This weekend known as Simcoe Day in Toronto – and a whole host of other names throughout this great country – to me is the one where everyone seems to be away at the cottage. When I first moved here I used to wonder if there was only the one! 

I however love being in the city this weekend – it seems a waste to be away and to miss the quieter streets and the gentler pacing. I love a good putter, to dine on a patio, catch up with friends and a long weekend in the city gives me that.

The streets may be quieter but our inboxes are not, I applaud organized people and lots seems to be planning for future design projects that we love to be considered for. Thank you to all our new subscribers who have also signed up for our newsletter.

I am working on a Q&A page for our website, as I think this would be really helpful for people to assist in defining scope and understanding what we specifically do. 

Our Process Guides

We do have two download-able guides on our website – one for Renovations & New Builds and one for Decoration & Light Construction. 

These (at a high level) allow potential clients to see what we do and how we do it from project start to finish. I’m big on flow and process as the framework allows us maximum creativity whilst keeping us structured. Its all about expansion – the input and developing of ideas and then the contraction as the funnel narrows and final decisions are made. 

We very much put the human first in all the decisions, as its humans and their four-legged friends living in the space after we’ve gone. 

Last month I wrote about part of my summer holiday’s – the first part that coincided with 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen and then we had some lovely down time in Stockholm. 

Then it was onto Edinburgh and London for pleasure and work (which was hard to call work as I loved every immersive moment). 

Edinburgh

Seeing your home town through the lens of a visitor is very special especially when you like the view. 

I feel Edinburgh is having a moment – a moment that is hopefully here to stay. Scottish craft in my day was a shortbread tin and some tartan. You didn’t really want to wear or own anything that spoke to your heritage as it frequently felt not flattering, itchy and / or designed more for tourists than those who call Scotland home. 

Well things are changing and they are changing for the better and I couldn’t be prouder. I go home every year but this year it seemed like we were really putting our best version of ourselves forward. 

I am updating my guide to my home town and I’ll share to all subscribers as soon as its done! If you want to be on the immediate release list, please let me know. 

London Calling

London was the final leg in our summer design odyssey. A trip to London is never a bad idea and this trip was lovely even though it coincided with a massive heat wave and left me at times questioning my life decisions. 

One of the reasons for visiting was that I was able for the first time to attend WOW House at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre. 

WOW House is a designer show house and its built every year from scratch in the design centre. Designers have a very tight time frame to get all installed – I liken show homes to the hunger games. I took part in one once and vowed never again. Its insane, so now I just go and look with the knowledge of how tough it is to get all over the finish line when everyone around you is also competing for spots at the loading bay and entry times.

Many spaces harnessed the power of lighting companies such as Lutron to create amazing lighting scenes that made you feel like there was an abundance of natural light where there was none. 

Show homes have the power to draw you in and create a reaction – good or bad – it still creates a gut feeling and some of the rooms as the first image shows were more theatrical, more hospitality inspired,  whereas others were something you were more likely to want to live with. I adored the patchwork carpet in the room above that was actually several carpets stitched together. It created a lovely organic grounding for what was quite a serious space. 

I also visited multiple showrooms in the design centre and came back with lots of new samples for our studio fabric and wallpaper bins.

A Trip to Brighton

On our final day we went on the train to Brighton to visit the studio of Imogen Heath. 

I’ve been a bit of a fan girl of Imogen’s work and we have specified her fabrics and wallpapers on several projects but I had never met her before. Memo Studio connected us via email and the trip was booked. 

It was the hottest day on earth or so it felt as we got out of the train, but it was so worth it. We had an immediate connection, chatted up a storm in the studio, swapped thoughts over artists and the often challenging days of being an entrepreneur and then we went for lunch via one of the funniest Uber rides I have ever had in my life.

August looks to be busy – at least three new projects starting, one demo beginning, one excitedly awaited installation scheduled and a couple of projects nearing a close and a photo shoots in the works to be scheduled. 

Have a wonderful August xo

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images from our Lawrence Park renovation project taken by Virginia Macdonald.

Everything else was my me apart from the last one which was taken by my person in the garden room at Ett Hem where we had such a fun dinner with travellers from Japan and Australia. 

