FRAMED!

Interior Design choices impact all facets of homebuilding. Ami McKay, Principal Designer at Pure Design, frames her home design journey with wisdom, insight, and finding the golden thread. Love the space you live in! Listen now!

Listen to “Framed! Interior Design Planning” on Spreaker.

Check out FortisBC for their latest rebates and information on renewable energy options.
BC Hydro offer Power Smart solutions, including rebates and more!
Powered by Rami Films
Distributed by Buzzsprout

Ami Mckay, the top Vancouver interior designer and creative director at PURE Design Inc., is known for setting design trends in Canada and the United States with her sustainable product design, contemporary interiors, and gorgeous, healthy spaces. She has been recognized as a top interior designer and a visionary entrepreneur for her work in building one of Vancouver’s top interior design firms.

Chatelaine Magazine calls Ami McKay one of “Canada’s Top Five Interior Designers” and Rue Magazine named her one of the “Top 5 Designers to Watch in 2016.” Ami is also the recipient of the Woman of Distinction award for her many years of success in business, and spent two years as an interior designer and host of HGTV’s “Makeover Wish,” for which she was nominated for a Leo Award.

Clients’ personal style and vision are what drives Ami and the PURE Interior Design and Build Team to create beautiful, healthy spaces in residences, offices, restaurants, hotels, and retail spaces. Whether it’s a kitchen design or bathroom remodel, a quick renovation or new construction, her reputation as one of the best Vancouver interior design and build firms keeps Ami striving to make every new project unique to each client’s life or space.

PURE Design Inc. is a full-service interior design and build firm. The PURE design and build team is well equipped to assist with layout, finishing, furniture, office decor, and home decor and home styling, as well as collaborating with architects, contractors, and builders to complete projects as seamlessly as possible. The end result is spaces that are magazine quality and photograph ready.

Ami McKay is one of Canada’s most published Interior Designers; her work can be seen regularly in Style at Home Magazine, House and Home Magazine, Architectural Digest, Gray Magazine, and Western Living Magazine. PURE Design Inc. was also recently honoured with the 2020 Consumer’s Choice Award, with voters selecting the design and build firm as the Best Vancouver Interior Design Company.

Win a gas BBQ, compliments of FortisBC! Simply like and share HAVAN’s new podcast, Measure Twice, Cut Once on your social channels, and you will be entered for the chance to win! Valued at over $1,000 be sure to share this podcast! Contest closes November 30th. Details 

Jen:

Welcome to Measure Twice, Cut Once, the podcast from HAVAN, the Homebuilders Association Vancouver.

Mike:

From code to closets.

Jen:

Safety to skylights.

Mike:

We’ll take you behind the walls and all things, home building and renovation,

Jen:

And give you the ins and outs from the experts on what you should know in plain language about home building design and renovation.

Mike:

I’m Mike Friedman.

Jen:

And I’m Jennifer Lee. Now that you’re here, why not hit subscribe? And you’ll never miss an episode.

Mike:

And don’t forget to share with your family, friends or anyone else, you know, who might be thinking of a project in their home now or in the future.

Jen:

So, Mike, we’re back again. We’re back in the studio for, I can’t believe it already. Episode number six.

Mike:

Hey Jen, I know at can’t believe we’re at episode six. Great to see you again as well. Coming here today, driving in, I was thinking about where we left off last week with Doug Langford of JDL Homes, on the topic of high-performance homes and now he said, you don’t have to sacrifice good design when building high-performance homes.

Jen:

Yeah, and that was really inspiring because I’m really impacted by space. I live in a small spot right now, but as important as of course, the technical side of building is to protect the longevity of your investments and your safety and health, especially when you’re building yourself a new home, you want it to last for a long time and you want it to be good for the planet. So, I want to have my space to feel good. And I want a home that I’m going to love to come to. So, when I’ve built a home, I know that’s what I’m going to want to do, high-performance, all the way.

Mike:

Absolutely. And speaking well-designed spaces and high performance. We are really fortunate today. We have Ami McKay, of Pure Design in the studio with us. Ami is regular featured in magazines across North America for design expertise and trendsetting style. Welcome Ami.

