oak-and-ivory

What a Certified Interior Designer Actually Does on a Renovation (And Why It Matters in Kelowna)

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:55:55 GMT

A lot of people think hiring an interior designer means someone comes in, picks paint colours, and hands you a mood board. That is how the industry has been portrayed on TV for years. But when you are doing a full renovation in Kelowna, a certified interior designer does a lot more than that, and understanding the difference can save you tens of thousands of dollars and a serious amount of stress.

I am Danielle, the owner of Oak and Ivory Building Co., and I have spent years working in furniture, staging, and renovation design across the Okanagan. Before I started my own company, I was the lead designer at a renovation firm where I ran projects from the first client meeting all the way through to the final walkthrough. I want to walk you through what that actually looks like, because most homeowners have no idea what they are paying for when they hire a designer, and they should.

The Design Phase: More Than a Pretty Mood Board

Yes, a certified interior designer creates mood boards and selects finishes. But the design phase is really about solving problems before construction starts. That means looking at your floor plan and identifying where the traffic flow breaks down, where natural light is being blocked, and where a wall could come out to open up a space without touching structural elements.

It also means drafting. When I take on a renovation project, I produce detailed drawings that the trades can actually work from. That is not something every designer does, but it is something every renovation needs. Without proper drawings, contractors are guessing, and guessing costs money.

Finish selection is another piece that people underestimate. Choosing a tile is not just about what looks good. It is about whether that tile can handle the moisture in your specific bathroom, whether the grout joint size works with the format, and whether the lead time on that product fits your construction schedule. Getting that wrong means delays or expensive substitutions mid-project.

Quoting and Scheduling Trades

This is where a designer who has renovation experience becomes genuinely valuable. I coordinate with plumbers, electricians, tile setters, cabinet makers, and painters. I know the order things need to happen in. I know which trades need to be booked six weeks out and which ones can be called in on shorter notice.

When you hire a contractor without a designer, the contractor manages the trades. That works fine for straightforward projects. But on a renovation that involves design decisions, having a designer in the room when the trades are being briefed means fewer change orders, fewer misunderstandings, and fewer surprises on your invoice.

Material Ordering and Compliance

I order materials. I track lead times. I make sure the cabinets arrive before the countertop template appointment, not after. I also make sure everything we specify meets BC Building Code requirements. That last part matters more than people realize. A beautiful renovation that does not pass inspection is a renovation you have to redo.

In Kelowna, the City has specific requirements around things like bathroom ventilation, egress windows in basement bedrooms, and electrical panel upgrades when you are adding square footage. A designer who has worked through the permit process here knows what to expect and how to plan around it.

Project Management from Concept to Completion

The thing that sets a full-service designer apart from a decorator is project management. I am on site. I am answering calls from the tile setter when the layout does not match the drawing. I am at the cabinet delivery to make sure nothing is damaged. I am the person who catches the problem before it becomes your problem.

At Oak and Ivory Building Co., I use a cost-plus budget model. That means you see every invoice, every material cost, and every trade payment as it happens. There are no hidden markups and no surprise bills at the end. You know exactly where your money is going at every stage of the project.

Why It Matters in Kelowna Specifically

The Okanagan renovation market has grown a lot in the last few years. There are more contractors working here than ever, and not all of them have the same standards. Hiring a certified interior designer who also manages the project gives you an independent set of eyes on the work. I am not a contractor. I am not trying to protect a trade relationship at your expense. My job is to make sure your home looks and functions exactly the way you envisioned it.

If you are planning a renovation in Kelowna, West Kelowna, or anywhere in the Okanagan Valley and you want to understand what working with a designer actually looks like from start to finish, reach out through the Oak and Ivory website and we can talk through your project.

Danielle Ursulan is a certified interior designer and the owner of Oak and Ivory Building Co. in Kelowna, BC.

She specializes in full-service renovation design and project management across the Okanagan Valley.

