INTRODUCTION
Your home should make your life feel better.
Most people do not call a designer because they want a new sofa. They call because the rooms they live in no longer match the way they live. The furniture is inherited, the layout works against how the space needs to function and the pieces they love feel stranded among the ones they do not.
Daniel begins with your life, not a mood board: how you cook, who visits, where you read, what you already own and genuinely love. Then decisions are made once, in the right sequence, so mistakes are avoided and nothing is left unresolved.
“Daniel creates a space that works for you, your home and your life.”
OUR SIGNATURE PROCESS
Trusted Transformation Our 6-Step Journey
Discover & Listen
Before anything is chosen, everything is understood.
Daniel spends time in your space, listening to how you actually live in it; what frustrates you, what you love, what must stay and how the rooms are used throughout a real week.
- Walk-through of the rooms in question
- Function, traffic and existing architecture are reviewed
- Existing furnishings are assessed honestly
- Priorities, timeline and budget are discussed openly
Clarity about your needs and a confident starting point.
Define the Plan
A clear scope of work is presented.
A PowerPoint presentation clearly outlines the vision for the project. An estimated cost of completion is proposed and the timeline is discussed.
- Proposed aesthetic is presented
- Budget is proposed
- Scope of the project is identified
- Next steps are discussed
A project that feels manageable instead of open-ended.
Design, Source & Specify
Every element is chosen deliberately.
Plans, elevations, furniture layouts and materials are specified as one coordinated scheme, with real samples in your hands.
- Furniture layouts and elevations are created
- Samples are presented
- A detailed budget is reviewed
- Decisions are made
One cohesive scheme instead of a series of separate purchases.
Secure, Order & Schedule
The practical work, handled.
Trades are secured, orders are placed and lead times are managed. Everything is scheduled in the proper sequence, so the project comes together in a sensible order.
- Orders, deposits and confirmations are tracked
- Lead times and delivery windows are managed
- Trades and purchases are scheduled
- Receiving and site coordination are managed
A Project that is on schedule with every detail taken care of.
Edit, Reuse & Envision
Respect for what you already own.
Good pieces are kept, re-upholstered or repositioned. Pieces that no longer serve you are released. Only then is new furniture considered against a plan, not a wish list.
- Keep / re-upholster / release review
- Source new materials
- Purge, pack and store personal possessions
- Review existing art and artifacts; clean, restore or reframe as needed
Value from what you own and a direction you can picture.
Transform & Oversee
Project management.
Daniel is present, overseeing the entire installation from trades and deliveries through furniture placement and picture hanging.
- Trade oversight
- Product delivery and installation
- Final reveal
- Walk-through and resolution list
A finished home you can move into and start living in.
PORTFOLIO
Designed for real life. Finished with intention.
A selection of residential work across Toronto and beyond; Renovations, Entire-home Projects, Downsizing moves and Single Rooms.
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Curated, not coordinated.
Coordination matches things to each other. Curation chooses what belongs and leaves out what does not. Daniel's projects are built from a small number of good decisions repeated with discipline: honest materials, correct proportions, textiles you want to touch and no extraneous elements added simply to fill space.
"Design should improve your life not just decorate it."
TORONTO, ONTARIO
Meet Daniel Penciner
Interior Designer. Textile Specialist. Bedding Enthusiast. Creative Problem-Solver.
Daniel Penciner has spent a career in and around furnishings and textiles designing residential interiors, specifying upholstery and drapery and producing fine bedding through Ocean Fine Bedding.
This unusual combination shows in the work: rooms considered from the architecture down to the last layer on the bed.
Clients tend to describe the experience the same way. Daniel listens first, is candid about what will and will not work, respects the pieces they already own and manages the practical side; Trades, Orders, Lead Times and Installation, so the project stays calm.
Better function. Better comfort. Better decisions. Better living.
BECAUSE BETTER MATTERS.
WORK WITH DANIELDANIEL DESIGN STUDIO + OCEAN FINE BEDDING
From the room to the bed and every layer in between.
Daniel Design Studio is unusual among design practices. Alongside the interior design work, Daniel produces fine bedding and textiles through Ocean Fine Bedding.
That means the drapery, upholstery, sheeting, duvets, coverlets, pillows and towels in your home can be specified as one coordinated palette not assembled room by room from whatever happened to be available.
YOUR STARTING POINT
Where are you in your design journey?
CONSULTATION
Clear fees. Thoughtful service. No mystery.
INITIAL CONSULTATION
Prefer to talk first? Book a free 15-minute phone call.
BOOK A TIMEWhat Daniel will clarify
- How your space can reach its full potential
- A realistic investment range for the work you have in mind
- The sequence of decision-making required to achieve the desired goal
- Which existing pieces should stay, move or be re-upholstered
- The level of service that suits your project and timeline
FAQ
With the initial consultation. Daniel spends time in your space, reviews what you have and what you need and gives you clear direction. If you decide to continue, that session becomes Step One of the 6-Step Process.
We work on projects of all sizes, from large-scale renovations to individual rooms. For larger projects, Daniel can design, renovate and coordinate the entire process from the initial concept and planning through sourcing, trades, installation and final completion. Single-room projects are also welcome. Smaller projects are planned thoughtfully so that anything you add or change later will still feel connected to the overall design.
Daniel has his own team of bonded, approved and highly skilled tradespeople who deliver excellent value while keeping costs reasonable.
Yes, wherever it deserves to stay. Editing and reusing good pieces sometimes re-upholstered or simply repositioned is a deliberate step in the process.
The initial consultation is a fixed fee of $450. Beyond that, Daniel’s design services are billed at $250 per hour during the Planning, Design and Sourcing stages.
Once tradespeople are under contract and the project moves into the implementation phase, hourly billing stops and a 20% Project Management fee applies to the contracted work.
This covers the ongoing coordination of trades, troubleshooting and problem-solving, scheduling and ensuring that materials and deliveries are aligned so the project continues to move forward smoothly.
Everything is clearly outlined and agreed upon in writing before work begins.
The studio is based in Toronto and most projects are in the Greater Toronto Area, but Daniel can travel for the right project. Some work can also be handled by video, with drawings and samples sent to you.
A single room can take about a month, while whole-home projects and renovations run longer, with timing governed by the scope of work. Timelines are established in Step Two so you know what to expect.
Very often, yes. Daniel frequently works alongside builders and Design/Build contractors, with each bringing a different area of expertise to the project.
Your builder is focused on constructing the home properly. Daniel focuses on how the finished home will look, feel and function for the way you actually live.
At the beginning of the project, that means asking questions that may seem small but can have a major impact later: Where do you like to sit when you watch television? How many people do you host for holiday dinners? Where do your pets sleep? Where do you have your morning coffee? What furniture and artwork do you want to keep?
Those answers help guide decisions about room layouts, cabinetry, lighting, electrical outlets, wall space, finishes, furniture placement and materials before they become expensive or difficult to change.
Throughout the project, Daniel also helps you navigate the hundreds of design decisions that arise along the way. Rather than choosing each item in isolation, every decision builds on the last so the finished home has one cohesive aesthetic.
This can make the process easier for both you and your builder: you have someone focused on your needs and the overall design, while the contractor can concentrate on executing the work.