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.

The post Summer Cadence appeared first on Interior Design Toronto | Gillian Gillies Interiors.

June was a much needed and really grounding month for me and it  also gave me the opportunity to travel to some of my favourite cities. My summer vacation this year was sandwiched between two very lovely design shows in Copenhagen and London and in between I travelled to Stockholm (I have a lot of Swede in my DNA and it does truly feel like home, I was probably a Viking at some point!) and my home home Edinburgh.

But now I am home, back in Toronto for the rest of the summer and my thoughts have turned to summer living at home. 

There is an ease to summer living, sometimes enforced by the heat but I also think we eat simpler foods in the summer, cook outdoors, wear simpler clothing, embrace the light and so life at home shifts as we spend more time outdoors.

We often think of escape as somewhere to travel to, but thoughtfully designed homes can offer the same sense of escape from the outside world if designed for your needs. And truthfully their is no place like home, especially when you love your home. 

The Quiet Luxury of Summer Living at Home

In Toronto, the city I have called home for 24 years, we have two very distinctive seasons – winter and summer and sometimes we also get spring and fall, actually we always get fall but sometimes it can feel like spring is just a passing thought in the calendar.

Designing in a climate of extremes has to be considered regardless of the time of year the design is installed and this is something I am always mindful of. There are certain rooms with large fireplaces that take on a whole new level in the colder months, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t also be a welcoming retreat in the summer. 

Balancing the quality of day / sunlight in a home is critical to ensuring all year round enjoyment and to me natural light in your home is as important as the air we breathe. 

Here are a few things to consider – 

Sunlight (strong summer sun) will age your furnishings like it does our own skin. We are always mindful of where pieces will be placed and how much sunlight they will receive. 

A double layer of window coverings is really helpful in a sunny south facing room. This could be a black out blind paired with semi-sheer draperies or a semi sheer blind paired with black out draperies for example. Having the mix of the two weights will allow you to filter in the quantity and quality of light you want. 

For materials, the layer closest to the window should be the most durable, we frequently use sheers with a polyester blend to ensure they can withstand the sun. A 100% linen sheer will start to break apart in a south facing window.

In terms of upholstery an indoor outdoor fabric is really good to use on a window seat or on anything directly in the suns rays. So many  now are woven to have a soft hand and texture, gone are the days of  these fabrics feeling hard and crunchy to the touch. 

When it comes to sleeping – and this to me is a year round plea – only use 100% natural (cotton or linen), breathable textiles. When temps soar our sleep is affected and having sheets that soothe instead of inflame are the best of options!!

My Scandinavian Escape

A holiday to Copenhagen and Stockholm never disappoints – its truly a winning combination and I was able to eat as much salted licorice as I liked, knowing that there was ample supply on hand – Guru Snack Sea Salted Gluten Free Organic Licorice is hands down the best in my humble opinion.

Copenhagen gave us a much needed catch-up with our gorgeous niece and her partner who flew in from Dublin to join us for a couple of days and then we became immersed in 3 Days of Design. I loved this design show, instead of being indoors in a large exhibition hall, you are out and about exploring neighbourhoods, listening to immersive seminars and taking in all the beauty and inspiration that this gorgeous city has in abundance. 

Exhibitions and product launches are set in beautiful locations – several embassies such as Sweden, Portugal and Austria opened to attendees so we could explore those countries design offerings, restaurants and clothing boutiques doubled as pop-ups for lighting launches and textile collaborations. And several designers opened up their homes. It was really incredible and I’m working my way through all the sampling and contacts I returned with.

It’s impossible for me to go to Denmark and not go to Sweden. So three nights were had in Stockholm. Days were magically long as we walked and walked. Saw lots of pretty things and ate beautiful food. 

At my favourite hotel in the world we connected over dinner with several attendees of the show in Copenhagen. We were not the only ones who had expanded our trip. Insightful conversations were had with a large Danish retailer from Australia and a gorgeous Japanese product designer. This can be the unexpected and really rewarding part of travel for me – the connection with people from all over the world over a beautiful meal when time and place simply stands still. 

