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Where it began. 

 

I knew early on that I wanted to work in the design field.  It was a perfect outlet that combined the mathematical side of my brain with the artistic side, and made good use of my love of puzzles!  As a kid, I loved rearranging furniture to find the best solution and organizing and re-organizing my book shelf with all my favourite things.  When visiting a friend’s home for the first time, I would study the floor plan, make my own assessment of space efficiency and admire all of the architectural details.  I found my passion in interior design.  I love to make the most of every space, increasing efficiency and function, while creating an atmosphere that is beautiful, comforting and inspiring.

 

After graduating with an Interior Design diploma, I gained a wide range of experience in different places, including a modern home furnishing store, a custom kitchen shop, and an architectural & engineering firm.  Though I was enjoying my work, the further I got into my career, the more I felt a disconnect between my profession and my personal values.  The design world feeds into a materialistic and consumer-driven view of bigger and better and more – bigger homes, better style and more things.  The design industry’s demand for more contradicts my desire to live with less.  The consumer-driven manufacturing industry opposes my conviction of mankind’s calling to care for the earth.   The exploitation of people across the world to supply cheap products in the latest style goes against my belief in the inherit worth of people.  I was torn, and wondered, how could I find fulfillment in a profession that felt so superficial and careless?

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I want to pursue a better approach to design - a more holistic approach.

 

One that looks beyond a project and sees the bigger picture.  One that cares for people and the planet, and makes the best use of the resources given to us.  One that strives for simplicity and values quality over quantity, and people over things.  I believe that many people, given the choice, would prefer this holistic and sustainable approach to design, but don’t know where to start. Through my own personal experiences of renovating old homes and building a new home, I know it’s not easy to find eco-friendly solutions at mainstream stores or to sift through the overabundance of information online.  With so many companies “green-washing” their products, it’s hard to know who to believe and what to look for, even when you are educated in this field!  Though sustainable and healthy design is becoming a more common topic, it is still confusing, inaccessible and overwhelming to the average home owner. 

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