A beguiling sense of depth and nuanced textural contrasts are trademark flourishes for Clarisa Llaneza. The Toronto-based designer—who was named on House & Home’s Top 100 Designers List in 2024—grew up in the Dominican Republic, has a Master’s degree in Architectural Lighting Design from Parsons School of Design, and cites travel as one of her top inspirations. And as her eyes take in what the world has to offer, Llaneza’s sense of perception continues to refine; she’s catalogued an array of silhouettes, surfaces, sensibilities that convene and coexist within the details she bestows on each of her projects.
For the serene Lisa Gozlan Jewelry space at Square One—Llaneza’s first foray into retail design, a dreamy monochromatic palette that recalls sand and sun is punctuated by dune-hued marble and chocolatey wood. And in a home in Muskoka, she incorporated the dimensionality of its idyllic surroundings into the interior, infusing it with a warmth and richness that’s balanced by moments of simplicity.
Now, Llaneza and her multidisciplinary studio has conceived of a trio of furniture styles under the collection name PERSONA. Crafted by Nick Day Design, the fine woodworking studio that Llaneza regularly teams with, the four made-to-order wooden pieces are stately, dynamic and according to the designer, emblematic at once of intimate traits and the universal, natural progression of personal evolution.
“At the heart of PERSONA is the idea that furniture is not just functional—it's an expression of individuality and character,” says Llaneza. “Just as people are defined by their layers, personalities, and imperfections, each piece in this collection has its own story to tell, celebrating the beauty in the process of becoming, evolving, and embracing one's true self.”
Here, we explore the process and discuss the people who influenced this bold collection of Canadian furniture.
What I love about the pieces you and Kim Lambert have designed for the first two Collaborations: Hollace Cluny collections is that they have very distinct DNA and identities, but there is also a sense of harmony between these collections in terms of the materiality, and the shapes that we're seeing. What were your inspirations for the PERSONA Collection, and how did your previous custom work inform the process here?
My studio’s custom pieces are typically a collaboration with the client themselves; for example, the Morgan Cabinet – which was the initial piece I started with in designing PERSONA – is based on a design we did for my dear friend, Morgan, who inspired this piece in the collection. Her cabinet is more complicated in some functional ways, and the PERSONA piece has the addition of glass details. Morgan herself is very elegant and incredibly smart, and she has a very warm, kind energy. At first, I was intimidated by her but once I got to know her, we became fast and great friends.
Having worked with Morgan on two other projects before the last custom one, where we designed a cabinet for the TV in her bedroom, we came to know her well. We understood her sensibilities, what makes her tick, and what excites her. So, when designing this specific unit for PERSONA, we very much knew we wanted to work with rich and layered wood tones to create an item that felt ‘old world’ in style; a piece evoking the sense that it had lived and been loved, but one that could be used in the modern world. This meant we had to ensure it was very functional, too.
There’s also the Sadie Side Tables, which are a smaller version of the Morgan – it’s inspired by the real Morgan’s daughter. I’ve had the pleasure to intimately witness Morgan evolve as a mother; it’s been so special watching their relationship grow. This piece a more playful style, which you can see by the larger Morgan unit appearing as if it’s standing up and the smaller Sadie piece kind of toppling over, because toddlers tend to fall a lot! I love the idea of mixing the different heights in a room.
I was also influenced by my travels to Mexico; I love the wood materials they use there, which have very dark, rich tones. My grandma had a door in her house with a similar texture.
And why did you approach this collection with the concept of “persona” in mind?
When I was starting to think about the collection, Nick Day told me that I’m good at really focusing in on a person’s characteristics when I’m collaborating with them, and he suggested that I take that approach.
It's called PERSONA as a tribute to the complexity of people—their layers, their personalities, and their contradictions. No two individuals are alike; people have similar traits, but ultimately, we're all unique. For example, there are differences between the Morgan and the Sadie – Sadie’s glass pieces are a touch brighter, and Morgan’s are more quiet and elegant. Just like Morgan.
Tell me more about the Tanner piece; it’s extraordinary.
Tanner Kidd, who runs contemporary art tours under the brand The New Path, is one of my best friends. Often, people have friends for different reasons—the friend you can cry with, the friend you can dance on the table with; Tanner is all of that to me. Most of all, though, she is a friend I can talk about art appreciation with. She’s generously shared her love of art with me and has opened up a whole new world of artists in Canada that I never knew before.
I remember being in Vancouver with her for the Capture Photography Festival last year, and one day we were having lunch and a glass of wine; we had just come from Ian Wallace’s studio – he plays with a lot of colours and lines in his photography. That got me thinking about some of my earliest art icons like Piet Mondrian, and about the complexity of Brutalism – another favourite inspiration.
From there, I started sketching on a napkin, incorporating subtle curves to reflect Tanner’s natural sense of softness. This design all came from a very casual day when I was simply feeling relaxed and inspired.
That melding of artistic inspirations is a good segue into talking about something that stands out in your design work in general – an abundance of texture. Why did you want to incorporate glass into the PERSONA pieces?
I wanted to bring a bit of softness and colour to them. To me, glass carries emotion – like it has a spirit of its own. Every time I’m in Barcelona, I have to visit the Sagrada Familia; I don’t care how many times I’ve seen it, there’s just something about it that moves me. Of course, it's almost impossible to recreate that feeling on a scale like the Sagrada Familia in furniture pieces, but for me it’s about capturing the essence and the memory of how glass can make you feel a spiritual connection to a space.
If you could sum up the PERSONA Collection in three words, what would they be?
Abstract, tactile, complex.
Photography by Lauren Miller.