a public relations agency
Media Release
Every Inch, Considered
Sunnylea Residence
Photo Credit: Niamh Barry
STORY SOURCE: PiTCH PR
Joan + Company Interiors brings its most detailed residential project yet to life.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2026 – TORONTO, ON — Nine types of natural stone. Eight wood finishes. Ten wallpaper patterns. Custom drapery and upholstery. Distinctive tile patterns. Raw brass, aged brass, oil-rubbed bronze and polished nickel, each selected for specific applications throughout the home.
The richness is immediately visible. What is less apparent is the level of planning required to make it all work together.
For Toronto-based Joan + Company Interiors, the Sunnylea project is their most detailed residential work to date: a full-service design undertaking in which they considered, drew, specified, and coordinated virtually every surface long before installation.
“You can have inspired ideas, but if they aren’t integrated properly and planned ahead, the vision will never come to fruition,” says Joan, Principal of Joan + Company Interiors. “With this project, the level of detail required us to understand how every element would relate to the next, and to plan for those relationships from the beginning.”
SHARE THIS STORY
Click images to download or to post directly to social media.
A moody, elevated palette established from day one provided the foundation. From there, finishes, fixtures, wall treatments, millwork, lighting, and furnishings were developed as parts of a complete interior rather than individual selections.
That thinking began with the initial brief. The client made one preference particularly clear: she did not want expanses of exposed drywall. Wall paneling quickly became a defining element of the interior, joined by wallpaper and extensive wall and ceiling treatments that bring texture, depth, and pattern throughout the home.
Those treatments were integrated into the design from the earliest stages of construction. Plans for the wall applications needed to be resolved before electrical rough-in. The depth of the wood paneling affected the placement of electrical boxes, while lighting and millwork were carefully coordinated to sit precisely within or meet the finished panels.
The wall and ceiling treatment package alone extended to approximately 60 pages of drawings and details.
Joan + Company worked extensively in CAD, developed and sampled finishes and colours, and collaborated directly with skilled trades on fabrication and installation. Close coordination with the builder ensured the right expertise was brought into the project at the right stage.
“It was a true partnership,” says Joan. “The skilled trades and the coordination of all of the pieces coming together were a huge part of what made this project possible.”
Across the large family home, that early design framework gave Joan + Company the freedom to work with an unusually broad material vocabulary. Nine natural stones coexist with eight wood finishes, ten wallpapers, custom drapery and upholstery, distinctive tile selections and patterns, and layered wall and ceiling treatments. Raw and coated brass, oil-rubbed bronze and polished nickel were used selectively throughout the kitchen, bar, laundry and bathrooms.
Rather than creating a series of individual moments, the palette provided continuity, allowing colour, pattern and material to take on different expressions throughout the home while remaining part of the same design language.
A 900-pound bathtub specified for the primary bathroom required Joan + Company to coordinate with the architect and structural engineer during framing so the floor could be reinforced to accommodate its weight.
It is one example of why the studio’s involvement from the early stages of a build matters. Interior decisions can influence structure, electrical placement, millwork, lighting, fabrication, and construction sequencing. At the Sunnylea project, those relationships were anticipated and coordinated as part of the design process.
A SHARED POINT OF VIEW
The homeowner came to the project with a strong creative eye, a love of wallpaper and pattern, and ideas informed by extensive travel. The relationship gave Joan + Company an engaged partner in the design process and created space for a genuine exchange of ideas.
“The client brought a strong point of view, and we had the type of relationship that allowed us to speak honestly about what would work with the palette and what might work against it,” says Joan. “Often her ideas would spark an alternative from our team that allowed us to meet her goals while maintaining the design language we had established for the home.”
That exchange helped shape a house with a complex residential program. Designed for a family with three children, Sunnylea includes a main floor suite for the husband’s mother, spaces for working from home and substantial areas for entertaining. The basement has 12-foot ceilings and a full bar, while a pool was incorporated into the backyard early in the build.
Rather than defining the aesthetic, these requirements informed how the home needed to perform for a family living, working, gathering, and entertaining across generations.
The work at Sunnylea makes a case for engaging the interior designer early in the design and build process. Joan + Company’s scope extended from kitchens and bathrooms through finishes, fixtures, furniture and décor to exterior detailing. That continuity allowed decisions made at one stage of the project to inform those that followed.
“When our team can touch every aspect of the build, from the kitchen and baths to every piece of furniture and décor to the exterior detailing, the result is an incredibly cohesive experience on move-in day,” says Joan. “When we are given this kind of control, the results are noticeable. You feel the difference when you walk in.”
At Sunnylea, the value of that involvement can be traced from the earliest framing decisions through to the final layer of the interior. The detail is extensive, but it is not incidental. It was planned from the beginning.
###
About Joan and Company Interiors
Joan and Company Interiors is a design studio based in Toronto’s west end, specializing in residential renovations and custom home builds. Founded and led by Joan MacAlpine, the studio is recognized for its thoughtful approach to design and its commitment to creating homes that balance beauty, function, and longevity.
At Joan and Company, we build design on collaboration and trust. Every project reflects a clear understanding of how people live, resulting in interiors that are timeless, grounded, and unmistakably personal.
Follow Joan + Company Interiors:
Website www.joanandco.ca
Instagram @joanandcompany https://www.instagram.com/joanandcompany/
Pinterest https://ca.pinterest.com/joanandco/
Project Photography: Niamh Barry
We'd love it if you referenced PiTCH PR as the source of this story! We're happy to share your stories as well - just let us know.
PiTCH media contact
Promoting the business of design is our passion. At PiTCH, we proudly chart a unique course in the realms of public relations and business development, collaborating seamlessly with the architecture and design industry to illuminate their work in the most compelling light. Our overarching objective is to enlighten the public on matters of design, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation.
Our campaigns are not just campaigns; they are dynamic, purposefully targeted, and crafted with precision. We do not use third-party distribution markets, offering a streamlined experience with no associated fees to media for accessing our Newsroom.
At PiTCH, we strive to be a nexus that binds the industry together, going beyond traditional boundaries to forge meaningful connections. We're not just here to disseminate information; we're here to collaborate with you in crafting the perfect narrative for your audiences.
Please contact us for more information or interview requests.
Jenn
Visit our NEWSROOM for more client stories. The password is Reveal1.
Translations on the PiTCH PR websites are prepared by third party translators. While reasonable efforts are made to provide accurate translations, portions may be incorrect. Some files, and other items cannot be translated including but not limited to download pdfs and technical articles, graphic features, and photos. In addition, some applications and/or services may not work as expected when translated due to language restrictions. No liability is assumed by PiTCH PR for any errors, omissions, or ambiguities in the translations provided on this website. Any person or entity that relies on translated content does so at their own risk. PiTCH PR shall not be liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy or reliability of translated information. If you would like to report a translation error or inaccuracy, we encourage you to please contact us.