The founder of Field Design Office gives us a tour of her historic home, where her ultra-modern designs are brought to life.
Written by Tori Healy
Photography: Arash Moalemi
If the name Megan Oldfield doesn't immediately click, let's jog your memory. As founder and creative director of her design office here in Toronto, she has worked for many years on branding, environment, editorial, art, exhibition design, product and packaging for domestic and international clients. I've created a lot of things. Her resume is Graphic She Designs Rock She's a Star Blues She's Maw, EMI Music She Works in Canada, New York's Famous Sagmeister & Walsh She Works at the Studio, Serious Education and Advocacy I also have qualifications. Oldfield is an educator in the Sheridan/Mississauga University Art and Art History Program and a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers. You may have enjoyed her exhibition designs at Stefan Her Sagmeister's “Happy Show”, presented at the 2013 Design Her Exchange. Or maybe you've experienced the flagship Drake Hotel rebrand, or the branding, wayfinding, and packaging for Drake One Fifty, Drake Devonshire, and Drake Commissary. . Oldfield creates her masterpieces in her home, and while her Tudor style may seem like an incongruous backdrop for such modern designs, it is a very It's working fine. Take her tour and find out a little more about her and her space.
One of the first renovations the couple made to the old Tudor was to install built-in shelving outside and inside the Oldfield office. Flos' Taccia small light (foreground) is available from Kiosk, LightForm, and Sescolite. Stendig calendars are available with a swipe. Herman Miller desk chairs are available at DWR. Knoll's desk.
Designlines: Can you tell us a little more about your business and your clients?
Megan Oldfield: I work on a wide range of projects. I love flexing my design muscles and trying something interesting. While I started my career primarily working in the music industry, I now work on a project basis with clients ranging from sports to the cultural sector, retail, cannabis and hospitality. I'm currently working with a sports analytics company to reimagine the design of data products for the NHL. Pro 6 Cycle e-commerce site. Branding and package design for LA-based concept jewelry company TALYSMN. And I'm the creative director of Madge and Mercer Modern Apothecary, a wonderful new venture that is female-led and focused on the cannabis environment.
The couple outfitted the wood-paneled dining room with an Eames conference table made by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller. Knoll's Eero Saarinen Executive Chair and Bertoia Side Chair. And the Resident Tri pendant light is available from Klaus.
Designlines: Where do you live and with whom?
Megan Oldfield: My partner Joe Temperato (former professional motorcycle road racer and co-owner of the diversified motorcycle business Pro 6 Cycles) and I have two potcakes, a stray dog from the Turks and Caicos Islands, and two other dogs. I live with a rescue cat. . We live near St. Clair West in the Humewood-Cedarvale area. When we were house hunting 10 years ago, I wasn't very familiar with the area, but Joe grew up here two streets over and I fell in love with the area.
The DADA kitchen (via Molteni & C) has Span e15 lighting (available via Klaus) and Flos' Kap Trimless Recess Lights (available via Super Orange), as well as Miele appliances. Ciot concrete backsplash and floor tiles.
Design Line: Tell us more about the history of your home and the challenges of making it a home.
Megan Oldfield: The house is a 100-year-old Tudor building with a center hall. It wasn't exactly what we were looking for, but when the real estate agent knocked on our door and said, “Come with me right now, I have to show you something.” went and fell in love. It had all the charm and potential of the original. Sure we're modernists, but we also love craftsmanship and love all the woodwork and details in this home, so of course we entered the bidding war and here we are.
Maintaining the home's original details presented some challenges, but we always put the first part first. After all, it was the details that drew us to this home in the first place. The whole house was plastered and that was the first thing that was done. Next, we upgraded the garage where we store our 1977 Alfa Romeo and Joe's bikes. My office was completely renovated with in-floor radiant heat, built-in bookshelves, and a modern Molteni&C/Dada kitchen. The previous kitchen was very small and he was very 70's in the worst sense of the word. Joe and his father, a retired furniture maker, worked together on the installation.
The living room is rich in original details and is furnished with: Flos Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Snoopy Light and Toio Light (available from Kiosk, LightForm, and Sescolite). Klaus cushion. Umbra Shift's MSDS pleated vase (on the coffee table).
Design Line: With home time becoming more important than ever, is there anything else you would like to add to your living environment?
Megan Oldfield: There's always a project in the works, and the next one is in the backyard. We added a fence and deck outside the kitchen this year, so it's sure to be a beautiful oasis when summer decides to arrive. We've done a fair amount of work on the house, but there's always more to do. My Italian mother-in-law expresses this sentiment perfectly when she says, “quando é finita la casa, muori.” This roughly translates to “The house is only complete when you die.”
crib sheet
Shop the look: Kiosk, LightForm, Klaus, Umbra, Miele, Ciot, Swipe, DWR, Molteni & C, Knoll, Sescolite
Know the Manufacturers: Floss, Stendig, Herman Miller, Charles & Ray Eames, Resident, MSDS