Reflection

My time away brought so much design inspiration but also a much needed opportunity to connect and be with people I love and don’t see as much of as I wish. 

We had time in Edinburgh and London (more about that next month) after Stockholm and I got to spend quality time with two of dearest girlfriends as well as my sister. These female connections are so incredibly important to nurture, so my words of wisdom for you dear readers this summer is to make the call, book the dinner, go for the walk, but above all find the time to see your friends. Put away your phones and connect in real life in real time. Its the best medicine!!

Have a wonderful July xo

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1 from our Old Mill Renovation, others sourced from Pinterest. Images 4 – 9 are all our work and are featured on our website. Images from my trip are taken by myself.

All professional photos of me and our work are by the wonderful Virginia Macdonald.

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.

The post The Quiet Luxury of Summer Living at Home appeared first on Interior Design Toronto | Gillian Gillies Interiors.

I have often heard May referred to as May-hem, especially from my clients and friends with kids. It has a similar rhythm to December I feel with many competing events and deadlines and the arrival of family members home for the (summer) holidays.

May is when the city as a whole transitions to summer mode, even though its still spring. This year it really did feel like a switch was flipped at the start of the Victoria Day long weekend, temps that had been seasonally low, soared to become seasonally high and the annual search in our closets for lighter weight clothing appeared overnight. 

Summer cottages are generally reopened in May and the sometimes weekly drive to and from begins and the city becomes to feel a little more spacious at the weekends with so many people away.

Life tends to accelerate at this time of year, we all begin to emerge from our cocoons, we want to tend our gardens, go for walks, eat on patios and plan vacations and nights away. It can feel if we don’t jump right to it, we might miss the opportunity to feel the sun on our faces and sit and exhale with loved ones. 

I feel our homes have to work extra hard during these seasonal shifts. The weight and heft of winter is lifted and packed away and our doors and windows are at long last open to welcome in a soft breeze. 

At this time I often think about the spaces in our homes that work the hardest, often behind the scenes – the ones that we need to support us. 

The Laundry Room Deep Dive

Laundry rooms have really evolved from the dark and musty smelling corner in the basement to an increasingly multi-functional space. They play a key supporting role in a household and are no longer an afterthought. 

In our designs we often find a larger laundry room on the main or lower level with a more compact space for stacked machines on the second floor. 

These functional spaces affect well-being just as much as beautiful living spaces – having a zone to launder that includes a space to dry your clothing is so important. 

We always want to know how clothes are dried in our clients homes. Does everything go into the dryer or does the majority need space to hang to dry. Planning for this is critical in making the space a success as no one wants to have damp clothes overflowing into other spaces to dry. 

Laundry Rooms are especially important in busy family homes and cottages and are often combined with the mudroom and pet washing station. 

We like to use porcelain floor tiles for their durability and resistance to stains and we love to have fun with colour as there is no reason why a space that is functional can’t be good looking!!! 

What Makes a Great a Great Laundry Room

Let’s look at this laundry which is an extreme example of a makeover! 

The original laundry room was a closet with a stacked washer and dryer and minimal storage. The original layout did not take into account the door swing on the appliances (the washer on the bottom was hinged on the left) and it was really hard to get things in and out plus there was no space to dry anything. 

We needed to carve out some additional space and to do this we extended into what was the powder room. 

My client also had a guest bathroom that was located opposite the powder room and felt that it was unnecessary to have both and we agreed. So the powder room was removed and the new space was formed. 

The door opening is in the same location but the space from the sink cabinet and beyond to the appliances was taken from the powder room. We added a reeded glass door to allow light to filter in from the hallway. 

A hanging rod allows for ample space for clothes to air dry and there is a pull out wall mounted drying rack out of site of this image. 

What we delivered for our client – 

Improved Flow – this space supports our client

Concealed Storage – good function comes from things having a known place

Durable but Tactile Materials – the floor is planked porcelain

Ease of Maintenance – laminate cabinets on the lowers are super durable

Great Task Lighting – means no dark corners

We also introduced our client to detergent sheets for washing which take up little to no space and mean you don’t have to store huge bottles of detergent. 

