TORONTO-GROWN INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO BREAKS NEW GROUND WITH 7 OPENINGS IN 16 WEEKS
Block Plan Studios Founder Danielle Adams Reflects On Milestones, Challenges, And Design Tech-Infused Futures
TORONTO, Nov. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Just days ago, Danielle Adams' latest hospitality design client officially launched to the public inside the Le Germain Hotel Toronto - an upscale British Indian-inspired dining concept, PUNCH. The 'timeless, but with flair' reveal marked her boutique studio's seventh grand opening since July, including projects across Canadian, US and Caribbean hotels, restaurants, luxury high-rise residentials and one quirky, cool jazz bar.
"It's been a whirlwind of a season, and the momentum isn't stopping," explains Adams. "We're in an exciting, buzzing time in the industry where technology & AI are becoming integral pieces, but also, clients more than ever are looking for that really personal, human, emotive touch that can help them express and develop their visions and dreams. We lean into that, alongside futuristic design technologies, and it's really set us apart."
Before PUNCH, with its rich vintage wood feel and quartet of custom-designed glass leaf chandeliers, Danielle's Block Plan Studios team opened Casamara, a luxurious Mediterranean style restaurant in Washington's new SIXTY DC Hotel. A stunning 54 foot, hand-tufted tapestry piece of wall art curated from Spain, dramatic checkerboard marble floors, curious sculptural display cases and distinctively carved cream ceiling features evoke a familiar Med holiday vibe while exuding city sophistication. She also designed SIXTY's sultry cocktail lounge, Reynolds, where old-school glamour aesthetic beautifully balances contemporary offerings. Here at home, Adams simultaneously created the look & build for Ossington's summertime-opened Small Talk jazz bar and drinking den by the Municipal Group . The hot spot's style aimed to be cheeky while elevating the Ossington strip, perched under a burgundy ceiling pierced with circular cutouts casting ambient glow; pair that with Champagne vending machines, hand-drawn murals and a mosaic tile wrapped amber bar for mingling.
"I could write a book on all the crazy moments and adventures that brought us to this point," laughs Adams. "From racing across 8 countries to find design pieces a client specifically wanted, to having to move to Miami alone with my newborn baby for six months (my incredibly supportive husband would also fly in and visit us weekly) to oversee that construction was being completed perfectly to our our drawings, to learning that the most important, enormous ceiling design centerpiece of a launch got stuck in international customs just days before the media event, I've seen it all." It's not all laughs, either, as Adams has experienced her share of every firm owner's worst nightmare: clients who don't pay their bills. "It's tough, especially for those who are just starting out as it catches you by surprise. It's also so important to go after what's yours and never ever be accepting of that kind of creative theft," advises Adams to the next gen of designers.
Before Small Talk, Danielle designed the top suite floors for Westin Harbour Castle on Toronto's waterfront and Westin Ottawa. She developed Maraa, Yorkville's Middle Eastern-inspired dining room (centered by a sweeping, red and gold custom fabric tent trimmed with tassels, lamps and intricate wallpaper), and also worked on a luxury high rise residential project in the Cayman Islands. While most commonly known for her long history of concepts' successes, and natural knack for the upscale hospitality & leisure sphere, earlier this year a unique client from the medical space came calling on her distinct design style.
"Danielle came highly recommended, and when we met, it was clear she understood both our mission and the emotional tone we wanted to create." comments Melody Adhami of FH Health about the Pollin Fertility Clinic. Block Plan Studios-designed Pollin boasts dreamy, zen cream interiors, specialty touches like a room long, custom curvy banquet, sand dollar-shaped floating light fixtures, serene art installations and plush, relaxing fabrics. "Everyone who walks into the space now comments on how calm, welcoming, and intentional it feels. It's a reflection of the care Danielle put into every detail. A world-class interior designer knows how to balance vision with practicality. Who listens deeply, understands the people who'll use the space, and translates that into design that feels natural and effortless."
Prior to opening the firm in 2021, Danielle Adams worked across a number of the big name design houses for over 20 years including BBB Architects. She led mass scale projects including the design renovation of New York's iconic Madison Square Gardens (the owner said to her it was "the best work he'd ever seen" and better than he could have imagined), Fairmont Hotel Canada locations including Lake Louise, Edmonton, Calgary and the lux redesign of Library Bar in the Royal York Toronto. Also dozens of other restaurants and travel concepts including four buildings for Park Central South Beach Miami, Meet Dalia and Meet Mia in Miami (for Ink Entertainment), Amalia Restaurant in Miami Beach, and Lennox Hotel Miami's lobby. After founding Block Plan, Adam's portfolio continued to explode rapidly as she went on to design Miss Likklemore's, Toronto Beach Club, Patria, Chica, Miller Uptown, AP Yorkville, Paris Texas, Maxime's, La La Social Club, several projects in Hawaii including work for Joe Forte's Group, and Fleetwood's on Front/Fleetwood retail.
"I love to travel and get inspired and develop projects abroad," says Adams, "but I will always continue to seek creative work here at home in Toronto and across Canada. Home has been so good to me and to Block Plan. I hope to continue to help brands here grow, and to continue to hire and give opportunities to Canadian creatives who want to join in local, art-forward, technologically optimized beautification."
SOURCE Block Plan Studios
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