Ami:

Well, hello there.

Jen:

Have you seen her Instagram page? It’s beautiful.

Mike:

I believe it.

Jen:

Of course, I was like browsing all your photos before you came in today that love it. Can you tell us a little bit about Pure Design and how you got started? Like, what was your journey to becoming an interior designer?

Ami:

Okay. Do you have an hour? Here’s a really interesting thing. My aunt just sent me two years ago, a little clipping from a newspaper that I was interviewed for when I was 17 and it was my graduation and his little picture of me and two paragraphs that and asked you what you want to do with your life. And I said, I want to own a very successful interior design studio and more than anything in the world, I want to be happy. That’s the most important. And I still am shocked at that cute little wise human being who literally made that dream come true. But it wasn’t a straight line to become a designer. I did go to school in Toronto and then I moved out west and I did a lot of fun things in Banff and lived in a fire tower and had this crazy life. And then when I was in my fire tower over three years, I read every interior design magazine, I mean, book in the library. So I was really just absorbing, but I was also a florist for 8 years and I was a production designer and event planner. And I went to university for costume and set design. So my world of design is really holistic in the sense that it’s fabric from costume designing and turns out to be bedding and furniture and sculpture and art. And so I’m a little different, probably my trail to get where I am than the average interior designer. I’d have to say that probably that’s a hundred percent true.

Mike:

Just curious, what is it about your industry that appeals to you? Is it creating something from nothing? Is it pulling a bunch of varying elements together? Is it the satisfaction? We want to know. What is it about design that keeps you coming to the table? Like a bad gambler, for lack of a better term. Why do you love doing it ?

Ami:

Actually, that is well said all of the above and it is, it does become a bit of a, in my case, a bit of an addiction. I worry that I’m workaholic, but I’m told regularly by all the people who love me, no, you’re just passionate. And I’m like, okay, good, thanks. Honestly, I think it’s the people. So yes, these designs that I do and my team, by the way, I’m just going to throw it out there. There’s a team of us. There’s 11 of us up here and it’s not me. It’s not me even now. It’s, it’s all the people who’ve ever worked with me. It has always been a collaboration and it’s a collaboration with the builders and the human beings who are our clients. So it’s everybody coming together, but I’d have to say, I love talking about super powers and we all have them in front trying to figure out what ours is. And mine is human connection and finding out who our clients are and pulling out their personalities and their, their love and passions in their life, put it together with them and the structure that we’re working in. So that’s what I love the most is making them happy.

Jen:

And I love the fact that you love human connection and you give so much back to the community. Can you tell us a little bit about the women’s shelter you’re currently working on? Because I love that.

Ami:

See, this is hard for me because I get emotional. It means so much to me. I don’t mean to do that.

Jen:

No, that’s great.

Ami:

It’s just goofball of me. Who’s just like the super sap and Sandy, who’s the president of the kitchen and bath NKBA, okay, there you go, Sandy. So wonderful. He reached out to me and asked me if I’d be interested in this initiative. And I am so interested. It’s actually a safe house for women in the Tri-Cities. And so we’ve designed four super joyous little kitchenettes for four different units. And this is for women to come with their children. And when they’re leaving abusive situations, and then they just had these really simple spaces, but I want them to actually feel they could be in there six months to a year. I want them to feel like this is their home. And they’re happy that their decision that they left, that’s going to be okay. So, the tension behind it for me is always more than just a design. So when you bring that back to what you were saying, Mike, this is a bit of addictive thing for me, because there’s so much to do and there’s so much good to do. It’s not a frivolous career choice, we’re actually are impacting people’s quality lives. When you’re coming in your house and your house isn’t feeling right, and you’re not connecting to it, you’re already like, it can be better by just putting elements in there that make you truly happy. So I feel like my superpower is going out there and doing that, whether it’s for a women’s shelter or whether it’s for a bachelor’s home or up and coming family who are growing and doing babies nurseries and putting little gyms inside their house, baby kid playgrounds, or the couple who are downsizing from their beautiful home, into the condo, and then getting a little place in Sunshine Coast to go back and forth, whatever it is, it’s all a challenge. It’s all fun.