Cost-Plus Budgeting for Kelowna Renovations: What It Is and Why I Use It

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:26:15 GMT

One of the first questions I get from new clients is some version of: "How do I know I am not going to get hit with a huge bill at the end?" It is a fair question. Renovations have a reputation for going over budget, and in a lot of cases that reputation is earned. But it does not have to be that way, and the reason I use a cost-plus budget model at Oak and Ivory Building Co. is specifically to make sure my clients never feel like they are in the dark about where their money is going.

Let me explain what cost-plus actually means, how it works in practice, and why I think it is the most honest way to run a renovation.

What Is a Cost-Plus Budget?

In a cost-plus model, you pay the actual cost of materials and labour, plus a clearly defined management fee. That is it. There are no hidden markups on materials. There are no inflated trade quotes that benefit the designer or contractor at your expense. Every invoice from every supplier and every trade gets passed through to you at cost, and you can see it all.

Compare that to a fixed-price or lump-sum contract, where the contractor builds their margin into the quote and you never actually know what the tile cost versus what you were charged for it. Fixed-price contracts are not inherently dishonest, but they do create a situation where the contractor has an incentive to use cheaper materials or cut corners to protect their margin when costs run higher than expected.

How It Works on a Real Renovation

When I take on a project, I put together a detailed budget at the start based on your design, your finish selections, and the scope of work. That budget is broken down line by line: cabinets, countertops, tile, plumbing fixtures, electrical, flooring, painting, and so on. You can see exactly what we are planning to spend in each category before we start.

As the project moves forward, I track every cost against that budget in real time. If a material comes in over budget, you know immediately and we can make a decision together about whether to adjust the spec or find an alternative. If we come in under budget in one area, that money stays with you. It does not disappear into a contractor's pocket.

I send regular budget updates throughout the project so you always know where things stand. There are no surprises at the end because there are no hidden numbers along the way.

Why Transparency Matters More in Kelowna Right Now

The Okanagan renovation market has been busy. Material costs have fluctuated significantly over the last few years, and lead times on things like cabinets and windows have been unpredictable. In that kind of environment, a fixed-price quote from a contractor is really just a best guess with a buffer built in to protect them, not you.

With cost-plus, the budget reflects reality. If lumber prices go up, you see that. If we find a better deal on tile, you benefit from that. The model is built on the assumption that you are a grown adult who can handle real numbers, and that transparency builds more trust than a polished quote that hides all the math.

What the Management Fee Covers

The management fee in a cost-plus model covers my time as your designer and project manager. That includes design work, drawings, finish selections, trade coordination, site visits, material ordering, permit support, and all the communication that happens throughout the project. It is a flat percentage of the total project cost, agreed on upfront, so you know exactly what you are paying for my services before we start.

This is different from an hourly design fee, which can be hard to predict. You know my fee from day one, and it does not change based on how many times I visit the site or how many emails I send.

Is Cost-Plus Right for Every Project?

Honestly, it works best for mid to large-scale renovations where there are a lot of moving parts and a lot of finish decisions to make. For a small cosmetic update where the scope is very defined, a fixed-price quote from a contractor might be perfectly fine.

But if you are doing a kitchen renovation, a bathroom gut, a whole-floor remodel, or anything that involves design decisions, trades coordination, and custom materials, cost-plus gives you the clearest picture of what you are actually spending and why.

If you want to talk through your project and understand what a realistic budget looks like, reach out through the Oak and Ivory website. I am always happy to have an honest conversation about numbers before we get started.

Okanagan Interior Design Trends I Am Actually Seeing in Kelowna Homes Right Now

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 19:32:39 GMT

Every year there are about a thousand articles telling you what is trending in interior design. Most of them are written by people who have never set foot in a Kelowna home. They are pulling from European trade shows and Manhattan showrooms, and while some of that trickles down to the Okanagan eventually, a lot of it does not.

I am going to tell you what I am actually seeing in the projects I work on here. Real homes, real clients, real renovation decisions being made in Kelowna and the surrounding Okanagan Valley. Some of it lines up with the broader trends. Some of it is specific to how people live here.

