FELICIA SOLOMON

“WE WERE INTRODUCED TO STUDIO 8 DESIGN BY OUR ARCHITECT. STUDIO 8 HAS SUCCESSFULLY DESIGNED PROJECTS RANGING FROM APARTMENT/CONDOMINIUM BUILDINGS TO OUR LAKEFRONT PROPERTY TO OUR MID-Toronto HOME. THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS FOR EACH PROJECT WERE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND CHALLENGING AND STUDIO 8 ACCOMPLISHED WONDERFUL DESIGN WITH UNIQUE ELEMENTS FOR EACH PROJECT. EACH PROPERTY WAS UNIQUE AND GIVEN ITS OWN IDENTITY. FURNITURE AND FINISHINGS WERE HIGHLY CURATED FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES.”

RICHARD AUBRY-

redwood properties

“AS A DESIGN ARCHITECT OF VARIOUS PROJECT SIZES AND COMPLEXITIES, I HAVE WORKED WITH MANY INTERIOR DESIGN FIRMS. I HAVE FOUND THAT STUDIO 8 NOT ONLY PROVIDES THE HIGHEST QUALITY DESIGNS BUT DOES SO IN A PROFESSIONAL AND COLLABORATIVE MANNER. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM ON MANY FUTURE PROJECTS.”

DARK TOOLS-LIGHTING SUPPLIER

“AZEN AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR YEARS, HER ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND COMMITMENT TO DELIVERING THE CLIENT'S VISION IS EXEMPLARY. WE HAVE COLLABORATED ON ALL TYPES OF PROJECTS, THE LAST FEW RESIDENTIAL ONES HAVE BEEN A STUNNING SUCCESS AND OUR COMPANY WAS PROUD TO BE A PART OF IT.”

BRENT HENDERSON CONTRACTING

“STUDIO 8 DESIGN IS ONE OF MY favorite DESIGN FIRMS TO WORK ALONG SIDE. THEY CAME TO ME WITH A BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED PENTHOUSE WITH A VERY TIGHT TIMELINE. THE DRAWINGS WERE EXTREMELY WELL DETAILED & WE WORKED TOGETHER TO GET THE CLIENTS IN ON TIME. THE WHOLE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH STUDIO 8 WAS A DREAM. THEY ARE ON TOP OF EVERYTHING, NO DETAIL IS MISSED, COMMUNICATION SKILLS WERE FANTASTIC WITH EVERYONE CONSTANTLY BEING KEPT IN THE LOOP OF CHANGE ORDERS & SCHEDULE UPDATES. I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH STUDIO 8 AGAIN.”

FRED MARQUES- VP OF MARKETING, MAPLE LODGE FARMS

“I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH STUDIO 8 DESIGN ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW CONCEPT FOR MAPLE LODGE FARMS' FIRST LARGE-FORMAT RETAIL STORE.  OUR STORE IS A 17,000 SQUARE FOOT STATE OF THE ART FACILITY THAT INCLUDES A GROCERY STORE, WHOLESALE ORDERING, AND RESTAURANT.  STUDIO 8 DESIGN HAS DEMONSTRATED AN EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY TO COME UP WITH CREATIVE DESIGN SOLUTIONS THAT CAPTURE AND HELP TO DEFINE OUR BRAND IDENTITY - WHILE STILL ADDRESSING OUR CONSIDERABLE FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SPACE.  THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN EXTREMELY EASY TO WORK WITH, SUPPORTING THE TEAM AND CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATING AN ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE PROJECT.  AND FINALLY, AS A CLIENT I CAN SAY THAT STUDIO 8 DESIGN WORKS WITH A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF INTEGRITY, NEVER COMPROMISING ON PROVIDING THE HIGHEST QUALITY OF SERVICE - BUT FOR AN EXCELLENT VALUE.  I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO RECOMMEND STUDIO 8 DESIGN.”

