Chrissy Cottrell

PRINCIPAL DESIGNER & OWNER CURATED HOME BY CHRISSY & CO

Nestled in Vancouver’s Armoury design district, Chrissy Cottrell is of Vancouver’s top interior designers. Established 11 years ago, Curated Home By Chrissy & Co believe beautiful interior design is about creating a visual autobiography of their clients. It’s about creating spaces that reflect the individuality of each person we work while still capturing the collective personality of the family unit.

What led you to this career path? Having grown up in the industry (my father was a contractor and my Grandparents had a design/build firm), I rebelled against the family business and decide to pursue a career as art therapist instead. I naively thought it would be a more purposeful line of work. My inner philanthropist and humanitarian spirit wanted to help people heal but after nearly four years towards a PHD in art psychology, I was exhausted with the endless hours on Freudian theories. I craved a more creative outlet so, I decided to get an internship at a design firm instead. It wasn’t until I was selfemployed and working as a freelance designer with my first divorced client that I truly realized how incredibly healing design could be. There is a mending of the soul that happens when you create spaces that nurture and inspire a weary heart. Likewise, there is an incredible confidence and joy that people embody when living in a space that echoes who they are and who they wish to become. The truth is, I don’t see myself a designer, I see myself as a lifestyle architect and visual audio biographer who helps people embody their full potential by creating spaces that enable them to live and dream in a bigger way.

Please describe a highlight of your career to date. It would have to be seeing my clients cry tears of joy to later dance the night away with them on the evening of the grand reveal I did for my Canadian wine country dream home. It was a challenging project both technically and circumstantially. Open beam steel construction with a plethora of trade challenges to overcome. My clients terminated the contractor they hired before engaging my services and were close to selling the project half built. In order to keep the vision alive, I came alongside them as a project manager. This project was my baby from blueprint creation through to the build completion and although it’s definitely one of my masterpieces, it’s the relationship I build with my clients and the joy I got to share with them on their big reveal day that is one of my all-time favourite highlights.

How did achieving this make you feel? Elated. Overcoming challenges on my clients behalf so they can live their best life and walking with them across the finish line is such a feeling of accomplishment. My team and I slaved the last few nights away to ensure we made the deadline for when they returned from their vacation to see their dream home complete.

Where and how do you find support? Over the years I’ve curated a small but incredible team. They keep me inspired to keep striving and dreaming outside of my comfort zone. I want to see them flourish which means I have to continue to flourish and grow. I also have an incredible partner who reminds me to take a minute every now and again to appreciate how far I’ve come. He keeps me grounded.

Please tell us your aims for the next twelve months and beyond. To continue to follow my bliss, doing what I love which is unveiling the hidden potential in my clients homes so they can unlock their untapped potential. I want to continue to build towards being a an internationally recognized name for the woman who transcended her career from designer, to lifestyle architect. I want to nurture my team and see them blossom and grow. I want to continue to expand my furniture line while growing my artisan list of talent. Most of all, I want to enjoy the journey by allowing it to unfold with grace. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life never turns out quite how you imagined; I truly believe that if you keep an open heart, no matter the circumstances, it’s often more beautiful than you dreamed.