Decorating & Design
Collective Studio Designs A Kitchen And Dining Room Around Tradition And Entertaining
Updated on December 14, 2023
For Lauren and Aaron, a young couple with twin boys, family and tradition are everything. When they bought their forever home in Toronto’s Lawrence Park neighborhood, the first dilemma was figuring out how to host large dinners, Jewish holidays and Shabbat meals — in a dining room that could barely fit eight people. Designers Alana Firestone and Jordy Fagan of Collective Studio swooped in to renovate their home, including an entertaining zone that included a large dining room, bar area and dramatic kitchen.
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A vibrant portrait adds a hit of color in the dining room. The work is from a series depicting the muses in Picasso’s life.
House & Home: What was the overall goal for this renovation?
Alana Firestone: Eventually, our clients want to take over from their parents in hosting holidays. It’s not something people in their 30s usually think about. We needed to reconfigure the floor plan to make the main floor a functional entertaining space.
Jordy Fagan: They didn’t want the decorating to feel stuffy, formal or pretentious, which can often be the case with big, elegant dining rooms in grand homes. They wanted to keep the style fresh, casual and cool.
Lauren pours wine before Shabbat dinner guests arrive.
H&H: Your renovated dining room seats 16! What’s a typical Friday night like for you?
Lauren: We celebrate Shabbat dinner with extended family. Before sundown, my mother and I light the Shabbat candles and my father says the blessing over the challah with the help of our kids. The most important part is that everyone is together.
Aaron: The Shabbat candleholder was Lauren’s grandmother’s, who passed away before we got engaged. Our traditions are important to us — we’re both in touch with our heritage and that is reflected in this house.
Lauren with her parents, Philip and Sandy. Lauren’s mother says the blessing on the Shabbat candles.
Mobile-inspired pendants add a sense of movement above the 16-foot-long dining table.
H&H: What was the most important element for the dining room?
Jordy: The dining table. It’s a custom white oak exaggerated dovetail design, with a gorgeous scalloped base.
Aaron: It was important to us that everyone could sit together at one dining table and enjoy each other’s company.
Oversized art in the dining room energizes without overwhelming.
A wall of custom-made windows acts as an interior divider between the kitchen and dining room.
H&H: How did you reconfigure the space?
Alana: The new dining room used to be a long formal living room. We kept the original fireplace for mood but clad it in a Caesarstone surround with painted MDF panelling above, making it a focal point.
The kitchen’s Laminam Arabescato backsplash adds dimension. “The double island makes so much sense to me,” says Alana of the layout. “Food prep doesn’t conflict with the dishes and the sink.”
H&H: Tell us about those islands!
Jordy: They were very intentional. One feels like a piece of furniture and the other houses two dishwashers and is topped with soapstone. It also has an exaggerated toekick because we wanted it to be a gathering spot.
Aaron: We thought a lot about where people would congregate. When we host, we like to put out snacks and charcuterie on the islands, and everyone helps themselves.
Lauren: And I didn’t want to have a house where I was alone in the kitchen while everyone else was in a formal living area. With the islands, it’s easier to mingle while I’m cooking.
A furniture-like island is perfect for a snack and conversation. Double wall ovens and a large, integrated fridge are hardworking elements.
H&H: How did you choose the color scheme and materials for these spaces?
Alana: Everything is neutral and calming, which is Lauren’s style. We wanted to incorporate muted colours, so nothing is bright white.
Jordy: And Aaron’s style is more mid-century, so the light fixtures are modern and very unexpected, given the more traditional tone of the house.
H&H: Any kid-friendly design choices?
Lauren: I like to avoid sharp edges when possible; it feels warmer and safer for our kids. The rounded corners on the island, dining table and banquette make a big difference for us.
Alana: We were thoughtful about fabrics and furniture; we didn’t want the kids to feel like they were in a museum. All the fabrics are treated with stain guard.
Aaron: We also placed a premium on hidden storage and functionality. We wanted our kids to be able to access their things easily but also keep valuable or delicate items out of sight.
Lauren: I think back to some of the other choices we’ve made in the house, like soundproofing the main floor ceiling under our kids’ bedrooms so they’re not disturbed when we have company over. Every decision circles back to creating a comfortable space for family.
A run of cabinets and drawers maximizes storage.
The family’s Judaica on the buffet. From left: An heirloom Shabbat candleholder, a challah cover and Kiddush cups. The challah cover was painted by one of their sons at Jewish day school.
The couple’s twin boys are seated with Aaron’s mother, Francine, on the banquette.
Aaron and his father, Marty, in the family room. “When you’re on the banquette near the window, you feel like you’re eating outside.”
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Niamh Barry
Art curation throughout by Jessica Herzig Art Advisory
House & Home
Collective Studio