Design Is Good Business Award at The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University. DA founders Allen Chan, Anwar Mekhayech and Matt Davis established the award this year to mark the studio's 25th anniversary and to recognize a graduating student at the School of Interior Design with a strong understanding of the principle Good design is good business — central to DesignAgency's practice since its inception. Anwar (far left in photos) and Matt, were pleased to present Emma Penka with the award in its first year.

We're so impressed with Emma's work and her clear articulation of the transformative power of design and its role in business success. We hope the award will help support Emma's pursuit of her post-graduate studies.

Congratulations Emma! And thanks to TMU for fostering such exemplary design talent.

Our NeueHouse project is a finalist in the Interior Design Magazine Best of Year Awards being handed out this week — 🤞🤞. We're pleased to share a tour of this exciting project. Our design concept for the members club is inspired by the notion of an endless summer and Southern California's status as an epicentre of modernism and craft.

At the reception area, hand-folded pendants made by The California Workshop have an ethereal sculptural quality. The elevator enclosure is clad in Dimensional Oval tile handmade by Heath Ceramics.
Throughout, spaces are mostly open and free form. A sun-drenched lounge, shared desking and focused work zones effortlessly weave with meeting rooms, an art gallery, second floor fireplace lounge and Reunion By NeueHouse, an inviting restaurant and bar with expansive terrace.
Architects: Loescher Meachem Architects
Art curation: Caroline Brennan/Silent Volume & Pamela Auchincloss/Eleven+
Art: Portrait of Taco Guillen by Shizu Saldamando
📷: Yoshihiro Makino Lighting: Bold LLC BLVD Hospitality

Plan your escape. Our design for in Quebec's Laurentians region epitomizes modern minimalism. It's the perfect serene environment to unplug without distraction and enjoy a sleep-in, a long soak, some binge-watching, a great book and a roaring fire after some invigorating outdoor activities.

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Next level. This staircase we custom designed for a recent penthouse project at the stunning One Bloor building is like a sinuous sculpture slicing through the centre of the suite. It makes a show-stopping first impression and transforms the act of ascending and descending into a main character experience for our clients.

📷 Alex Lukey Photography Great Gulf

Happy Biggest Weekend of Football to those who celebrate! Catch the wall-to-wall action (literally) at these 3 DesignAgency projects. But seriously, we wish all our American friends a restful and restorative holiday!

1. at Las Vegas
2. OverTime Sports Lounge at Niagara Falls, Ont.
3. , Toronto

📷: Anthony Mair (1)

Great news! Our Venice Beach interior design project is a finalist for the Best of Year Awards in the co-working category. Big thanks to the judges and to our collaborators: & art curators Caroline Brennan/Silent Volume & Pamela Auchincloss/Eleven+

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Now open! OverTime Sports Lounge just opened at and we're pleased to share our design concepts for both the interiors and branding at this exciting venue in Niagara Falls, Ont. With 260 seats, an 80-foot bar, and massive screens, OverTime delivers an elevated sports bar experience for devoted fans.

Contemporary seating options at booths and tables offer fully upholstered comfort so fans can settle in for the whole game and extra innings, or, well, overtime. Every seat enjoys a top tier viewing experience. A grid pattern inspired by goal netting adorns walls, ceilings and brand elements to tie the whole experience together.
Brand graphics and fonts are bold and easy to read, referencing both emblems of eras past and sports section headlines. The palette eschews saturated team colours in favour of a sophisticated muted mix with sepia leanings.

Keep following for photos coming soon! Or better yet — go check it out in person.

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Big news! We’ve established a student award at the School of Interior Design. The $5,000 Good Design is Good Business Award will be given to a graduating candidate with a strong understanding of the role design plays in business success.

“We are proud to make this commitment to TMU as a progressive and cosmopolitan university, and as a way of honouring our staff, many of whom were educated at TMU,” says DesignAgency founding partner Anwar Mekhayech.

Eligible students can apply for the award through TMU's AwardSpring portal (link in our bio). Deadline for entry is Oct. 30. Recipient announced Nov. 14.