Jen:

I love that because a lot of times we focus on of course, owning businesses and trying to keep the lights on, but then also a lot of people need homes that can’t afford them and they need safe places to be. So I think that’s really great that you contribute that back.

Ami:

Thank you. And honestly, I’m just putting it out there and I’m a crazy person who works a lot, but any opportunity to do better or do good, I’m open to it, throw it my way.

Mike:

I think that’s one of the great things about what we’re doing here is not only connecting homeowners to great people who can give them ,advice to better their spaces, but we’re really getting to know the people behind the productivity that leads to those great end results and the genuine authenticity of the people we talk to is one of my favorite parts of doing this. Because, at the end of the day, there’s certain number of type of people in the world and people do the right thing for the right reasons, the people we like to work with because you know that your end results will be reflective of that. So we really appreciate that.

Jen:

As you were talking, we were talking about getting to know people. So as a homeowner, wanting to start the whole interior design process, how can you help me? Like where do I start? Because like, I look on Pinterest, I look on HOUZZ, there’s so many options and there’s so many beautiful things that I want in my home, but where do I begin?

Ami:

You begin there. You just start a page. You don’t have to break it down, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom. You can, if you want, if you have that need to organize things, but you really don’t. If you have an interior designer, you just have to put images together and maybe write a note of anything particular that you like about the image or yourself. Even if you don’t have a designer, this is the best way to start just collecting images. I’ve been doing this for over 20 years and it used to be magazines. And now it’s Pinterest and HOUZZ. So it’s, it’s just a different platform, but it’s more organized. And so whether you’re designing the house yourself or not, even if you think that all your styles are different, there is always, I call it the golden thread. There’s a golden thread that pulls through and you might not see it, but if you have an interior designer, they will. And so they’re trying to look for the patterns. And this is a funny thing that I used to think that interior design was creativity. I always thought that until just recently. I literally think it’s math. It’s not just interior design, but creativity. It’s all about pattern. It’s all about balance. And so I think it’s the brain that seeks that balance can see that is helping. And only 20% of people can visualize. That’s it. So 80% of people on the planet struggle with trying to put it together. And that’s why we have a career. So, designers work differently. I can’t speak for everybody, but I can speak for myself. I look for what lights you up. And when I interview you, and when you’re smiling, I look at just, I look at your facial expressions, just as much as I’m looking at what you have shown me. I’m starting to sense more who you are. And so interior designers, that’s their job – is to match who you are into the space with what you love. And you just don’t even have to worry about it. I literally tell my clients pin away and then just give it to me. And then we’ll, we’ll pull the imagery that you love, and then we’ll meet the house, and then find out who the house is, and then we mix that with your images with our images. And we put together a beautiful inspiration package, a gorgeous look book, right from the beginning. And that’s our first meeting to see that we’re on the same page, along with the floor plan. So now we’re saying, this is basically I call it the Design Bible. Just say, this is where we’re going. And then we present it to you and then we watch your face. So we have a couple of designers and I’m the one who’s like the big mama there. Just making sure that everybody’s okay. The girls are writing away and taking notes. And I’m just watching you and making sure that the couple I’m watching to make sure that if one person isn’t grooving on something that we don’t do it. I would hate to stick something in a house that one partner hates because the person brow-beaten them to do that. No, this is collection together.

Jen:

I love it. It’s like we provide you the puzzle pieces and then you can make the puzzle. And it’s so great.

Ami:

And I am a bit of a puzzle addict.

Jen:

Like what type of puzzle? Architectural puzzle? Scenic? Or.

Ami:

I don’t buy them. I just go into anybody’s house who has puzzles. And I can’t even like, I go right to the puzzle and I sit and I could see things I put I’m really fast. Like I literally can. And then it’s kind of a weird, I don’t know what it is, you know..

Jen:

Unbox puzzle or you’ll put it together.

