Gillian Gillies, Founder & Principal Designer of Gillian Gillies
Interiors Inc. is an award-winning British Designer who has happily called Toronto, Ontario home since 2002. Her work is featured regularly in shelter magazines both in Canada and in the UK, and she has been named The One to Watch by House & Home
Originally from Edinburgh, Gillian’s tastes, likes and desires grew from being immersed in the beautiful, neo-classical and Georgian architecture that the city is founded on. Symmetry, spatial awareness and grounding are consistent elements in her design schemes along with a happy dose of eclectic playfulness. At heart, she is a lover of texture and all things fabric She believes that there is nothing that a strong cup of tea and a great fabric can’t fix!
Gillian is currently working on her second capsule collection of cashmere and lambswool throws, these are woven in her home country of Scotland, hence the collections name- Gillian Gillies
Heritage Throws. in her free time, Gillian can be found on her Peloton, immersed in a good book, walking her dog Reba, or exploring and traveling with her husband.
Welcome Gillian Gillies Interiors Studio
At Gillian Gillies Interiors, we understand that inspired, creative interior design can be a lifechanging experience for our clients. It’s what we excel at, making life smoother and a little more playful, room by room. We seamlessly blend great taste with over two decades of global industry experience to consistently deliver beautiful homes to our clients across Canada and beyond
We centre our design schemes around a timeless aesthetic, grounded in natural materials, paired with a smattering of vintage and antique finds, balanced with unique pieces made by local artisans. Fabrics and wall coverings cocoon our design schemes and provide an immersive experience for our clients, friends, and families to enjoy for many years to come.
Come On In
Company Philosophy
Our role in your design project is to introduce you to design ideas and concepts that are very much you, even if you didn’t know they existed or were you before we presented them. Sometimes unexpected, yet always thoughtful, considered design selections are carefully made for our clients.
Whether designing a single floor in our client’s city home, renovating a primary residence, designing a forever home, or decorating & furnishing a chalet or cottage, at Gillian Gillies Interiors, we use our time-proven processes to guarantee a smooth journey from project start to finish.
In this sometimes crazy, overloaded life we all now lead, we strive to provide our clients with a calming, cocooning experience. Achieving this requires skill, experience, humility, integrity, a good sense of humour, and a dose of magic!
The Design Journey
Our Process
At Gillian Gillies Interiors, we have a time-tested, seven-step process to ensure that our extensive renovation and new build projects are a streamlined success from project start to project finish. From walls down, from the ground up, to the designing and procurement of comfy sofas in your family room.
WE DO THIS:
TO AVOID THIS:
STEP 1.
Research
The foundation for all the work that will take place during the length of your project. Through meetings and open communication we find out your wishes and loves to ensure that we design in alignment with your end vision and exceed your expectations. It’s during this phase that GGI will learn all about how our clients want to live and flow in their newly renovated or constructed home. All inspiration images, thoughts and ideas are welcomed and reviewed at this time.
STEP
2.
Initial Concept Drawings
This is when we start seeing things come to life! Scaled AutoCAD drawings and floor layouts for all areas in the home are created. Our scaled furniture layouts will further convey the flow from one space to another. Recommendations for cabinetry, interior builtins and other decorative details will also be shown. Preliminary design and colour concepts will be displayed through inspiration images and samples to convey texture and feeling. This step sets the scene for what is to come.
STEP 3.
Design Development
Refining the plan drawings previously presented, designing all of the interior elevations and millwork and sourcing the hard finishes and fixtures that the contractor/ builder will want to procure and install. Viewing all the fixtures and finishes is an exciting point - we are well on our way! At the end of this phase you will see your home’s interior architecture come to life.
STEP 4.
Construction & Tender Package
The drawing package is further developed, all finishes selected in Step 3 are input into a finish schedule and submitted to the contractor for tendering. All hard finishes such as tile, stone, hardwood, plumbing fixtures, millwork, trim and recessed pot lighting is procured by the builder.
STEP 5.
Sourcing Furniture & Soft Furnishings
At this point we source all the furniture and furnishings for your home - from lighting, area carpets, art and window coverings. All the pieces of the puzzle will come together, all will be presented to you along with detailed costings. We oversee all orders, ensuring all goods are tracked and shipped out in an efficient manner.
STEP 6.
Project Management & Site Visits
There are crucial phases in the project that require GGI to meet with key parties on site. Site meetings ensure all is on track and all queries are responded to. We have found room for error decreases a great deal by meeting with key parties on site and completing walk throughs.
STEP 7.
Installation & Project Completion
The moment we’ve all been waiting for. After a thorough cleaning of your home all soft furnishings are delivered and installedeverything from your new area carpets to that stylish powder room soap pump, no detail is missed. Any deficiencies are documented and addressed swiftly.
Our design process, industry knowledge and attention to detail ensure our client projects are a resounding success.
Creating Sanctuaries
Where We Work
Edinburg
London
Accolades
The Insider Scoop
“Gillian is a delight to work with, she is responsive, understanding, and has tremendous skill.”
“A renovation, particularly a large one, is a very serious undertaking. We are both busy people who are not always easily available. We knew we needed someone at the helm that we could trust to run the project and make the right decisions when required. We knew from that first meeting that Gillian was the perfect fit for us In fairness, our dog loved her right away, and that was definitely a plus!”
“Gillian and her team were consummate professionals at every step, presenting design options in a way that made decision-making simple and orchestrating the entire process with success to meet tight timelines The quality of work was top-notch, with every detail covered to ensure a perfect outcome ”
“Gillian is a joy A punctual, methodical, gifted joy! She has transformed our home with light and texture, colour and shape She had created spaces that are peaceful and spaces that are playful ”
“Immediately upon meeting Gillian, I knew I made the right choice Gillian was intuitively able to interpret my aspirations, some that could be articulated and others more as ‘feelings’, into fabulous home designs ”
“Our basement is truly spectacular now so much so that I am still sometimes surprised (happily) that it is in our house! She is a delight to work with and we could not have done this without her (both from a design and logistics perspective) We are already looking forward to our next big project with Gillian the kitchen ”
