As part of our 10 year anniversary, we’ve been pulling fun statistics from our work over the years. One of those includes how many windows we’ve put Hunter Douglas window coverings on here in Edmonton (oh and also in St. Albert, Beaumont, Sherwood Park, Calgary, Westlock, Comox, Vancouver and even Mississauga) and also what our top 3 product lines are that we’ve sold over the past 7 years of being an Hunter Douglas Dealer. So I thought I would share what those 3 products are and why they get specified the most.

We love it when our existing clients bring us back for more and that was the case for the renovation of this ensuite bathroom in the lovely neighbourhood of Ramsay Heights in Edmonton. We’d previously renovated their kitchen and the bathrooms were the last areas that needed updating. Our focus was primarily on the ensuite, although we did do a more minimal update to the secondary bathroom as well. The clunky jacuzzi tub and dated shower were replaced with an open concept, large, curbless shower and extra storage. It’s now a true retreat that is giving all the spa vibes.

My interest in investment properties is one of the biggest reasons as to why I decided to study interior design. In June 2022 my partner and I bought a new (to us) investment property that we had intended to do a full flip on and then rent out. Spoiler it is June 2023 and we are just now completing the project! We have been working on the house for a while and with me being in school full time and him working Monday to Friday it has been difficult to get the work done in our limited free time. This is just our second rental property and as you can probably imagine there has been quite the learning curve! Below I have curated a few tips that I have learned along the way that may help you get started. On our next project I have some ideas on how to save ourselves some grief and I am excited to share them with you.

A question that we often get when our clients first inquire with us is, “should we have a contractor chosen first or wait until the design is done?” While this depends on the type of contractor and type of designer, there are a few reasons why you may want to start with one over the other. So let’s discuss these reasons and some of the associated pros and cons, to help you decide the direction you’ll take on your next project.

We always enjoy guiding our clients through the design process, particularly during life transitions like a big move or changes to the family unit. This was another one of those projects and we were excited to help bring our client’s personality into her bedroom to create a space she loves being in… her own sanctuary. A lot of times when we bring furniture with us from that last phase of life, it can often keep us tied to the past in a way that isn’t always helpful. Being able to embrace who you are in this new phase and surround yourself with items, colours and textures that are representative of who you are and how you want to feel can be extremely liberating. So let’s dive into this bedroom redesign project in St. Albert’s Braeside neighbourhood!

We’re about to hit our 6 year anniversary in our current home. As many of you know, when we took possession we didn’t move in for nearly 6 months while we did an extensive renovation to the whole home (and in full transparency it was another 6 months before we were fully done but we had at least moved into the main floor after the first 6 months). While I don’t have many regrets about the choices we made, there are a few things that I would do differently the next time around. And I figured it might be helpful to some of you to know what those items are.

Our basements are often overlooked from a design perspective in our homes, but they shouldn’t be! You’ve got this great, undeveloped space just waiting to become a functional and beautiful space that adds value to your life and your home. In full transparency, it does make me sad when a basement is just framed, drywalled, with some carpet thrown in, creating basic, uninspired areas that could be so much more. You know the one it feels like a basement. But what if your basement didn’t feel like a basement? What if it felt like a true extension of your home? Well here are five tips to consider that will help you create a space you’ll love.

Overall, the renovation went quite smoothly. We did run into an issue with our original glass shower enclosure being smaller than it was supposed to be due to some not clear descriptions on the product and one toilet had to get a new part and then eventually be replaced as it was faulty. Product delays were the other item that made the schedule a bit longer than ideal but there is only so much we can control!

In addition to attending the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show this year, we also spent time at the Las Vegas World Market Center to take in all things furniture, decor and lighting related. In addition to adding some great new suppliers to our list, we tested out so many chairs and sofas for our clients. Most of the lighting I source is from catalogues and not always available to view locally in the showrooms so getting to peruse the collections of several of my go-to lines was so helpful too! As always, trends are just that. I’m always going to advocate for adding pieces to your home that you love, regardless of if they are on trend or not. But it’s important to have some insight into what’s out there and where design is heading!

