Daphne

• Prize
  Interior Design of the Year
• Company/Firm
  Studio Paolo Ferrari
• Designer
  Studio Paolo Ferrari
• Photo Credit
  Joel Esposito
• Location
  Toronto, Canada
• Project Date
  June 2023
• Project Link
  view
• Web URL
  view

Toronto’s newly-opened Daphne is a contemporary and eclectic reimagining of the quintessential American bistro. Sprawling and set across a series of distinctive rooms, Daphne embodies both the unexpected while bringing in the warmth and nostalgia of New England prep. At once intimate and grand, eccentric and sculptural, the deeply imaginative space is reminiscent of a great residence that’s evolved over time, designed to create an experience of wonder and subtle awe.

Daphne is a world unto itself, awaiting discovery. The entirety of the furniture and lighting is custom designed, further establishing it as a space truly without parallel. The designer often reference deeper inspiration from art, architecture, and cinema, and Daphne proves no exception. At the heart of the project is a cinematic duality of an immersive, Kubrick-inspired experimentation, contrasted with the softness and conviviality of the beloved aesthetic of a Nancy Meyers film. Unexpectedly playful and thoroughly redefining, the interior design takes on the timeless sophistication of the American bistro inspires guests to experience at once the joy of discovery and the effortless comfort of home.