Trish Johnston, founder of Trish Johnston Interior Design, is a force to be reckoned with in design and home improvement. Her impressive resume speaks volumes about her expertise and passion for creating beautiful spaces. She has worked with Canadian House & Home Magazine, been a Design Expert on CBC’s Steven and Chris co-designed and starred in HGTV’s “House of Bryan–in the Sticks” and “The Island of Bryan” with Sarah Baeumler. She has also been featured in several HGTV shows, including Home to Win, Property Brothers Forever Home, Family Home Overhaul, and Save My Reno.
I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Trish about her love and dedication to her awe-inspiring and timeless designs. Here’s what she had to say:
Canadian Real Estate Housing and Home (CREHH): What’s your background in interior design, and what inspired you to get into your field?
Trish Johnston (TJ): My background in Interior Design started almost 20 years ago when I worked for Canadian House & Home Magazine. Lynda Reeves was my mentor and taught me absolutely everything that I needed to know – together, we designed, built and installed five Princess Margaret Lottery Houses. I left and started my own Design Firm in 2011. I love absolutely everything about all aspects of design, and that love started at a very early age! I was constantly re-doing my bedroom and always moving my parents’ furniture around. I truly feel that your environment and space are a huge part of your happiness. When I design for clients, I really put myself into their shoes – how does their family like to live, what do their kids like (I always interview the kids if I’m designing their rooms), and what brings them joy or peace? I want their finished space to be super functional and give them that great “ah” feeling.
CREHH: Wow! This is so inspiring. What’s one of the projects you’re working on right now in Canada that excites you?
TJ: We are working on a ton of projects in Canada right now, and honestly, they all excite me! Everyone is different, so it’s really fun to be creative and create numerous spaces for various clients that are all unique to them.
CREHH: What trends or changes do you see coming in your industry which you like or don’t like?
TJ: I really don’t pay attention to the trends, to be honest. But if I had to pick one thing – I think that the all-neutral white spaces may be a bit on the decline, and people are embracing more colour and texture – which makes me happy. All white can be beautiful – don’t get me wrong – but I love adding wallpaper, colour, etc., to the homes we design.
CREHH: I noticed that your designs are created with careful attention to detail, such as adding the perfect accents and accessories. How do you find your creative inspiration?
TJ: Creative inspiration comes from a million different places. My creativity comes from my in-depth interviews with my clients – seeing what excites them – and then distilling that into a beautiful, concise design. I am also constantly inspired by other designers – I love seeing them push the envelope or come up with something totally out of the box. Shelter magazines and Instagram are great for that!
CREHH: What is your favourite – or most compelling – example of a Canadian house design?
TJ: I actually don’t think I can name a favourite. There are so many amazing designers in Canada – and the world – who are hitting it out of the ballpark. And it spans all design genres – so daily, I have my jaw on the floor and feel inspired by them.
CREHH: Your projects hit home runs with artistic and aesthetically pleasing designs. How would you describe your design style?
TJ: This is a tough question – I don’t think that I have a personal style that I bring to my client’s table. We are really good at listening to our clients and bringing the design they want and need into their homes. It’s always different because people are so different. We do modern, traditional, transitional – absolutely everything – it’s about the client and what they love.
CREHH: Were there any defining moments in your career?
TJ: My time at House & Home was defining for me. It really established me in the industry and gave me a lot of confidence going forward on my own. I was also a Design Expert on Steven and Chris for four years, which was a great avenue for showing what we could design. And it was super fun, too!
CREHH: That does sound like a lot of fun! What do you find most challenging about your job? And what do you like most?
TJ: The most challenging is always the unknown that comes up in the middle. The things that can delay a build or a reno – the things that are out of our hands– those are very frustrating moments. My favourite part of my job is the very beginning – when anything is possible creatively for what we are designing – and the very end when we see it all come together and have super happy clients.
To learn more about Trish Johnston and her designs, visit Trish Johnston Interior Design.
**C0ver Image courtesy of Trish Johnston Design on Facebook, with thanks.
All photos courtesy of Trish Johnston.
Did you enjoy this interview? You may enjoy these other interviews on Canadian Real Estate, Housing & Home
–> An Interview With HGTV Interior Designer Jane Lockhart
–> An Interview With Joel Tanner Of SMPL Design Studio
–> An Interview With Jeff Forrest, Toronto Designer & Founder Of STACKLAB
–> An Interview With David Grant-Rubash Of Toronto’s PHAEDRUS Studio
–> An Interview With Jamie Wolfond Of Jamie Wolfond Studio
–> An Interview With Interior Designer Jaclyn Harper
–> An Interview With Jay Lim of 25:8 Architects & Urban Design In Ottawa, Ontario
Researched and written by Suzanne Chin-Loy, an experienced writer, storyteller, and communicator who’s passionate about creating inspiring content.
