Creatives in Canada: Soho House in Toronto - Remodelista
For the past 20 years, Nick Jones of Soho House has been establishing private clubhouses around the world for an elite community of creatives (think film, media, and design-industry heavyweights.) With three floors (plus a rooftop) of lounge areas, bars, and dining areas, there are plenty of places to get comfortable. Soho House always works with local designers and architects when setting up in a new city. To give his project a Toronto-specific look, Jones recruited interior design firm The Design Agency, who restored the building’s Georgian Colonial detailing and gave it a timeless, clubby look. Located on the first level, the Club Floor has warm wood paneling at wainscot height that echoes the coffered ceiling pattern. A leather-covered Chesterfield sofa and pair of tufted wing chairs surround the Club Floor fireplace. Go to 10 Easy Pieces: the Wingback is Back for armchair ideas. A corner is devoted to bookworms. In the open kitchen of the Club Restaurant, subway tiles and various unfinished woods create an informal atmosphere. With stools around an island, the bar has a homey kitchen feel. The designers artfully preserved remnants of the original space: a new ceiling frames old tin tiles, and on the floor, black and white tiles meet up with the existing floorboards. The Club Restaurant has brick walls and leather-covered booths. The top floor hosts the Pretzel Bell Bar, which is named after the building’s original tavern. A stone fireplace is paired with rustic wood paneling that ends in a shelf just before the ceiling. Set into a corner of the mid-19th century building, the entrance to Soho House is framed by Georgian Colonial columns, pilasters, and an entablature.