Otta Decorate!

Mary Anne took the time to understand both what we wanted and what we needed in our new place. Throughout the process she presented us with multiple options within our tastes and agreed criteria, pointing out many unique items and ideas that we soon fell in love with. Mary Anne made the decorating process exciting and fun and now, with her help, our new home is completely “us”.

I initially engaged Mary Anne of Otto Decorate to assist me in selecting a new colour scheme to update our home after some recent renovations. She was able to provide options that reflected our personalities, worked well with our existing furniture and updated and freshened the rooms. We were so pleased with the outcome that, when shortly thereafter additional decisions needed to made ( backsplash tiles and draperies for the formal areas) I once again contacted Mary Anne to solicit her advice. Mary Anne is knowledgable, creative and considerate of budget objectives. Her greatest attribute though, is her ability to listen to her client and to assess what they are trying to achieve and then translate this into design ideas. Thanks Mary Anne - it was a pleasure!

Mary Anne you were great! You helped me make the hazy picture of my laundry room that I had in my mind, into a detailed, finished room. And, all within my budget. I’ll definitely call you for my next project.

I was very satisfied with the advice provided by Mary Anne. She quickly identified options and brought samples to my house for me to view in the lighting of my home. She had very good recommendations about flooring and then for area carpets. When there was a delay by one of the suppliers she quickly intervened and brought things back on track. I would not hesitate to hire her again.

For the renovation of our 30 year old tired kitchen Mary Anne helped with the space design emphasizing the functionality as well as the appearance of the kitchen. She knew one of my frustrations with the older kitchen was a lack of counter and storage space. A few of her many recommendations included a very functional island, as well as kitchen cabinets and drawers configured to look like a built in buffet highlighted with upper cabinets which included glass doors and a granite counter top. I absolutely love it and now have more counter and storage space. The glass doors in the cabinets were a great alternative to open shelving and they lighten up the room. She recommended additional drawers and a configuration which significantly contributed to improved functionality and storage space. Mary Anne did the sourcing and selection of: the cabinet door style, the finish, and the door and drawer handles; the granite counter; back splash tiles; and the lighting. I could not have done this project and achieve the beautiful end result without Mary Anne! Her attention to detail has resulted in an efficient, functional, timeless kitchen design! We get numerous compliments on our beautiful kitchen that has that ‘Wow factor’! In 2013 Mary Anne helped me with two bathroom renovations. For the smaller bathroom she sourced and selected the tile for both the floor and the tub/shower walls. The result was tiling which complemented the quartz counter top on the new vanity. She also found this gorgeous unique mirror for over the vanity and it completes the room. It gives the room that Wow factor! Our Master ensuite bathroom needed major updating and a complete redesign. Mary Ann’s expertise was invaluable in determining the solution. She helped select the style of the new double sink vanity and the custom stand-alone shower. Critical factors were that I wanted both a large vanity and a large walk in shower but had limited space. The removal of the old tub freed up space for the new design. With Mary Anne’s help we were able to maximize the sizes of both to satisfy my requirements but still make the space feel roomy and not crowded. Mary Anne sourced matching floor and shower tiles and then added a unique tile feature in the customized glass walled shower. The bathroom has a spa like feel with a colour for the walls that completes the look of the room. Both bathrooms are a complete transformation that have been modernized but are still have timeless design. I love them and so do our friends and family that see them. Mary Anne’s friendly warm personality and patience make it a pleasure to work with her. I would definitely recommend hiring Mary Anne as your interior designer!

Prior to our son’s wedding, Mary Anne helped us with the interior design of our living room, dining room and family room. There was an aggressive time pressure but she still agreed to take it on to help me. She has so much patience and is a delight to work with. She never made me feel pressured or stressed. With her help, we completed the work within the deadline we had for the rehearsal party for 50 people with stunning results. For our living room, this involved the selection of a new couch, sourcing and selecting fabrics for upholstering several pieces of existing furniture and a carpet. She chose the new wall color and repositioned the furniture making a huge impact on the feel of the living room. Mary Anne introduced lots of texture into the rooms that is quite subtle but gives the room a definite Wow factor. She recommended accessories for our family room that added pops of color to add interest and warmth as I tend to shy away from color. The rugs she found are very interesting with a unique pattern and very affordable. She has an uncanny eye for picking the right colors and pattern. After all the changes were completed, our main floor was transformed from outdated rooms to current but timeless, comfortable, beautiful rooms. Our guests are constantly complimenting me on these rooms. I love Mary Anne!

My wife and I recently bought a condo that has not had a makeover since it was built 25 years ago. We were looking for a decorator to redesign our main bathroom and laundry/utility room. Mary Anne from Otta Decorate and her refreshing sense of taste and style came to rescue! Mary Anne is very friendly, approachable, patient and down-to-earth. Although we thought we knew what we were looking for, she showed us a variety of inspiring options which helped us quickly refine our selection. Mary Anne shared much information with us about selecting and coordinating the right materials, colours, and textures. In addition to her decorative abilities, Mary Anne also ordered and organized the delivery of all required fixtures and materials as well as managed the project for us. She also found us a skilled contractor to precisely realize her design. My wife and I love our new bathroom and laundry/utility room and are currently working with Mary Anne for our master bedroom bathroom and closet. Thank you Mary Anne!

We approached Mary Anne with very specific requirements: bring our well-used, well-loved kitchen up-to-date in an eco-sensitive manner. Our dream kitchen: a classic white kitchen, with natural stone and simple fittings. We had a very strong preference to re-use our existing cabinetry and make more efficient use of space within the existing footprint. Mary Anne's manner is very collaborative - she validated our overall concept and provided professional guidance in material and colours selection (an area where we lacked confidence). Mary Anne's experience is reflected in recommendations to incorporate “extra’s” such as a second sink and enhanced lighting; we would't have thought of these ideas on our own. In addition, Mary Anne’s professional relationships with suppliers and tradespeople contributed to an on-time, on-budget project; we all know how often kitchen renovations run over time and budget! The result is a harmonious, space-efficient design, with minimal waste (only our old melamine counters were discarded). Three years later, we are still completely delighted with the results and would heartily recommend OttaDecorate as your design partner.