meet karen
Its hard to believe that I've been in business over 30 years. How time flies! I have seen a number of design and colour trends come and go...then return again in a different way.
My business philosophy is to help you create something unique for your personal space that reflects your style, taste and budget.
So who am I?
I'm the mother of 2 wonderful adult sons--they are enjoying their lives and successful careers in Alberta and London, ON but we remain close despite the miles. Between my husband and I, we have 6 wonderful and busy grand children.
I lived in the Ottawa area for many years as well as living in Halifax and Vancouver. I settled in Morrisburg in 1996 and enjoy the closeness and quiet of a small town as well as walks by the St Lawrence River. At the same time I thoroughly appreciate frequent visits into the city and travelling to explore new places.
Decorating is both a career and a passion. I find that my tastes have broadened and become more varied. I appreciate all decorating styles and find that an eclectic mix suits me best in my own home. I love colour and how it makes a room feel.
I am mainly self-taught but took decorating training and courses with Decorating Den (I owned a franchise 1990-95), as well as studying Home Staging with The Staging Diva. I thoroughly enjoyed earning my certification as a True Colour Expert in Maria Killam's course.
My husband and I recently built a new home on Lakeshore Dr and the experience of designing our space from scratch and navigating the multitude of choices has made me a stronger decorator for my clients.
My volunteer and hobby interests often pertain to decorating as well. I have helped decorate my church for the various holidays as well as the Morrisburg Plaza.
Flower arranging is both a hobby and something I do for clients. Paint has always intrigued me and I enjoy transforming picture and mirror frames to better suit a client's decor. Painting signs and rustic snowmen using barnboard and pallet wood is a new, fun endeavor. I have some pine furniture calling me to be transformed!
I love the variety of my career although that in itself is also a challenge. Its great to keep learning and trying new things!
Testimonials
"Karen, our family is sincerely grateful for your expertise in staging our father's home [in Iroquois]. Your simple but warm and welcoming design was wonderful. I was amazed at how you used the space with mostly existing pieces to create such a new look. The finishing touches you added gave it the polished look for our photos and showings. We'll definitely be in touch before listing our next home."
Kind regards,
-Kelly McLeod, Greely
"I have worked with Karen a few times and I'm always happy with the end result. She has provided fantastic suggestions on paint colour, window coverings, and upholstery fabric. I've ordered eclipse shutters from Karen at a very reasonable price and was very happy with the turnaround time between the order and delivery, as well as the installation itself. Karen customizes her selections based on your style and taste, which I really appreciate."
-Karrie Anderson, Cornwall
"Choosing colors has never been an easy task for us. Karen was referred to us by friends. We were very pleased with the results. She helped us declutter our den, pulled together the colors of our furniture with new carpeting and new color on the walls. Our kitchen needed brightening....countertop, cupboards & floor are dark. She chose a nice soft tone that accented the rest of the decor. The results again were very pleasing. I would never hesitate recommending Karen's services."
-Pauline & Bob, Long Sault