Nancy Saavedra from Art Boulle
Q: How does “passion for perfection” fit into your company’s philosophy?
A: At Art Boulle, we love what we do. We strive to bring our clients the most unique designs with great attention to detail, the highest quality and personalized customer service.
Art Boulle was born from a heartfelt passion for the arts, inspired by the work of Andre Charles Boulle, who was the most famous French cabinet maker and the preeminent artist in the field of marquetry, also known as the “inlay.” Each custom-made piece has come to adorn luxury homes all over the world—whether classical, ornate or avant-garde, we employ only the finest materials and the most skilled artisans. Most of our clients want custom and we take that seriously! Essentially, we do everything the old-fashioned way—by hand. Our capabilities with regard to complex designs are limitless. They are cast in the
rough; the tools of the chaser give them their sharpness, their minute finish and their jewel-like smoothness, top craftsmen (sculptors, gilders and ornament makers) are the devoted team dedicated to creating Art Boulle’s works of art.
We voraciously pursue the knowledge and techniques of past eras, recreating not only
the forms but the techniques of these masters for more than 30 years. Our team has created museum-style pieces that will be endured for centuries to come.
Our objective was to bring an eco-friendly product line. It was a major goal for us to have a green business model. We create our unique collection with recycled aluminum and all of our patinas and finishes don’t hurt the planet.
We are working on many exciting new projects. One that I am particularly proud of is a project in Mississauga. The owners trusted us with a whole renovation and allowed our team to use our creativity and finishes that are unique to the interior design field. I can’t wait to unveil it.
Dave Jurinic from Toronto Custom Concepts
Q: How does “passion for perfection” fit into your company’s philosophy?
A: We’re passionate about perfection by providing “first quartile service at second quartile
pricing.” This basically means that our passion for perfection is driven by providing high-quality work and service while ensuring clients are receiving competitive and excellent value for that work and service. When it comes to striving for perfection, as a design build company, we are also passionate about being thoroughly prepared from the start of the project. From the initial consultation, the client will be comforted by a systematic process, concept-planning, budgeting and our team approach. Striving to get it right and photo-worthy the first time is the focus. We take great pride in the work and service we deliver. We treat each project and every home or space we work on like it is our own.
I’ve seen my industry evolve over the years from building-code improvements to increased
product options. It is inherent of the industry to use average, every-day, run-of-the-mill products that don’t provide the longevity and quality leading into increased service calls. With Toronto Custom Concepts, it was a no-brainer to provide all projects with better-quality products, which enabled us to provide renovations that started looking richer and grander and magazine-worthy. As a result, we evolved into the higher-end market, providing quality products and quality service. That’s really where our passion derives from—it’s not just a job for me or the Toronto Custom Concepts team. Our passion comes from taking something in its current state and making it that much better for our clients. Our passion for perfection provides our clients with extremely high-value renovations that they are able to enjoy and appreciate for years to come.
Jack Verchenko from Laqfoil
Q: How does “passion for perfection” fit into your company’s philosophy?
A: For me, my passion is all about bringing my very niche industry to Canada. Our stretch ceilings integrate technology and design, and Laqfoil’s services include design, production, delivery and installation of products.
I got interested in this business more than a decade ago—I felt a passion for stretch-ceiling products and realized both manufacturing and installation weren’t readily available in the Canadian marketplace. These are a contemporary solution for finishing any surface, but especially ceilings, and can be used in any type of residence or commercial facility where ceilings or walls are constructed. (Think of them as an alternative to drywall, stucco, concrete and ceiling tiles.) Stretch ceilings allow for practicality and creativity in one package. Back then, I had a job working for the government where I had full benefits, pension, etc., but there was a lack of creativity in my field, so I decided to explore the stretch-ceiling market. The business was an unknown industry on this side of the world, and I travelled to Europe to learn about it. I ended up training, learning the business and installation, and in 2010, I started the company. I very quickly realized people here were
interested in other options for their ceilings—they wanted to enhance their living spaces. I knew I could allow clients to customize their homes in a bigger way. I decided that my company would encompass design work, manufacturing and installation to fulfill our clients’ needs—an all-in-one service that didn’t exist in Canada prior to Laqfoil.
We’re proud to be a manufacturer, distributor and installer in North America—a company that does the whole job from start to finish. But the reason we’ve been able to make a name for ourselves is because I believe in the product and love what I do. Our product allows people the freedom of creating in their homes—it lets them choose the atmosphere
they like and it’s second to none when it comes to added value and benefits. Bringing unique, one-of-a-kind concepts to life is like an artist creating a masterpiece. I’ve brought passion to my industry.