Project Details
Interior Design: Lisa Worth of Worth Interior Design
Location: King City, Ontario
Client Review: Longtime occupants of the home, the clients intentionally avoided a conventional lower-level solution. Instead, they identified an opportunity to create a space that fosters both connection and personal recharge. My clients travel frequently around the globe, and one of their favorite pastimes is soaking up the atmosphere in a chic lounge, so why not bring that experience home?
Design Aims: The goal was to create a calming, chic sanctuary in the 1,600-square-foot space. A space designed to host and to retreat. We wanted to invite moments of connection alongside quiet rituals of rest, reset, and home-based spa living.
We were inspired by the quiet luxury of slipping into a hotel bar, where the everyday falls away. The design frames the home as a place of subtle escape and indulgence. It captures that fleeting moment of departure reimagined as an intimate, immersive experience at home.
Organized as a largely open-concept plan, the bar and adjacent wine room serve as the primary anchors. Informal seating nodes cluster around the pool table, echoing the relaxed atmosphere of a hotel lounge. A suite of wellness spaces — gym, sauna, steam room, and shower — sits just beyond: They’re visually connected, yet acoustically separated with glass enclosures. Tucked behind the bar, a theatre room is hidden from view, accessed through a seamless touch-latch concealed door.
From the Designer
The atmosphere is cinematic; enveloping and quietly seductive, inviting lingering conversations and relaxed indulgence. It’s where entertaining meets restoration; a layered, moody retreat where social ritual and private escape coexist.
A dark palette was essential to establish a sense of intimacy, and the black-stained wood paneling found throughout the spaces offers both texture and a sense of personal enclosure. Meanwhile, the use of marble introduces a jolt of color and a stronger sense of visual interest.
Thoughtful lighting design is just as important as the color palette itself. Throughout the design process, there were frequent comments and questions about whether the space would feel too dark. (Interestingly enough, those concerns never came from my client.) Rather than relying solely on the standard approach of overhead pot lighting, we balanced the lighting design with integrated cabinet illumination, which allowed for softer ambient light levels.
We took advantage of materiality to define character. Leather panels line the wine room, merging with functional racking, while smoky mirrors behind the bar subtly scatter light, casting a sultry, chic glow. There is a juxtaposition of gentle, curving forms with structured, linear elements to create a balanced, timeless interior. Rift-cut white oak paneling lines the walls, minimizing exposed drywall in favor of more expressive surfaces.
The media lounge, gym, and spa are in constant use, supporting the homeowners’ desire for relaxation and wellness. The bar lounge is used more selectively during gatherings and entertaining, while remaining visually connected to the overall experience. Lower-level spaces can often be underutilized, but not this one. I was delighted to hear that my clients are spending a great deal of time enjoying the spaces exactly as intended.
Source List
Bar Sofa: CB2 | Bar Runner: Elte Carpets and Home | Bar Sconce: Restoration Hardware | Wine Room Ceiling Light: Prima Lighting | Theatre Room Ceiling Lighting: Casa Di Luce Lighting | Lounge Chair: Elte Carpets and Home | Bathroom Vanity Pendant Light: Union Lighting and Furnishings | Bathroom Vanity: Interstone Marble and Granite | Bathroom Floor and Wall Tile: Interstone Marble and Granite | Bathroom Faucetry: Carimali | Custom Cabinetry: Regal Woodworking
Photography by Lauren Miller.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.