Discovering her passion for design over four years ago, Toronto based designer, Michelle Berwick, decided to leave her corporate career to pursue one that aptly suited her abilities and desire. With a drive to succeed and a plan; two important elements of success that Michelle stresses immensely, she started her own company - Michelle Berwick Design – and has been flourishing ever since.
The Design Community
“Warm and accepting,” is how Michelle describes the design community. She has found that the relationships she has within the industry are extremely important. Designers, hardware suppliers, cabinet makers, architects, contractors, and tradespeople must be loyal to one another. Loyalty helps to develop a level of trust and minimize waste of both time and resources. Additionally and most importantly, it maximizes customer satisfaction – another extremely important element.
When it comes to a new home build or renovation, design is only one aspect. However, to a homeowner it is arguably the most relevant. While all pieces of the puzzle are important, nothing is as crucial as the overall aesthetic. Layout, finishes, and the feeling achieved as they enter each room is the most significant aspect to a homeowner.
The Creative Process
Making the entire process easier for the uncreative, or design-inept homeowner is Michelle’s job. She thrives on creating beautiful designs by taking every aspect of a room, and the activities that will take place therein, into consideration. She then creates, a gorgeous look with a functional flow throughout the space in order to maximize its potential.
“My favourite part of the job on [the] whole is getting to transform spaces for families - changing the way they live and feel,” says Michelle. The essence of her work is customizing a living space for her clients. Customization is another key to Michelle’s success. She uses trends for inspiration merely to improve a design rather than allow it to dominate her creations. She states, “I’m definitely not the type of gal that you hire to just replicate another design. I always want to be innovative and try new things, new colours and finishes. I try to be a trailblazer rather than following a certain trend.” Something she feels can be of great benefit to anyone working in design.
Michelle understands that every homeowner is different and offers some words of wisdom that she applies to every project, “Enter with a plan, pick pieces that you love, and don’t be afraid of colour.” These guidelines, among the aforementioned, have helped propel Michelle’s career. One that she jumps out of bed to do each morning.