Mike:

So I have to imagine that when you’re starting with the designing phase with, you know, a couple like us or something like that, you have so much to choose from. So it’s almost like a puzzle box where there’s a thousand different pieces. How do you decide which of those pieces you narrow it down to? I mean, to me, it sounds like a lot of what you do is managing abundance via simplicity. How do you decide through 300 or 400 images and ideas and concepts, all of which are radically wildly different. How do you decide which are the three or four? You narrow it down to? That this is the design Bible we’re writing today.

Ami:

I do I try to elevate the design. So clients will see what they like. My job is to create a design that’s future forward. That’s 10 years in advance, so that the house doesn’t date. So I take away some of the elements that are very trendy and now, and take some of those elements that we can live with that the clients like, but I’m trying to push it. I’m trying to do more than what’s already been done. So I take the elements that are more unique and I take the elements that are more for me inspiring. And I’ve also traveled around the world and I’ve seen a lot, and I’m crazy happy that I had this rolodex of design in my mind that’s been inspired from bygone eras. So depending on who the humans are that we’re working with, I interview them. It’s not just the imagery, it’s really the words they say with that.

Mike:

I think that’s great. And I think that’s really the value of like any one of us can go and find a thousand things. We like, how do we figure out what’s the right choice for, because there are so many choices and at the same time, and I really want to expand on this. I work with technology. So we talk about future-proofing in terms of infrastructure and things like that. How do you figure out what’s going to be the case in 10 years, so you can engineer a design that will still be relevant and timeless. Like, what are the elements that you find to be timeless elements that we should be thinking about, because this should be something we should be incorporating into our baseline thinking before you even come to see you?

Ami:

Reclaim anything that is not necessary to get rid of, for instance, if there’s nice countertops in the house and the cabinets are okay, you can repaint cabinets and you can save the landfill and you can really be conscious of the materials and choices that we’re making. That is number one, I’m doing this amazing house in the Southlands right now, and it’s beautiful and it’s quite traditional. And the clients who are moving in are very young and cool and less formal. And so we’re redoing the whole house, but I’ve taken it on myself to just make sure that every element of that house is being the kitchen that’s being torn out that is lovely is going into another person’s house. I just don’t want it to be in the landfill. So I think that’s future forward just to help our friends and the planet. Number one, choosing materials that don’t off gas. This is choosing substrates. If you’re having a kitchen designed by anybody, please ask for it to be non-VOC, non emitting substrates. So we can have higher air quality in our houses. So we have less health issues. These are forward-thinking. That’s before we get to the aesthetics. I would have to say, because I’ve been doing this for 20 years, I’ve seen a lot come and go over those years, but natural is something that is becoming more sought after. So the natural woods, the natural environment. Even if you wanted a house that’s high contrast with black and whites and grays, but if you have the natural woods and you have those pieces in there, that’s what makes it more grounded. And that’s what makes it more comfortable. And I think if we could, when we put wood into our houses, if we can refinish them, instead of replacing them, there’s, there’s a lot of ways to make the materials that we choose. If they have some longevity then in a decade, if you want to re change the color, it’s not a, it’s not a big deal.

Jen:

Yeah, no, I love that. I love the fact because I think a lot of the times too, we collect things over our lives as well. And especially in our house, if we’re doing a renovation and we don’t think, Oh, wait, I can reuse this again. Or I could repurpose that again. We just were like, Oh, we should just buy something brand new.

Ami:

It’s so fun to look at things like your shopping in your house differently. I went to a client’s house and she wanted to redo her master bathroom. So I go looking around her house to find out who she was and I go into her bedroom and her house is all white and she has white floor wood floors and white walls. And then she has this very interesting dresser that had a stone scalloped edge, and it’s beautifully kind of sculpted natural, a middle dark wood cabinet. And then I said, can we put this in your bathroom? And can I use this because I already had stone top. Can I use this and put double sinks on top of it? And it became, I think one of my favorite bathrooms of all time, we put this beautiful pattern tile on the floor and that was the inspiration. And I actually just went shopping in her own house. So if you can look at that and look at, and if you can see things differently in your own space, I just love the challenge of not knowing where I’m going and having my brain think of things that would normally just Probably be forgotten.

