Home by Design

I think about home a lot. What it means to people and how that can change through a lifetime. We all relate to home in very different ways.

A wonderful friend of mine has created a home that is a shrine to books and LEGO. It's full of art his friends made and full of friends, all the time. People coming and going. His home is a place of conversation and community building—the walls themselves seem to invite connection.

Another friend's home couldn't be more different. Theirs is a place of quiet, minimal and clean, free of the clutter they grew up in. It is a respite from the outside world and the past. A space to clear the mind and recharge. Walking in feels like taking a deep breath.

Both versions of home are equally important. They have defined what home means for them and what they need from it.

This is where design becomes essential.

Design is a profound practice because we get to create those worlds for people. Even when someone is clear on how they want to feel, the execution is far from simple. Hundreds of informed decisions need to be made to transform a house into a home.

Do you choose the open shelving that invites display and sharing, or the closed cabinets that create visual calm? Is the dining table large enough for spontaneous gatherings, or intimate enough for quiet dinners? Does the lighting energize or soothe? Every material, every colour, every piece of furniture either supports or undermines the feeling you're trying to create.

Good design isn't about following trends or copying magazine spreads. It's about translation—taking the abstract feeling of "home" and making it tangible. My friend's maximalist, book-filled space and my other friend's serene minimalism can both be perfectly designed homes when they function to serve their inhabitants completely.

Design is the bridge between who we are and where we live.

When we fail to consider design thoughtfully, we end up with spaces that work against us. We feel restless in rooms that should relax us, or lonely in spaces meant for gathering. We can't focus, can't unwind, can't connect—not because we're doing anything wrong, but because our environment isn't supporting the life we want to live.

The most successful homes are the ones where every decision aligns with what home means to the people living there. Where form serves feeling. Where the space doesn't just house your life, but enhances it.

That's why design matters and why we spend a great deal of time discovering what type of world you are trying to create so we can best define and honour that vision. From there, we can use our technical know-how, amazing local resources, and skilled professionals to bring the feeling you're trying to find, reclaim, or build for the first time to life.

For me, home became a reality in my 30's. For the first time I had a space that brought me both freedom and peace of mind—on its surface my home is an ode to a love for classic materials, colour and eclectic design. In it's bones it's a space full of love, comfort and countless celebrations.

What does home mean to you?