CHRIS HAWN- DIRECTOR OF RETAIL DEVELOPMENT AT TIME WARNER CABLE

"I HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING CLOSELY WITH KEVIN ON OUR LARGE-SCALE RETAIL ROLL-OUT, WITH MANY LOCATIONS SPANNING ACROSS THE U.S.  AS OUR MAIN POINT OF CONTACT, KEVIN WAS AN ESSENTIAL MEMBER OF THE TEAM - MAKING OUR LIVES EASIER BY EFFECTIVELY MANAGING THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.  KEVIN INSTILLS CONFIDENCE BY CONDUCTING HIS WORK WITH INTEGRITY, DEMONSTRATING A CAN-DO ATTITUDE, AND ALWAYS BRINGING US SOLUTIONS INSTEAD OF PROBLEMS.  HE IS A VERY RESPONSIVE COMMUNICATOR, WORKING WITH AND MANAGING A COMPLEX TEAM TO ENSURE THAT STRICT DEADLINES WERE MET AND BUDGETS WERE MAINTAINED.  EVEN WHEN THE PRESSURE WAS ON (OF WHICH THERE WAS PLENTY!), KEVIN WOULD ALWAYS MAINTAIN A CALM DEMEANOUR AND SENSE OF HUMOUR.  I CAN HAPPILY RECOMMEND KEVIN AS A STRONG ASSET TO ANY ORGANIZATION OR PROJECT TEAM.“

NILS KRAVIS- PRESIDENT, LONESTAR TEXAS GRILL RESTAURANT CHAIN

“WHEN I BECAME THE HEAD OF LONESTAR TEXAS GRILL, I APPROACHED AZEN TO CREATE A NEW DESIGN FOR OUR RESTAURANT CHAIN. I HAD EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH HER ON THE KELSEY’S RESTAURANT CHAIN, AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH HER DESIGN ABILITIES. FOR LONESTAR, SHE EFFECTIVELY CREATED AN ENVIRONMENT THAT SUITED OUR BRAND, COULD BE RETROFITTED TO EXISTING LOCATIONS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY COULD BE ROLLED OUT IN A COST EFFECTIVE MANNER. HER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT MATERIALS AND FINISHES WOULD HOLD UP TO COMMERCIAL USE AND CREATE A BEAUTIFUL INTERIOR WERE INVALUABLE. OUR PROFITS SINCE THE REDESIGN HAVE EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS, EVEN IN A “RECESSION”. WE ATTRIBUTE A LARGE PART OF OUR SUCCESS TO THE GREAT DESIGN, AND WOULD RECOMMEND AZEN AND STUDIO 8 DESIGN HIGHLY.”

SETH HARMAN- MANAGING DIRECTOR, MENESSENTIALS

“AT THE END OF 2012 MENESSENTIALS EMBARKED ON A PROJECT TO OPEN ITS NEW, FLAGSHIP RETAIL STORE IN TORONTO FOR MID-2013. AS PART OF THAT PROJECT IT WAS CRUCIAL TO FIND DESIGNERS WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP US TAKE OUR BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY AND TRANSLATE IT INTO AN ACTUAL WORKING STORE DESIGN. AFTER MEETING WITH SEVERAL GROUPS IT WAS CLEAR TO US THAT STUDIO 8 DESIGN WOULD BEST BE ABLE HELP US DO THIS AS THEY WERE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION WE MET WITH THAT WE FELT UNDERSTOOD BOTH THE REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS THE CONSTRAINTS. WITH THAT SOUND FOUNDATION LAID, WE WERE ABLE TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH STUDIO 8 DESIGN AT EACH STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT FROM DESIGN THROUGH ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION IN A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MANNER. THEIR INPUT BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE AS WELL AS THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE RAW INFORMATION FROM US AND TURN IT INTO WORKING SOLUTIONS WAS A KEY FACTOR IN THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT. NUMEROUS CONGRATULATIONS AND MUCH PRAISE FROM BOTH MEDIA AND CUSTOMERS CONFIRM THE FACT THAT WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE AND WOULD RECOMMEND STUDIO 8 DESIGN WITHOUT HESITATION.”

