life.style.etc. LIANNA ARMSTRONG, OWNER/PRINCIPAL DESIGNER AT EVOLVE DESIGNS WORDS + PHOTOGRAPHY LIA CROWE
Born and raised in Nanaimo, Lianna watched her dad build their family home as a child. It left a lasting impression and planted the seed of a dream to become an interior designer. “I moved away from the island at 18 to pursue my dreams. This took me first to Vancouver to finish high school (I was a grade-8 dropout) and then to Toronto, where I attended college for interior design. I came home with big dreams, but it was hard to find work in a firm, so I ended up in cabinet sales and design. When the recession hit in 2008, I thought it would be a good time to start my own design firm, and Evolve Designs was born. I’ve had lots of trials and errors, but it has all led to me to right here, where I know I should be.” Asked what aspect of her work fires her up, she says, “I am a creative problem-solver and 99 per cent of interior design is just that. I love helping clients develop a more functional and aesthetically pleasing space.” And what qualities have led to her success? “I truly live by the mantra to evolve. Personal development is so important. Read books, listen to podcasts, go to counseling, lift heavy weights, meditate and be at peace with your past.” Outside of work, Lianna loves being outdoors; hiking, paddleboarding, walking on local beaches and, more recently, mountain biking. And what is the best life lesson she has recently learned? “Life is short and we all need to love more. I lost my dad three years ago and it really shook me. There were some dark times, but I was surrounded by the love of friends and it really helped me through.” Asked to describe her personal design aesthetic, Lianna says she appreciates all design styles: “With my own home, I find I lean towards a more contemporary style, but I love to mix things up. Humans are collectors and we need to display the things that make us unique.” When it comes to style, Lianna loves the daring of fashion icon Iris Apfel and the elegant simplicity of legend Karl Lagerfeld, but for her, it’s about whatever you feel most comfortable in. “When you are confident in your own skin, everything else is just an accessory.”
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boulevardmagazines.com |
WINTER 2020
