A pure esthetic
Interior designer prefers the sustainable approach
Q Describe your design company PURE. What kind of projects do you do? A We are a boutique interior design firm that works on a wide range of projects from renovations to new construction, including both residential and commercial. Our approach is to always have a sustainable touch, though we don’t always announce it. It comes with the territory of working with PURE Design. We want our work to be meaningful both for the clients who inhabit our spaces and for the environment. Q What inspires you? Where do you get your ideas? A I am always inspired by my client. I love the exploratory phase of getting to know them. It is like the dating process. I watch and listen to who they are and how they express themselves. If the client is a couple, I observe their interactions with each other. My goal is to truly hear what each of them want, even if they don’t necessarily say it in words, and then we deliver. There is a system I use as a designer — it is part intuition and the rest is a tried and true design process that I have honed over the past 14 years. I see myself as a facilitator whose job it is to create a design that truly reflects the client. Q What is your jumping off point for creating a design? A For residential and commercial spaces, it’s always something that comes from my initial consultation with my clients and I view their space as a raw canvas. I love when my clients want to take risks. Q How did you get into designing? A I was born a designer. I painted, cut up, moved around anything that wasn’t tied down. My mother was exasperated with me. She would go to work and would return to a house where all the furniture was relocated. I didn’t know there was such a profession until a school counsellor expressed to me that I was a natural designer.
Q Tell us about the product line you’ve developed. Why did you go in this direction? Where is it sold?
A I started off custom designing sustainable furnishings for my clients’ homes. It just seemed like a natural progression to create a line of furnishings that would be accessible to others as well. I felt there was a niche in the market for couture- styled yet sustainably manufactured furniture. I am in the process of re- launching my PURE furniture line across Canada, and I have a line of bedding also available across Canada sold exclusively at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Q Where do you work? Do you have a studio, workshop? A I am fortunate enough to live in a beautiful home situated on the ocean and my office has a breathtaking view that gives me endless inspiration. When I’m not in my office, I prefer to meet with my clients in their homes and businesses to help me fully understand their environment.
Q Most people think designers are out of their reach. What’s your advice on to how budget a designer into their project?
A Every project is different and every client has different needs, wants and experience they bring to the table. My best advice is to consult a designer early on in your project to help guide the process professionally and seamlessly. Experienced designers know how to effectively plan and implement the design by knowing where to spend and where to save money with both material and product selection and most importantly tie it all together in a uniquely beautiful way.