BRAD RIDDOCH- PRESIDENT, RIDDOCH COMMUNICATION

“I FIRST HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH AZEN ON A RE-DESIGN OF KELSEY'S RESTAURANTS TO COINCIDE WITH A STRATEGIC RE-POSITIONING FOR THE BRAND. HER CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR THE RESTAURANT WAS WELL REFLECTED IN HER DESIGN EXPRESSIONS. AS WELL, HER DESIGNS INCLUDED A RANGE OF OPTIONS ENCOURAGING DISCUSSION AND INPUT FROM ALL TEAM MEMBERS, WHETHER MARKETING, OPERATIONS OR EVEN AGENCY. THROUGH AN ITERATIVE PROCESS, DESIGNS WERE MODIFIED AND IMPROVED AS THEY MOVED FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY. I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH AZEN'S WORK, I RECOMMENDED HER TO SEVERAL OF OUR CLIENTS AND HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH HER AGAIN ON LONE STAR RESTAURANTS AND MAPLE LODGE FARMS RETAIL OUTLET. I HEARD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM CLIENTS ON HER RESPONSIVENESS, ATTENTION TO DETAIL AND RESPECT FOR BUDGET." 

MATT KELLY - MANAGING DIRECTOR, BRAND ADVISOR AT LEVEL5 STRATEGIC BRAND ADVISORS

"I WORKED CLOSELY WITH KEVIN ON A MAJOR RETAIL PROJECT FOR A LARGE USA COMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION. KEVIN'S BRAND IS ONE OF INTEGRITY, RELIABILITY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL. HE DID A SUPERLATIVE JOB MANAGING A VERY COMPLEX PROJECT WITH MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS, TIGHT DEADLINES AND CLOSE SCRUTINY OF COST. KEVIN IS A GREAT TEAM PLAYER AND VERY CONSCIENTIOUS. I WOULD NOT HESITATE TO RECOMMEND KEVIN." TOP QUALITIES: EXPERT, GOOD VALUE, HIGH INTEGRITY

STEVE ASBELL - DIRECTOR, RETAIL STRATEGY AT COX COMMUNICATION INC

"I ENJOYED WORKING WITH KEVIN AND FOUND HIM TO BE OUTSTANDING AT MANAGING THE COMPLEX WORKLOAD THAT INCLUDED MULTIPLE STORE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS. HE WAS A VALUABLE ASSET FOR COX AND OUR DESIGN FIRM FOR WHICH HE WAS EMPLOYED. KEVIN IS ALWAYS WILLING TO STEP IN AND HELP WHEN NEEDED. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM FOR HIS WORK ETHIC AND QUALITY." 
TOP QUALITIES: PERSONABLE, ON TIME, HIGH INTEGRITY

JEAN-PIERRE LACROIX - PRESIDENT AT SHIKATANI  LACROIX  BRANDESIGN INC

"I AM VERY PROUD OF BEING ASKED TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION. KEVIN IS AN OUTSTANDING PROJECT MANAGER WITH IMPECCABLE INTEGRITY AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL. HE HEADED UP OUR LARGEST RETAIL CLIENT AND TOOK FULL LEADERSHIP IN ENSURING THE PROJECT WAS EXECUTED ON TIME AND BUDGET. HE IS TRULY A TEAM PLAYER AND HAS AN AMAZING PERSONALITY THAT INSTILLS PRIDE AND CONFIDENCE IN BOTH THE DESIGN TEAM AND THE CLIENT. AFTER KEVIN LEFT, HE WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO HELP US WHEN WE HAD STAFFING ISSUES, DEMONSTRATING HIS COMMITMENT TO NOT ONLY OUR FIRM BUT TO THE CLIENT THAT HE HAD BUILT A STRONG RELATIONSHIP. IN MY 35 YEAR CAREER, KEVIN IS ONE OF THOSE PINNACLE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAS LEFT ME AND THE ORGANIZATION WITH A POSITIVE LEGACY THAT CONTINUES TO EXIST, EVEN TODAY. THE BAR HAS BEEN RAISED HIGH."