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UNION31 Inc. PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRANDON BARRÉ + JAC JACOBSON/COURTESY UNION31 T o be able to translate personality, tastes, desires and dreams into design takes a tremendous amount of skill; a skill that Toronto-based interior design firm UNION31 has cultivated over the years. The team don't think of it in that way, however. For the three partners, Kelly Cray, Neil Jonsohn and Nancy Dyson, design is about stepping into your cli- ent's shoes, joining them on a journey and bringing about a vision through colour, esthetics and lines. "It's all about the client and getting to know them; how they live their lives, how they want to live their lives and what they feel comfortable with," says Jonsohn. "You have to be able to wear your home, like a bold piece of jewelry or colour, you need to be able to pull it off. You need to be able to design a home to suit a person. Successful design is a dialogue; it's as much about listening as it is about speaking," adds Cray. This philosophy cemented itself into the very foundations of UNION31 back in 1979 when Alex Chapman crossed the Atlantic and three years later started up Chapman Design Ltd. Over the years the company saw substantial growth, taking on more staff and getting involved in a number of large projects, including the first mixed-use retail/office condo developments in Toronto. In 1982 Nancy Dyson joined the company. She was later followed by Kelly Cray and Neil Jonsohn who joined the team at Chapman Design in the late 1990s. The three members were crucial to the company's development. Cray brought with him a background in condominiums and real estate developments, as well as project management skills. His desire to continually learn in a design world that was rapidly changing was essential as Chapman Design took on more diverse projects, both in Canada and across the world. Jonsohn came with a whole different set of skills; experienced in the design and project management of luxury homes and large-scale residential projects, he was able to develop the individual relationships that had already been built and forge new ones. With Jonsohn's uncanny ability to interpret a client's vision and attention to detail, Chapman Design was ready to enter a new era of interior design. This team of new bloods understood the importance of maintaining the tradi- tional values of relationship building, but were able to bring a fresh new look during a time when the design world was diversifying with the evolution of the digital age and its complexities involved in creating and building relationships. With Dyson's financial acumen and Cray and Jonsohn's creative vision, little did they realize at that time that they were putting in place the stepping stones to the future of the company. In 2011, Chapman, Dyson, Cray and Jonsohn officially formed UNION31. "It took us over a year to figure out the new name, as well as the philosophy and the new direction," says Cray. The name is derived from the union of the partners and the number of years the company had been around. Last year, Chapman decided to retire from UNION31. It was time for the team to step into a new phase. "When Alex started the company he was around our age and he developed relationships and grew with those people. It was our turn to carry this on, with a new generation that we can grow with," says Jonsohn. "It was important for us to have a new identity. It wasn't so much about starting afresh. We took a lot of the foundations that were a success of Chapman Design, but saw the opportunity to reach out to new developers and expand on our business opportunities; to create a new buzz and energy," adds Cray. The team had built up a reputation for their innovative thinking, diversity and ability to work with others – whether that was with developers and marketing teams in the commercial sector or collaborating with individuals in the residential sector – and the new partners were keen to harness this. + Private residence – North Toronto; Blythwood at Huntington – North York, Toronto; 88 Scott – Toronto.

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