MY PROCESS
A Day in the Life
Every day I wake early and go into my studio. It is at the back of my garden in an old brick garage that I converted a few years ago. I love this time of day because it is quiet and it is my time. When we bought the house, the garage had no access to the garden, it was dark and damp and filled with boxes. When we renovated, I installed 1930's French doors, in keeping with the period of our house, a huge skylight and antique red brick floor tiles. I designed it so that the doors open onto a stone Italianate inspired courtyard garden that has a moss covered fountain at the center. In my studio I have a lot of my collections and objects, things that mean a lot to me: family memorabilia, my piano, and my art. It is my time to explore new ideas: paint, sculpt, collage, research, play the piano, (I have studied since I was a child) and sometimes do yoga, read or just sit. It's how I like to begin my day and is essential to my connection with my process. I then usually try to get some exercise and then head to my design studio above a store in Midtown Toronto.
My design studio is located in the heart a bustling, exciting retail neighbourhood. I like that everything is walkable and that I can on a daily basis connect with fellow design enthusiasts. I am the lucky artist who has a good head for business. I am organized and practical (I attribute this to my Irish father's mother who had this in spades). I have found over the years that keeping on top of my projects makes my clients and me happy and the key to the very personalized service I provide. I typically meet with my assistant to plan our day and week first thing.
Next I like to tackle the most demanding and important areas of my work. I like to look at the big picture, space plan, draw elevations and sections and I usually will come back to the project. I come back to it often with a fresh eye and to continuously re-think about the right direction.
No day is the same, which appeals to me. Typical tasks include: drawing, material selections, furnishings and research, meetings to review with the general contractor and trades, progress meetings on site and reviewing drawings or issues that may have arisen as the construction process develops. I might be on a job site with hardhat on in the morning and later in a day styling a bookcase for the finishing touches on a just finished renovation.
My work is very detail oriented and I revel in it. I care about each decision.