Good design comes from good planning and I find that hidden function creates calm and beauty changes behaviour.

Taking Control

Preparing our homes for the warmer months ahead can feel overwhelming but if broken down into zones it can make all more achievable. 

I always start with the mudroom / hall closet / entry – clear away boots and coats that you won’t need or want to see until the fall. 

Then I move into my own closet and edit what is in there and add back in what was removed last fall. 

From there I always feel a need to update what is in the bathroom – skincare, sunscreen – I take a good look at all and edit. 

Then it comes to bed and bath linens – lighter weight, linen and cotton is my perfect combination.

In the main living spaces I’ll edit my throws and cushion cases and I do enjoy moving around my accessories and books. It gives the place a whole new look. 

Window screens are cleaned and put back in place – I always remove mine over the winter. 

Finally its the kitchen – now this is the last place for me as its not really my domain, but even I know that there are small appliances, utensils, linens and other stuff that we use seasonally. So this too is reshuffled. 

This may all sound like a lot but if you get into a quarterly routine of editing and shifting things its not a massive chore and believe me all feels so much lighter at the end and there is joy to be found in being to find things with ease! 

In Print

For two months in a row we are in print – the latest edition of House & Home features our Lawrence Park project! 

Grab a copy now and delve into this colourful, joyful home. 

What’s Next

Thank you for reading this month’s journal!

In June I am very excited to be heading to Copenhagen for 3 Days of Design, which will also allow for a holiday in Stockholm and Edinburgh and then a sourcing trip to London which will coincide with Wow House at Chelsea Harbour. I shall post some of my finds on my Instagram stories, but most of the time I plan to stay simply immersed and present in the here and now. 

Wishing you a wonderful June,  

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1-3, 6 & 13from our Lawrence  Park Family Home project. Image 4 & 7 Entrance Foyer and Mudroom from our Net Zero Ready Home, Image 5 from our Midtown home  Our before and after laundry room was part of an entire Old Mill Condo renovation.

Photography in images 4 & 7 by Younes Bounhar from DoubleSpace Photography All other photos by Virginia Macdonald 

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved

The post Designing for the Rhythm of Everyday Life appeared first on Interior Design Toronto | Gillian Gillies Interiors.

 We have had a very busy March in the studio – multiple clients (old and new), guests (Christina’s mum visiting from Mexico, as well as a  designer-girlfriend lunch and the gorgeous Fogo Island Inn / workshop family) and multiple reps visiting the studio with the past week being particularly people heavy. 

Having new eyes in the studio always makes me want everything to be seen in its best light, for first impressions to simply make people feel good, and for all to feel in harmony. I call this the rhythm in the studio and its made up of multiple things, many of them unseen and somewhat intangible. 

From the studio fragrance in our diffusers at each entrance, to our blend of music, to Reba and the presentation table swing. 

I want our visitors, however fleeting in our four walls, to know that they have come to the right place, that their needs will be taken care of. 

The loveliest thing that guests can say is that the space is so me, so Gillian Gillies Interiors. What they feel and see in person in my studio is what we show on our socials and on our website, all these threads connect back to our brand of interior design and level of service.

The rhythm and threads are what I have been refining going all the way back to working for a design studio in Scotland and to opening up my own one here. 

If the rhythm is off or the threads become tangled all can feel forced and inauthentic. 

My studio, my team, the trades and vendors we work with all have to be in harmony or else things feel fake and forced.

I look at my studio and the selections I made a little over seven years ago and I still love and stand by them all, and that is the recipe for long lasting design and harmony at home. 

Our role is to find the magic in the space, find the unseen, get at the core of what our clients really need and bring these often and sometimes competing things together without them getting tangled or missing a beat. 

Its a craft and I am so lucky to have this career, this opportunity and to share it with my wonderful team. 

Self Care – Let’s Design A Sleep Sanctuary

Living through a global pandemic resulted in seismic shifts in how we live and flow in our homes. In almost every project, the need for wellness at home is a client request – from gyms to sauna’s, cold plunge pools and steam rooms,  all are aimed at improving our well-being without having to leave home to do so. 