Jen:

And speaking of challenges, if you have a couple that has totally different ideas of what they want in their home, how do you help them kind of get to like one cohesive idea that they’re both happy with.

Ami:

I love this actually. It’s happened a lot over the years. I think right now it’s actually becoming less so because of Pinterest and there’s so many more men are more interested in design than they’ve ever been in my opinion, But in the early years it was almost every project was like that. But I remember this one particular project where the wife is, ‘I want everything white and bright and light’. And, and he said, ‘I want it wood and Whistler and masculine.’ And, and they’re just looking at each other and I’m laughing. And I went, okay, I’ve got this. And they were like, how can you do it? I don’t want a lot of wood. And I said, you don’t have to worry about it. Just you’ve given me your thoughts, let me go away with it. And so what I did is I did a beautiful European dark world floors and then a white kitchen with beautiful tiles. But then I did this wood structure over top of the Island that is a reverse coffer, and so it grounded the space. And then in the dining room, I added beams into the dining area within, so the furniture had a lot of wood and it was still light. And it had a real mix of both worlds. I will always remember this conversation because at the end, when it was finished, they said, we were just really struggling with each other’s style. We really didn’t like the other person’s style. And, I think if you talk to them now, they’d say we still can’t believe that Ami gave us a house that we both loved.

Jen:

Might’ve saved a marriage there.

Mike:

It sounds a lot like a big part of what you do is also marriage, counselor. And I’m going, what a great opportunity to engage a designer, because it’s still cheaper than alimony payments and fighting about something for six months.

Ami:

And I, I don’t take anything personally. I was just at a client’s house, a potential client’s house yesterday. I was walking through and they were both trying to tell me what they wanted. And they were both worried. I wasn’t like because of the person was talking and I’m like, no, this is totally fine. You just keep going. I just take my notes. It’s fine. I don’t know if it’s marriage counseling. I think I see myself as a coach. I see myself as somebody who, if I have a client who has really good style and they want to do a lot of it themselves, and I’m just there saying, you can do this. No, that’s bold do that. And I’ll tell you how to balance it. Or if clients have very different opinions, I just want to coach them to let them know that they’re on the right path and that we can do this together. And it’s not a big deal. I think that what’s really important for the homeowner is truly just to find your team that you get along with. And that is find yourself a contractor that you really like, that you really trust that you know, that there’s, this is a relationship for a long time. And so you want to know that these are the people that you feel like they have your back and that you just enjoy laughing with that. That’s what you want or whatever. You just have a good connection. And it’s the same with your interior designer. Interior designer is in your world for less than the contractor, but the interior designer’s choices impact your life in a different way, longer. The interior designer friendship is very important. I would say it’s not as important as the builder because the builder is the one who’s going to bat with the leaks and the issues. And whatever happens that come in the future. If there are any issues, they will always be there for you and the designer in a different way. But literally, if a builder is trying to build a house, and an interior designer hasn’t been involved, it is such a headache for the builder to pull all that together. Usually, the builders running around getting samples and tiles and the clients are stressed and the clients are working fulltime. And, and it, it puts the whole project behind. It costs so much more money because everything is taking longer than it should. And everybody’s stressed out. So the designer is there doing all the drawings, doing all the technical drawings, making sure everything’s where it should be choosing everything, presenting to the client, capturing who they are and handing over to the builder.

Jen:

I agree. We always make sure when we hear the words, Oh, I don’t need a designer. We’re like, no, no, no, you do. And we’ll be like, we have some to recommend you because it does make the builder’s life a lot harder. And you’re not going to get the product that you really truly want.

Ami:

Exactly.

Jen:

It’s very true. Because from the builder’s side, we always say like, we can’t do our job without the interior designer or the architect. And you guys can’t do your job without us. Like we’re all so integral part to each other, that if we all do our jobs well, and we work well together, you’re going to get a really great product in the end.

Mike:

Hey, I’ve. Got a question. I’m at a table with a builder and a designer. So let’s have this outright now. Help homeowners understand. They’re thinking about starting a project. The show’s called Measure Twice, Cut Once. We want to help people maximize their budget, get the best results and you know, not make mistakes, which means more money for better finishes and things like that. I’m a homeowner. I know very little about this subject. Who should I talk to first? Should I talk to a contractor or builder? Or should I talk to a designer when it comes to maximizing my budget and getting the best results we have to start somewhere? Where should we start?

