People Primer: Debbie

PEOPLE PRIMER: DEBBIE

Meet another member of the talented Barrydowne Team!

Homeowners, take heart. Debbie knows exactly what you’re going through in making tough design decisions – because she’s been redoing her own home recently.

“My favourite spaces to decorate were the living room and kitchen because that’s where my family spends the most quality time,” says Debbie, a member of the Barrydowne team since 2016. “I’ve purposely saved the master bedroom for last because I want to put the most thought into it. It’s our space to get away and at the end of the day, we want a nice, calming space to unwind.”

For her home improvement purchases, Debbie chooses to shop close to home.

“Our kitchen and vanities came from a family-owned business, and my paint and window treatments all came from Barrydowne Paint – another local, family-owned business.”

Debbie says that being in the midst of her own home renovations has probably made her a better decorator.

“It’s really great to have that connection with people when they come in. I love helping people, listening to their needs and being part of making their house a home.”

A SPLATTER OF CHATTER

My first DIY project was:Painting my daughter’s bedroom set with FAT Paint, a chalk paint that works great for a distressed finish. I tinted our bondable primer STIX aqua blue, then used Raven and Chalk White FAT Paint in certain areas. I sanded through the layers of colour to achieve the look we wanted, then completed it with Finitec varnish in matte finish.

One colour I’d love to work with more is…:Revere Pewter HC-172 from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection. Depending on the light, or even what pieces are placed nearby, it might play up more beige or appear on the grey side.

My design super-power is:I am known for my expertise in colour consulting as well as choosing window treatments, but some of my clients might say my super-power is determination, just because I will not stop until I track down all the information they need to make design choices.

Home decor pet peeve:Wall-to-wall carpet in a room covered in wallpaper. I just cannot… nope, that should not happen.

Must-see TV about home design:Holmes on HomesorLove It or List It Vancouver.

Style icon: Sudbury’s own Terry Vendetti makes amazing colour choices and is not afraid to make bold statements with his creative decorating ideas. I’ve had quite a few clients tell me that Terry has done awesome work in their homes. And he’s such a pleasant person to know.

I admit, my design quirk is… Accent walls. In my house, most of the rooms have a single-coloured accent wall. My daughter’s bedroom has a wallpapered accent wall, which looks great but was definitely not my favourite to install.

Freshest colour to work with:I love deep, dark colours like Pomegranate AF-295. In fact, it’s the colour of the accent wall in my living room.

A colour rule that was made to be broken:There’s an old saying that “blue and green should never be seen without a colour in between,” but if you find the right shades of blue and green, they can actually look amazing together.