I feel strongly that self care starts with a great nights sleep and if you often feel like you have to travel to get a good nights sleep its maybe time to consider a bedroom refresh. 

I think its one of the kindest things you can do for yourself (and those that you live with) is to start your day rested and refreshed. 

Let’s look at a few key areas to consider in your own Sleep Sanctuary!
 

1.Light Control

Darkness for most of us aides in making sleeping consistent regardless of the season. Blackout lined curtains to me are non-negotiable. I like mine to extend past the window and return back onto the wall so that you don’t get that awkward chink of light shining in your eyes as the sun rises. 

They are also great at muffling street noise, if that is something you contend with on a regular basis. From garbage trucks to car alarms and barking dogs, life in a city can be noisy and thick lined window coverings can be really helpful at dampening all. This bedroom has four windows split over two walls and so floor length curtains were a must! 

Darkness tells the body its time to decompress and to go to sleep. 

2.Great Bedside Lighting

Many of us have partners that read longer than us in bed or maybe we are in fact the culprit. Reading lights on the headboard wall can mend all bridges if someone likes to stay up later than the other and read. 

I do still like a bedside lamp for decor and general lighting, but a reading light is the mother ship and many come with an option to also illuminate as a very soft night light if you need to get up in the night and want a little light cast to lead your way, or if someone is coming home late, its a lovely thing to leave on. 

We like to pair our finishes with the headboard material so in this case, in the room above the heathered wool headboard blended beautifully with the oil rubbed bronze finish on the reading lights that complimented the ceramic base on the table lamps (rhythm and thread people, rhythm and thread!). 

3.A Tidy Space

I dislike clutter in a bedroom and something that is key for me to get a good nights sleep is a tidy room. 

Having tailored storage for you and your stuff is really soothing to me. The window seat in the room above is a perfect spot to place the decorative cushions from the bed when its turned down for sleeping. There is a ton of dedicated storage in this room that makes the space work really hard at keeping clutter at bay. 

4.An Area Carpet

Not only will your toes thank you on a chilly morning, but area carpets like window coverings add a layer of acoustic insulation. If your bedroom is above the family room and someone likes to stay up late and watch TV, a plush carpet on the floor can help to reduce noise transfer.

5.Bed Linen & The Perfect Mattress

Finding the perfect mattress is a lot like Goldilocks and the three bears, it can take time to find the right one but when you do its life changing. 

Competitive athletes know the benefit to finding and sleeping on a mattress that will work for your body and your ideal sleeping position (many travel with theirs) and there are specialists that we work with to assist our clients and fit them the right mattress a little like a bespoke suit.

We always want to ensure that headboard materials are free from any chemical solvents – its awful that we even have to research this, but in our society’s need for things to always look new and perfect a lot of awful things have been added to fabrics in recent years, so we ensure we source with care. 

The same goes for your bed linens and how you launder them. Toxic and fragrance free laundry detergent should be the only things in your home for washing your bed linens.

I hope this Sleep Sanctuary insight was helpful. 

Sleep is so important and a few aligned changes can really make the world of difference. 

Thank You!

Thank you for being one of my readers! 

Hopefully by this time next month we will have warmed up a little, as here in Toronto its been one of those springs where you don’t know what way is up and what coat to wear in the morning. 

Wishing you a lovely April and hopefully there will be spring flowers in your future and less coats. 

Warmly 

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1. &  2. sourced on Pinterest. Eggs from Etsy and the Ceramic Pendant is from Boha.

All of the bedroom images are from GGI projects and are shot by Virginia Macdonald and styled by Me & Mo. 

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.

The post Rhythm & Thread appeared first on Interior Design Toronto | Gillian Gillies Interiors.

That heavy feeling of not feeling at ease, at not being able to easily find things or put them away, or to feeling like they are the only one who can find and put things away is a frequent occurrence.

Often heavily used areas such as entrances, mudrooms and family rooms become like a jenga puzzle, where at any moment all might topple in, leaving the homes inhabitants buried in a mountain of stuff. 

