Top Shelf Design

Our renovation journey began in the fall of 2021 without knowing what we were getting into. We were essentially a fish out of water on how to fully renovation our home from the bottom up. We were going down to the studs and building a new addition for our forever home. We interviewed several designers and found SDGI to be the best fit for us. We placed our trust to design our home in their hands and we were indeed in good hand. They guided us through every step of the building process, which were numerous with their expert knowledge and experience. The SGDI team were meticulous and customized the design per our requirements and must haves. Once construction began, they were with us and the builder every step of the way, ensuring all builds were completed as per specifications. After what felt like a never-ending project, we moved into our home 2 years later. Our first impression was, all just fits and matches from floor to ceiling. We were wowed and couldn’t be happier with our new home. A huge thanks to Sarah, Kaylee, Roz and the team for helping us build our forever home. Rob & Li

We hired Top Shelf Design after searching Houzz for designers that worked in our area and we are absolutely thrilled with the results. From start to finish, Sarah and the team made the entire process pleasurable, and we now have a home that we love! Just before the pandemic, we decided we wanted to renovate our 1990’s home instead of moving. We contacted Top Shelf to explore how we might not only update our entire home, but also redesign it to better use our space. Sarah, Niki and team took the time to listen to our needs and they turned our tired, dark, outdated 1990’s house into a stylish, bright, welcoming home that reflects our personalities and tastes. Thanks to Sarah’s creative ability to re-imagine space, we made structural changes to the kitchen, the master bedroom, and added additional windows. We now have a large bright kitchen and a large walk-in closet -one of my “must haves”. The entire house is integrated in terms of style and function- starting from the entry way to the home offices, washrooms, bedrooms, kitchen and the mudroom, including the furniture throughout, the house now has a beautiful flow. Sarah and her team also successfully negotiated the fact that my husband and I have opposite tastes - they balanced our differing levels of comfort with colour, and we are both equally happy with the result. Lastly, due to Sarah’s suggestions, our old unused spaces are now functional and inviting, and the final product is both stunning and practical! Not only were Sarah and her team supportive during the design process, but throughout the renovation, they were willing to listen and offered suggestions that were invaluable and greatly appreciated. It is without hesitation that I recommend Top Shelf for anyone looking to renovate their home. With excellent design skills, attention to detail and commitment to client satisfaction- the entire team really is “Top Shelf”. We are delighted with the results they achieved, and we look forward to enjoying the beautiful space they have created for many years to come! Thank you SGDI!

When we purchased our home 20 years ago, it was always with the intent of renovating and modernizing it. When the time came, we searched for the best interior designers and Sarah’s name came up as a top award winner in the Vancouver area and we immediately made the call. From the initial discussions to the final plans, Sarah and her team made the project seamless. They worked tirelessly with the consultants, engineers, and city to get all designs and permits in place and recommended contractors who we were able to have full confidence in. While we didn’t have a final vision when we started the design process, Sarah and her team helped us create the open kitchen plan we’d always dreamed of, update the whole main floor to include a beautiful entrance, living room and dining area and integrate it with the rest of the house. They also helped us select the materials and furniture to come up with the perfect result and a home we are proud of. We are extremely happy with the result and would highly recommend Sarah and the team to anyone considering a home renovation. Larry & Verna Heinzlmeir, White Rock, BC - Main Floor Renovation

Sarah and her team’s design for the renovation of our typical 1970’s boxy house has transformed it to a beautiful, light filled, airy, open space that wows all our visitors. From our first meeting with Sarah we were excited by the possibilities that she suggested and reassured that there would be no unpleasant surprises as the project proceeded. We weren’t disappointed. Sarah clearly understood our wish for an open concept living room, dining room and kitchen that would also open up views to our backyard. The final plan involved incorporating the balcony along the front of the house into the interior space and relocating two bedrooms from the back to the front of the house. These changes meant that the exterior needed an update. Sarah and Niki were meticulous in detailing every aspect of the design and material selection and helpful in finding alternatives if we changed our mind. We have beautiful built ins in the dining area, living area as well as window seats in our new bedrooms. We love everything about our renovation and feel like we are living in a new home, in a neighbourhood we love! We couldn’t have imagined the redesign of our home without their expertise, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.

