Designing spaces that are fresh, timeless and comfortingly nostalgic
Feel at home the moment you walk through the door
From the early beginnings as a residential designer, to taking on the challenge of designing interiors for corporate giants, I gained a lifetime of experience designing and weaving ideas of home into offices, restaurants and yes, houses.
Hi I’m Amanda, an architect
with a passion for interiors
With over 12 years of industry experience, I can’t wait to meet you and design your new favourite space! Flashback to a sixth grade me discovering my love for space planning and design when I had to design my “Ideal School” for a math project. It caught me completely off-guard how much I enjoyed that project and from that day forward, I was hooked!
Since then, the idea of creating a frame for people to live the best and most challenging parts of their lives was truly a privilege I strived for. I drew through stacks of graph paper and excitedly built models. As I grew into my dream, whenever I met a closed door, I just searched that much further to find an open one; and that’s how I landed at a local architecture firm, launching my career in design.
Now, twelve years later, I am ready to take that professional career a step further, building and leading my own design studio. Through this range of experiences, I have truly found a constant in my passion for helping clients feel at-home in their spaces. My approach to crafting solutions that resonate with you is rooted in, well, your roots, and understanding what makes you, you. Whether it’s a familiar story from your past that inspires the material palette, or a family heirloom that brings on the nostalgia, the depth of each design is built from the unique, authentic elements that are part of you.
Anyone can design a space, but what wakes me up in the morning, is the idea of designing your place - and creating designs that truly resonate with you the moment you walk through the door. If you’re looking for someone who gets you, gets where you’ve been and can weave that story throughout your space, then you’re in the right place.
It’s all part of the process
Check Out My Values
What is the When + Where Experience? You’ve heard all the good things, but now you want the real scoop.
Why is everyone talking about When + Where?
I believe in choosing
timeless over trendy
I believe in timeliness over trendy
Timelessness is about connection. About letting the objects we surround ourselves with, become characters in our lives. I believe in design strategies that incorporate the pieces you’ve loved for years by helping you create spaces that tell your stories. I also believe in getting it right by creating functional layouts and designs that adapt with you over time, so you don’t have to turn around and renovate a year later. I believe in a layered approach to design that weaves together your values and is enhanced by your unique style.
I don’t believe in just
"doing it for the 'gram"
Don’t get me wrong, I love celebrating great spaces, but I will never encourage you to design your space for someone who doesn’t actually live there. Sacrificing your true design style is never worth the external validation.
Instead, I encourage you to look inward and ask yourself how you actually want your space to work functionally, then we layer on finishes that make you feel at home when you see and feel them.
Good Design doesn't start
with a race to the Landfill
Too often people take an ‘out with the old, just because it’s old’ approach to design, even if they actually really like their older pieces. I don’t believe in tossing out the elements you love to stay on trend. Trends are fleeting and lead to landfills. “Landfill” is a bad word, and at When + Where, and we don’t say bad words.
Next, I keep the process simple
(Let Me Handle The Complicated Stuff)
01.
Meet & Greet
We set up a virtual chat, you tell me about your project, I tell you more about me.
If it seems like a good fit, then I send over an initial proposal where you can learn more about When + Where and the role I can play in designing your unique project.
02.
Fine Print + Initial Site Visit
Once you’ve had a chance to review the proposal, we schedule a site visit to photograph and measure your existing space, all while going room by room to review what you like and what you would like to change.
From here, we decide if the Hourly Approach or Full-Design Package is better and I send over a final quote.
03.
Concept
The early design captures the all-encompassing story for your space. It’s usually a simple story, how you want to feel in the space, maybe it’s calm and serene, like you’re on your dream vacation or bright, bold and energizing. Then we work together to build on that feeling and weave that nostalgia of your unique story through to create a concept that feels both inviting and authentically you.
04.
Design & Refine
Once we narrow down the vision for your space, we take an iterative approach that focuses on layering the design elements, proposing ideas and refining them to fit you. Cue the exciting feelings now - because this is when you really start to connect with your design!
05.
Construction Time
I follow your design through to fruition, visiting the site regularly to check on the progress and work. I coordinate with your contractor to answer any questions and make sure that your design is coming together as you envisioned. I also use site visits as an opportunity to show you interesting updates because I’m just as excited about your project as you are.
06.
When Day
When-Day is the big day! When you finally move everything into your fresh space.
If you’re a local client, then I am on site, guiding furniture placement and taking care of the details to make sure everything looks great! If it’s a virtual project, you do the heavy lifting accompanied by a staging guide prepared by When + Where, uniquely crafted for your space.
Ready to get started? What did you have in mind?
Here Are Some Ways We Can Work Together
This service is Ideal for clients who are looking for preliminary design advice or are taking their renovation one room at a time. Maybe you haven’t hired a designer before and you are curious about what it’s like or looking to make a few small changes. We can work together on anything from helping you understand the design process, initial concept ideas, room layouts, finish selections, custom millwork design, furniture selections and even sourcing art and accessories. It’s a great way to focus on the key areas you would like help with in your design journey.
The flexibility of this design service is another great quality because we can adjust the list of priorities as we go, and work with your budget to achieve your design goals. Not in Ottawa? No worries! Let’s chat and see if your project is the right fit for a virtual design strategy.
Hourly Design Service
Did I mention I’m an architect? The Full-Service Design package was created for clients who are looking to design their homes from start to finish. Being an architect working in the world of Interiors, means that whether I am designing your home entirely, or collaborating with your architect on the Interiors, I understand the complexities of custom home design and how to creatively work with those parameters.
Full-service packages are catered to your project and its unique qualities. From early concepts through to project completion, I am there with you every step of the way, capturing all the design details that will tie all spaces together so that your home feels elevated, cohesive and truly “designed”. I work with you to weave your personality and story through each space, capturing a bit of nostalgia, a ton of authenticity and all things timeless.
Whether you want to redesign your existing home or you are planning a new-build, let’s dive into the details and make sure it feels like you the moment you walk through the door.
Full-Service Design Package
Why am I excited about the
Hourly Design Package?
When you are new to the world of design or you don’t really know your style - but you do know you are ready for the next level of functionality and cohesive space - it’s great to take it slow. I love being able to target key areas to help you through it and empower you to truly feel a part of the design process. I’m a fan of designing timeless spaces and when we work together to layer your stories into each space, with time to settle in, you won’t even believe how great it will feel. It’s like sitting in your favourite chair, that feels cozy in all the right places. There’s nothing quite like a space that works with your needs and resonates with you.
Whether it’s a small project or eventually every room in your house, I’m excited to share my knowledge and expertise to craft design solutions that feel like the perfect fit. Not in Ottawa? No worries! Let’s chat and see if your project is the right fit for a virtual design strategy.
Why am I excited about the
Full-Service Design Package?
Because I get it. I understand that designing your own home can feel incredibly overwhelming, especially if it’s the first time you’re going through the process. Even the second, or third...or yes, fourth time, there’s always something new and different to figure out with each project. And I understand where you’re coming from. It’s easy to get caught up in trends because it seems quicker to choose a design style from looking at beautiful photos, versus doing all that soul-searching that can seem so daunting! That’s where I come in, because I have done this everyday for my entire career and I am equipped with the skills to ask the right questions that will result in a home you actually see yourself in, instead of trying on someone else's.
We get to know each other really well during this type of design process and by taking on all elements of your design - whether architectural, interiors or both - I can provide you with the most authentic solution that takes a blank slate and turns it into a home that feels instantly familiar.
