By Nicole Di Tomasso
Starting a business with close friends can be a risky endeavor, but Allen Chan, Anwar Mekhayech, and Matt Davis have proven it can also be a highly successful one with the launch of Toronto-based DesignAgency in 1998. With studios in Toronto, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Barcelona, DesignAgency — Hotelier’s Supplier of the Year — has developed a global reputation for creating extraordinary environments across the hospitality, residential, commercial and retail sectors.
“We founded the company in 1998 and were already good friends. Allen and Matt met at [university] and Matt worked at my family’s restaurant during his thesis year,” says Mekhayech. “We had been talking about launching a design studio together when I was offered the opportunity to open and run a bistro called SpaHa — that was the catalyst for us.”
SpaHa was located on the ground floor of the University of Toronto’s Graduate House (a grad-student residence) at the corner of Spadina Avenue and Harbord Street, which inspired the name of the restaurant.
“Our original company name was Precipice Studios, and our design for SpaHa earned both local and international attention,” says Davis. “From there, we just jumped into the business.”
“From the beginning, we envisioned a design studio that functioned at the crossroads of various disciplines. We were inspired in part by some of the prolific creative studios of the past including the Eames Office,” says Chan. “Our academic backgrounds are landscape architecture (Davis), architecture (Chan) and engineering (Mekhayech), but our passions have always stretched much further, including travel, food, art, graphic design, branding, industrial design, and music. Our idea was to leverage our passions to create unexpected, fun, and inviting environments for clients, friends, and ourselves.”
Early projects, such as The Broadview Hotel in Toronto, helped put DesignAgency on the map, blending the founders’ passions into a space that re-defined the city’s boutique-hotel scene.
“Our first upscale boutique hotel was The Broadview Hotel, which was also the first boutique hotel of its kind in Toronto’s east end,” says Davis. “DesignAgency collaborated with Streetcar and Dream on the design, and the building’s structure and façade was restored by ERA Architects. We created interiors that express the heritage of Riverside as well as the building’s own history as Jilly’s strip club, a tavern, and a Victorian rooming house.”
Since then, the studio has rapidly expanded its portfolio with projects that span continents, demonstrating its ability to seamlessly adapt to different cultures, styles, and environments.
In the last year alone, the studio has revealed several milestone projects in Toronto in collaboration with some of the most prestigious names in the hospitality industry.
“Earlier this year, we announced DesignAgency is the interior design partner for Freed Hotel and Residences, the landmark Toronto project currently in development from Freed Developments with Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture,” says Mekhayech. “We’re creating identity-defining interiors for the 63-storey skyscraper’s residential and hotel suites, as well as a collection of public spaces. The project will open Canada’s first location of Katsuya from SBE Restaurant Group and will be home to Japanese artist Takashi Murakami’s Together with the Flower Parent and Child sculpture, which will take up permanent residence in the lobby.”
“[We also] unveiled a fully re-imagined lobby concept at Hilton Toronto earlier this year,” says Davis. “Frenchy Bar and Brasserie is the centrepiece of the re-vamped arrival experience, which also encompasses improved wayfinding, check-in, structural upgrades, retail and more.”
The project at Hilton Toronto began with strategic upgrades to the lobby’s structure. The design team lightened and illuminated the building’s rigid pre-cast concrete walls and ceiling to soften the ambiance. They also removed a bulky central staircase, opening sightlines for an airier feeling and improving the flow between entrances and amenities. In the check-in area, a series of smaller desks replaced the traditional single long counter, allowing for attentive one-to-one service and better spacing when groups arrive.
Frenchy’s oval-shaped bar shifts from coffee to cocktails. Lounge and dining areas feature deep banquettes and armchairs, providing a range of seating options. A mural and botanical light fixtures offer memorable visuals. Lined with lacquered cabinets showcasing Frenchy’s wine library, the private dining-room offers a setting for meetings, tastings and special occasions. Its palette of deep red, modern floral upholstery, warm woods and polished stones uplifts the space with renewed sophistication.
This year, the studio “also completed the full re-design of all the guestrooms and suites at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto flagship location,” says Chan. “Like The Drake Hotel, for which we designed the interiors of the new Modern Wing, Four Seasons is a homegrown company like ours, which made the partnership especially meaningful.”
