Defining luxury through artistic expression

Article content

Lori Morris Design turns personal dreams into jaw-dropping spaces

There’s no room for rules, trends or worrying about colour choices when crafting ultra luxurious interiors.

Recommended Videos

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Defining luxury through artistic expression Back to video

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

For award-winning designer Lori Morris, founder of design powerhouse Lori Morris Design, it’s about discovering a client’s fantasy — with an emphasis on how they want their space to “feel” — and then bringing only the finest of materials and finishes together to deliver truly outstanding masterpieces.

In fact, if she were to define it, Morris would say the ultimate luxury is allowing yourself the decadence to indulge in your dreams.

“Everybody sees beauty from their eyes as what they define as beautiful,” said Morris, speaking from her home office in Dundas, Ont., which she describes as her own personal and delicious “jewellery box” that she never wants to leave.

“Once we’ve got that information in terms of their style and functionality, then we put it together and the magic begins,” she added.

For a recent project just outside of Toronto, the Lori Morris team took the homeowners’ vision for their ground floor party zone — which they wanted to feel very avant-garde yet  elegant at the same time — and developed a sumptuous space for entertaining family and friends.

From the beckoning bar with its green leather wrapped front, pale blue marble counter with toffee accents and accompanying green velvet bar stools, to the green lacquered doors, to the beautiful green back painted glass wall with brass strapping, the design is the ideal complement to the walkout to the home’s stunning outdoor oasis.

“I always ask people to describe in words how they want it to be. Don’t worry about colours. Don’t worry about the style, modern versus classic versus traditional,” said Morris. “How do you want it to feel? And then we go from there.”

This family’s wish list included a bowling alley, movie theatre, sitting area, spa and bar, as well as a temperature-controlled wine cellar, floor-to-ceiling humidor, cheese room and meat room.

To achieve the distinguished character of a ‘Lori Morris’ look, the design was carefully appointed in terms of proportion, function, structure and engineering, and then “coloured in” with exquisite details, described Morris.

What elevates the design to ultra-luxe is the custom work, from walls and doors to the furniture, cabinetry and lighting, and everything in-between.

The process starts with a hand drawn conceptual drawing that captures the artistic vision and “soul of the space,” she explained. The idea is to present clients with an artistic image that allows them to see themselves in what the actual space might be.

Morris describes the gorgeous overhead bar chandeliers in the ground floor entertainment project as “dancing waterfalls of crystal” that add “sparkle and sex appeal.”

A generous, custom sectional draped in sultry dark green and black velvets anchors the primary seating area around an oversized TV wall and glistening fireplace.

The space also includes a ‘personalized glam’ area with a custom makeup vanity and hair wash chair illuminated by recessed lighting.

The overall cohesiveness of the interior is enhanced by powder blue and natural wood detailing that tones down the rich black and deep greens, adding both warmth and elegance.

“Ultra luxury is being able to develop and design a space that’s completely custom and bespoke to what you want it for,” said Morris, underscoring that her design philosophy has no rules but is grounded in artistic freedom.

“Whatever you define as your finished product of luxury, we’re here to bring it to life,” she said.