HEMdesign

I had the pleasure of working with HEM Design when I was expecting my second child. HEM helped me create a nursery and transition my older child from nursery to a "big kid" room. My experience was so positive that I went back to HEM when I needed help creating a basement family room/ "man cave" to surprise my husband with. Kara was exactly what I needed in terms of seeing my spaces with a fresh set of eyes. I have always enjoyed decorating my own spaces, but Kara helped guide my choices for colors, fabrics, accessories and room layout so that I didn't just like the final outcome, but actually loved them. Kara was very respectful of my tiny budgets and helped me decide how and where to get the biggest bang for my buck, knowing where to splurge and where to save. She was also great at repurposing, rearranging and somehow managing to make the things I was stuck with (like wall color, old mismatched furniture etc) suddenly all come together much more cohesively. One of the handiest things about working with Kara was that she did all the running around for me (which is a huge help when you are pregnant and have a toddler at home) and narrowed down choices for me so I no longer felt plagued by indecision. I appreciated Kara's determination that I should feel passionate about my choices. If I felt unsure about an aspect of the design she kept searching til we hit upon the pieces or colors that felt right. Most of all Kara has a kindness and genuiness about her that makes her a pleasure to work with. I think she has a wonderful understanding of how personal an undertaking it is to create a space for someone you love, especially a child. I believe Kara has a deep respect for the ritual and rite of passage that is creating a child's room. She recognizes that there are hopes and fears as well as losses and transitions and deep emotions tied into those spaces. She honours her clients process, and in so doing, her rooms are not only beautiful but also deeply personal.

I hired Kara of HEM designs to help me decorate my son's nursery and my daughter's (3 years of age at the time) room. Kara helped me choose paint color and decor (window dressings, some furniture, decorative items). I adored the process and am 100% happy with the final product. What I liked about the experience is that Kara helped me to work with the existing furniture I had and also helped me to find cost-effective ways to get to the final product. I love that both rooms include special, unique ideas that are so much interesting than what I would get from a "room in a bag". For example, the window dressings in my daughter's room include curtains made from an old chenille bedspread which adds an interesting texture to the room. lot of the pieces are meaningful (e.g., a pillow that incorporates a butterfly from my great-grandmother's quilt, framed words from my daughter's favorite book). By working with Kara to find meaningful and unique ways to decorate both rooms I find the rooms help to capture the nostalgia that is so much a part of watching my children grow. My son's room is so serene and calming that I sometimes just go in there (by myself) to sit in the rocking chair and feel calm! I give Kara of HEM designs my highest possible recommendation.

I had the pleasure of working with Kara of HEM Design when it was time to move my daughter from her baby room into her big girl room. I had some ideas of how I wanted it to look, and Kara took that vision and made it better than I ever envisioned. She is full of creative ideas, has a great eye for colour, and can transform a room on a small budget. I've used HEM Design for other projects since and continue to be amazed by her talents.