Warm Tones Are Replacing the All-White Kitchen

The all-white kitchen had a good run. For about a decade it was the safe, sellable, universally appealing choice. But I am seeing a real shift toward warmth right now, and it makes sense for this region. We live in a landscape of warm ochres, sage greens, and golden light. White kitchens never really felt like they belonged here.

What I am seeing instead is a lot of warm white oak cabinetry, greige and warm beige tones, and painted cabinets in deep, earthy colours like warm sage, olive, and dusty terracotta. Countertops are moving toward warm-veined quartzite and leathered granite rather than the stark white Calacatta marble that dominated the last few years.

This is not a dramatic departure. It is more of a softening. The bones of the modern kitchen are still there, but the palette has shifted toward something that feels more connected to the landscape outside the window.

Natural Stone Is Having a Real Moment

Not just on countertops. I am seeing natural stone used on fireplace surrounds, feature walls, bathroom floors, and even kitchen backsplashes. Clients who would have chosen a porcelain tile a few years ago are now asking about real stone, and the options available through local suppliers have expanded a lot.

Soapstone is one I am specifying more often. It is beautiful, it ages gracefully, and it has a warmth that no engineered product can replicate. Limestone and travertine are also coming back in a big way, particularly in bathrooms where clients want that spa-like, organic feel.

The key with natural stone in the Okanagan is sealing and maintenance. I always have that conversation upfront so clients know what they are committing to. A stone that requires annual sealing is still worth it for a lot of people, but you want to go in with your eyes open.

Functional Mudrooms and Entryways

This one is not glamorous, but it is one of the most requested spaces I work on right now. Kelowna is an outdoor lifestyle city. People are coming in from hiking, biking, skiing, and the lake, and they need somewhere to land. A proper mudroom with built-in storage, bench seating, hooks at the right height, and somewhere to drop wet gear is genuinely life-changing for a family.

I am designing a lot of these as part of larger renovation projects, and the clients who invest in a well-designed entryway are always the happiest at the end. It is a space that gets used every single day, and when it works well, it changes how the whole house feels.

Open Concept Is Evolving

Full open concept, where the kitchen, dining, and living room are one completely unbroken space, is starting to feel dated. What I am seeing now is a more nuanced approach. Clients still want connection between the main living areas, but they also want some definition. A partial wall, a change in ceiling height, a kitchen island that acts as a visual boundary without closing the space off.

This is partly a practical shift. During the years when everyone was working from home, people realized that a completely open floor plan means noise travels everywhere and there is nowhere to have a private conversation. The pendulum is swinging back toward spaces that have some separation without going back to the closed-off floor plans of the 1980s.

Lighting as a Design Element

This is something I have been talking to clients about for years, and it is finally landing. Lighting is not just functional. It is one of the most powerful design tools in a renovation, and it is also one of the most commonly underfunded line items in a renovation budget.

In the Okanagan, we have incredible natural light for most of the year. The goal in a well-designed renovation is to maximize that natural light during the day and then create a layered artificial lighting scheme for the evening. That means recessed lighting on dimmers, task lighting under cabinets, pendant lights over islands and dining tables, and accent lighting to highlight architectural features or artwork.

The fixtures themselves have become much more of a statement piece. I am seeing a lot of sculptural pendants, unlacquered brass hardware, and matte black fixtures in spaces that want a more modern edge.

What This Means for Your Renovation

If you are planning a renovation in Kelowna and you want the result to feel current but not trendy, the answer is usually to lean into warm, natural materials and invest in the spaces you use every day. The kitchen, the bathrooms, the entryway. Get those right and the rest of the house follows.

If you want to talk through what these trends might look like in your specific home, I am always happy to do a consultation. Every house is different, and the best design decisions are always the ones that make sense for how you actually live.

