DesignAgency: Designing the Art of Experience

There are interiors that look beautiful, and then there are interiors that become part of the memory of a place. DesignAgency, the Toronto born multidisciplinary studio founded by Anwar Mekhayech, Matt Davis, and Allen Chan, has built its reputation around the latter. With more than two decades of experience and projects spanning hospitality, residential, commercial, and retail environments, the studio approaches design as something to be experienced rather than simply observed. Its work is imaginative, immersive, and always conscious of the people moving through it.

Hospitality sits at the heart of DesignAgency’s creative identity, and this is perhaps where its philosophy becomes most apparent. Hotels, restaurants, bars, and social spaces are treated as complete experiences, with architecture, interiors, branding, art, lighting, and even the movement of guests considered as parts of one larger narrative. The studio has worked across more than 60 cities and 18 countries, creating environments that feel connected to their surroundings while still possessing a strong individual personality.

One of the studio’s greatest strengths is its ability to give a project a sense of place without falling into the obvious. Local culture, landscape, history, and craftsmanship can become subtle references rather than literal interpretations. For the Andaz Toronto concept, for example, the studio drew inspiration from Toronto’s natural landscape as well as the grids that define both the building and the city, translating those ideas into sophisticated interiors with rich materials and carefully tailored proportions.

DesignAgency also understands the power of the unexpected. Custom furniture, lighting, artwork, installations, and graphic elements frequently become integral parts of its projects, often developed in collaboration with artists, craftspeople, and manufacturers. At Abrielle in Toronto, sculptural seating, oversized scalloped lighting, bold stone surfaces, and a playful colour palette create an atmosphere inspired by a fictional coastal Mediterranean muse. It is precisely this combination of storytelling and detail that allows the studio’s spaces to develop their own personalities.

Yet beneath the visual richness is a remarkably practical understanding of how spaces function. DesignAgency considers circulation, operations, guest behaviour, atmosphere, and brand identity alongside aesthetics, ensuring that its interiors work as successfully as they look. This holistic philosophy has helped the studio move comfortably between intimate restaurants and major hospitality destinations, from Toronto landmarks to international resorts and hotels. Their work suggests that the most successful interiors are not simply collections of beautiful elements, but carefully choreographed experiences.

Ultimately, DesignAgency represents a generation of designers who understand that great hospitality is about emotion as much as architecture. Its interiors invite curiosity, encourage discovery, and create a sense of connection between people and place. From the intimate atmosphere of a restaurant to the expansive experience of a luxury hotel, the studio consistently searches for that elusive quality that makes somewhere memorable. In an industry increasingly focused on visual impact, DesignAgency reminds us that the most powerful spaces are the ones that stay with you long after you have left.