With a dramatic black and white palette, Tomas Pearce interior design’s new 6,000 sq. ft. office space in the heart of Toronto’s Castlefield Design District creates a bold and sophisticated statement.
After outgrowing their previous office, Tomas Pearce began the task of designing this space as the ultimate new home for their work life. Starting from a blank open-concept warehouse that formerly housed antiques, the design firm was challenged to create a concept that could be spatially divided to house private and shared workspaces, common areas for lounging and lunching, meeting rooms, a space that could fit their entire samples catalog, and of course, room to host clients and parties.
While solving a unique design challenge: marrying the two principal partner’s differing design sensibilities, and creating a setting that is appealing to the firm’s multiple client bases, Tomas Pearce’s new office space, designed by the firm itself, strikes a unique balance.
What first strikes you is not the glossy white reception desk that appears to float within the air, but a series of archways that creates an almost ceremonial or dream-like pathway throughout the entire space.
Leading into a black and white design ‘altar,’ the heart of the studio features a massive black marble table which was fabricated to achieve its unique angular shape. The table was designed to promote collaboration and connectivity: almost 20 designers gather around it as a central workspace, where they create the bold and sophisticated residential and commercial spaces Tomas Pearce is known for.
When was the project completed?
2018
How much space?
6,000 RSF
Was this new or renovated space?
This is a new space for Tomas Pearce. It was renovated from an open concept warehouse that formerly housed antiques.
SF per person?
375 PSF per person
How many employees?
16
What is the average daily population?
13-20
Is there a mobile work or work from home policy? If so, what percent of employees are remote workers?
Yes – if there is inclement weather.
Describe workspace types.
Open space with common areas for lounging and lunching, meeting rooms, a space that could fit their entire samples catalog, and of course, room to host clients and parties.
What kind of meeting spaces are provided?
The heart of the studio features a massive black marble table which was fabricated to achieve its unique angular shape. The table was designed to promote collaboration and connectivity: almost 20 designers gather around it as a central workspace, where they create the bold and sophisticated residential and commercial spaces Tomas Pearce is known for.
With sleek lines, lighting and an on-trend palette, the master boardroom is a true marriage of the traditional and contemporary styles of the principal partners. A custom marble boardroom table highlights material often used by the firm in luxury residences and provides an opportunity for clients to reach out and touch materials that they could incorporate into their own home designs. Beautiful plaster moldings offset the windows and custom draperies, while a high-tech environment creates the ideal setting for meeting with the firm’s corporate clients.
Has the project achieved any special certifications?
Technically no, but the project is 100% sustainably conscious, especially when it comes to the space’s carbon footprint. It was built to LEED standard, including the lighting. The office also has a ‘paper-free’ policy – employees are encouraged to go digital with everything from client proposals to supply catalogs.
What are the projects location and proximity to public transportation and/or other amenities?
The office is located in the Castlefield Design District of Toronto – a haven for interior designers, architects and consumers looking for fantastic home décor, furniture, and other luxury lifestyle needs.
The new office space is within a 10-minute walk from public transportation at Dufferin/Castlefield.
Was the “C” Suite involved in the project planning and design process? If so, how?
Yes, both co-founders of Tomas Pearce (President & CEO) were involved in the planning and design process of their new office space.
What kind of programming or visioning activities were used?
As an office full of interior designers by trade, the staff was heavily involved in designing Tomas Pearce’s new work-life space! Staffers were notified about 2 years prior to the actual move and were deeply involved in both the layout and design of the new space.
Were any pre-planning surveys conducted to get employee input?
Yes, many staff think tanks were held, and many team members had hands-on involvement in the planning and design of the new office. We wanted to know how our team worked, and what they needed in a new space to continue to be creative and feel heard!
Were any change management initiatives employed?
None formal, however, employees were notified about 2 years before we made the move to the new space, so they were informed well in advance.
Please describe any program requirements that were unique or required any special research or design requirements.
Everything in our new office space is unique or custom-made – from the floating reception desk to the custom fabricated marble task desk in the main studio space, to the custom crown moldings and marble table in the main boardroom!
