Inside design: J. Alexander Donovan

In a design landscape where clean lines are prized and grey is considered a colour, it’s refreshing to meet a fellow lover of all hues of the rainbow, detailed embellishments, playful patterns and antique silhouettes. Enter the design director of Toronto’s 1212 Decor, J. Alexander Donovan, who graciously sat down with me to chat about his signature style and some of the iconic pieces he can’t live without.


Bold colours and graphic patterns
Alex uses every possible inch of his 900-square-foot apartment to leave his signature stamp. He doesn’t advocate that everyone use as much colour as he does unless they’re able to balance it through scale and pattern, for example. Here in the den, a large antique armoire tempers the boldness of the pink walls and the blue chaise longues he designed himself, while hits of graphic pattern add a dash of playful interest.