I’m Shannon. He’s my husband Dean. We’re a Canadian couple sharing our thrifty design finds, organizing ideas and affordable DIY projects here on our blog www.akadesign.ca – and anywhere else we’re allowed to share. We also love to promote and share spaces by other way-more-talented-than-we-are folks on our other site Blogger Homes and help other bloggers get where they want to be with our third site Blogger Resources! We are DIY addicts, bargain hunters, restaurant lovers, movie junkies, Christian music fans, and homeschooling parents of three little monkeys (no, they’re not literal monkeys – those three cuties up there).
Dean has always worked with his hands. He is a perfectionist. He expects wood and other materials in projects to be as precise as sheet metal. Bless his heart. He has also been known to make a success out of more than one of my ‘no, I meant let’s do it right now’ ideas. He is an incredible husband and superman Dad.
I have always loved designing and decorating. Always. I remember helping my mom put up wallpaper and rearrange the furniture while my dad was at work. I worked in an architect’s office as a teenager, I took (cough) Desktop Publishing, Graphic Design and Fundamentals of Design in college and I worked in Toronto for a couple of years as a Graphic Designer.
A few years ago, Dean and I owned a company called Homespun Country. We used to sell country decorating stuff. We have decorated our homes and helped friends and family decorate and organize theirs.
Back in the fall of 2009 we bought our second house…then a run down 67 year old, 1050 sq. ft. war-era bungalow. It was long on potential and short on just about everything else. With some help from friends (thank you!), we got to work on the renos 6 days after moving in. We gutted the bathroom and kitchen, repaired rotted floors, designed and rebuilt a new kitchen, created ourselves a master bedroom, and diy’d our way through artwork, curtains, and more. We painted, caulked, back-splashed. We hung interior doors, installed a new front door that wasn’t prehung (the big box stores told us we couldn’t do that!) and created storage space from nothing.
In December 2012 – 11 days before Christmas – we moved into our third house. A cozy three bedroom backsplit with office potential in the raised basement, a separate family room and attached garage, this house is so good for our family. After hosting Christmas for Shannon’s family, we began a kitchen reno and several painting projects. Stay tuned for all the projects to come in this well-cared for but outdated little house!
We write the blog aka design (www.akadesign.ca) and do the DIY, decorating and organizing jobs that go with it. I also recently wrote an eBook entitled Welcome Home. It’s full of tips, tricks and ideas for creating a beautifully cozy home.
I guess all that makes us die-hard DIYers and even Design Bloggers. Interesting.
If you’re into all the social media stuff (Shannon is!), find us here:
If you’d like to contact us, please click here.
