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!

I had a good chuckle the other day when an astrology account I follow posted on Instagram a “you can only choose 2” list for each astrological sign. For Taurus the options were, “be right about everything”, “unlimited supply of fine wine”, and “the power to shrink your bed and take it with you”. As a Taurus - that is a hard decision to make – I like being right, I like fine wine and I also really love my bed. But the reason I’m telling you this is because I really, really love my bed and you should too! Here’s why, and what you can do if you’re not currently as in-love with your bed as you could be.

You might already know, but just in case you don’t, that I’m a specialist for Hunter Douglas, who manufacture really awesome, high quality, innovative blinds and window coverings. I really enjoy partnering with clients to find solutions that will help them achieve the right balance of natural light for their space. I’m telling you this today because Health Canada has recently announced upcoming changes to the Consumer Product Safety Act, including regulations for corded window coverings, and that’s going to have a pretty significant impact on Hunter Douglas’s product line.

I am truly so excited to share with you this recent condo redesign in the Oliver neighbourhood. Of course, I’m always excited to share our projects with you, but this one feels special. I often talk about the great privilege we have of really being invited into a very personal experience with our clients. The space we live in says a lot about who we are and how we want to feel, and even supports us in becoming and living those out. Sometimes, though, we really are starting over completely – and while that can be so daunting, it’s also even more of a privilege. And that was the case with this redesign.

Getting ready to sell your home can be overwhelming. We partner with several amazing realtors in Edmonton to offer their clients a 1-hour consultation in which we provide you with tips and recommendations for getting your home ready to show. We’ve seen a lot of homes and given a lot of recommendations, and these are the top 5 tips we almost always include.

It’s time for another Edmonton kitchen renovation! I’m so excited to do the full reveal on this project - the transformation is pretty epic, if I do say so myself. I first met with the homeowners in the fall of 2020. They were ready to update their kitchen to be more functional and current and also wanted it to feel more spacious with better lighting. When I saw the space, I knew there were a few different directions we could go. There were simpler updates that would still look great and meet their goals but I also had another vision in my brain. To be completely honest, I was nervous to present it. It was a big change and it meant a bigger budget, but it was too good to not share. I’m so glad I did, because they loved it!

A while back on Instagram I was discussing how, as a designer, I always have a sometimes secret, sometimes not-so-secret wish list of products that I’m really wanting to use on a project. And it turns out, you all want to know what’s on my wish list! So I thought I’d start out with the product that began this conversation in the first place: TILE!

So here we go, my current tile wish list and the reasons why I love each one.