We approached Sarah Gallop and decided to hire Top Shelf Design Inc. when we determined that it was time to change the look and feel of our home. We really wanted to brighten up our place – with its dark floors and dark cabinetry, the north facing home just did not get enough light! Our objective was simple - give us light, warmth and a contemporary look - and don't ask us to pick out a thing! They really listened and were able to translate our objective into a design that completely transformed our home in ways we could not have imagined. The open concept with its large widows, warm palette, clean lines and unique stone and wood features has turned our home into something really special. The feature wall in the staircase is particularly outstanding! An added bonus in the design, and one that Sarah paid attention to even though it was not on our radar initially, was the clever use of custom millwork throughout creating stylish functionality and storage opportunities without compromising the bright, warm contemporary feel. From the first meeting, Sarah understood who we are and what we would like and, while the finished home is very much us, what you see is entirely the result of the designer we chose. They also referred us to our builder, Aaron of Finnish Builders Inc. who did an amazing job with the construction and all of the unique finishing details - and under budget! We are very impressed by our experience with Top Shelf Design and would certainly recommend them; they listen to who you are and what you want and then translate that into a design that is uniquely you.

I purchased a house that needed updating on a tight timeframe before moving in and knew exactly who to call! My current house was still as beautiful as when Sarah Gallop and her team helped me renovate it years ago, it just didn’t fit our family anymore, so it made sense to use them again… This being my 2nd project with Sarah I knew exactly what I was signing up for, and that I could trust her to take the design forward so that construction could be achieved in the expedient manner which I required and make this new place into something that I could love. Top Shelf Design was able to take my vision for this straightforward home renovation and put together all the documents to make everything as easy as possible for my builder. I was mostly hands-off on this one, with a few straightforward requests, and the place turned out wonderfully! I wanted the house to be fun and decorative but upheld functionality and easy maintenance as my main goals. The only major change was the removal of a dividing wall between the kitchen and previous dining room area that has dramatically changed the vibe of the home into a very interactive space. A built-in nook was added to the kitchen, which along with bar top seating for 5, provides enough space for comfortable family dining, eliminating the need for a formal dining room and providing more space for our busy family of boys! The bar top creates a welcoming space for guests. This becomes the main gathering spot for both my family members and when I have guests over. The extension of our kitchen allowed for more storage cabinetry as well, which keeps the house looking organized and uncluttered. With all the considerations made for the house to be clean and functional, there was still careful thought put into ensuring that it would be pleasingly decorative to my artistic eye. My spa-like ensuite is one of the highlights for me personally, patterned tiles and nice new fixtures to match throughout. The home looks great and feels comfortable! We love it all!

We bought our home with a plan to renovate the great room including the kitchen. That was at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, and we had no idea of what challenges that would present. Enter Top Shelf Design to the rescue. At first, we were impressed by the website, showing not a singular look, but a wide variety of beautiful homes’ interiors and exteriors, indicative of a design team that created for the clients’ individual preferences and lifestyles. It also showed a highly qualified group of professionals including designers recognized by the Interior Designers Institute of BC, who can attend to and support all the construction and architectural details as well as the look of the final project. With this vital skill set, Sarah Gallop and her team at Top Shelf Design worked seamlessly with our builder to easily manage the unexpected. They guided us through the big picture with multiple creative floor plan options and then through the myriad of choices for flooring, ceiling details, cabinetry, tiling, lighting, colour palette and furniture. The design team made our decisions easy by presenting just a few carefully selected options, so we weren’t overwhelmed. Additional options were always available on request, but we often returned to the team’s original suggestions. The result was a timeless and comfortable kitchen and great room that will function well now that the pandemic restrictions are lifting, allowing us to bring our extended family and friends back into our wonderfully updated home.

