Design Advice

Designer Sit Down: Michelène Segodnia

Welcome back to our Designer Sit Down series where we interview the Georgian design team so you can get to know more about their process, inspirations and general musings! In our third instalment, we spoke to Michelène Segodnia, one of Georgian’s Design Managers. In our interview, Michelène talked about her favourite interior design trends as well as some design do’s and don’ts!


What are some of your favourite interior trends right now?
Michelène: I love how lines are being blurred with traditional and modern. Flipping through magazines and online, you’ll see a lot of clean lines, light and airy finishes and furniture with ornate mouldings, intricate hardware and vibrant and exciting patterns mixed in. This eclecticism can be really fun and allows you to throw in all sorts of personal touches without having worry about the different elements in the room not fitting together.

What would you consider as must do’s when designing a space?
Michelène: Measure. Measure twice! This is a rule that has saved me dozens of times. There are certain industry standards that we always stand behind in terms of measurements and codes, but beyond this, I’m always thinking outside of the box. With design you’re allowed to get creative and take a few risks, whether it’s mixing and combining finishes, creating unique focal points with pattern, or texture, or getting adventurous and knocking down walls.

What’s it like to balance client desires with your own opinion when designing a space?Michelène: What I love about residential design is that I’m designing homes for real families. Before I start conceptualizing I like to take the time to ask my clients about themselves, which really helps me to step away from my own tastes and interests and focus on them from the get-go. Having a solid knowledge base on products and materials helps me to guide my clients in the choices that we make and often times takes clients along a design path they didn’t anticipate, which is always really exciting. In the end though, I want my homes to reflect my client’s personalities and interests and truly be a space that they feel is them. You cannot achieve this without taking the time to build a rapport and learn what each’s client unique dynamic as a family unit is all about.

As senior Designer & Project Coordinator with Georgian, Michelène Segodnia has been designing high-end residential homes for clientele across the GTA for the past ten years.  With an intense passion for design and a keen eye for detail, Michelène guides her clients into realizing their design goals and creating beautiful homes that reflect their unique lifestyles and tastes.

Our designers are the foundation at Georgian as they are committed to synthesizing good design with good business from conception to completion. Thanks for tuning in to our interviews with key members of our design team!