Spotlight On Toronto Interior Designer Anne Hepfer

Look at any of Anne Hepfer’s creations and you’ll instantly get that she likes color. But the Toronto interior designer’s multilayered designs are not just about bright arrangements; a percentage of sales from her ah ha! collection goes to Education Without Borders, a not-for-profit offering after-school support programs to disadvantaged children in South Africa. We talk to Hepfer about her love of color and how travel has inspired her, as well as her involvement in the initiative.

Have you always been interested in design?
I’ve been interested in art since I was a little girl, and I loved going to museums and looking, listening, sensing, and experiencing. Now, I approach my design work in a similar way to how an artist would create a painting. First with a concept, then the landscape or background. Then adding layer by layer with a disciplined eye, simultaneously playing with composition and scale, and proportion, color, and contrast. I’m always looking at form versus function. That’s the artist in me.

Where was your childhood home and what was it like?
I grew up in a brick Georgian house in Greenwich, Connecticut. Our home was very much connected with beautiful gardens and, as my mother loved her roses, peonies, and lilies, many floral motif textiles found their way into our home, such as those by Fortuny and Brunschwig & Fils. Our library was a take on [former Vogue editor-in-chief] Diana Vreeland’s “garden of hell.” One thing for sure, my parents were not afraid of color, so that was a gift to me and I’ve carried that gift through to my clients’ homes.

Our home’s punchy colors are a source of joy among busy work and school schedules, and the gray days of long Toronto winters

It’s been written that you liked crayons growing up…
Yes! I loved crayons and how they smelled. There were also so many different bright colors to choose from. Naturally, I went on to study color theory at Miss Porter’s School [a private college preparatory school for girls in Farmington, Connecticut]. After that I got my degree in art history at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hired right out of the interior architecture and design program at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan by New York architect Daniel Romualdez.

You launched your design company in New York in 2003 then moved to Canada. When and why did you move?
Yes, I moved to Canada in 2004 right after launching my design firm in 2003 in NYC. I married a Canadian!

Related: Explore the London Design Scene with Isobel Dennis

What projects are you working on at the moment?
We are working on six lake house projects, which is such a joy and a privilege. There’s no bigger inspiration than the great outdoors, especially the Canadian lakes. We’re also working on several Toronto homes, renovations, and new builds.

How do people find you?
Usually by word of mouth, although we’ve had several enquiries through press that have turned into projects as well.

You have a strong ability to see the potential of a project—tell us how you approach a commission…
We ask a lot of questions and do a significant amount of research before beginning a project. The architecture, environment, views, client’s lifestyle, and wishlist are all pieces of the puzzle. What we do is very multidimensional and multilayered, and it is also extremely personal. I have always been able to visualize and see the potential in a project. Before construction begins, I can in my mind walk from room to room, and see architecture, lighting, soft furnishings, colors, patterns, textures, and all of the detailed elements of a space and how they work together.

You’re also a fan of color—tell us about this…
I’m always using color to bring life into interior spaces. Playing with different color combinations comes naturally to me. I very much connect color with mood and emotions.

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What are your design inspirations…
Travel is such a key component of my craft. I always return filled with inspiration from all that I’ve seen and experienced. There is so much of the world to see and explore. It’s easy to go to the Marché aux Puces in St-Ouen, Paris to get inspired, but I’ve been focusing on tracking down handmade global crafts in remote areas to support disappearing artisans. People in impoverished areas of the world are figuring out that they can make more money driving for Uber than weaving a rug or basket, and that makes me sad.

As the world becomes more globalized, my hope is that the unique beauty of ethnic cultures continues. I have been collecting and curating for many years, incorporating art and objects into my projects. These past two years I have traveled to Sri Lanka, Morocco, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Colombia, and the Maritimes in Canada, where I have purchased baskets, sculptures, wood bowls, beads, ceramics, linens, textiles, carvings, artifacts, and much more. All of these pieces have stories behind them which bring meaning to my work. I love placing them in the perfect spots in our projects. Next on my list is Japan!

What we do is very multidimensional and multilayered, and it is also extremely personal. I have always been able to visualize and see the potential in a project

Explain what unites your projects…
This is a difficult question because I don’t think that one of my projects looks like any other and I work in many different styles and aesthetics. I would describe my designs as fresh, sophisticated, and luxe with texture. I love open spaces and lots of light, with the goal to bring the outdoors inside. My work also speaks of layering in a big way. Of course, to a certain degree, restraint is also important. But the layering adds so many levels of interest and a fun, whimsical element. I like tailored, clean lines with graphic elements and a refined and interesting color palette. I’m a treasure hunter too and love incorporating unique and unexpected finds.

When and why did you decide to launch your ah ha! collection?
I launched my ah ha! collection in 2013. The pieces are made in South Africa, and since the inception of the line, we’ve given funds to local township schools there. A few years later, we decided to sponsor these schools through a Canadian not-for-profit called Education Without Borders (EWB), which provides educational opportunities for disadvantaged and at-risk children through initiatives in South Africa and Canada, including after-school support programs in math, English, science, school leadership, and youth mentorship. In 2018, I went to visit the brilliant and smiling children at the Nobantu Primary School in a town called Gugulethu outside of Cape Town, South Africa. These kids are a big part of EWB’s mission and the reason why I chose it as the charity behind my furniture and accessories line. The pieces—a collection of furniture and trays—are made with luxe ostrich leather that is ethically sourced from farmers in Africa and repurposed. A percentage of sales goes to the South African community where they were made.

Related: Discover How to Design a Home Fit for an Artist

Tell us about your own home (and your mid-week jam session)…
Every Tuesday night, our family holds a jam session, with drums, guitar, piano, and saxophone in our living room, which is our room for celebration. It’s important for kids to be surrounded by color, and not to take things too seriously. Our home’s punchy colors are a source of joy among busy work and school schedules, and the gray days of long Toronto winters. Our home is our playground, it’s a place to take a breath and have fun.

annehepfer.com

Banner image: A colorful dining room in a home in Forest Hill Village, Toronto, featuring a pair of prints by Robert Longo