Fresh Approach Designs

I knew as soon as I met with Barbara at Fresh Approach that she was the person I wanted to do the renovation of my condo. She struck me as a personal, knowledgable, total “hands on” businessperson, who took pride in her work and confident control over all who entered and had any part in the renovations. And she proved to be all of that. She made me feel like a personal friend. Her contractors were efficient and like her, “hands on” and wanted nothing less than all of us to be pleased with their work. Doing a renovation in a condo building is not a simple task but she was diligent and efficient at getting approval through both the condo strata council and the city permits, all of which passed with no issues. She made herself accessible day and night hours and always checked up on her trades during and after their jobs, making certain that the result was what she and I had planned on my behalf. My NEW condo is not only beautiful; it says “ME”; It doesn’t say “typical condo”. More than anything, she wanted me to “love it” not merely “like it”. Barbara didn’t simply decorate; she took into consideration all of my needs and desires for my home. I like to cook and dine with my friends as well as appreciate art, and the results show her attention to that personal side of me. She was not afraid to encompass my concerns and answer any questions both before and during the renovation stages. Every item installed was done for me, to suit me and to fit me; I was consulted about every detail.

My husband and I moved to West Kelowna in early 2016. We loved everything about our new home including the multitude of windows that bring in the sunlight, the hard wood flooring throughout the main floor and the spacious yard that provides a large area for our Sheltie, Sam, to enjoy the great outdoors. The one area that really needed a do-over was the kitchen. In our previous townhome, my husband (Andre) and I found it impractical to work within the galley style kitchen. Our new kitchen, although more spacious, was still lacking in many areas. This was our first renovation together as a married couple and it was rather overwhelming to say the least. We really wanted something that would provide Andre (who is a foodie) with all the tools and space he wanted to prepare our meals. We wanted a chef's kitchen with a country style feel. Thanks to Tom at Treehouse Interiors, we were provided with Barbara's number. We had no previous renovation experience (since this was our first) and I wasn't sure what we were getting ourselves into. I don't think it could have been a better experience thanks to Barbara's guidance throughout the renovation. She walked us through the planning and design phase, provided us with estimates and expectations for costs, and stepped us through all the phases of construction from design to complete teardown to photo shoot. This is not to say that there weren't bumps along the way, but it was during these times that Barbara really shined. We had to reinforce a cross beam due to instability issues found during the teardown of the old kitchen. She made sure we had the right inspector in place, quickly, in order to avoid significant scheduling delays. Her contractor John (who was exceptional as well) worked tirelessly to help install the beam and correct the stability issue. She was in constant communication with her wonderful team of contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters, heating/cooling workers, and cabinetry specialists. She assisted in selecting all the right products that we desired for our new kitchen and was always available to offer her expertise if we had questions on our selection. Frequent trips to our home and subsequent follow-ups were made on any concerns we had regarding the progress of the work. She listened and provided solutions to any issues that blocked the schedule to completion. Overall, she understood our expectations and guided us through all the possibilities of what we could accomplish. We could have not been more pleased with the end results. We would not hesitate to request her services again (and we did as we now have an office and wine cellar!).

Barbara helped do a couple minor renos in my home. She was very knowledgeable and attentive, and brought along her contractor John who is also great. Both were very easy to work with, communicated efficiently, and made things easy for me when I was out of town for work. They got the job done in time, and left the place in great shape at the end of each day. I will definitely use Barbara again, and would recommend her to anyone in the Kelowna area.

We needed some help in combining two households into one and at the same time decided to do some updating and minor renovations. Not knowing who to turn to for this type of job, I reached out to the internet and was instantly drawn to the Fresh Approach website and Barbara’s philosophy. On our first consultation, I knew that she would be a perfect fit for us. She listened to our needs and understood what our struggles were and the direction we wanted to go. With her extensive design knowledge, Barbara helped us select the proper flooring, paint colours, furniture and accessories. She utilized our favourite pieces, arranging them in new and exciting ways. Barbara used excellent sub trades and as the project manager everything was timed to perfection, allowing us to live in our home while work was being done. She is bright, upbeat, attentive and a dream to work with. Thanks to her we now have a warm and welcoming home and would highly recommend Barbara and Fresh Approach.

There are no words to describe Barbara! We have been working with this wonderful woman for some time now and there is not enough words to describe how amazing a designer she is! We have worked on many projects together and she is always patient and understanding and works well with anyone! Her work is exquisite and always tastefully done! She definitely has an eye for design and always shows that through her work! This woman is very direct and honest about everything and that is one of the things we love about her. Here at Baths By Design we love working with Barb and love having her in our lives!

We have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Barb on several of her prestigious projects. Problem solving and getting the results in a timely manner are her forte while maintaining a team atmosphere. Barb is very attentive to all detail and we have found her to be very calm and pleasant to work with even under the most difficult situations. A great multi-tasker, organizer and visionary Barb will ensure your project large or small will exceed your expectations.

How did I survive a complete home renovation? By hiring Barbara Katnich of Fresh Approach. With her superb project management, excellent design skills and compassionate support, my dated house became a beautiful, contemporary home that's so "me." Barbara has the rare gift of being able to get in your head to determine who you are, clarify what you want, and transform the vision into reality. She was a solid, dependable rock in the midst of renovation commotion and stress, always ready with a warm smile and a comforting, reassuring hug. She was professional, organized, reliable, trustworthy, creative, patient, kind, understanding, and fun to have around. She juggled the many details and workers (and client!) without dropping any balls. I highly recommend working with Barbara and Fresh Approach. I would do so again.

Fresh Approach managed a fairly extensive renovation in our home including a complete rework of our master bedroom and bath. We also did some renovations to a main floor bathroom and the kitchen. Barb is well organized and had a great creative eye. She also has a team of very skilled sub-trades. She coordinated the entire project and brought all samples and materials to our home. This made it very easy for us as we both travel extensively and would not have been able to take the time to select materials on our own. The sub-trades were high quality and they were respectful of our home. They regularly cleaned up, on a daily basis, as we lived in the home during the entire project. I would not hesitate to recommend Fresh Approach.

We had a consultation with this company and hired them on the spot. Barbara Katnich, the owner of Fresh Approach proved to be the key person on this large project. She got along well with other management and proved herself over and over again. We completed a 90% renovation on our home in 2013. She provided expertise on design, interior and exterior details, colour, furniture choices, flooring, granite...the list goes on! Her trades were well chosen and she oversaw them to be sure they completed everything to the highest standards and on time. She kept detailed notes on costs and was mindful at all times of our budget. Considering the large scope of this project, she was very reasonable. Working with Barbara was a real pleasure. Her wonderful personality made it so. She was decisive and direct and had a clear vision of the way things should turn out. We were so happy with the results! We wouldn't hesitate to hire her again on any project, large or small

We have had the opportunity to work with Barbara from Fresh Approach on numerous projects. Barbara represents our industry with true professionalism and talent. She has exceptional customer service and attention to detail. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for interior design ideas. We look forward to many more projects! Lisa and Vince Hunter Tailored Living of Kelowna