Decorating & Design
Hot Take: Architect Omar Gandhi Shares One Thing Every Room Needs
Updated on January 8, 2024
Award-winning architect Omar Gandhi is known for creating spaces that highlight the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Here, he shares his latest design preferences and predictions. Scroll down!
With studios in Halifax and Toronto, Omar Gandhi is currently at work on the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (a new-build with KPMB Architects) and designing a new library for the City of Edmonton.
The feeling you like to create in your projects: One of storytelling.
One thing every room needs: An idea. When we think about a space, we need to consider how things like sound, light and material texture make it unique.
If you could buy only one more thing for your home: A bowl set designed by Oji Masanori from Mjölk in Toronto.
On your coffee table: An old baseball I pick up every time I’m in the living room.
Material you’re excited to use: I love stainless steel and want to push the limits of how it can be used in a space.
The Rabbit Snare Gorge cabin in Inverness, N.S., has a gabled tower made with traditional local wood cladding that offers two viewing platforms looking to Cape Breton’s coastline.
Design Motto: There are no “B” projects. We treat every project as if it is our most important.
Latest Inspiration: Barcelona. The city’s history combined with the seaside landscape and great food culture makes it truly special.
One of Omar’s recent projects is celebrity chef Matty Matheson’s new Toronto restaurant, Prime Seafood Palace. The design was inspired by the chef’s East Coast roots and his admiration for Japanese and Scandinavian architecture.
Into: Skylights and natural light from above.
Over: Gas fireplaces. Wood, all the way.
What you’re committed to: Community projects. We’re working on a home renovation for some of Halifax’s African Nova Scotian transient community and a housing development for the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
House & Home October 2022