RL: What is your role at Design Studio?
SR: I am a Senior Interior Designer at Design Studio Interiors. I work under Principal Designers Michelle Butler and David Wilson and alongside an amazing team here at Design Studio.

RL: How would you describe your style?
SR: My signature style is sophisticated and calm – clean lines, refined details, neutral tones, layers of natural textures and balanced use of pattern and colour.

RL: What is your favourite space to design?
SR: My passion is residential design. I love learning about how people live and creating spaces that reflect their lifestyles. I enjoy building long-lasting relationships with my clients and being part of the many phases of their homes.

RL: What are the most common mistakes you see people make in decorating their own homes?
SR: 1. Scale. A space feels unbalanced and pieced together when it is not scaled appropriately. Understanding scale requires a well-trained eye, knowledge of design principles and experience.
2. Impulse Shopping. We help a lot of clients who start off designing on their own and end up coming to us needing help to ‘pull it all together.’ These clients often have buyer’s remorse and are forced to settle on pieces that are not right for the space. Take your time and really love the pieces you buy. It will be worth the wait and save you money.

RL: What are the advantages of hiring an Interior Designer?
SR: Great spaces do not happen by chance, they are carefully explored, planned and curated by professionals. An Interior Designer has artistic talent to create the vision of a beautiful space and technical skillset to execute the design.

RL: Do you have any ‘golden rules’ in design?
SR: Spend time defining your style. Stay away from what is on-trend and reflect on spaces that truly resonate with you. Having a clear vision is the first step to creating a space you will love for many years.

RL: What items should we splurge on for our homes?
SR: Upholstery. There is nothing worse than a sad-looking sofa in a beautiful space.

RL: What are some cool design tools you work with?
SR: We have an amazing product library at Design Studio. Our collection of finish samples from international and local vendors is a great tool and source of inspiration.

RL: What aspect of a room’s design is most often overlooked?
SR: One that comes up often is window coverings. Window coverings are an important layer of the interior and are often overlooked in the early part of the design process. Details like motorisation and pockets are simple when planned but can be challenging and expensive to retrofit. Planning window coverings at the concept phase also helps avoid any disappointment in the final design.

RL: Any top tips for those doing their own decorating?
SR: Research your products and start small. Read all the details in the specification sheets, look up consumer reviews and try to find installation images. Phase the work into manageable size projects and complete them one by one. This method is less overwhelming and allows you to learn and improve as you go.

RL: What types of projects are you working on at the moment? Anything exciting about these projects?
SR: I am working on several private residences. It is incredibly exciting to see clients passionate about designing their homes. We are seeing a shift in designing homes to a more detailed level of completion. We are also hearing a lot of homeowners say they ‘just want to do things right,’ by taking the time to complete their homes. Clients are being thoughtful about the process and investing in more quality pieces for the long-haul vs for ‘right now’.

SHANKARI’S TOP TEN:
Designer: Kara Mann
Colour Palette: 90/10: 90% Neutral, 10% colour
Piece of furniture: Eero Saarinen Dining Table
Can’t live without: Family
Material/finish: Marble

Design Tool: Laser measure
Vice: Panther Cold Brew Coffee 
Charity: Any charity that feeds the needy
City: Vancouver, BC
Way to spend the day: In the sun

For more information contact Design Studio:
Tel: 345.945.4977
Email: info@designstudio.ky
Visit: www.designstudio.ky