Canada’s design scene keeps raising the bar. From hospitality to healthcare, every interior design studio shaping today’s high-end projects proves that detail and purpose go hand in hand. This guide by Ark & Mason highlights studios redefining luxury through craftsmanship, innovation, and authenticity.
Highlights
- Ark & Mason leads in commercial interior design for luxury and functional projects.
- Canadian design studios balance global influences with local authenticity.
- High-end design thrives on detail, innovation, and user-focused spaces.
Why Canada Stands Out in Luxury Interior Design
Canada’s interior design community doesn’t chase trends. It builds them. Cultural diversity has shaped a distinctive design voice that mixes minimalism with warmth and global sophistication. In 2021, about 23% of Canada’s population were immigrants, the highest level in more than 150 years. In Toronto, nearly half of all residents, 46.6%, were born outside the country, reflecting how global ideas naturally shape Canadian design. This diversity inspires interior design studios to blend international aesthetics with local sensibilities, creating spaces that feel both worldly and distinctly Canadian.
From Vancouver’s wellness spaces to Toronto’s high-end hotels, design here reflects lifestyle as much as aesthetics. This matches two clear trends. Around the world, WELL-certified projects now cover more than 6 billion square feet in about 100,000 places, showing that healthy design is becoming common. In hospitality, luxury and top-tier hotels are still growing, with 2024 room revenue expected to increase by about 3.8% compared to last year.
Many Canadian studios now compete internationally, creating award-winning interiors for clients across North America and beyond.
The country’s strength lies in its mix of practicality and imagination, where creative designers collaborate with precise builders to produce spaces that feel effortless yet deeply intentional.
What Defines a ‘High-End’ Interior Design Studio?
A high-end studio isn’t about glossy finishes or expensive materials alone. It’s about a mindset.
What sets these firms apart:
- A portfolio rich in large-scale projects and design-build expertise.
- Skilled teams that manage every phase from concept development to construction documentation.
- Recognition through awards, loyal clients, and a reputation for transforming space into experience.
The best studios don’t just design, they listen, plan, and execute with precision. They merge creativity with structure, making sure each project functions beautifully long after the grand reveal.
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Top 10 Interior Design Studios in Canada for High-End Projects
Canada’s design talent runs deep, but only a few interior design studios consistently redefine luxury on a national scale. These ten names represent the gold standard in creativity, craftsmanship, and execution for high-end interiors.
1. Ark & Mason – Vancouver’s Design-Build Visionaries
Based in Vancouver, Ark & Mason is more than a design firm, it’s a full-service partner that combines creative vision, technical expertise, and construction management to deliver high-performing interiors. The studio’s design-build model ensures every phase, from concept to completion, is handled under one roof for seamless coordination and accountability.
What Sets Ark & Mason Apart:
- Integrated Design-Build Approach: A single point of contact from initial vision to project delivery, reducing risks and communication gaps.
- Performance-First Philosophy: Every design balances form and function, aligning brand identity with operational efficiency.
- Comprehensive Documentation: Detailed permit drawings, specifications, and schedules that keep contractors aligned and bids consistent.
- Transparent Construction Management: The team manages tenders, budgets, and timelines, ensuring predictable outcomes.
Notable Projects
- DibFit Cycle: A boutique fitness studio designed to energize members and reflect the brand’s dynamic identity.
- Meraki Beauty Bar: A serene yet contemporary space where customer experience meets functionality.
- Burrard Medical Spa: A clinical environment elevated through refined finishes and spatial balance.
Each project demonstrates how interior design studio can shape brand perception, streamline operations, and enhance client experience, without compromising timelines or budgets.
Our Process
- Discovery & Concept Development: Understanding goals, target users, and brand essence.
- Design Documentation: Translating ideas into buildable, permit-ready plans.
- Construction Management Services: Coordinating trades, vendors, and schedules to maintain cost and quality control.
- Final Delivery: Ensuring every design element is executed precisely as envisioned.
With a proven record of clarity, creativity, and care, Ark & Mason transforms complex scopes into cohesive, high-impact results. Whether it’s a boutique studio, medical facility, or retail environment, the firm’s integrated workflow ensures every project delivers beauty, performance, and measurable value.
Our commercial interior design and residential interior design isn’t just about looks, it’s about helping brands grow through environments that connect with customers and employees alike.
2. Studio Munge
Led by acclaimed designer Alessandro Munge, Studio Munge is synonymous with emotionally charged design that merges luxury with storytelling. Every project begins with a narrative, one that weaves architecture, art, and human experience into a seamless whole. Their interiors for landmark destinations like the Park Hyatt Toronto and The William Vale Hotel in Brooklyn exemplify their ability to create immersive, sensorial environments that resonate with purpose and character.
At Studio Munge, every space is treated as a dialogue between the client’s vision and the studio’s artistry. The team’s multidisciplinary expertise allows them to move fluidly across hospitality, residential, and commercial realms, delivering spaces that feel both timeless and transformative. Their work continues to shape how guests, residents, and visitors connect with design on an emotional level.
3. Ferris Rafauli
Ferris Rafauli is one of Canada’s most recognizable names in luxury design, renowned for his bold aesthetic and meticulous attention to detail. His portfolio defines modern opulence, an architectural language of precision, craftsmanship, and grandeur. From custom-built mansions to high-end furniture collections, Rafauli’s work seamlessly integrates structure, technology, and design to create environments of power and refinement.
