F5: Sam Sacks Talks Records, Spanish Cedar, Anthropomorphic Furniture + More

Interior Designer Sam Sacks, founder and principal of her eponymous firm based in Toronto, Canada, shares five things that currently inspire her work and worldview in a feature called Friday Five. Sacks transitioned into interior design after a career in journalism, where she served as an editor for a shelter publication. Her extensive background in writing about interiors, researching textile history, and studying architecture provided her with a unique education for her current role. She approaches design as a storyteller, aiming to reflect clients' personalities within their spaces through elements like wallpaper, millwork, and rugs. Sacks begins her list with her appreciation for the smell of Spanish Cedar, describing it as fresh and woodsy with a touch of nostalgia. She notes its ability to evoke a sense of history and warmth, making it a material she frequently incorporates into her designs. Her second inspiration is Coqui Coqui perfumeries, particularly the locations in Merida and Valladolid, Mexico. She admires their authentic and beautiful decoration, which features delicate antiques set against 16th-century ruins. Beyond scents, these locations offer spas, private residences, and unique hammocks made from Sansevieria. Anthropomorphic furniture is Sacks' third source of inspiration. She finds joy in pieces that resemble animals or the human form, favoring fun and fantastical designs. Her personal record collection, featuring artists like Bob Dylan and Roberta Flack, is her fourth inspiration. She enjoys listening to their music on repeat, as it helps create an atmosphere conducive to creativity. Finally, Sacks is inspired by textile hunts around the world, which she experiences as a sensory journey filled with the smells of diesel, incense, heat, and humanity. She cherishes the intense, fragmented conversations that occur as people from different backgrounds connect over shared appreciation for beauty, and she has a particular fondness for embroidered textiles from Africa, Central Asia, and Central and South America, noting the joyful expression of nature in designs like Otomi, suzani, and vibrant kilims. The article also showcases several of Sacks' projects. The Majorelle Project involved the meticulous renovation of a three-story Victorian 'workers cottage' in Toronto, where Sacks balanced bold color strokes, such as an electric Yves Klein-inspired blue kitchen, with largely white rooms, natural fibers, and Matisse-esque rugs. Project BFFs, a comprehensive overhaul of a detached Edwardian home in Toronto's Riverdale neighborhood, included a two-story addition, interior gutting, and the integration of soft modern finishes with architectural elements like coffered ceilings and plaster moldings. The Ninth Line project, a smaller endeavor involving a living room and hallway in a Georgian farmhouse, mixed English, African, and Canadian elements to create a whimsical space with reupholstered vintage chairs and custom divans. Cartwright Point, a new build completed in 2023 along the St. Lawrence River, emphasizes timelessness and seamless integration with nature through a quiet palette, tactile finishes, and thoughtful architectural details. Lastly, the Aldwych project transformed a miniature row house in Toronto's east end by restoring its original character while maintaining functionality and openness, inspired by midcentury Northern California cottages with deep blues and electric greens, and a budget-conscious approach that utilized striking materials like zellige-style tiles and a copper range hood for significant impact. #InteriorDesign #SamSacks #DesignInspiration #FridayFive #TextileHunts #AnthropomorphicFurniture #SpanishCedar #CoquiCoqui #ResidentialDesign #InteriorDesign #SamSacks #DesignInspiration #FridayFive #TextileHunts #AnthropomorphicFurniture #SpanishCedar #CoquiCoqui #ResidentialDesign