In Practice

AB+ZU

Toronto, Canada2025-05-06

"Our design philosophy centers on creating spaces that are calm and honest, yet quietly expressive. Mixing modern with vintage and the important items that often clients themselves possess. We don’t do shelf styling with pointless objects."

Studio AB+ZU
Photographer Kira Noel
Lead Designer Kyla Boyle

“Programa keeps the process visual, organized, and curated, so decisions feel informed”
Jeremy P CaulfieldCofounder

Describe your studio's background, core mission, and typical project timelines.

Kyla and I have worked together for years, first running restaurants and bars in Berlin, where we had the freedom to create spaces that were both functional and built to last. That same mindset carries through in our practice today in Canada.

We put a lot of care into the design development stage, making sure each project is approached in a way that preserves everyone’s sanity. Rather than overwhelming clients with endless options, we stay flexible but focused usually working to refine one strong design direction instead of spreading energy across too many variations.

Sophienstraße Berlin

Homewood Avenue

“Programa helps us streamline the process of reducing choices without making it feel like we’re taking the fun out of it.”
Kyla BoyleLead Designer

Summarise your studio's culture, collaboration approach, and design philosophy.

Our studio culture is hands on and collaborative. We work closely with clients, trades, to make sure each project feels persona. Our design philosophy centers on creating spaces that are calm and honest, yet quietly expressive. Mixing modern with vintage and the important items that often clients themselves possess. We don’t do shelf styling with pointless objects.

Discuss your project selection criteria and a unique method or technique characteristic of your studio.

We work with a lot of families and one thing we’ve learned is that storage and organization can absolutely be fun. While some people dream of beachside escapes, families dream in the practical: coming home after a long day to a space that’s calm, organized, and supports the rhythms of daily life.

To us, a dynamic home is a space that adapts. One that holds energy and movement without feeling overwhelming. That’s why we emphasize thoughtful storage, clear circulation, and spatial clarity. When everything has its place, it’s easier to relax, to connect, and to actually enjoy being at home.

We spend time upfront understanding how our clients live day to day, how they move through their spaces, what their routines are, and how they see themselves in the future. More entertaining? More guests? More downtime? A renovation usually signals a shift, a dream for change, and our job is to shape that dream into something that genuinely works.

“We feel safer knowing we have everything organized in one place.”
Kyla BoyleLead Designer

How were you practising before Programa?

Before Programa there was always a lot of confusion with procurement, luckily we started using Programa quite soon after moving back to Canada. So we did not have many projects without it. Having a centralized hub for both procurement and invoicing saves so much time.

Before that, billable expenses were very difficult and also hard from tax compliance point of view. We feel safer knowing we have everything organized in one place.

Sophienstraße Berlin

Laneway

Describe the impact of Programa on project management, workflow, and client relationships.

Returning to the theme of oversaturation and decision fatigue, Programa helps us streamline the process of reducing choices without making it feel like we’re taking the fun out of it. Clients are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options, and even when we try to simplify things, there’s still a sense of FOMO : the feeling that they need to see everything, just in case.

What Programa allows us to do is involve the client, impress the client, and reassure the client all while staying true to our own workflow. It keeps the process visual, organized, and curated, so decisions feel informed, not rushed or random.

In Practice

Sophienstraße Berlin

Homewood Avenue

Sophienstraße Berlin

Laneway

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In Practice

Sophienstraße Berlin

Homewood Avenue

Sophienstraße Berlin

Laneway