Perhaps most famously, his work on Drake’s Toronto residence showcases his signature Art Deco-inspired style, a study in scale, symmetry, and luxury materials. Beyond aesthetics, Rafauli’s approach is grounded in complete control of the design-build process, ensuring every inch of a project embodies the same discipline and sophistication that have become his hallmark.
4. Elizabeth Metcalfe Interiors
Elizabeth Metcalfe Interiors has become a benchmark for quiet elegance and timeless sophistication. Known for her calm and cohesive design language, Metcalfe blends classic symmetry with modern sensibility to craft homes that feel serene yet distinctive. Soft textures, tone-on-tone palettes, and thoughtful lighting define her work, resulting in interiors that evoke comfort and refined luxury.
Her studio’s dedication to craftsmanship and client collaboration has earned recognition across Canada and beyond. Each residence reflects an intimate understanding of proportion, light, and lifestyle, qualities that have solidified Metcalfe’s reputation for creating spaces that age gracefully and feel deeply personal to their owners.
5. Laura Stein Interiors
Laura Stein Interiors is celebrated for its graceful blend of classic charm and contemporary sophistication. Stein’s designs are tailored yet approachable, balancing formality with warmth. Her interiors often combine custom millwork, rich textiles, and bespoke furnishings to achieve a sense of harmony that feels both curated and lived-in.
What makes Laura Stein’s work stand out is her ability to translate each client’s personality into elegant spatial compositions. Her homes exude a quiet confidence, refined without being overly ornate, and her projects consistently showcase how comfort and luxury can coexist in perfect balance.
6. Burdifilek
At the intersection of creativity and commerce, Burdifilek is a boutique studio known for its sophisticated storytelling through design. Their work spans global retail, hospitality, and experiential spaces, with clients ranging from luxury brands to international developers. Each project reflects a strong artistic narrative, turning interiors into expressions of identity and intention.
From flagship stores to boutique hotels, Burdifilek’s approach is both analytical and expressive. The studio excels in shaping environments that evoke emotion and inspire engagement, spaces that not only look beautiful but also perform strategically for brands. This rare balance of artistry and business insight has made Burdifilek one of Canada’s most respected design exports.
7. Sophie Burke Design
Rooted in the serene landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, Sophie Burke Design is known for interiors that celebrate natural materials, craftsmanship, and restraint. Her work embodies understated luxury, warm, textural, and effortlessly elegant. Each space feels deeply connected to nature, inviting light and calm into everyday life.
Burke’s portfolio includes everything from contemporary family homes to heritage restorations, all unified by a consistent design ethos: authenticity and timelessness. Her studio’s thoughtful detailing and material sensitivity have earned national recognition, positioning Sophie Burke as a leading voice in sustainable and emotionally resonant residential design.
8. Tomas Pearce Interior Design
Led by Melandro Quilatan and Tania Richardson, Tomas Pearce Interior Design is synonymous with polished grandeur and international sophistication. The firm specializes in large-scale luxury developments, including high-rise condominiums, hotels, and custom estates. Their work bridges the gap between modern architecture and classic glamour, with a signature aesthetic defined by bold contrasts and meticulous detailing.
Each Tomas Pearce project feels cinematic, designed with dramatic lighting, bespoke furniture, and sculptural accents that command attention. Beyond visual appeal, the studio’s disciplined project management and strong architectural collaboration ensure flawless execution across every scale, from downtown penthouses to luxury chalets.
9. Mason Studio
Mason Studio brings an art-driven perspective to commercial, cultural, and hospitality spaces. Known for blurring the line between art installation and interior architecture, their work challenges traditional ideas of how people experience space. Their design for the Kimpton Saint George Hotel in Toronto is a prime example, blending local heritage with global aesthetics to redefine modern hospitality.
The studio’s multidisciplinary team combines storytelling, research, and design strategy to produce environments that engage both visually and emotionally. Each project reflects a deep respect for context and community, making Mason Studio a leader in contemporary design thinking within Canada and beyond.
10. Paul Raff Studio
Paul Raff Studio occupies a rare space where architecture, sustainability, and artistry converge. Founded by Paul Raff, the firm approaches each project as an exploration of emotion and environmental harmony. Their portfolio ranges from cultural centers to private residences, each designed to evoke a sense of calm connection to place.
Sustainability and craft are central to Raff’s philosophy. Materials are chosen not just for beauty but for their resonance with light, climate, and nature. The result is design that endures, spaces that feel grounded, expressive, and profoundly human. Paul Raff Studio exemplifies how thoughtful design can shape experiences as much as structures.
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FAQs: Interior Design Studio in Canada
1. What makes an interior design studio ‘high-end’?
It’s their ability to translate vision into reality while maintaining craftsmanship, detail, and design integrity.
2. Are these studios focused only on commercial spaces?
No. Many, including Ark & Mason, handle both luxury commercial and residential projects.
3. How do I choose the right studio for my project?
Review each studio’s portfolio, style, and experience in your sector. Clear communication and a strong project process matter as much as creativity.
4. Do these studios manage construction as well as design?
Some, like Ark & Mason, provide full design-build services, handling everything from permits to final touches.
5. Can Ark & Mason handle projects outside Vancouver?
Yes. Our adaptable process and network of partners make it possible to manage projects beyond their local base.
Conclusion
Canada’s design excellence continues to shape global standards. Each interior design studio on this list reflects a unique approach to luxury, craftsmanship, and innovation. Among them, Ark & Mason stands out for uniting creativity with technical mastery, making commercial interiors that don’t just look beautiful but work beautifully too. If you’re ready to transform your business space, contact us to start your next project with Ark & Mason.