How to Prepare for Your First Renovation Consultation in Kelowna

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 19:37:02 GMT

The first consultation is one of my favourite parts of the process. It is where a renovation goes from being a vague idea in someone's head to an actual plan with a direction. But I have noticed over the years that clients who come in prepared get a lot more out of that first meeting than clients who come in cold. So I want to share exactly what I look for and what you can do ahead of time to make that first conversation as useful as possible.

This applies whether you are meeting with me at Oak and Ivory Building Co. or with any designer or renovation professional in Kelowna.

Know Your Why Before You Walk In

The most important thing you can bring to a consultation is clarity about why you want to renovate. Not the what, not the how, but the why. Are you renovating because the kitchen does not function well for how your family cooks? Because the bathrooms feel dated and you are embarrassed to have guests over? Because you are planning to sell in two years and you want to maximize your return?

The why shapes everything. A renovation done to improve daily function looks very different from a renovation done to increase resale value. A designer who understands your motivation can make much better recommendations than one who is just reacting to a list of things you want to change.

Gather Your Inspiration, But Do Not Be Precious About It

Pinterest boards, Instagram saves, magazine clippings, photos of spaces you have loved in hotels or friends' homes. Bring all of it. Do not worry about whether it is cohesive or whether it all goes together. That is my job to sort out. What I am looking for in your inspiration images is the feeling you are drawn to, not a literal shopping list.

When I look at a client's inspiration board, I am asking: Are they drawn to warm tones or cool ones? Do they prefer clean lines or more layered, textured spaces? Do they like contrast or do they prefer a more tonal, quiet palette? Those patterns tell me a lot about what will actually make them happy in the finished space.

Be Honest About Your Budget

I know this is uncomfortable for a lot of people. There is a fear that if you tell a designer your budget, they will spend every dollar of it. But here is the reality: if you come in with a vague idea of "I want to spend somewhere between $30,000 and $100,000," I cannot give you useful advice. Those two numbers represent completely different scopes of work.

A realistic budget conversation at the start of a project saves everyone time and prevents the disappointment of falling in love with a design that turns out to be twice what you wanted to spend. I would rather have an honest conversation about what is achievable at your budget than design something beautiful that you cannot afford to build.

If you genuinely do not know what things cost, that is completely fine. Tell me your number and I will tell you what is realistic for that investment in the current Kelowna market. That is part of what the consultation is for.

Think About How You Actually Live

This is different from how you want to live or how you think you should live. I am talking about your actual daily patterns. Do you cook every night or do you mostly use the kitchen for coffee and reheating? Do you have kids who track in mud and need a landing zone? Do you work from home and need a quiet space? Do you entertain a lot or is your home mostly just for your immediate family?

The best renovations are designed around real life, not an idealized version of it. A beautiful kitchen with a huge island and no pantry storage is going to drive you crazy if you actually cook. A gorgeous open-plan living space is going to feel like a failure if you have three kids and a dog and you need some acoustic separation.

Make a List of What Is Not Working

Before your consultation, walk through your home and write down every single thing that frustrates you about the space. Not what you want to add, but what is currently failing. The drawer that never closes properly. The bathroom where there is nowhere to put anything. The hallway that is so dark it feels like a cave. The kitchen where two people cannot cook at the same time without bumping into each other.

This list is gold. It tells me exactly what problems the renovation needs to solve, and solving real problems is what makes a renovation feel worth every dollar you spent.

What to Expect from the Consultation Itself

When you meet with me, I am going to ask a lot of questions. I am going to want to see the space, take some measurements, and understand the existing conditions. I am going to ask about your timeline, your budget, and your priorities. I am going to ask about the things on your not-working list and try to understand what is driving them.

By the end of the consultation, you should have a clear sense of whether we are a good fit to work together, a rough idea of scope and budget, and a sense of what the process would look like from here. You should not leave feeling confused or pressured.

If you are ready to start that conversation, you can book a consultation through the Oak and Ivory website. I work with clients across Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country, and the broader Okanagan Valley.

