Photo taken by Lauren Miller
WHO IS SAM SACKS?
Sam has been living and breathing design since she was a little girl, decorating her bedroom with garbage-picked finds and paper-mache dreams. Her style reflects her personality — slightly wacky yet deeply grounded.
She has a firm respect for the fundamental tenets of great design — symmetry, scale and proportion — but her bohemian bent is always evident. A mother of three, Sam gets kids, loves decorating for families and knows how to design around a hairy dog. Sam is a former features editor at House & Home Magazine and her work has been published in every major Canadian design publication.
Photo taken by Lauren Miller
WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM OTHER DESIGN FIRMS?
"My goal is highly considered design that looks effortless. I’m inspired by high art and high design and I’m committed to incorporating it into my work. I’m lucky that I’ve only ever done what I love so clients are usually coming to me for something weird and wonderful.
When I approach a project I am factoring in absolutely everything from the architecture of the existing structure, the historical relevance of the proposed materials to the minutiae of each family member’s needs. I am filtering all of this through my personal design lens to create a space that looks like the coolest, most sophisticated version of the homeowners.
I’m a firm believer that the space you’re in impacts how you feel about yourself, your life and the people you love. If you can see your best self reflected back at you, your quality of life increases. My design goals are loose, cool and liveable."
Photo taken by Lauren Miller
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE DESIGN PROCESS?
"I have two favourite moments in the design process. The first is the concept — the creation of something from nothing. The wild inspiration that comes from the incubation of ideas and the thrill of translating them into a tangible design. It’s a moment that’s bursting with possibility and deep creativity.
My next favourite stage is the installation of the hard finishes. The tile, the plumbing fixtures, the millwork and lighting. It’s the moment an idea becomes a physical reality and for me, it’s a pinch me moment where I can’t believe that I have the opportunity to play conductor to such an extraordinary orchestra of moving parts."
Photo taken by Lauren Miller
WHAT IS ONE DESIGN TREND YOU’D LOVE TO SEE CLIENTS EXPERIMENT WITH?
"I love to bend classics. We’re seeing arches everywhere right now, which is lovely, but I’m excited about how they speak to traditional design. How do they exist in Spanish Colonials or Cape Dutch homes and how can these be incorporated in the windows for example of Toronto Victorians, Brooklyn Brownstones and Tudor Revivals? How can we exaggerate them to make them more fantastical while feeling very much in place."
Photo taken by Lauren Miller
DO YOU HAVE AN APPROACHABLE DESIGN TIP THAT CONSUMERS CAN IMPLEMENT IN THEIR HOMES?
"Good art and good sheets are everything. Large scale art can be purchased from emerging artists at art fairs and school shows. My advice is to buy what you love, and go big where you can for impact. Good cotton sheets can transform a bedroom for very little money and a printed duvet or quilt is the fastest way to redesign a room."
