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HELPING home owners make their space work for them in a stylish way, are the Designer Guys from Canada. Each week on television, Anwar Mukhayesh, Matt Davis and Allen Chan offer ideas and suggestions on interior design, decor and advice on renovation and do-it-yourself projects.
The Toronto-based designers are experts in many fields, from architecture to engineering to digital art and design.
The trio, who all play hockey once a week on the same team as recreation, started their office together in 1998.
Says Anwar: “It was called Precipice Studios then. In 2008, we changed our name to The Design Agency. Now we have a boutique office of about 15 staff and are doing projects all over the world!”
He tells us more:
Worst client?
Our worst client is ourselves. Whenever we are designing our offices or projects for shows like the Toronto Interior Design Show, we are always behind schedule and over budget.
It is a lot of fun to be the client but harder than it seems, which is why there is so much value in hiring the right designer to execute your vision or in some cases to create a vision for you.
The hardest style tip to follow?
We try not to follow styles or trends too much. The hardest tip for clients to follow is knowing how to work with a designer and following a plan to meet your expectations.
Many people have to be educated on the realities of how things get done and what things cost. There are a lot of misconceptions out there and we hope that shows like ours will help educate our clients.
A drawback to eco-friendly designs for the house?
The only real drawback is the upfront costs which can be higher at the front end but will save you money in the long run.
It is also an ethical choice on how to design and build by being cognisant of the environment and what we are doing to it.
The best thing that needs to happen is for a demand to come from the consumer to dictate the need for eco-friendly design products and solutions.
Favourite part about the show?
We really enjoy working on a large variety of projects and with different clients. We also have the privilege of working on some larger projects with local hotels and the Toronto Blue Jays (major league baseball team) which are great to show viewers that we have a large range of technical skills and design experience.
What do you watch on TV?
Probably hockey the most, Discovery Channel shows and movies there isn’t much time for TV since I travel a lot in Europe for our projects and Matt and Allen both have kids.
The Designer Guys
Airs every Tuesday at 11pm on Life Inspired (Astro B.yond Channel 706).
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