Kitchen Renovation in Kelowna: What to Expect and What It Actually Costs in 2026

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 19:41:22 GMT

The kitchen is the most requested renovation in Kelowna, and it is also the one with the widest range of possible outcomes. I have seen kitchens transformed for $25,000 and kitchens transformed for $120,000, and both were the right number for what the client needed. The difference comes down to scope, finish level, and whether you are moving anything structural.

I want to give you a realistic picture of what a kitchen renovation in Kelowna actually involves, what it costs at different levels, and what the process looks like when you work with a designer who manages the project from start to finish.

Why Kitchens Are Different from Other Renovations

A kitchen renovation touches almost every trade. You have cabinetry, countertops, tile, plumbing, electrical, flooring, painting, and often lighting and ventilation work all happening in the same space within a compressed timeline. The coordination required is significant, and the order of operations matters. Cabinets have to be installed before countertop templates are taken.

Countertops have to be templated before the plumber can set the sink. The tile backsplash goes in after the countertops are installed.

When that sequence gets disrupted, which it will if you are managing the trades yourself, you end up with delays that compound on each other. A two-week cabinet delay does not just push the cabinet installation back two weeks. It pushes everything back.

This is one of the main reasons I think having a designer manage a kitchen renovation is worth the investment. I have been through this sequence many times. I know where the pinch points are and how to plan around them.

What Does a Kitchen Renovation Cost in Kelowna in 2026?

Here are real numbers, broken down by scope level.

Entry Level ($25,000 to $40,000): At this level, you are doing a cosmetic renovation. New cabinet doors and hardware on existing boxes, new countertops, new backsplash tile, new fixtures, and a fresh coat of paint. You are not moving walls, not relocating plumbing or electrical, and not changing the layout. This is a refresh, and it can make a dramatic difference in how the kitchen looks and feels. The limitation is that you are working within the existing footprint and the existing infrastructure. If the layout does not function well, a cosmetic renovation will not fix that.
Mid-Range ($45,000 to $75,000): This is where most full kitchen renovations land in Kelowna right now. You are getting new custom or semi-custom cabinetry, stone countertops, a tile backsplash, new appliances, updated plumbing fixtures, and new lighting. You might be opening up a wall to improve the connection to an adjacent space, or adding an island where there was not one before. At this level, you have real choices about finishes and you can get a kitchen that looks and functions significantly better than what you started with.
High End ($80,000 and Up): At this level, you are getting full custom cabinetry, premium stone countertops, high-end appliances, custom lighting, and often some structural work to change the layout in a meaningful way. These kitchens are built to last decades and they are designed with a level of detail that shows. This is not the right investment for every home or every homeowner. But if you are planning to stay in your house for a long time and the kitchen is the heart of how you live, it is worth understanding what is possible at this level.

What the Process Looks Like

When I take on a kitchen renovation at Oak and Ivory Building Co., the process starts with a design consultation where we talk about how you use the space, what is not working, and what you want the finished kitchen to feel like. From there, I produce drawings and a detailed budget so you know exactly what you are committing to before any work starts.

Once the design is approved, I coordinate all the trades and manage the material ordering. I am on site throughout the project and I handle all the communication with the contractors. You do not have to manage anyone. Your job is to make design decisions when I bring them to you and to show up for the final walkthrough.

The timeline for a mid-range kitchen renovation in Kelowna is typically eight to twelve weeks from the start of construction. The design and planning phase before that takes four to six weeks depending on how quickly decisions get made.

The Biggest Mistakes I See on Kitchen Renovations

Underestimating the budget: People come in with a number they have arrived at by looking at a few Instagram posts, and it is often 30 to 40 percent below what the project actually costs. Getting a realistic budget conversation done early prevents a lot of heartbreak.
Ignoring material lead times: Some cabinet lines have a twelve-week lead time right now. If you fall in love with a cabinet that takes three months to arrive and you have not planned for that, your project timeline falls apart.
Managing the trades yourself: I understand the impulse to save money on a project management fee, but the coordination required for a kitchen renovation is genuinely complex. The mistakes that happen when it is not managed well cost more than the fee would have.

