Beyond Measure Design Inc.

Congratulations to all the finalists of this years Housing Excellence Awards! I’m so proud to say I’ve had the continued pleasure of collaborating with Bella Vista Developments, Maison Design + Build and Touchstone Development Corp. Read all about it

Life of the female entrepreneur Does this sound at all familiar? You are a hardworking woman who is hardwired to look ahead, anticipating the needs of both your family and work. You are the defacto source of all knowledge. This pandemic has you on the edge of burnout because daily you: ... manage the household do the bulk of the grocery shopping are in charge of most meal planning and prep cleaning the house or begging family to help clean the house assisting with homework or homeschooling keeping mental health in check for yourself and everyone around you Now add... attempting to work from home virtually while miraculously being as productive as in the office managing finances and cash flow projections creating and executing marketing plans navigating the changing covid landscape daily Then add in relationship dynamics such as working with your husband and you are getting close to where many of us are at. This pandemic is frickin hard. I'm not going to say "It will all be ok" because frankly, that approach is NOT helping me. What has helped me is carving out a small amount of physical and mental space. Here's are the 3 things I've done so far. I've turned off social media notifications on my phone and scheduled in time to these apps just once a day. Timelimit so I stop the mindless scrolling. I've set up dedicated times each day to check email(9, noon and 3)and have removed email from my phone completely. HUGE energy suck. I've put my phone away an hour before bed and the one I'm working on most, leaving the phone in the kitchen instead of on my nightstand. Have you tried another approach that worked for you? We are all in this so share and help another sister out. #designingalife #mentalspace #boundariesexpert #womenhelpingwomen #lifeofafemaleentreprenuer See more

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Collaborating with Home Builders & Renovators to create high-end custom homes has become my favourite design niche. Understanding the unique set of values, wants and needs for each project is part of what keeps this work engaging.... I've noticed that no matter the size of the project, there are three consistent values that drive home designs: The individuality of the space. A deep desire for connection. Increased focus on personal well being. Your clients want a customized approach to their home. Their lifestyle needs to be top of mind when creating functional, liveable spaces they can see themselves living in. For clients to function at their utmost best, they need a home that supports them daily. Spaces like gyms, home offices and spa-like bathrooms move from the "want" category into the "need". Rightly so. The end goal - creating their ultimate dream home. What is one unique element you've added to a recent project that added that "Wow" factor? Project: Maison Design + Build #yxehomedesign #customhomedesign #lifestyledesign #customhomebuilder #yxehomebuilder

Here’s one thing you should know about me... Community is a core value for me. Community involvement.... Community building. Community support. My passion for community grew from living in a small town. It was always modelled for me just how important spending time in community was. I’ve been a part of our School Community, a volunteer Soccer Coach but by far the most impactful group is pictured here - BPW Saskatoon. The women I’ve met over the past five years have impacted my personal growth in ways I’ll never be able to put into words. All I can say is this - wrap yourself in communities of support whenever you get the chance. It can be one of the greatest gifts. Photo @joiphoto #bpwsaskatoon #sisterhood #communityvalues #wraparoundcommunity

Creating a Home Design Brief For Home Builders, Renovators or Interior Designers this is a crucial part of the design/built process. A Home Design Brief is the starting point of my creative process. It is the visual touchpoint that I refer to when I'm working my magic weaving the practical (often unseens elements) with the creative elements of the home. ... By taking the time to collect the items below you are instantly showing your clients you are different. You are not average. You are fully committed to creating functional, liveable spaces clients can see themselves living in. Here are a few key elements to include: Property information - real property reports or if in a new neighbourhood, civic address and developer information. The Site is the jumping-off point for designing within context. How does a home fit inside a lot? What is the feeling of the neighbourhood - does this add or detract from that vibe? Examples of spaces clients are really drawn to - I suggest having one central location for all inspiration photos to go. With so many options clients often go down the rabbit hole of IG, Pinterest & Houzz into the wee morning hours pinning until their thumbs can't take anymore. Needs and wants - needs being the essential items(number of bedrooms that suit their lifestyle etc), wants to be the happy bonus additions. Construction elements - these can be some of the boring stuff for clients but still important to the design. Wall heights, floor systems, foundation types, mechanical items etc. Furniture placement and sentimental pieces - a home is made not just by the structure but the elements within. Bringing in those special elements that have sentimental value just elevates the design. Art, furniture, photos it doesn't matter. Make it a part of the design and your clients will be thrilled! By taking these elements we can create a home that will wow. Remember, Home is our personal retreat, our safe haven from the world around us. Something everyone needs more than ever these days. #yxehomedesign #customhomedesign #lifestyledesign #customhomebuilder #yxehomebuilder See more

