From a Blank Canvas to a Creative Hub

Originally from Edinburgh, interior designer Gillian Gillies brings the elegance of her hometown’s neoclassical and Georgian architecture into every project. Her timeless approach combines natural materials, heritage, and vintage finds, along with a love for texture and fabric.

After nearly five years of searching for the perfect space, Gillies found her design studio in Toronto, Canada — a blank canvas transformed into a creative hub that balances residential warmth with professional function.

The Art of Mixing and Matching

For Gillies, design thrives in contrast rather than conformity. Her approach layers investment pieces, custom furniture, and vintage finds to create a look that feels both timeless and personal. Wallpaper is a recurring motif — applied not only to walls but also to millwork — while a gallery wall combines Paris flea-market treasures with locally sourced artwork. The result is a richly textured interior that tells multiple stories at once.

A Professional Space that Feels Home

Determined to avoid a commercial look, Gillies selected materials that balance practicality with warmth. White oak floors in a matte oiled finish conceal inevitable dings and dents, while laminate clads the more durable storage walls for daily use. At the heart of the studio stands her design library, complemented by a kitchen that invites a sense of home. Each corner has its own mood and purpose, encouraging creativity, comfort, and connection — for both her team and the clients who experience it.

Designing Atmosphere: Light, Sound, and Scent

Gillies approaches atmosphere as a multi-sensory design challenge. Lighting is controlled through a system with different programmed settings, adaptable to the team’s needs. Music shifts between energetic and soothing rhythms depending on the day. Scent, however, is the most transformative element: diffusers release the studio’s signature fragrances crafted to enhance focus, creativity, and clarity.

From Blank Canvas to Creative Hub

Measuring just over 100 m², the studio was purchased directly from the developer’s plans. Delivered as an empty concrete shell lit by fluorescent tube lighting, the space offered little more than expansive floor-to-ceiling windows. Gillies seized the opportunity to build from scratch, creating three distinct zones anchored by a central piece of millwork - a symbolic heart of collaboration, inspiration, and design.

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