Ami:

Okay. That’s an amazing question. And people do it differently all the time. So, I don’t mind if somebody hires a designer or a builder, as long as it’s done early on. I’ve done it multiple ways. So say a builder recommends me to a client or the client finds me on their own and they have a builder. It’s so nice for me because I actually know there’s somebody already there who already has a budget in mind that I can manage the budget. And when we have our second big design meeting, I love the contractor to be there so they can see where we’re going with it all. That’s really helpful. So they can say, you know what? This might be too expensive. This might not work right now. Or we actually can’t move that wall. When we’re designing, along with the contractor being part of the meetings, it’s very fruitful and saves the process and the client a lot of time and money. But even if we’re hired first it’s okay, because we start with, of course we have the house designs from the architect or house designer, but once we get the interior design, I always suggest to just go and start interviewing builders right away so that we can bring them into the process. And then once they actually have the full set of designs, then he can go get real quotes, but you need to get estimates originally from your, your builder. So I think that as long as you hire those people pretty early in the process, that’s the, I think that would be the secret for success.

Jen:

Yeah. I agree with that for sure. Because even if we come on as second, because usually it happens that the architects are first and then they’ll pull either the interior designer on or, or us on. We tried to get the interior designer in place as fast as possible if they’re not in place already, because like you said, it dictates so much. My dad and brother will sit down with the interior designer and they’ll hash things out because like they said, you sit down and there could be some issues in the drawings or just even budget wise as well. So you want to get that out the gate before things go too far down the road.

Ami:

I love working for builders who love the process. And it’s really fun too even the clients aren’t always aware of that we’re on the phone talking and ‘what do you think about this and what do we want?’ And we’re behind the scenes working together as a team for the best results. So I love that your dad and your brother, and you’re all in the same business, and that you can see it because you actually have a real behind the scenes, ‘this is how it works.’

Jen:

Yeah. It’s truly teamwork. And that’s what I love is like getting together and watching how it goes from the beginning and all the way through the process. And the more communication that you have in general, while building a house, it’s going to be a better experience for the client. And that’s the end game, right?

Ami:

Exactly.

Mike:

Well, everybody’s working together for the same results, and the part I like the best is I’m neither a designer nor a builder, but I work with both and the best projects I’m involved in and the most enjoyable projects, both of them, the perspective of how the stress levels of the homeowner are and just the happiness of the people working in, contributing in the project are where the builder or the renovator and the designer are working well together, there’s synergy. And the most important thing I think is that they both have the best interests of the homeowner in mind. And that is the hallmark of the people you want to work with. And that’s part of the reason we all like being a part of HAVAN, because there’s a lot of that collaboration within our organization and that something that, you know, you, you, you see it from your perspective, but those of us who are not sitting where you’re sitting also see it, and it’s very well reflected to those of us on the outside, looking in. So good work for those of you figured out how to work together.

Jen:

Let’s talk a little bit because I know some people are confused when they’re there is like, what kind of education does an interior designer have to have because you guys do a lot of different things.

Ami:

Interior Designer is somebody who can draw up all the plans. All the floor plans, elevations, all that they build out the construction demolition plan, the finishes plan, the specification package, the reflective ceiling plan with all the lights and all that is done by a designer. It’s very technical. It’s very creative that you choose all your materials. You, you have to put it all in, draw it into place so that we have a visual tool to show the clients what we’re thinking of doing. So, an interior designer works closely with the plumbers and the contractors and all the people to make sure that we can’t do this. This needs to be moved. There’s always problem solving. It’s basically a huge puzzle interior design and making sure that everything works. And often when you are actually building a new house or renovating a house, there’s going to be issues and it’d be silly if there weren’t – it would be miracle, really. Even during that process, the designer is there to solve problems along with the contractors and team on site. So, that’s interior designer. Interior decorator. if there are any, any more, I would probably call them more stylists. Because in our own company, we have interior designers and then we have our furnishing styling packages. So when you have a beautiful house and then you give the house over to the client, they don’t have within there, they’re gonna put their old furniture in there? And then, you know, it doesn’t usually work like that. So then they need the next phase. And that’s the interior decor side of the business. It’s lovely because you don’t need AutoCAD. You don’t need to go to school for years to do all that, but you get to really impact the space by choosing all the furniture, all the window treatments, all the art and area rugs and accessories. So that’s just a separate part of the whole world of working together.