Chan continues, “We’re also in the process of designing the Andaz Toronto. The property will occupy 12 floors within The One tower designed by Pritzker prize-winning architects Foster + Partners with Ontario-based Core Architects. [Our studio] is designing the hotel’s guestrooms and suites, as well as the lobby and reception, multiple food-and-beverage spaces, event-and-conference spaces, an all-seasons outdoor pool, and other luxury amenities.”
In an industry as dynamic as hospitality, the studio’s expertise in blending modern technology with timeless design elements ensures that its projects remain relevant for years to come.
“DesignAgency counts a drive to innovate among its core values and is constantly researching and testing new approaches, products and technologies,” says Chan. “Recently, the firm has been increasing its use of Revit and exploring the use of AI applications. These innovative techniques allow for cost-effective testing of new concepts and enhance the quality of visualizations, improving our communications with all project stakeholders.”
The studio’s success has led to widespread recognition, fuelling its strong reputation, attracting new opportunities and fostering continued growth. In fact, DesignAgency has been included among Interior Design magazine’s Top 100 Giants of Design for 2023 and 2024. Rankings are determined according to design fees, FFC value and number of designers on staff. From 2023 to 2024, DesignAgency’s ranking moved up nine positions, representing significant growth according to these criteria.
One of the hallmarks of the studio’s success is its collaborative philosophy. The team understands that great design doesn’t happen in isolation. From start to finish, the studio embraces collaboration with not only its own team but also with clients, contractors, artists and other designers. This process has allowed the studio to innovate while still adhering to the distinct personality of each project.
“We pay great attention to the business goals and operational realities for every aspect of a project and apply those insights to craft extraordinary guest experiences in memorable, immersive environments,” says Davis. “As a result, our role as interior designer is more significant in the business model. We’ve moved from consultant to creative lead. We’re involved in the early business concepting stage, which affects focus and budgeting. We work side by side with ownership groups throughout the entire journey, looking at how to integrate an experience across all these different levels. One such client is Motto by Hilton. The new affordable lifestyle brand was conceived in collaboration with DesignAgency and empowers guests to create their own experience with customizable rooms in sought-after downtown destinations around the globe. With every project, DesignAgency’s approach is about setting the overall tone and using design to enhance the guest experience.”
Furthermore, DesignAgency has established a strong community presence, positioning itself as a trusted and co-operative entity. In 2023, DesignAgency launched the Good Design Is Good Business Award at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Interior Design. The award coincided with the studio’s 25th anniversary and reflects the values and vision that have shaped DesignAgency since its inception. The initiative grants $5,000 to a graduating student at the school who demonstrates an innate understanding, and keen interest in, the integral relationship between good design and business acumen. The award will be ongoing for five years for a total commitment of $25,000.
DesignAgency also supports the Design Research Internship Program, a six-week learning course with the University of Toronto’s Daniels School of Architecture. The program was created to bridge academic knowledge with professional practice, offering undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies (BAAS) the opportunity to apply critical research to focused work within a local firm and, in turn, expose design practitioners to current academic learnings. DesignAgency is the first interior design firm to participate (all others are architecture practices).
In January 2024, DesignAgency hosted more than 30 students pursuing an Interior Design degree at Fanshaw College in London, Ont. Students participated in a studio tour and seminars that shared practical insights into the firm’s business and process, as well as expert knowledge about the design industry.
Beyond ongoing partnerships with educational institutions, DesignAgency makes an annual donation to a worthy cause during the holidays. In 2023, the firm raised $10,000 for Doctors Without Borders.
Additionally, CANstruction is an international initiative involving teams of architects and designers who create installations made from canned food items with the goal of raising money, food, and awareness for food insecurity. In May 2023, six DesignAgency staff members joined as a team to design and build 14-foot-high mittens out of cans of pea soup and hummus. In addition to contributing its design expertise, DesignAgency donated more than 5,000 cans of food; the total number of food cans for the whole event was 57,000.
In the competitive world of hospitality design, DesignAgency has emerged as an innovative leader. Guests often choose hotels and restaurants based on the ambiance and feeling they evoke, and DesignAgency has mastered the art of curating those emotional connections.
“Our goal for DesignAgency is the same now as it was when we set-up the studio: to create a fun, cool and experienced studio that can offer a variety of styles and be a valuable partner to diverse clients,” says Davis. “We’ll always love to take on projects that involve re-invention and throwing the status quo out the window.”