While planning a reno on our older house, we knew we needed help. We met with a couple of designers but were really impressed with Sarah and her team. We hired Top Shelf based on our first meeting. Sarah's ability to look at a space and come up with a completely new layout was amazing. Many people had tried to reimagine the space, but no one came up with the layouts that Sarah did. We were given six different options to consider. This let us match possibilities with budgets. The entire process was amazing and just helped reduce stress. Once a layout was picked, the Top Shelf team and Niki did a great job helping us pick the finishings. The amount of time and stress that was saved is immeasurable. Sarah and Niki worked closely with us and got everything together quickly. We always felt like a priority even though we were just doing a smaller reno compared to their full house projects. Having a comprehensive plan to hand to the builders meant that the vision became reality. The project moved along swiftly thanks to all the work that the Top Shelf team did. Working with Top Shelf was the best decision that we made with our reno. It made sure we avoided the common reno disaster stories and just have a beautiful new space that we couldn't be happier with.

Sarah Gallop and the team at Top Shelf Design made our renovation a breeze! We were nervous about starting a major renovation in our East Vancouver townhouse, but Sarah and her team made it straighforward with clear communication and documentation. Her recommendations were helpful - we found our contractor through her (and we were very happy with the result). I felt that she really listened to our needs and the designs she helped us select were beautiful as well as perfect for the space and our lifestyle (with two little kids). Honestly, the end results surpassed our expecations. We feel comfortable in our home and know that the space will grow with us for many years to come. I would highly recommend Top Shelf due to their customer care, attention to detail and quality, and design innovations.

Top Shelf Design went above and beyond for us this year. Our old kitchen got a much needed and overdue renovation. They helped us create a design that is not only beautiful but also truly reflects our style in a way that we would not have been able to achieve on our own. Thanks so much to everyone on the team that helped make our kitchen the heart of our home. We look forward to future projects with Sarah and her team, to continue to improve our family home.

Our home was dated and posed some barriers to our ultimate enjoyment. We had decided that we wanted to stay in this house, so we sought professional help to take it from what it was to what we wanted it to be. Sarah Gallop and her team were able to clearly understand our dilemma and to see how we wanted to live in our home. They suggested some very creative design solutions. One of the issues was that the house felt disconnected from the backyard, accessed only by one awkward sideways door from the eating nook. Now our new kitchen opens completely by means of an accordion door system onto a brand new back patio living space. This has transformed our outdoor enjoyment and entertaining ability. Another improvement was a beautiful timeless fireplace that became the focal point of our family room. Built in shelves around it gave us a special place to display family treasures. Sarah Gallop Design coordinated everything from start to finish. We felt overwhelmed with the prospect of starting such a large renovation and having to choose from so many options and details, but SGDI was able to narrow down the materials, finishes and fixtures to a few options for us to choose. This made it an enjoyable and stress free experience. We were able to leave everything in the designers’ hand and ended up with a beautiful and cohesive design, and a home we are proud of and love. We would recommend SGDI to anyone considering a renovation.

Our home needed a major renovation which included the complete main floor as well as three upstairs bathrooms. We contacted Rob and Sarah Gallop as they have a great reputation in our community. We're happy we did as they exceeded our expectations! Our initial contact started with Rob who was able to provide us an honest perspective as to the process and costs of a major renovation. On the design and selection of materials we worked closely with Sarah and Kaylee who were very easy to work with and quickly picked up on our style and tastes. They were able to come up with many creative ideas for us as well as to provide feedback on our ideas as to what would and wouldn't work. After the renovation we also had Sarah and Kaylee assist us with furniture layout and selection that fit with our renovation. We made the right choice in trusting Sarah and the Top Shelf Design team with our renovation and furniture selection!!