Megan Baker Interiors is a residential interior design studio focused on helping its clients build artistic, elegant, and thoughtful dream homes. By curating good and caring client relationships, Megan Baker Interiors is able to create the perfect space to feel at home. We spoke with Megan Baker, Founder and Designer, to learn more about her and her business.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Megan Baker Interiors. We are a residential interior design studio serving new builds and renovations of all scales. We offer design, furniture, and styling services to create spaces ready for living and celebrating!
What made you want to do this work?
In a way, this work chose me and I’ve never considered anything else. It started at home where my mom always prioritized making our house into a home and being proud of where we lived. It’s a message that stuck with me and now I get to share it with my community on a daily basis through really tangible work. Later, as I developed my skills and interests, I knew I felt happiest being creative, but didn’t think of myself as an artist. It’s the equal mix of creative thinking and practical problem solving that really make interior design my perfect form of expression.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
The work that interior designers do can be illusive when you’re not in the industry. With my own studio, I prioritize education about our trade and the value of having a home worth celebrating. Investing in an interior designer is not simply to make a space look good— it’s also about having a space that functions perfectly for your lifestyle and feels uniquely like the people who live in it. Our design process is very collaborative and focuses on making sure clients have all of the information they need to make the best decisions for their homes. When my clients are left with spaces where they are proud to start and end their day and understand what a difference it makes to their life, I know I’ve achieved my mission.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Anybody who wants to love their home, but doesn’t know how to get there! At the studio, many of our clients are busy professionals often with young families, who are excited to have a custom home—likely for the first time. It might be a complete overhaul of an existing home or something we get to start from the ground up. We also do a lot of work with homeowners in the city who are looking for turn-key experiences that include the renovating, furnishing and decorating of condos and apartments. It’s amazing to see the transformations of these standard spaces into truly artful, personal homes that feel as welcoming as something with its own front door.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
Interior design operates as a consulting service, and we charge for that expertise. We work directly with homeowners to design every detail required for their new-build homes, renovations of all scales, and even single-room updates. This design work also includes becoming part of the build team and working alongside the architect, contractor, and sub-trades as an advocate for our clients from the idea phase right through to move-in day.
At Megan Baker Interiors, our process is broken down into a six-phase approach that allows clients to work with us at varying levels of service to support them a little, or a lot with their interior design project of any size.
We also offer virtual consulting for Q&A style support through our website. This works well for anybody who wishes they had a designer friend and needs a boost to help them take on any type of home project with confidence!
For those who love DIY but want to make smart decisions with their budget, I’ve developed my version of e-design with our Interior Finishes Guidebooks. This is a specification document, just like the ones we submit to contractors on all of our projects, filled in with the details to get a designer kitchen. It includes countertop, paint, tile, hardware, and cabinetry finish details with my professional tips for application to your space. There are currently three different styles that suit a range of homes and personal aesthetics, with 3D mock-ups of the materials shown in an actual kitchen. It doesn’t matter what shape or size of kitchen you’re renovating, the Guidebooks are a comprehensive resource to make sure the details are designer approved.
Where in Vancouver can we find your profession?
Vancouver has an amazing design community! You can see the results of our profession in many homes, restaurants, stores, and towers throughout the city. As Megan Baker Interiors is a residentially focused studio, we work on homes in all Vancouver neighbourhoods, and throughout the surrounding suburbs. Currently, I get to spend my days between job sites in Dunbar, Mount Pleasant, Yaletown, and West Vancouver. Our process is very compatible with remote work and current projects even extend to Vancouver Island, Okanagan, Calgary, and Edmonton.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
Answering questions is our job, so as many as possible is always a good idea! As a homeowner taking on a big project, it can be hard to comprehend the level of detail that’s required to achieve dream home results. Asking about the design process and being able to see the structure outlined, will give much-needed insight into how your potential design team plans to handle all of the moving parts of the project. I’ve found the most success working through decisions from a macro to a micro scale to minimize the fatigue that comes with so many choices, and to make sure our clients are really educated and prepared to make decisions in a priority sequence. This is something I walk through in our complimentary discovery calls to eliminate the uncertainty of what embarking on an interior design project can look like. Questions aside, get to know your potential designers a little. Designing your home is a long-term and very personal relationship – the right choice will feel like it.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
I have trouble narrowing down the best part of what we do. There are so many highs throughout the process that give me the boost to stay inspired for many months, even years of working on a project. It has to be the clients that are the best part— I get to know so many amazing people and love seeing them react to a home they love to live in.
The worst part? Having to be the bearer of bad news; permit delays, an out-of-stock tile, discontinued fabrics. I have no control over these things, but always end up being the one who has to deliver the information!
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
That we only pick paint colours! It’s such a detailed profession, and there’s a ton of skill in the industry. Selecting paint is a small task in comparison to putting a whole home together.
What are your social media channels?
We’re on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. You can also find our project portfolio, and learn more about what we do on our website. Don’t forget to check out my blog— The Edit on the website for even more inspiration.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another Vancouver business that you love?
There are so many, but Gild & Co is a really special home decor shop in the City. I find something special for every home there.