There is nothing like (what seems like) a never ending Canadian winter to highlight your homes areas of friction. With so many layers worn, boots and mittens coming in often wet and sometimes salt encrusted it is no wonder that people at this time of the year loose hope in ever feeling sane again! Even the family dog has coat(s) and boots… 

So in this month’s journal I thought I’d talk about design challenges we have overcome to help with the bottle necks at your homes main point of entry as well as your mudroom by doing a bit of a deep dive into two different homes. 

This journal does tie back somewhat to last month’s piece on “Are Adult Women the Only People Who Now Use Coat Hangers” a read of this might also be helpful as it shines light on the whole hangers v hooks debate. 

Front Foyer & Mudroom Design

Case Study #1

The front door entrance can be a tricky one to navigate – we want it to look good but it also has to be really functional. In the home above we came up with a a couple of solutions to ensure all was streamlined and organised throughout the year taking into account the flux of seasons and the things that this brings into our homes. 

In the image above the front foyer storage is intended purely for guest coats and shoes. The homeowners use the mudroom entrance from the garage which we’ll showcase next. 

What we did here to encourage flow and reduce friction – 

1.

The space is generous but too narrow to accommodate a standard depth closet that needs around 25” of depth. Instead we opted to have a narrow closet where the rods run front to back accommodating enough hangers for guest coats.

2.

We raised the millwork of the floor. The space beneath was specifically scaled to accommodate rubber trays for winter boot and shoe storage. This way footwear doesn’t become a tripping hazard or block the entrance to the front door. We sourced and supplied the boot trays before we approved the millwork shop drawings.

3.

We sourced and scaled an indoor outdoor mat that fits perfectly in the space and allows room for people to enter, remove their shoes before entering the home. I like indoor outdoor mats that are of a similar colour to the floor. 

4.

The closet doors were upholstered to elevate the finish level. The upholstered banquette was covered in mohair – one of the softest yet most durable and hardworking fabrics you can use. The bench allows guests to sit down and take of their shoes with ease. 

5. 

The walls are wrapped in beautiful matte vinyl from Holly Hunt that looks like a woven textile but is in fact super durable. 

The home’s mudroom looks like this – it is accessed via the garage or from the side door which is how the home owners and their dog generally enter and leave. 

1.

Similar to the front entrance all the millwork was raised of the floor and boot trays were sourced prior to millwork drawings being approved. Benches with drawers look ‘’nice” but no one puts footwear in drawers and its easier to tuck all under the millwork where its easy to see but not in the way. 

2.

Yes we have wall hooks!! These are unseen in this image but on the wall opposite the millwork we have 16 wall hooks. They are set in a double height row and staggered to allow for maximum use and flexibility. This is for coats and jackets that are currently being used and they also hold dog leashes.

3.

The millwork holds outdoor clothing not in use or pieces that are better hung on a hanger than a hook. The ventilation holes allow for air flow and prevent anything damp getting musty.

4. 

The upholstered bench allows for a comfy perch and the baskets hold seasonal things such as caps and hats!  

5.

Walls are covered in a gorgeous large scale wallpaper – I actually have this in my studio and the client saw it there, loved it and so we found a home for it here. 

Case Study #2

A charming front foyer above that welcomes you from our Lawrence Park project.

1.

This clients love of pattern and play is up there with mine and this diminutive foyer still has room for drama. The ceiling is wallpapered using the iconic Brunschwig & Fils – Les Touches paper which was originally launched in the mid 1960’s. 

2.

A dynamic upholstered bench with a wrap around tray top to hold your phone or a spot to leave your bag! Everyone needs a spot to sit and remove their shoes or to regroup and arrange the contents of their handbag!

3.

The pendant  light fixture has sunshine yellow silk shades that glow when illuminated and are seen all the way through to the family room. 

4.

Unseen on the left hand side is a deep closet with tailored hanging and space for guest shoes. The floor is heated which adds another layer of comfort when you are shoeless.

5. 

A leaning full length mirror allows for that pause before you depart. 

This mudroom allows access from both the garage as well as the side door and its generally how the family leave and enter. This room is so good I have added another image below as it doubles as a doggie spa.

1.

