Design Perspectives

Founder,creative director, andaward-winning interior designerAmi Mckay holds the esteemeddistinctionof being recognized as one of "Canada's Top Five Interior Designers" by Chatelaine Magazine and is further acknowledged as one of the "Top 5 Designers to Watch" by Rue Magazine.

As a sustainable and forward thinker for her companyPURE Design Inc,Ami hasbrought forth recognitioninprominent publications such asArchitectural Digest, Time Magazine, Martha Stewart, House & Home, and more.Her innovative methodology, emphasizing that every space she designs should evoke joy and harmony for her clients above all, has empowered her to explore design styles that distinctly foster harmony within each environment. In 2022, Ami secured the prestigious North American award for small traditional kitchen design, from theNKBA(National Kitchen and Bath Association), while also being chosen forHouse & Home’sesteemed list of top designers in Canada.

Ami is on a mission to infuse every space she designs for her clients with joy and harmony. She takes the time to truly listen to her clients, understanding their vision, purpose, and what brings them happiness. By doing so, she creates beautiful and welcoming surroundings that reflect their unique desires and preferences. Ami's ultimate purpose is fulfilled when she witnesses the transformative impact her work has on her clients' lives and the broader world.

https://www.purebyamimckay.com/

https://www.instagram.com/puredesigninc/

KES Studio is a boutique atelier that offers innovative and smart interior design and lifestyle services for design-forward residential clients and one-of-a-kind hospitality environments.

Whether it’s from travel, art and even her clients, Kara is always drawing inspiration and looking to expand her knowledge, push her imagination and challenge norms to stay at the cutting edge of design and lifestyle trends.

https://www.kes-studio.com/

https://www.instagram.com/kesstudio/?hl=en

Nicole Gibbons is an interior designer and entrepreneur best known for her fresh use of color and fashion-forward point of view on decorating. Her work and expertise has been sought by top media outlets like HGTV, OWN - Oprah Winfrey Network, TLC, Good Morning America, The Rachael Ray Show, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Better Homes & Gardens and more. Before pursuing interior design, Nicole spent nearly a decade managing PR for one of the world’s largest retail brands. Not only has her experience given her first-hand knowledge of what it takes to build a world-class brand, but also deep and unique insights into what customers really want when it comes to designing their homes. Nicole’s work in the design world enabled her to identify that the paint industry was one ripe for disruption. With a broken shopping experience and no legacy paint brand focusing on convenience and simplicity, or marketing to a creative, digitally-driven generation, she saw an opportunity to improve the process from start to finish. Nicole founded Clare to help people create spaces they love — and actually enjoy the process along the way.

https://www.instagram.com/clarepaint/ https://www.clare.com/

Susan Hayward is an award-winning interior designer, member of the American Society of Interior Designers and International and Furnishings Design Association, and CAPS certified by the National Association of Home Builders. Before entering the interior design industry, Susan worked in the public relations and development field for many years after graduating from Boston University. After her son was born, Susan left her public relations position and she and her husband, Everett, started a photography business in the basement of their home. When Hayward Photography was well on its way to success, Susan decided it was time for her to pursue her true passion: interior design. She went back to school, where she studied rehabilitation counseling. She focused her initial interior design work on downsizing, and the principles of form following function that she gained from her work at the time has become a mainstay of her business today. In 2006, started her own design firm, Susan Hayward Interiors.

Nearly two decades later, Susan remains motivated and excited by the opportunity to create beautiful spaces for her clients. She thinks of interior design as a giant puzzle, where all the pieces need to fit together to form the perfect space. Whether designing for commercial or residential, her process is all about great communication, working together, and creating something beautiful.

https://www.susanhaywardinteriors.com/

https://www.instagram.com/suhayinteriors/

A native of Toronto, Canada, Hema was a practicing attorney for several years before following her heart and pursuing a career in fashion. In 2014, she moved to Los Angeles to chase her goal, and spent the following 7 years dressing A-list celebrities, styling ad campaigns and editorials, and working with some of the top fashion talent in the world.
Completely self-taught, Hema's interior design career began in 2021 when one of her styling clients asked for help decorating their home. Because of her eye for design and ability to execute her creative vision, that first project snowballed into several more. Hema now designs residential and commercial spaces around the country. As the business continued to grow rapidly, it became clear that it needed its own identity apart from Hema. In 2022 Sagrada Studio was born out of her belief that there is no more sacred (“sagrada”) space on earth than where we live and create. The Sagrada Studio mission is to honor these sacred spaces by helping clients find their own version of timeless, always with an eye towards culture, luxury, and comfort.

https://www.sagradastudio.com/

https://www.instagram.com/hemaapersad/?hl=en

Today I am interviewed by neighbor Regine La Biossiere & we discuss all things kitchen renovations.