At the end of January I made the trip to Vegas to take in the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show along with the Las Vegas Market (more on that part on an upcoming post). While I like to keep our designs as timeless as possible, it’s still important to have a sense of what is new in terms of look and feel as well as from a functionality and technology point of view. So here is my take on the Bathroom, Kitchen and Appliance trends that you should know about.

When our clients decided to purchase a new home in Edmonton’s Laurier Heights neighbourhood, we were beyond excited to take on the interior design of their basement. A bit of a rarity, this 1960s bungalow had an unfinished basement! The overall condition of the space was great but we did have to get creative to work around some of the existing plumbing and mechanical. The goal was to create two bedrooms for their daughters, a bathroom for them to share, a main living space with a dry bar, a laundry room, an art room and lots of storage space.

We met Professional Organizer, Eileen Kropf (The Orderly Lifestyle) back in 2021 when one of our Edmonton based clients had hired her to manage the organization of his belongings while we took on the design of his condo. Her work was nothing short of amazing and we regularly recommend her to any of our clients who need assistance on the organization front. I wanted to share a bit of her brilliance with you all so asked her to be a guest on our blog to share her professional organizer insights with us.

One of the services we offer to our Realtor partners is our Pre-Sale Consultation, during which we spend an hour with homeowners to give them advice and guidance on putting their home’s best foot forward to attract the right buyer. It was during one of those consultations that I had the absolute pleasure of meeting these clients. They were ready to sell and move on to a new home, but after they implemented a few of the recommendations I had for them … well they decided that maybe their current home could work for them with a few additional updates. Yep, our own little ‘love it or list it’ moment!

I know you’ve heard it time and time again, subway tile is timeless and classic. And it is! It doesn’t date a kitchen backsplash or a bathroom shower based on trends. Which is exactly why we love to use subway tile for our clients as the not-trendy factor means their design will last longer, making for a better investment. Oh and the fact that it’s frequently one of the least expensive tile options. So let’s get into the ways that we can use Subway Tile in not boring ways!

The next project I’m featuring is our recent redesign project in the Highlands neighbourhood in Edmonton. My clients purchased this home in advance of moving back to Edmonton from out east - in fact, we technically saw the home in person before they did! They were wanting to start fresh with new furniture and decor and we were excited to help them make their new house feel like their home. We focused primarily on the living room, dining room, den / office and primary bedroom. But there were also some updates to the kitchen and stairwell too. The overall vibe for the space was to be fresh and inviting, perfect for entertaining as well as cozy evenings in, dog friendly and a timeless yet modern feel.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with several children and teens to design their bedrooms and I want to share some of my learnings and tips with you. Now before we get going, I know that some people find the thought of designing a kid’s room as possibility a bit frivolous. But let’s just take a moment and think back to your own childhood room. How did you feel in it? If you could have felt better in your space, how do you think this would have impacted your day-to-day life at the time? And let’s also think about the perks of getting it right the first time. Making thoughtful investments in your child’s space that grow with them. I’ll always argue that it isn’t frivolous to intentionally design a kids room, but that it is actually very important for their wellbeing.

Well, it’s been a while since my last post on our own home renovation but since we recently had Darren Lebeuf over to photograph our home and I’ve got some great photos now, I feel like it’s time to share the biggest transformation of our project! So let’s go all the way back to 2017 when we bought our 1950’s semi-bungalow and decided to do a full renovation before moving in. The design of this area of our home is one I’m extremely proud of. The goal was to create a lovely primary bedroom, add laundry and a full bathroom, maintain a second bedroom and ensure there was lots of storage. All this in a space that previously had two bedrooms and a random sink in the hallway.

This renovation of two bathrooms in a home in the Strathearn neighbourhood of Edmonton came about a bit differently than most of our projects. My clients had already hired a contractor to take on the renovation and, when it was suggested to them that they should work with a designer to finalize the design and details, the clients reached out. We’ve known each other for a couple years as a result of both owning wheaten terriers, so I was beyond excited to work with them to bring the bathroom renovation into reality. The clients already had some great ideas and a few finishes selected, meaning my role was to refine those ideas and pull together the remaining pieces. As with so many projects over the past two years, this one was also delayed as we waited some time for one particular tile to come back in stock. But the wait was worth it as these two bathrooms are just so dreamy!