I geek out on processes. Over the past 20+ years, I've modified my residential design process in order to support Home Builders, Renovators and Interior Designers in accomplishing incredible outcomes. You want to spend your time efficiently. Your daily "to do" list grows by the minute and wasting time does nothing for your bottom line. ... Here is my 5 steps process that will save you time: Step 1: Initial Design Consult (IDC) This is a 90-minute session where we discuss the needs of your projects and I walk you through creating a Home Design Brief to get a clear picture of what the scope of our work together will be. Step 2: Design Development (DD) During Design Development I complete the site plan, floor plan(s), elevations(yes, all of them - not just the front) and a full 3D model that you can view yourself or walkthrough with your clients. Often a few alignments are needed to get it just right but the turnaround time is kept short to keep the clients engaged. Step 3: Integrated Design Set (IDS) Collaboration is key at this phase. This stage includes working through all the hidden systems(truss design, mechanical considerations, utility services etc) to find any interferences. This stage is critical to have no surprises during the tender process. Step 4: Working Drawings (WD) You are ready to put shovels in the ground(like, as in last week). This stage happens pretty fluidly as we have worked through all co-ordination already in the previous stage and can now put the foot on the gas. Step 5: Final Construction Drawings (IFC) Once Working Drawings are completed they are passed on for Engineer review. Any final modifications, backdrafts from the tender process or client revisions are made and the final product produced is Issued for Construction(IFC). From start to finish my job is to support Home Builders, Renovators and Interior Designers in creating designs that wow clients. You want someone you can trust to take care of the details so you can focus your time on attracting more clients. Reach out, I'm here to help. #yxehomedesign #customhomedesign #lifestyledesign #customhomebuilder #yxehomebuilder

Networking is a key component in any business development. I know I’ve certainly struggled with how to navigate this during a pandemic. Boost Strategic Coaching has a solution - weekly zoom networking event. Check out the link . I’m excited to hear from the broad range of guest speakers as well. Linda Yip, Tammy Zdunich, Jolene Watson, Katrina German just to name a few.

Looking for a great way to start the New Year? Join me on Tuesday Jan 19th for a impactful lunch and learn with Verolingo Communications. Click on the link below for tickets.

Have you heard of the term "mental load" before? Here is a short excerpt from "That Stress You Feel? It’s A ‘Mental Load’ Of Invisible Work That Needs Talking About" by Leah Ryder about the definition. "The mental load is the total sum of responsibilities that you take on to manage the remembering of things. It has to do with emotional labour, defined by Arlie Hochschild in the 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, as the process of managing emo...tions and relationships with others in order to be more successful at your job." The mental load of this year has got me closer to burnout than I care to be. It's time to make the invisible mental load many women are carrying visible. I've been feeling extreme agitation and restlessness followed by a severe lack of both comprehension (pandemic mind fog) and a lack of desire to stay focused. I recognize all of these as a warning sign that I need to step away. Before you jump to any conclusions about the above statement, I should clarify a couple of items. My mental load is NOT the fault of anyone else. This is NOT about blame or judgement, it's about how women need to recognize their warning signs and not feel judgement or guilt about taking the time they need. Mental health is a serious concern and I for one, am not taking it lightly.

House vs Home I've always approached the process of designing a house differently than designing a home. Let me explain. ... I use the term "house" to describe projects where you are designing for a future buyer, often referred to as production or spec houses. This approach is centred around the design decisions being made by the Builder vs the final homeowner. If done thoughtfully, it can produce a home that ticks a lot of boxes for prospective buyers. The downside, it likely won’t fit everyone to an exact T. When I design a "home" I'm referring to the custom, one of a kind projects. This approach is based on behaviour to create functional, liveable spaces that clients see themselves living in. It is a much more collaborative process where you need a trusted designer to guide the process. Homes are complex places where we do such a wide array of tasks daily. During my Initial Design Consults(IDC) I always begin by exploring these questions: What elements about your current home do you love? What elements about your current home annoy you? What does your daily routine consist of for each family member? What spaces do you spend time every day? What spaces have become the catch-all or dumping ground? What activities are most important for each family member and why? Notice how these questions don’t mention square footage? If you want designs that wow clients and show a commitment to building their dream home, square footage is a secondary concern after the functionality is determined. #yxehomedesign #customhomedesign #lifestyledesign #customhomebuilder #yxehomebuilder

The team at Touchstone Development Corp. has fine tuned this plan to perfection! Check it out.

Want to see what collaborative design can do for you? Check out our latest project with Bella Vista Developments featured in this season's issue of Saskatoon HOME Magazine. Every home has a story and this one is certainly one worth reading. Click on the link

Are you searching for a great neighbour hood to build your next home in? Check out this opportunity from Bella Vista Developments.

I'm ready to work but I guess my email isn't We are working on the issue but emails may be delayed today. Thank you in advance for your patience.

Community is something I work to create in all areas of life. Here is a little reflection from this past week... "It’s been since early February that the four of us have been together. Our last outing was one filled with joyful celebration, poignant aha moments and those deep, rich conversations that fill you to the brim with gratitude for the connection we have with each other."... You can continue with the link below. https://www.beyondmeasuredesign.ca/uncat/when-women-gather/