I am excited to welcome Amanda and Debbie of Design Shop to the podcast to talk about mentorship and the value of experience in the interior design industry. Debbie and Amanda share how their passion for design developed, how they met and began working together, and what led them to eventually partner to create their own design firm. Both spent several years in their early careers gaining experience in a wide range of areas in the design world, which has helped them successfully develop their own business and now mentor and support other designers. They share their philosophy behind mentorship and the team they’ve built, all of which are a result of what they learned and experienced working for other firms.

Design Coven members have access to these mentorship services with Design Shop and can learn more in the Design Coven portal. If you aren’t yet a member of the Design Coven, head to designcoven.com/join.

About Amanda

Amanda knew from early on that design of some form was her chosen career path. For over 13 years, Amanda has been working with exceptional clients and team members and her passion for design has only grown. Being able to give you the “why” behind every suggestion and decision is key to building a trusting client relationship. You can expect Amanda’s enthusiastic and passionate energy to bring a sense of forward motion to projects she works on - and it is this energy that gives her clients the confidence and trust to get on board with her vision. 

Amanda gives her clients an extensive amount of design education and experience. Amanda graduated on the Dean’s Honour list with a Bachelor of Environmental Design, majoring in Interior Design at the University of Manitoba in 2009. After graduating, she worked at Grant Design Group for over 3 years, where she worked her way up to a senior designer position. Following Debbie, Amanda moved onto Fenwick & Co. Interior Design, where she was mentored in residential interiors. 

Amanda has many years of experience coordinating with architects as well as mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers, making her an exceptional leader on all of her projects. 

Amanda is always pushing design boundaries. She finds inspiration from her clients and loves building on their ideas, elevating them to the next level. 

About Debbie

Working with Debbie, means you are collaborating with a passionate interior designer with over 20 years of experience. Debbie is best known for her strategic thinking, creativity, spatial layering, high level detailing, and advocacy for her clients and team members alike.  

A theorist at heart, Debbie takes her design work to a level beyond pragmatics and will work with you to design spaces that adapt to your intrinsic needs. She is passionate about incorporating principles of architectural determinism and understands the responsibility of designing a space you will experience and navigate. There is zero agenda or ego with Debbie - she will constantly strive to understand you as her client to elevate the life of your business or home through her designs.

Debbie began her educational career with a degree in Psychology - giving her the foundation for understanding and analyzing human behaviour, which is evident throughout her mindful design process. 

From 1998-2001 Debbie studied design in the Department of Interior Design before transferring and graduating with a degree in Environmental Design from the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba. 

After completing her degree, Debbie spent 2 years studying for her Masters of Interior Design, but abandoned her thesis (oops!) to pursue her curiosity of world cultures. Before returning to Winnipeg, Debbie lived and worked in Taipei, Taiwan teaching English, appearing in commercials, and traveling surrounding countries.

Debbie was mentored at EQ3, working on retail, and brand design; Grant Design Group, where she grew focused on corporate, commercial, and hospitality environments; and finally at Fenwick & Co where she honed her residential design expertise.

Featured in this episode

Featured deck: Radiant Crystal Cards

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Are you an interior designer or are you interested in Holistic Interior Design? Check out my membership program, the Design Coven! This program is a real-world industry mentorship for Holistic Interior Designers that has everything you won't find in traditional design school curriculum. You'll learn from practicing interior designers working on real life projects, and get access to cutting edge vendors, suppliers, furniture makers, textile designers, and design resources that I've curated over my 17 years of design experience. As a member, you'll have the opportunity to build valuable relationships of your own. Learn more.

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