Designfase

04/10/2025

...and just like that, she's married, and I have a third son! It was such an amazing event, so much love and happiness with my growing family, friends et all!

Such an exciting time!!!!

04/10/2025

All is right in my world right now:-)

11/02/2024

A few fall Montreal scenes in and around Mille End! As always. Merci:-)

10/11/2024

Mother nature put on quite a show in our backyard!

10/11/2020

Same Thanksgiving tradition, less chefs, amazing food, lots of laughs and lots of love. Only two things missing and Mark. Davis and Carter on pumpkin soup and steak tartare, Amanda and Émilie on stuffed acorn squash and homemade ravioli, finally Mumzie on duck confit with balsamic glaze.

06/30/2020

Taking a little break from my break at the cottage to do a little rug shopping with Cynthia and Kimmie in Montreal. Going home with these two stunning overdyed rugs!!! Be bold,use colour !

@ Marché Atwater

06/05/2020

A sneaky peak at our mid century modern revival project! More pics to come.

A big thanks to .realty for finding us the property and for making the vision a reality and taking down all the walls I wanted and making them into windows!

Welcome home for some lucky Ottawa buyer.
@ Alta Vista, Ottawa

04/11/2020

Finding inspiration from the local architecture for a cottage new build in Perth. Looking forward to the challenge of blending the old with the new as my clients have diverse taste!

@ Perth, Ontario

03/21/2020

Interesting read:

Very interesting article from PBS to explain coronavirus.

NOW this is easy to understand!

Feeling confused as to why Coronavirus is a bigger deal than Seasonal flu? Here it is in a nutshell. I hope this helps. Feel free to share this to others who don’t understand...

It has to do with RNA sequencing.... I.e. genetics.
Seasonal flu is an “all human virus”. The DNA/RNA chains that make up the virus are recognized by the human immune system. This means that your body has some immunity to it before it comes around each year... you get immunity two ways...through exposure to a virus, or by getting a flu shot.

Novel viruses, come from animals.... the WHO tracks novel viruses in animals, (sometimes for years watching for mutations). Usually these viruses only transfer from animal to animal (pigs in the case of H1N1) (birds in the case of the Spanish flu). But once, one of these animal viruses mutates, and starts to transfer from animals to humans... then it’s a problem, Why? Because we have no natural or acquired immunity.. the RNA sequencing of the genes inside the virus isn’t human, and the human immune system doesn’t recognize it so, we can’t fight it off.

Now.... sometimes, the mutation only allows transfer from animal to human, for years it’s only transmission is from an infected animal to a human before it finally mutates so that it can now transfer human to human... once that happens..we have a new contagion phase. And depending on the fashion of this new mutation, thats what decides how contagious, or how deadly it’s gonna be.

H1N1 was deadly....but it did not mutate in a way that was as deadly as the Spanish flu. It’s RNA was slower to mutate and it attacked its host differently, too.

Fast forward....
Now, here comes this Coronavirus...it existed in animals only, for nobody knows how long...but one day, at an animal market, in Wuhan China, in December 2019, it mutated and made the jump from animal to people. At first, only animals could give it to a person... But here is the scary part.... in just TWO WEEKS it mutated again and gained the ability to jump from human to human.

Scientists call this quick ability, “slippery”.

This Coronavirus, not being in any form a “human” virus (whereas we would all have some natural or acquired immunity). Took off like a rocket. And this was because, Humans have no known immunity...doctors have no known medicines for it.
And it just so happens that this particular mutated animal virus, changed itself in such a way that it causes great damage to human lungs.

That’s why Coronavirus is different from seasonal flu, or H1N1 or any other type of influenza.... this one is slippery. And it’s a lung eater...And, it’s already mutated AGAIN, so that we now have two strains to deal with, strain s, and strain L....which makes it twice as hard to develop a vaccine.

We really have no tools in our shed, with this. History has shown that fast and immediate closings of public places has helped in the past pandemics. Philadelphia and Baltimore were reluctant to close events in 1918 and they were the hardest hit in the US during the Spanish Flu.
Factoid: Henry VIII stayed in his room and allowed no one near him, till the Black Plague passed...(honestly...I understand him so much better now). Just like us, he had no tools in his shed, except social isolation.

And let me end by saying....right now it’s hitting older folks harder... but this genome is so slippery...if it mutates again (and it will). Who is to say, what it will do next.

Be smart folks... acting like you’re unafraid is so not sexy right now!

Stay home folks... and share this to those that just are not catching on..

02/23/2020

SOLD!!!

Well it looks like someone else is going to be cooking in this fabulous kitchen. A huge welcome to the new home owners, it’s a fabulous house with fantastic neighbours! A sad farewell to Manor Park, an incredible 15 years. Thank you .realty for making this happen!
@ Manor Park, Ottawa

02/13/2020

Coming soon...8 Merriman Ave, FOR SALE!!!!

A bitter sweet farewell to this lovely home in Manor Park. Completely redesigned and renovated by our team at DesignFase, it's time to let a new family enjoy it! For more details go to www.8merriman.com

02/13/2020

A bitter sweet farewell to this lovely home in Manor Park. Completely redesigned and renovated by our team at DesignFase, it's time to let a new family enjoy it! For more details go to www.8merriman.com