Heated floors are a must in this space and we used a porcelain tile for maximum durability and ease of use. The tile has a light terrazzo feel and the chips of colour hide family life with two dogs!  The walls are covered in a very durable vinyl wallpaper in a botanical print that keeps everything looking ship shape.

2.

More open storage beneath the wooden benches that allows for shoes and boots to be tucked away. The seat height is 19” and so there is 17” of height below. 

3.

We opted not to upholster these benches as the space is more often used for backpacks and things in transition in and out of the home and the wood surface was more practical. 

4.

Through the opening (seen above) there is deep shelved storage on either side for bags and assorted misc mudroom and pantry items. 

5.

The doggie shower is great for both pets and muddy and winter boots alike. A really practical addition to this family home. A sink in a mudroom is a lovely treat – great for when you have been gardening, or cleaning up and the storage holds all the dog food. 

Frictionless Living in Review

Case study one was a newly constructed home and case study two was an extensive renovation in a home that was around 25+ years old.

Both homes had their unique quirks and challenges that we were able to present design solutions for. But as you can see both follow a similar model of development to assist in making entering and leaving as frictionless as possible. 

Thank You

Thank you for being one of my readers! 

Next month I will let you know some of the things I learned from a neuro-architect on a recent design immersive I attended. 

I’m constantly learning and seeking new ways to fully understand what makes us all (including myself) tick. Good design isn’t just pretty things, its functional (and good looking) things that make us known we have been heard and seen during the design process, its living with ease and less friction.

Wishing you an ease filled March! 

Warmly 

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1. English country home – Belmont Home  2. Leather clutch image – original source unknown. 3. Our entrance foyer at our Midtown Quiet Luxury project.

4. A foyer from a past project of ours, here we cleverly re imagined a rad cover to also have storage with addition of a drawer and a stone top! 5 & 6 are images from our Midtown Quiet Luxury project

7, 8 and 9 are from our Lawrence Park project 

All of the GGI images are shot by Virginia Macdonald and styled by Me & Mo. 

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.

The post Living With Ease appeared first on Interior Design Toronto | Gillian Gillies Interiors.

 In January, the weather has certainly kept me on my toes and it has made walking Reba more like an antarctic adventure at times. I pass my fellow dog owners, all bundled up and muffled, we wave our chubby insulated mitts at each other and don’t pause to chat. 

Having a dog in the winter however is a lovely thing, especially if they love the snow like my girl does. All she needs is a dusting and she’s in it headfirst, performing the dog version of snow angels and jumping around like a cross between a show pony and a rabbit. 

She makes me see the fun and adventure in it all!!

I had a lovely quiet time over the holidays, the Scottish poet Donna Ashworth refers to it as ‘’wintering” which I think is simply perfect. I left my computer at my desk and wasn’t tethered to my phone.  Instead I managed to read three books and around twenty magazines. I adore the flip of the switch that occurs when everything slows down and you can simply be, my inbox slows to a kinder more reasonable level of mail (nearly all unsolicited and not worth reading) and I love to spend more time with the printed page than an illuminated screen.

My winter holiday readings are noted at the end of this journal if you are looking for something to delve into this winter. 

But firstly my trend for this decade or maybe its simply a statement of fact in my humble opinion! 

Are Adult Women the Only People Who Now Use Coat Hangers?

There I’ve said it on the printed page, and its something I’ve been discussing with clients. No one seems to hang anything up anymore on a hanger or use a towel bar in the bathroom unless you are of a certain vintage and that never used to be the case. 

I love a good coat hanger, love arranging my closet in seasons and colour blocks from light to dark with splashes of colour in-between. But many days I feel like this way of living may go extinct in favour of folding (sometimes simply stuffing) or hanging things on wall hooks. 

I say this all without judgement just a healthy dose of curiosity. 

I first noticed it during 2020, everyone and their stuff was at home and it wasn’t pretty. 

Bedroom and bathroom floors in my clients kids spaces would be littered with clothing and damp towels. In several homes we removed the hanging rods completely from their kids closets, in some instances even the doors, and made their closet interiors look more like a mudroom – wall hooks, open cubbies and shelves.

