my design journey (and celebrating 100 posts!)

A personal note.

Here we are on another Sunday. The last day of another weekend. The start of another week. Sundays are the days a part of me craves rest and pure relaxation. Yet a stronger part of me can't turn off. My brain is still going, my body simply following suit. I usually lean toward the latter, which is how I ended up here, happily typing to you, reader, and friend.

Today's post is special. I didn't even realize it would be and had a completely different topic in mind. It's special because it's my 100th post. ONE HUNDRED. I know avid bloggers probably reach this milestone within their first year, but I'm still learning to let words flow freely, brain to paper (or Notes or Google Docs). It's a BIG personal achievement, so this post is to reminisce and reflect on my design journey to now.

Shout out to my friend, Kelly Berthold, LCSW, who recently interviewed me on her podcast, Know Your FundaMENTALs (Crazy, I know! Still can't believe I'm ON A PODCAST! 🤗). She got me thinking about when my desire to help people better their lives through their homes came about. Doing this reflective post revealed three defining moments and a common throughline I didn't see before. (*🎧 listen to our podcast episode on Spotify or YouTube!).

1. career crossroads

If you don't know or if this is the first post of mine you're reading (hello!), interior design is my second career. For years, I had secretly been drawn to interior design. In fact, at the start of every semester throughout undergrad, I would check my university's Faculty of Extension courses to see if there was something I could take as an elective (nope) or if they'd developed a design degree program (they still don't have one). Looking back, I could have found another institute to study interior design, but it wasn't time yet. I had other life experiences to encounter before making a solid career switch.

High school imprinted a keen interest in medical research on me. I subsequently became a certified medical laboratory technologist, earned a BSc in Medical Laboratory Science, and went on to graduate school to pursue a PhD. Grad school turned out to be anything but what I expected. The lab I studied in was a personally toxic environment. So much so that I switched to a master's degree, in part, to get out sooner but mostly because I realized being a scientist wasn't for me.

After changing my graduate course, I landed a technologist job in transfusion medicine at Vancouver General Hospital. This was my test to see if I was certain about leaving the lab world. It was a much more positive lab experience. I had an amazing supervisor and mentoring colleagues, which made the culture and morale pleasant even when we were swamped running tests and prepping life-saving products. The certainty came from the techs who told me they weren't sure what they wanted to do with their career. I was surprised. They genuinely seemed to like the work and the lab, where they'd been for several years. Wasn't this their desired path? Or had seniority with better pay and vacation time kept them too comfortable to change course? It was eye-opening and made my decision clear—I was ready to say goodbye and return to school to become an interior designer.

2. agency + space

As I said, grad school was far from what I expected it to be. I finished with an MSc, a new career endeavor, and best of all, my partner in life. My now husband was pursuing a PhD in the same lab as me and one of the first things he said was, "We will become friends." We did. We became great friends. We were each other's confidants through the workplace turbulence. He listened and saw me. He admired and respected my independence. He was the first person who showed empathy for my internal struggles, and he knew my head was no longer in science. He encouraged and continues to encourage me to follow my heart. If I had not continued with grad school or enrolled in a design school before finishing my BSc, our paths would never have crossed. If there was a reason for this season of my life, finding myself and each other was absolutely it!

Grad school also meant moving away to another city and province. I'd never lived by myself or had a place of my own. I lucked out in getting a one-person studio in a new high-rise on campus. It felt like a shoebox in size but for me, it was an ideal first place. I immediately personalized it with photos of friends and family to remind me of home. Then I maximized the closet and single 3-drawer dresser to house most of my belongings. I lived there for three years, continually flexing my creative organizing muscles and practicing conscious consumption without even realizing it.

3. parenthood

Fast forward several years into the most challenging season yet—parenthood. Honestly, I didn't think much about what this adventure would be like. I am literally growing up with my kids, and am becoming better each day for it.

What I didn't expect (yet again) is how becoming a parent would impact my career goals. I never planned on starting my own business, yet when I was faced with no local design firm opportunities, I felt the nudge to do it. I wasn't going to let go of the career I'd wanted to pursue all along.

Being self-employed means I get to pick my girls up from school and enjoy snippets of an audiobook together. I'm also the "on-call" parent, which has its challenges but is worth having the flexibility. My mom worked night shifts as a nurse, so she could be there for us during the day. I fully appreciate that choice and see self-employment as my chance to do the same.

The other amazing opportunity entrepreneurship has granted me is the freedom to serve others in a way I haven't seen. Having your own space is a significant life moment. It provides a sense of independence, stability, and personal agency. Transforming your space into a home that supports your needs, wants, and lifestyle is a bit like parenthood. There are a lot of unexpected turns and expenses, and no manual for doing any of it. The most valuable thing I've learned as a parent is to listen, both to the noise around me and the voice inside. It's a process and a practice, but when you listen you notice more—about you, who you live with, and the interior space you inhabit together. The more you notice, the more you'll see how and why everything is connected. You'll discover that shaping your home for the life you want to live does not start with your physical space or belongings. It's a personal design journey that starts with understanding YOU.

Each of these major life moments has helped me learn to listen, practice awareness, and lean into what feels good and right. For me, it's being your home coach. To hold space for you to talk through where you're at in life, what's kept you from moving forward, and clarify what feeling "at home" means to you. I believe caring for your home is caring for yourself. And I believe starting small with what you have is the simplest way to begin. With my interior design knowledge and savvy organizing skills, I help you see your space and its potential, and empower you to make it better for your real life, ideally, without renovation.

transforming where you live into a home you love is a personal design journey...where are you at in the process?

If you made it this far, thank you! And if you've read any of my other posts or are following along on Instagram, thank you, thank you! I so appreciate you and am here, always, rooting for you throughout your home journey. Drop me a comment below or DM me anytime to let me know how I can help.

Everything you need to shape your home is in you. Listen. Notice. Lean in.

And above all, always make time just for you.

With love and gratitude,