If you are thinking about a kitchen renovation in Kelowna and you want a realistic conversation about what it would cost and what the process would look like, reach out through the Oak and Ivory website. I am always happy to talk through the numbers before anything is committed.

Staging vs. Renovation Design: What Is the Difference and Which One Do You Actually Need?

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 19:50:05 GMT

Before I started Oak and Ivory Building Co., I spent six years in furniture and home staging. I have staged homes that were about to go on the market and I have designed renovations for homes that were going to be lived in for another decade. I have done both, and I want to clear up a confusion I see all the time: staging and renovation design are not the same thing, and choosing the wrong one can cost you money.

What Is Home Staging?

Staging is the process of preparing a home for sale by making it look as appealing as possible to the widest range of buyers. It is about presentation, not permanence. A stager brings in furniture, accessories, and art to make empty or tired spaces photograph well and feel welcoming during showings.

Good staging does not require renovation. It requires an understanding of how buyers perceive space, what makes a room feel larger or smaller, and how to neutralize a home's personal quirks so that buyers can imagine themselves living there.

Staging is fast and the results are immediate. You can transform how a home feels in a day or two. But the transformation is temporary. When the home sells, the furniture goes with the stager and the house is back to what it was.

What Is Renovation Design?

Renovation design is about changing the actual bones of a space. New cabinetry, new flooring, new tile, structural changes, lighting upgrades. The result is permanent and it is designed around how the people who live there actually use the space.

A renovation designed well should not need staging. The space should look and feel finished on its own because the design decisions were made with intention, not just for photography.

When Does Staging Make Sense?

Staging makes sense when you are selling and the home is in reasonably good condition but feels dated or empty. If your home has good bones, a functional layout, and finishes that are not actively putting buyers off, staging can absolutely be the right investment before listing.

The return on staging is well documented. A staged home typically sells faster and for more money than an equivalent unstaged home. In the Kelowna market, where competition among listings can be significant, staging is often worth every dollar.

When Does Renovation Make More Sense Before Selling?

This is where it gets more nuanced. Sometimes a renovation before selling makes more sense than staging, and sometimes it does not. The answer depends on the condition of the home, the price point, and what buyers in that segment expect.

If your kitchen is functionally broken, if the bathrooms have not been touched since the 1990s, or if there are obvious deferred maintenance issues that will show up on a home inspection, staging is not going to fix those problems. Buyers will see through the pretty furniture to the outdated tile underneath.

In those cases, a targeted renovation focused on the highest-return areas, typically the kitchen and primary bathroom, can significantly increase your sale price. But it needs to be done strategically. You are not renovating for your own taste at this point. You are renovating for the broadest possible buyer appeal, which means neutral finishes, functional layouts, and nothing too personal or polarizing.

The question is always: will the cost of this renovation be recovered in the sale price, and then some? Sometimes the answer is yes and sometimes the answer is that staging alone will get you there.

When Do You Need Both?

Sometimes the right answer is a targeted renovation followed by staging. You do the kitchen and bathrooms to address the obvious deficiencies, and then you stage the living spaces to make the home feel warm and move-in ready for buyers.

I have done this combination many times and it is often the most effective approach for homes in the mid to upper price range in Kelowna. The renovation addresses the things buyers will notice and negotiate on. The staging addresses the emotional experience of walking through the home.

What If You Are Not Selling?

If you are renovating to stay, staging is irrelevant. What matters is designing a space that works for how you actually live. That means understanding your daily patterns, your storage needs, how you cook, how you entertain, and what makes you feel at home.

This is the work I love most. Designing for real life, not for a listing photo. When a renovation is done well for the people who live in it, the result is a home that feels genuinely different to be in every single day.

If you are trying to figure out whether you need staging, renovation, or some combination of both before selling your Kelowna home, I am happy to have that conversation. And if you are renovating to stay, I would love to hear about your project. Reach out through the Oak and Ivory website to book a consultation.