Serendipity spurs Creativity at Kresswell Design

We were honoured to recently interview Diana Tidswell, of the highly reputed interior design firm, Kresswell Design, based in Edmonton, Alberta.

When you grow up as the daughter of an interior designer, your career may seem predestined. But Diana Tidswell almost walked away from it all, until she found a like-minded partner and a fresh approach.

“I learned a lot from my mother,” said Tidswell, “and in design school, I was already having people call me for paid projects. Then for the first few years, I lived the frantic life of a solo-preneur designer. But honestly, it wasn’t the fun I thought it would be.”

So instead, Tidswell tried employment, working for a busy commercial builder. “And that’s when I discovered that I also couldn’t work as an employee.” She soon found a very creative solution, why not start an interior design and lifestyle blog?

Blogging came easily for Tidswell, and turned into a steady income. It also led her to meet Kristina Eustace, who ran another popular blog with a strong emphasis on renovation and Interior Design. Eustace’s husband was a contractor, and together they had been buying, renovating and flipping homes.

But when Tidswell and Eustace met each other in person at a blogging conference, it felt like serendipity.

It turned out that they had so many things in common that they became fast friends, spurring each other’s creativity and design career direction. Soon, a business partnership was born. Furthermore, their shared talents in blogging gave them a rolling start, since they each already had large online followings.

What Makes Kresswell Distinct: Functionality First

“What got us going was large-scale renovations,” explains Tidswell. “With Kristina’s background in contracting and home-flipping, we look deeper at the functional structure, and can see more possibilities.”

Perhaps it was this approach that gave Tidswell the renewed creative excitement. “Going below the surface kind of removes perceived limitations,” she says.

She goes on to explain, “Since our first decade in business together was almost all large-scale renovations, functionality is deeply ingrained in us. Functionality always comes first.”

A Timeless Partnership

We had to ask, how does Timeless flooring fit into the mix for the Kresswell team? “We’ve been using Timeless flooring since we started Kresswell. I think Kristina may have been using it before that. Timeless has been our most frequent flooring supplier since day one.”

She goes on to explain, “Poor Darcy (in Timeless’ Edmonton Office)! We frequently reach out in a panic. He gets us samples super quick. Kristina and I divvy up the project lead role on different projects, and she or I will inadvertently grab the samples when other partner needs them. Darcy now has given us double samples to use on almost all the floors!”

That said, she also cites the flooring products as a key reason for their frequent use at Kresswell. “We love the range of styles and price points; you choose a look or colour and then Timeless can give you a more charactered grade at a lower price, or an elite, clean look if you need something premium.”

She also explains that Kresswell’s input informs future styles. “Darcy frequently asks about changing trends. Like we mentioned to him about wanting smoky mid-tone woods, and we were so pleased to see these options in the next season’s samples.”

Feature Project: Executive Home with River Valley View

Tidswell proudly recounts a recent project: a spec home collaboration with a DesigntwoGroup (Architects) and Marchand Houston (Builders/Renovators). “The idea was to make the spec home feel intentional, as though it already had buyers who wanted it to have a high-quality, long-term home feel.”

Tidswell said it also gave her a chance to realize her own vision, bringing the outside to the inside with a warm, organic palette and superior functional details.

We were very excited to hear that the flooring was a design choice Tidswell made.

“The first design element we chose was the flooring – which was York Mills from the Timeless District Collection, in a 5” plank. This gave the home such a warm feel, we designed all sorts of other wood features to match: wall cladding, ceiling cladding, and even wood room dividers. The hardwood informed the entire look of the home.”

She loves how the home has turned out, and confesses, “I included all the special looks and features I want in my own house!”

Functionally, this home has more innovations that she could even mention, as she explains, “The whole team was part of the functional concepts, and they all cared as much as we do.” She encouraged us to watch the video to get the full appreciation of its features, but gave a little taste:

Wood throughout – flooring, walls, and ceilings.
Dividers from the foyer to living room, and from the mudroom to kitchen, to cut the draught from the cold.
Fireplace hearth that doubles as seating and storage, with shelving.
Open sight-lines to see through the stairways and shelving.
Built-in storage areas and shelves.

Interestingly, the realtor, Kerry-Lynn Holland, found a buyer for the home well before construction was complete, and that first the design team worried that the project’s direction might then be changed. But they were delighted that this was not the case. “They loved the direction we were taking, and didn’t change a single thing.”

Sometimes, creativity, like a partnership, is simply serendipity.

Below you will find video and photos of Kresswell’s recent projects showcasing their considerable talents, plus of course, our Timeless Wood Floors.