DesignTO Tours: Deacon Residence

As part of our charitable fundraising efforts, join DesignTO for an exclusive house tour in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood. 

The remaking of this Toronto home was a collaboration between owner Tom Deacon and his longtime friend Andrew Jones, both graduates of architecture at the University of Toronto. Soon after graduating, Deacon shifted his focus to furniture design, going on to a successful career designing a broad range of seating mostly for large scale production. Jones, after adding a degree in furniture design from the Royal College of Art in London, also developed a career in furniture and product design while continuing to practice architecture and interior design. This dual experience forms the foundation of his work.

One starting point for their approach was a desire to make a home for Tom’s collection of furniture and art, inherited, collected, and made by Tom himself, manipulating light, space, and materials to create a rich yet quiet series of spaces that would enhance the experience of the eclectic collection rather than compete with it.

The “bones” of the project was a 4-storey, 1893 brick Victorian house on an historic street in Toronto’s Little Italy neighbourhood. Previous owners had stripped all historic details, inside and out so while Tom decided on a meticulous recreation of the original facade using English brick, the closest match now available to the original Toronto red brick, the interior presented a “tabula rasa” for the designers who approached the design meticulously. 

Experience this special space yourself by joining the tour led by homeowner Tom Deacon, designer Andrew Jones, and DesignTO Artistic Director Deborah Wang.

Event Schedule

Tour 1

4:15 PM – Arrive and Gather Outside
4:30 PM – House Tour Begins

Tour 2

5:45 PM – Arrive and Gather Outside
6:00 PM – House Tour Begins

Event Location

The exact address for the house tour will be shared with ticket holders. Please respect the privacy of the homeowners by keeping their address confidential. 

Continuing Education

Guests that log professional continuing education hours can request a certificate for 1 hour of structured learning after they attend the tour.

Thank You

Thank you to the homeowners and our Sensory Partner Aesop. Guests will receive a complimentary Aesop gift. 

A charitable tax receipt will be issued for the allowable portion of the tour ticket.