I want to thank my sponsors for their AMAZING products:

Monogram Appliances, Emtek, The Tile Shop, EcoDomo, Blanco, Fabuwood, Kravet & Phillip Jeffries.

Special shout out goes to the AMAZING construction team The Zorel Group!!

Karen and Brian Larson, Co-Founders of Soake® Pools, created the company from the ground up in 2014, deeming them the first company to offer precast plunge pools for the home in North America. Soake® Pools are revolutionary, space-saving pools that combine the best of a pool and a hot tub, and provide year-round enjoyment. Each Soake® Pools plunge pool is made in New England using state-of-the-art materials, customizable, and delivered pre-built and ready to install.Today, the Soake Pools team is constantly revolutionizing the industry, offering a steady stream of new dimensions, unparalleled luxury finishes, and a litany of safety, aesthetic, and user-friendly functionalities. Soake Pools are designed to be enjoyed year-round, equipped with the adjustability for a hot dip in the winter and a cold, refreshing plunge in the summer. The plunge pools can even provide athletic training with their resistance systems. Some additional benefits include accessibility in both size and pricing, sustainability in terms of the saltwater contents, lower water usage, and variable speed pumps. Soake Pools offer countless physical and mental wellness benefits year-round, and undoubtedly increase home value.

https://www.instagram.com/soakepools/

https://soakepools.com/

The Textile Eye is creation of Saana Baker, a veteran textile designer with bi-coastal and international experience designing and sourcing upholstery, bedding, rugs, and tabletop. Over her 25 year career, she has helped craft lines for Schumacher, Barbara Barry, David Phoenix and Jiun Ho, and has acted as guest art director on more than a few licensed lines for name designers. Saana’s work has been used in the White House State Dining Room as drapery, and featured in publications such as Architectural Digest, Home Textiles Today & House Beautiful. Saana lives in San Francisco with her husband Matt, a NASA robotics engineer. In addition to her ongoing love affair with textiles, she spends time restoring her 1890’s Victorian fixer-upper, hosting dinner parties, and experimenting with linocut and collage. To learn more about Saana’s consulting and how you can work together, visit her website.

Known for her beautiful and meticulous work, Saana Baker studied textile design with an emphasis on weaving at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Eight great years in New York followed, working at domestic upholstery mills and as the Director of Woven Design for the august fabric house Schumacher.

The opportunity to work with Barbara Barry then took her to Los Angeles, where she spent more than a decade actualizing the vision of this iconic and brilliant designer. There she broadened her skills to include rugs, bedding, wallpaper, dinnerware, as well as showroom and photo styling.

Now, back home in San Francisco, Saana is focusing on new clients including Jiun Ho, McGuire Furniture, and David Phoenix, along with other thoughtful, creative firms and discerning private clients.

Her inspirations date back to childhood. From an early age, Saana loved her grandmother’s elegant home filled with antiques and eclectic items picked up traveling as a military wife. It offered a contrasting aesthetic from her Berkeley upbringing, helmed by two iconoclastic parents devoted to paths of free-thinking and change-making. Seeing both sides helped her develop a broad set of references and an impulse to work toward balancing beauty and substance. The sense of joy found in a home filled with things that truly speak to its inhabitants is a key inspiration and guiding philosophy.

http://www.saanabaker.com/

https://www.thetextileeye.com/

https://www.instagram.com/the_textile_eye/

Gillies Interiors is a full-service residential design firm based in Toronto with a mission tomake the world healthier, happier and more pleasant to be in, one home at a time. Originally from Edinburgh, Founder and PrincipalGillianGillies'tastes, likes and desires grew from being immersed in the neoclassical and Georgian architecture that the city is founded on. Her designs are centered around a timeless aesthetic grounded in natural materials and paired with a smattering of heritage and vintage finds. She strives to immerse her clients in an invitingly eclectic and European experience of frictionless living, designing for the person in the space and not just for the space itself.

https://gilliangillies.com/

https://www.instagram.com/gilliangillies/

https://www.pinterest.ca/gilliangilliesinteriors/_created/

FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS, Purple Cherry Architects has created luxurious residences across the United States. Whether a residence is traditional or contemporary, a multi-generational estate or a weekend getaway, the firm is guided by a desire to conceive exceptional homes. Each commission—composed with intelligence, sensitivity, and experience—becomes the backdrop for indelible family memories.

Founding principal Cathy Purple Cherry and her company are devoted to their clients, guiding them through every step of the design process. Passionate about their work, the team considers not only physical forms but the emotional connections clients will have with their homes and the spaces within them. Active listening fuels the firm’s creative talent to achieve environments that are transcendently beautiful, comfortable, and serene. Purple Cherry’s personal approach is matched with comprehensive architectural and interior design services that result in striking and unique homes.

https://purplecherry.com/

https://www.instagram.com/purplecherryarchitects/