Jen:

And you mentioned AutoCAD. So for the listeners that might not know what it is. Can you tell what AutoCAD is?

Ami:

AutoCAD is a technical program of drafting online. And when I went to school, I used to do hand drafting. That’s how long ago it was. And I opted out of doing AutoCAD because I was like, no way, man. So, I have a team of people who do AutoCAD.

Mike:

So one of the things I want to talk to you about, we talked about decorators and designers. So we’re talking essentially from perspective of a lot of people, a visual world, and that is a lot of it. You make these beautiful, stunning looking spaces, but there’s a lot of other things that your efforts can contribute in the home as well and the health of the home, the acoustics of the home and the bleed of noise through the home, the comfort of the home, and even things like energy management and how blinds in the right areas can impact that. Can you talk to us a little about some of the other things that you can do and benefits for a homeowner, if they’re still on the fence about whether they should engage with someone like you, other than the cost, what are the things can you bring beyond the visual?

Ami:

Well, I think quality of life. Like you were saying blinds yesterday, it was in a penthouse and it gets so hot in there that I suggested electronic blinds that are intuitive and they go down when they’re not, when they’re at work and they cut the heat from coming into their space. So there’s a lot of wonderful technology. I’m not an expert in that, by the way. So I bring in my blind people who are experts to tell me what to do. And when you talk about energy efficiency, I’m not an expert in that, we bring in people to help us with our contractors. We work together as a team to do that. I make crazy requests like, millworker please make this kitchen out of a substrate that doesn’t off gas. And they say, okay. And then they have to go find it. I’m not an expert, but that’s important to me that we live in healthy homes. So, I work together with all these people to bring these elements together. I think just designers pull the right people together as do builders. When we keep saying teamwork, but that’s exactly what it is.

Jen:

And when you’re interviewing these perspective designers, how do you know, or what should you be asking to find the right designer, that’s right for you? Because it’s going to be a relationship. You’re going to be designing a whole bunch of parts of their home, right?

Ami:

Exactly. Of their lives.

Jen:

Of their lives. Intimate spaces too.

Ami:

Really intimate spaces. There’s different types of designers. There’s quite a few designers who have a style. This is what they do. This is who they are. And people come to them specifically for that style. So it’s because the clients feel like their style resonates with where they want to be. So there’s those designers. And then there’s the designers who have a larger repertoire who have multiple styles that they can do. And it’s not just, it’s not just one. So it really it’s about the homeowner really delving into the world of who the designer is. And before we’re talking personality and connection, cause they wouldn’t know who they are going to go onto Instagram. I think websites are great. But Instagram is what’s happening right now. So you see, you see that’s their portfolio and then you interview them and, and definitely try to interview three, interior design firms if, if you’re up to it, unless you fall in love with one and you just know you love them. I just think it’s first figure out that there’s somebody who has your aesthetic and what you like and then meeting them and just seeing if there’s somebody that you can, that you really personally like, and you want to work with.

Jen:

I love that you say that because I see sometimes clients wanting that specific style, that designer, which is great. They’re brilliant at what they do that designer, but maybe it’s not exactly what they truly want as a person. And I always tell people, you got to make sure that you’re going to be happy with it because at the end of the day, the designer leaves you. They’re not living there with you. So if you’re not happy in that space, that’s not going to be great.

Ami:

Again, thousand percent. You also have to make sure that the designer hears you. And when you’re talking in that beginning, that first initial design meeting, you need to know that, that person’s literally absorbing what you’re saying and who you are and that they can reflect that and design. I think that’s probably the most important part because there’s so many great designers. There’s thousands of designers in Vancouver, thousands. You’ll find somebody who’s amazing.

