By Adriana Ermter
Kitchens boasting sleek and crisp, modern edges. Fireplaces made of luxurious natural stone. Family rooms featuring expansive arched doorways. These are just a few of Wise Nadel Design Inc.’s trademark interiors. These and the colour blue, of course. “If there’s blue somewhere in the room, you know Robin has been there,” laughs Harvey Wise. He, along with business partner Robin Nadel, are co-principals of their prestigious and eponymous Toronto-based interior design firm.
“I LOVE THE ARCHITECTURE STAGE THE MOST AND HE PREFERS THE DECOR. WE’RE PASSIONATE DESIGNERS WHO ARE NOW ESTABLISHED UNDER ONE ROOF.”
Robin’s signature style is light and ethereal and always includes an injection of colour. It is, along with her background as an architect, the perfect fit to Harvey’s penchant for neutral, monochromatic, tailored, and high-contrasting interior design. “We feed off each other,” affirms Robin. “I love the architecture stage the most and he prefers the decor. We’re passionate designers who are now established under one roof.”
Since joining forces four years ago, the duo has become renowned for blending luxury with everyday living. Their high-end, statement homes range from 5,000 to more than 10,000 square feet and are designed in what Harvey and Robin describe as clean, timeless, and not overly decorated. Detailed millwork, waterfall islands, beautifully veined marble, chevron patterns, silk wallpaper and bespoke accent pieces reign supreme. As does their vision: to give their clients the quality home life they’ve dreamed of. “We approach each project as if it’s our own home,” says Robin.
This client-driven focus ensures the firm’s personalized touch. Just as Harvey and Robin handpick each project’s team from their in-house pool of 10 designers, it is not unusual for a client to choose which principal player they wish to work with. “People often interview us together,” explains Robin. “So even if a client came to us because they liked my previous work, they may feel that Harvey is a better fit for them.” And vice versa. “These things are organic,” adds Harvey. “It’s a leap of faith. Clients are trusting us with their most prized possession, so it’s critical that the right people from our team do the job.”
To ensure the vision for each home is accurately executed, one or both principals oversee all projects. Additionally, Harvey and Robin enlist the support of top-tier builders, tradespeople, suppliers, and landscapers with whom they’ve built longstanding and trusted relationships. “We’re full service,” says Harvey of their collaboration with clients. By fine-tuning architectural drawings and plans, creating a schematic design to translate the home’s vision and flow, and respecting the execution process and budget, they guarantee their clients are involved, and simply delighted with the outcome. “Our clients come to us with the pieces; we weave their ideas together,” says Robin. Adds Harvey, “We take their dreams, and we elevate them.”