Towel bars were removed from bathroom walls in favour of wall hooks. 

It’s just so much easier to get someone to hang something up if it doesn’t involve any friction and who doesn’t want to live a life with more ease?

I’d love to hear your comments on this thought.

 Even in my own studio especially at this time of year I tire of us all stuffing our puffy coats onto hangers and then into the closet – a wall of hooks would be so much simpler, but then I’d want that concealed behind a door so it wouldn’t feel like we were working in a locker room. 

Hanging Towels on Hooks – 5 Things to Consider!

1.

Having heated floors in your bathroom will assist greatly in the drying of your towels. Something to consider – as a damp towel in a non-heated, poorly ventilated space will simply begin to smell over time. 

2.

When purchasing towels consider ones with built-in loops for hanging. This works really well with smaller hand or guest towels which don’t always hook well. 

3.

Hand towels in a powder room that gets used frequently by multiple people, need multiple towels. This is where wall hooks work really well – hang three in a row and have an abundance of towels instead of just one.

4.

Same thought for a family bathroom with multiple people sharing, hooks allow for each person to have their own towel and we love (of course) mixing colours and patterns so each person knows which one is theirs at a glance! 

5.

A plain linen hand towel looks wonderful when pressed but a little bit awful once its been used. Consider waffle towels or those with texture and pattern to minimize the looks of creases and crunches. 

My (so far) Winter Reads!

I read the following books over the holidays & would highly recommend them all. 

1.

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan

This was a selection for my book club and I loved this book, not everyone did. Split into two halves, the first is seen through the eyes of university professor Tom (he lives in 2119) and whose studies are centered around the time period 1990 – 2030, and who has an obsession on the lives of a poet and his wife from this time. 

The second half, my preferred half, is from the poets wife’s journals. 

It shows us, that even with all the technology, all the oversharing on social media, it is very hard to know the real truth and what makes a person tick. It’s also a terrifying glimpse into climate change and missiles gone awry. 

2.

Property by Kate Caley

This is Toronto writer Kate Caley’s first novel. Centered around  a street and its residents in an up and coming Toronto neighbourhood. The novel spans a day. It is a tale of no matter how well we think we know – or simply judge to know our neighbours, we never really know what goes on behind closed doors or in our big heads. Its also a tale of renovating for profit without any care or concern for the workers or the neighbourhood. 

This could all be happening on a street close to you which is what makes it a compelling read! 

3.

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny

Truthfully this was a reread as I had purchased The Black Wolf at Louise Penny’s book event at Massey Hall last November, and I knew a refresh of where all was at was needed before I dived into her new one.

As the titles suggest this is a 2-part series although with all her books in the Inspector Gamache series, they can read individually although I think best together in sequence.  

I adore the stories of  Armand Gamache and the village of Three Pines. I won’t give anything away but this and the Dark Wolf make for an at times very unsettling but thought provoking read!

Thank You

Thank you for making it to the end of the first of my journals for 2026. 

Within the walls of our studio I am excited for what we are creating and what we will be sharing with you in print and online soon. 

We have two projects being published in print in the spring and I am excited for both to hit newsstands. There is nothing like seeing your work in print. My first project to be published was in 2001 in Scotland, not long before I moved to Canada, we also got the cover of Homes & Interiors Scotland which was a massive achievement. 

January brings IDS (Interior Design Show) to Toronto. I am hoping for lots of Canadian content and to meet makers and new industry contacts. 

Wishing you a heart filled February!  

Warmly 

Gillian 

Credits, images, musings and some more contents of my head.

Trio of header images 1. Green scarf and sand coat – sourced on Pinterest, original source unknown. 2. A very cozy bedroom by Susannah Holmberg Studios

3. Creamy Hot Coconut Hot Chocolate by Half Baked Harvest. 4. Her Majesty aka Reba. 5. A shot of a Sezane store interior. 6. Altuzarra interior. 7. Organic brass wall hooks by Mi & Gei

Book covers as linked above! Me and my girl on a snowy winter hike in Caledon.

Copyright © 2026 Gillian Gillies Interiors Inc., All rights reserved.

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