A Time to Reflect & Be Grateful

As I thought about a topic for this weeks article I couldn’t help but feel extremely grateful. Despite a few career detours along the way I’ve been interested in design & decorating for as long as I can remember.

Growing up my dad was in the Air Force and from the age of three our family moved every three years. Despite the adventure of traveling cross country and experiencing most of Canada before my 10th birthday, my favourite part of each move was seeing our new house for the first time. No two were a like and each had their own challenges but my parents always included my brother and I in the process of making each house look and feel like our home.

The idea that any space can be transformed into a beautiful, functional and inviting home still inspires me today. I pride myself on looking at each client’s project with the same fresh eyes and eagerness to uncover their homes true potential. In fact it’s not uncommon for me to lie awake at night contemplating countless ideas and envisioning their ideal space after our initial consultation.

When I was 14 my dad left the Air Force and my parents built their own house for the first time. We spent countless hours in Toronto around the Castlefield and Caledonia design district handpicking every aspect of our new home. It was a lengthy, all encompassing process that lasted nearly a year but I loved every single moment. To this day there are two places I’m happiest - traveling the world for design inspiration and browsing design stores so I can bring my inspirations to life.

Each time I visit stores in and around Toronto I’m reminded of this time and how I truly believe I was destined to become a designer. One thing’s for certain, any innate ability I posses comes from my experiences growing up and from my parents.

If I’ve tried to convey one thing about my design philosophy in these articles it’s the importance of being proud of our homes since they’re a reflection of who we are. Enjoying our homes with others is a great way to express ourselves and show our gratitude throughout the year but especially over the holidays.

Moving often meant we rarely had the opportunity to spend Christmas with our extended family. It could have been a very lonely time of year had it not been for friends who graciously invited us into their homes and included us in their celebrations.

How people come together this time of year is reason enough to love the holidays. When I was younger I fully admit Christmas was all about the presents but now that I’m older, and arguably wiser, I realize it’s a time to be grateful for what we have and share our good fortune with family and friends.

As another year comes to a close I cannot thank you enough for your support in 2014. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my column as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it and I look forward to many more articles in the New Year.