{So Canadian, eh? : Desire to Decorate}

I am thrilled to feature another amazing

Bienvenue....

Wendy from Desire to Decorate, 

I have been following Wendy's blog for quite a while, always enjoying her round-up of awe-inspirating photos. She has an amazing talent for putting together posts that deal with various aspects of design, along with photos that have that "wow" factor.

Her posts are always so well put together and I love her Sarah 101 recaps!

She truly has an eye for design with her finger on the pulse of the latest and greatest in the design world.

Here are some photos she compiled for one of her recent posts on the subject of decorating with red {one of my favourite colours!}

{Wendy has given us a sneak peak into a home Sarah Richardson designed for Sarah's House}

{all images via Desire To Decorate}

1.  Tell us a bit about yourself?  Your education background, is it in art or design? 

Ha! My educational background is in neither. My first career was in Human Resources however, today, I’m the Marketing Manager for a privately owned business solutions software company. That said, I’ve been an interior design enthusiast for years and while I was on my second maternity leave, I started to get more involved in the decor world; read design books, read design blogs, took a course and started a blog (not in the that order!).

2. What inspires you and your blog? Why did you start a blog?

I started my blog as a way to journal all the things I love about design and share the adventures out tackling our own house projects. For years, I kept file folders filled with tear sheets of beautiful spaces and I wanted to do more with them.

3. What is the goal of your blog? What are your hopes and dreams for your blog and where it may lead?

I hope to inspire my readers in some way by offering a collection of beautiful spaces crossing a variety a design topics or styles. Our homes are where memories are made, so I think it’s important we complete our homes with beautiful things we appreciate and add to the great memories. I also believe that not everything has to have a big price tag so I love spaces that blend high and low price points and mix in a DIY project or two.

When starting my blog I had no expectations around it or where it may lead. Today, I’m thrilled to have readers and I’m thrilled to have been mentioned in Canadian House & Home’s “More Great Canadian Design Blogs” recently. I love that I get interior decorating project inquires continuously and I love helping people bring a little pretty into their home.

4. What have you enjoyed about blogging, what has surprised you along the way?

I’ve enjoyed meeting new people, making new friends and I love being a part of the design blogging community. It’s amazing how the blogging community has just taken off over the last year. I think design blogs are becoming a go-to source for design inspiration as are the design online magazines. It’s interesting to be considered media.

5. If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?

I would like to meet with a small handful of interior designers like Sarah Richardson (I was out with the flu for the bloggers Q & A session with her & Tommy back in December), Colleen McGill from McGill Design Group and Candice Olson. But more than that, I would love to shadow any one of these talented deign ladies for a day just to get a glimpse of their work world.

6. Is there anything, an accomplishment, project or event that you are most proud of?

I’m happy and thankful that I have a successful career and that there have been many accomplishments along the way. I’m happy and thankful that my blog is being well received and I still love sourcing and writing it. Above all, I’m happy and thankful for my awesome husband Blair (who encouraged me to start a blog) and my two boys, Liam and Evan. They make me smile and laugh daily.

7. Do you feel that Canadians have a unique sense of style, a unique way we approach the decorating of our homes?

I think Canadians look at a number of things when decorating their homes; like where they live in Canada may influence the colours and decor they love… but I really don’t know. I wish there was more focus and features on good interior design in Canadian homes.

9. How do you balance blogging, your family and your work? Any tips for us women out there?

It’s definitely challenging and while I’m not even sure that I have it balanced just yet, my guidelines are; family, work then blogging. Right now my boys are young so they’re in bed early which gives me evenings to source info, pull together posts and do my blog round. The balancing act is usually between evenings with my husband and my blog and/or decorating projects so with that, I limit my posts to 3 times a week and I don’t even look at my computer over the weekend – well, at least not until late Sunday when I prep for Monday’s post! As for advice to other bloggers, find the balance that works for you and makes you happy. Happy living!

 Wendy, thanks for giving us a peek into you life and mind!

I am looking forward to reading more of your inspirational posts and hope you get to meet Sarah soon {as I hope to as well!}

XO Barbara

**Yesterday I attended the Home and Garden Show here in Vancouver and got to hear and meet a dynamic design duo, come back tomorrow to find out who!