Mike:

I think a lot of things in our business are like that. There’s a wide gamut of people and a wide variety of pricing and things like that. Can you help our listeners understand as they’re approaching this? How should they figure out a budget for designers is it calculated as a percentage of a build? Is there a fixed rate? How do people figure this out?

Ami:

I can’t really speak for the whole industry because I really don’t know how designers charge. I just know how we charge. We don’t do a percentage. We do an estimate based on, so we graph all the projects we’ve done, how many hours it took, how many rooms there are new build, renovation, how much square footage, how much we quoted and then how much we actually worked. And then we take that information, that data. And then we use that to quote because we still do hourly, but we base it on our quotes. It just all depends on the size of the product

Jen:

I think that’s the thing is just like you hit it on this head. It’s custom and it’s going to be different if you are doing a condo renovation, a brand new build. And again, it’s who you’re going to interview and every interior designer, every builder, every architect has different price points, different ways of pricing things so you’re, it’s really who you end up hiring at the end of the day that fits within your budget too. So yeah, it’s really dependent on the person that being said, is there one question that you should be asking in the interview process? If you could just ask one that you should be asking the interior designer that could potentially be working on your home?

Ami:

I would just want to know that the person that you’re working with just really hears you. That’s it. They get you.

Jen:

Last thing that I wanted to ask you, do you have a favorite room that you like to design in any project? Like, is there – do you love doing bathrooms, bedrooms?

Ami:

Here’s something that came right to my mind right away. And this is so funny. I have always liked, I love Moroccan Moorish design. I love the tiles and the sacred geometry of these patterns that are ancient. The textures. It’s just so stunning. And so not Vancouver, you know? It’s just so much more and there’s so much history and beauty. So I’ve always wanted to have a Moroccan bath. I would love to have that challenge of just being able to put pattern and pattern and texture. So I add a lot of pattern texture into my designs for sure. Because I love it so much. My own bathroom I designed, and I did a Moorish concrete tile in our bathroom. So it’s a modern color, a modern material done in the sacred geometry pattern on the floor. And it makes me so happy. And then these beautiful handmade tiles on the wall that are Moroccan as well, but they’re more neutral. And so it’s a contemporary bathroom with these ancient elements and I love it. I love it so much. So because I’m designing my own house right now, I get to do things that make my heart so happy. So now the problem is I live in my bathroom. I take like two hour baths every day and quality time for anybody else is just out the window because I love it. And there was so much, but I just think if I could just play in a world of Moroccan, endless colors and bathrooms,

Jen:

Oh, you’re making me want to travel so badly

Mike:

You’re making me want to do a renovation. This is the most expensive hour and a half I spent all month.

Jen:

You are so passionate and so lovely. And it just comes through so much. And I, I just, I can’t wait to have enough money to build my own place and have you come design it. It’s so lovely to talk to you. Thank you so much for coming in today.

Ami:

My pleasure.

Mike:

I really appreciate your time and your insight. And as just to echo what Jen said, you know, it’s really awesome meeting people who are so passionate about what they do and have so elevated their craft to that level. And we really appreciate your insight and all the things you’re doing to help our listeners and homeowners get great results in the planning phase and in the execution phase as well. Thank you so much.

Ami:

My pleasure guys.

Mike:

Well, thank you very much, Ami. We’re going to take all this interior design knowledge and apply it to our next podcast when we move into the pre-construction phase where we’re going to review the process of securing quotes from the design build estimates so you don’t get screwed down the line.

Jen:

Yes, it’s great. We got the pre-design planning tips in advance. This has been Measure Twice, Cut Once the podcast from HAVAN, the Homebuilders Association Vancouver. Thanks again for joining us today. It’s been so much fun.

Mike:

For notes and links to everything mentioned on today’s podcast, go to haven.ca/measuretwicecutonce.

Jen:

And follow us and review us to help empower homeowners like yourself to make the right decision the first time and automatically by doing so you’ll be entered to win a gas barbecue courtesy of our friends at FortisBC. So thanks again.

Mike:

Thank you!