Industry Profile: Elaine Cecconi of Cecconi Simone

We recently had the opportunity to interview Elaine Cecconi of the award-winning interior design firm, Cecconi Simone. This is our first exciting interview for Interior Design Month, and Cecconi Simone is easily one of the most active and established firms in all of Toronto, so let’s get right into it!

Newinhomes (NIH): Tell us a little bit about your background in the industry. Were you always interested in interior design?

Elaine Cecconi (EC): I was always interested in building things. As a child I used to build scale models of houses with furniture out of corrugated cardboard boxes. Although I thought working as an architect was the right career path, I made a quick and serendipitous shift to interior design with my first job after graduating from Ryerson.

I love the scale of interior design. I love the intimacy of the experience an interior can create for users, be they residents, office workers, diners, shoppers. I love the connection of interior spaces to those who inhabit them.

Edition Richmond, photo by Joy von Tiedemann

NIH: When it comes to each project, is there a source of inspiration that you always turn to?

EC: I would say it’s the contrary. Inspiration is a constantly changing element in our projects. There are so many unique factors to a project: the client, the locale, the site, the architecture, the market. Rather than use a ‘cookie-cutter’ approach, we look for unique attributes and characteristics for each and every project. These help create trademarks or branding identities that are project-specific.

B.streets, photo by Joy von Tiedemann

NIH: What factors determine the direction of the design when it comes to housing projects?

EC: Our approach is to create living environments that are highly-functional and efficient yet unique and beautiful. Real estate has become a very valuable proposition, especially in urban centres. To maximize the value and livability of spaces that are constantly getting smaller, the interior design of homes, condos and apartments is now essential.

Tableau, photo by designstor

NIH: What do you enjoy more: designing for low-rise or high-rise? Why?

EC: We cut our teeth on the Merchandise Building in 1996, which could be considered high-rise although it was an adaptive re-use building. We changed the industry in how we approached the building’s interiors: from the entry lobby, through to the elevators and corridors, into the amenities and the suite interiors. We created a typology that is now industry standard. We were the first to do in-board bedrooms; sliding walls in lieu of conventional doors; custom-designed kitchens/bathrooms/sinks; built-ins with rolling ladders; all in an effort to maximize three-dimensional space.

In 2008, we transitioned to infill townhomes with Lippincott Living, a project we created with our partners in Blurredge Group. While these low-rise residences generally are larger than high-rise, we applied the same principles to the use of space and the same design sensibility. All the townhome projects we have worked on have been very successful, including Trinity Bellwoods Town + Homes, block and Edition Richmond.

This is a very long way of saying that we enjoy low-rise as it’s newer to us but really, in the final analysis, we love both high-rise and low-rise as each presents unique challenges and opportunities.

Chaz.Yorkville, photo by Joy von Tiedemann

NIH: What are some high-profile projects that you have done in the past?

EC: We have been fortunate to have worked on many national and international projects that have garnered awards and recognition from the design and development communities.  These include over 75 communities in Toronto alone – B.streets, Tableau, INDX, Chaz.Yorkville, One Bloor, X – The Condominium, Charlie Condos, The Massey Tower...the list is endless.

We’ve worked on numerous communities in the US and overseas too, including The District and Louis at 14th/U in Washington DC; The Brookwood in Atlanta; The Pearl in Doha, Qatar; Nation Towers in Abu Dhabi, UAE; and M3M Golf Estate in New Delhi.

One Bloor, photo by Joy von Tiedemann

NIH: What housing projects are you working on right now?

EC: The market in Toronto and the GTA is a big part of our portfolio. We have many projects in the US currently, in Washington DC and area, including Virginia and Maryland, Atlanta, Raleigh, Orlando. We are working in Vancouver and Calgary. We have projects on the go in the Caribbean too.

NIH: Do you have a favourite condo developer or home builder with whom you enjoy working? Why them?

EC: That’s like choosing a favourite child or employee...it’s impossible.  While each one of our clients is completely unique, they’re all interested in building innovative, high-quality projects. They see themselves as builders of communities and cities, not just builders of buildings. It’s this benchmark that has made us thrive as interior designers.

X - The Condominium, photo by Joy von Tiedemann

NIH: What are you doing differently than every other interior design firm in Toronto?

EC: Our approach to a project is holistic. Our clients realize the benefit of bringing us on early. We work in tandem with the architects and engineers. As the building evolves, we work through the interiors to ensure the spaces work. Because the building is still fluid at this stage in the process, we can recommend modifications to the structure – window placement, size of balconies, etc. – in order to create the best possible suites and interiors, in concert with the architecture and landscaping.

We have a strong appreciation and awareness of the challenges our developer clients face, having had the experience of developing our own small project, Lippincott Living, an urban-infill townhome project in the Bathurst and College area. There’s a whole other side to a project besides design: navigating city approvals, budget management, financing, legal/condo documents, marketing/sales, contracting, Tarion, etc. This insight and experience has made us better designers.

Lippincott Living, photo by Joy von Tiedemann

NIH: What design trends are popular right now? What will see more of very soon?

EC: We steer clear of the term ‘design trends’ as it implies something that’s of-the-moment. We strive to create interiors that are timeless and enduring. There always will be materials that will date-stamp a project but generally our design philosophy – clean lines, contemporary, relevant, purposeful – is something that serves our clients over the long haul.

NIH: What does the future hold for Cecconi Simone?

EC: There are many new projects in the works and many more on the horizon. We will continue to evolve as a firm, seeking new challenges and opportunities that are directly related to interior design and beyond. We have an incredible team of designers, associates and support staff at Cecconi Simone. They all will assist us in achieving these goals.

The Massey Tower, photos by Ben Rahn/A-Frame Inc. 

RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

- Condo or house?

House.

- Wood or metal?

Neither. Glass, then wood, then metal.

- Contemporary or vintage?

Contemporary, although I love vintage lighting such as surgical floor lamps and theatrical stage lights.

- Granite or quartz? 

Neither. Corian.

- Hardwood or laminate? 

Neither. Tinted concrete, white.

- Favourite colour?

At the risk of stating the obvious: white. Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace is the Cecconi Simone go-to white.

We thank Elaine Cecconi for her participation in Interior Design Month on our blog. We are looking forward to all the new designs that Cecconi Simone produces in the near future.