A little bit about me...

I have a bit of a different journey to becoming a designer and home stager than most. It started off with becoming a mother at the age of 16. I could have faltered and allowed my circumstance at that age to define my destiny, however that just isn’t me. So, who am I? How might I be the right person to hire to carry out your project, assist in designing your dream home or stage the home you are selling? Read on…

Becoming a mother at such a young age immediately sparked a determination and persistent drive for success that has allowed me to shock even myself with what I can accomplish. I live without any regrets as it has made me the person I am today.

My love for decorating started the moment I could push furniture around in my room. My artistic ability and eye for balance, shapes and colours and need for change has always enabled me to see the potential in any space. When I ‘grew up’ I wanted to be an interior designer and have always found education in every interior I have had the chance to take in, I find inspiration through travel, hotels, model homes or even on television. Most people can enjoy the drama of a reality tv show, yet I am the one watching to see the décor of every room they are placed in. I have absorbed it all, in every form and continue to do so daily… I love it!

Passion and a love for something isn’t always enough to follow a dream and make it happen. Sometimes the timing just isn’t quite right. When I told someone that I wanted to pursue a career in interior design, I specifically recall this as a comment, “That’s great, BUT it’s all about who you know”. In an instant, my shy and intimidated self thought well then what else can I do?

Well, the answer was, I can be a paramedic! Did you expect that response? A bit of a shift I would say. After nine of the 11 years working as a paramedic, the tragedies and reality of such a demanding job had set in and landed me with a diagnosis of PTSD. I struggled to regain my love for that career, but have become more resilient than I could have ever imagined. I have always been a firm believer that you are in control of your own life. I also believe it is possible to look forward to going to work, to truly enjoy it, therefore it wouldn’t actually feel like “work” at all. I had the opportunity on the side, as a “hobby” to complete decorating and design projects for friends and family, which grew to friends of friends, etc. all as a result of showing what I can do. It had been my creative outlet that I have craved and been drawn to my entire existence.

I used to naively think that my paramedic skills were not transferrable into any other career, but I couldn’t be more wrong.

I adapt. Each call is so different; the people, the circumstances, the location, etc. Each design or home staging project is equally different. One of the reasons I was drawn to a career as a paramedic was the spontaneity and unknown. I have no idea what the shift will bring and the same goes with decorating projects and challenges. I love to problem solve and think outside the box.

I handle chaos. I bring the level head that knows how to, in a systematic way, do the best job and have the best outcome possible. Have you ever had to tell a police officer, ‘No, sorry my job right now trumps yours and you’ll have to wait'? I have. Have you dealt with the most unusual or chaotic of situations with an entire audience watching your every move and maybe even recording it? I have. Even when the stress is at it’s highest, I manage it and I manage it well. My 18 year old self would have been too timid to speak to an electrician on the site of a new build, asking for a light switch to be moved because the placement was not at the previously defined location. I can now ask respectfully and assertively.

I am decisive. I take all the information in like a sponge; using my knowledge from all forms of education and experience. I didn’t realize being decisive was really a skill until dealing with others who lack this. With decorating projects, this is an absolute asset to my home owners and to the home builders / contractors that require this in order to proceed and ultimately meet deadlines.

I thoroughly assess. I gather information verbally while assessing what I see. I constantly monitor and adapt to change. My meticulous attention to detail has assisted in keeping people alive as a paramedic, but as an interior designer and home stager, it is an asset to any project.

I am fun. I can find humour in many circumstances and can ease stress with a properly timed, witty comment. This is an asset in any profession. I welcome it from clients as well.