Was there any emphasis or requirements on programming for health and wellbeing initiatives for employees?
Our philosophy as a business is focused on incorporating elements of mindfulness and wellbeing into our culture and workplace. We regularly host seminars, talks, and workshops, on topics like how best to de-stress, how to learn to do yoga and meditate, and tips and tricks to improve our overall mental health. All aspects of health and wellness are important to us!
Were there any special or unusual construction materials or techniques employed in the project?
Lighting: Green Image Tech and Eurofase supplied through Init Lighting
Countertops: Cosentino, Silestone, and Dekton Surfaces
Hand Crafted Plaster Boardroom Mouldings: Bond Design Build Inc.
Boardroom Table: Hand fabricated, New Age Granite and Marble
Custom Ombre Bathroom Mirrors: Vast Interiors
Woman’s Bathroom Floors: Waterjet cut mother of pearl and marble floors, Stone Tile
What products or service solutions are making the biggest impact in your space?
We love our coffee…does our new Wolf gourmet coffee system count?
In all seriousness, I think the entirety of the new office space design has made a major impact. If I had to pick and choose, I would say the new studio space, which we’ve dubbed as our ‘design altar’ where we have a massive marble worktable so we can collaborate more openly, and the very unique boardroom space we’ve created. It was a challenge for us to create a boardroom that would be luxe and welcoming enough to host our luxury residential clients, while corporate enough to feel familiar to C-suite developers, and I think we really achieved balance here.
What kind of branding elements were incorporated into the design?
From the front entryway to the powder room and lounge spaces, our new office space truly encompasses the Tomas Pearce design philosophy and brand.
Our space had to marry our two-founding partner’s differing design sensibilities, as CEO Tania Richardson favors the traditional, while President Melandro Quilitan prefers a modern and opulent look.
Designed in all black and white, the space ultimately speaks to our united love of clean lines and timeless elegance through the choice of unique materials, architectural elements, contemporary lighting, and unexpected moments.
What is the most unique feature of the new space?
There are many, but if I had to choose just one: the 9 staggered archways, inspired by the architectural details of French chateaus viewed on a recent trip to the Loire Valley, that form an optical illusion in our main entryway that leads into the black and white design studio space.
The archways are inspired by European design, but cleaned up in a highly contemporary fashion that reflects the Tomas Pearce style. They also create circulation between office, meeting and amenity spaces.
If the company relocated to a new space, what was the most difficult aspect of the change for the employees?
We had outgrown our old space, so everyone was very excited to be moving into our new space! We were looking forward to moving into the heart of our city’s design district, and getting into a new space that we had completely designed to suit our style, our clients, and us.
Were there post-occupancy surveys?
Yes! We are constantly evolving the space post-occupancy – people work in very unique and individual ways, spanning from how they collaborate, to the spaces they feel most creative in, and even ergonomically, so it is important to us that we keep pace with our employees wants and needs within the space.
Tell us more!
Designers: Tomas Pearce
Lighting: Green Image Tech and Eurofase supplied through Init Lighting
Plumbing Fixtures: Canaroma Bath & Tile
Door Hardware: Taymor
Kitchen: Irpinia Kitchens
Countertops: Cosentino, Silestone and Dekton Surfaces
Curtains: Kingwood Drapery Services Ltd.
Blinds: Sun-Bright Drapery
Hand Crafted Plaster Boardroom Mouldings: Bond Design Build Inc.
Boardroom Doors: SoSi Designs
Boardroom Table: New Age Granite and Marble
Window Vynal Signage: Elevator Signs
Dining Room Table Top Slab: Ciot
Millwork Throughout Office: Irpinia, Emanuele Furniture Design, Top Notch Cabinets Inc, Vanico Maronyx, Agostini’s Designs
General Contractor: Richview Design Build
Uniform Countertops Inc.
Koehler
Kitchen Appliances: Sub-Zero Wolf
Custom Bathroom Mirrors: Vast Interiors
Woman’s Bathroom Floors: Stone Tile
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