City Homes
Inside A Modern House Decorated With Curvy Furniture, Statement Lighting And Cool Art
Published on March 5, 2025
The shift toward artisanal personal and textural interiors offers great character and sensual appeal. Case in point: this family home in Toronto’s High Park neighbourhood designed by Clare Forndran and Danielle De Francesco of Forward Interiors. “Our clients craved something that felt elevated and unique — something they hadn’t seen anywhere else,” says Danielle. Danielle and Clare formed Forward Interiors in 2022. The homeowners hired them the following year to refresh their 4,000-square-foot home, and they quickly got to work. The designers revamped the entry, powder room, lower-level rec room, principal bedroom and ensuite, as well as sourcing new furniture throughout.
Step inside this fun and modern house designed by Forward Interiors!
The existing herringbone floor was a happy holdover from the home’s previously very modern aesthetic, and the designers accented it in the foyer with a bank of oak built-ins to replace flimsy mirrored closets.
The clients, who have four young children, wanted layered, highly curated interiors with rich colours that would provoke conversation. That translated into custom furniture, statement lighting and original art. “With the combination of these elements, we were able to create something truly one of a kind,” says Clare. In the living room, seating upholstered in plush fabric is grouped around an oversized lacquered wood coffee table.
The original mantel in the living room was left untouched; it grounds the new curvy furniture with its detailed, stepped-profile moulding. A photo of the Masand chaise by Mario Milana had been on Clare’s phone for five years. “It has a dynamic design,” she says. “You pop it up as a seat or flatten it into a bench.”
The artist’s hand can also be seen throughout in the subtle imperfections of pieces, such as the rough edges of the powder room mirror, which picks up the tones of the Emperador Light marble counter.
Designers Clare Forndran (left) and Danielle De Francesco.
“We did enough in the house that it felt like we were able to create a cohesive story,” says Clare. “With young kids, it was important that nothing felt too precious, but we still wanted it to feel special.”
The designers leaned in to their clients’ love of art, sourcing works by artists in Italy, California, New York, Quebec and Toronto. “We keep a log of things we see and admire and then try to find a place for them in the homes we design,” says Danielle.
Another standout moment is the freestanding custom dining room banquette, which wraps around a Corian and oak table. “The formal dining room is where they dine as a family, so we wanted it to be beautiful and elevated for entertaining but durable for the kids,” says Danielle. The banquette is upholstered in vinyl, so juice box spills and spaghetti sauce practically bounce off, and the kids can easily slide in and sit together. Having a banquette also means less clutter. “You aren’t contemplating a jungle of chair legs,” says Clare with a laugh.
In the lower-level rec room, a custom seven-foot-deep sofa accommodates everyone. Angled shelves in the niche allow for novel book display.
In the principal bedroom, the mood is serene with a wavy headboard that’s contrasted with a handmade textured wall covering applied in individual sheets. “We wanted the bed to be simple but playful; the subtle wave makes it feel special without it dominating the room,” says Danielle. The effect is so tactile you’ll want to reach out and touch everything. “Even though the bedroom is tone-on-tone, it has so much depth,” says Clare.
The original firebox in the principal bedroom was lowered and given a sleek new mantel. A beverage fridge is tucked within the cabinet next to the fireplace.
To shake up the ensuite shower, the designers used tumbled marble tile in a unique pattern.
A paint treatment helps disguise an awkward ceiling angle in a boy’s room while the large, two-toned pendant adds drama.
Lauren Miller
House & Home
Clare Forndran and Danielle de Francesco