SENIOR INTERIOR DESIGNER
B.I.D, LEED Ap, PIDIM Prov.
MELANIE DUPUIS
Praise for Mel, from teammate, Natasha:
I have been lucky to have Mel as a mentor since I started at Design Shop. Her bright enthusiasm and intrinsic design talent shines through every project she touches. Backed with her extensive experience and technical knowledge, Mel is not afraid to flip a project on its head to bring a client a better solution, one they would have never thought of. Collaborating with Mel on a project often starts with many, many sketches and scribbles, exploring all possibilities of a floor plan - usually accompanied with a tasty spread of snacks she somehow just whipped up. Some of my favourite projects Mel has worked on are: Brock St. MCM, Form Medical Aesthetics and LowLife Barrel House.
Melanie’s passion revolves around building interiors where people can find comfort. It is a core belief of Melanie’s that designers should understand the art of studying people and how they interact within the spaces they live and work. To Melanie, being your interior designer is more than just picking colours; it is seeing her clients use the space in the way that she envisioned them to engage with it.
Melanie loves the beginning stages of a project and truly shines when she is space planning and working through the smaller details. Melanie is also a strong advocate for her clients, and will speak up for them at every stage.
Melanie has worked in the interior design industry for over 18 years. She graduated in 2002 with her Bachelor of Interior Design with top marks and was immediately sought after in the workplace by noteworthy interdisciplinary firms.
After spending a year teaching and designing overseas in Japan (in Mel’s words: crazy cool), Melanie then joined the crew at Synyshyn Architecture for 5+ years where she received mentorship by Maureen Doyle. There, she focused on commercial works, office design, health care, retail, and everything in between.
After another travel stint in South East Asia, she continued to build her design portfolio and expanded into everything related to residential and DIY.
Melanie also appreciates Canadian design firms such as Mckinley Burkart, Studio Roslyn, and Frank Architecture. We have a lot of great Canadian influencers here and she loves supporting other "local" designers.
Outside of the Design Shop studio, Melanie loves cooking, spending time with her boys and is always planning her next adventures. She loves to run, spin and practice yoga. She’s travelled extensively through Central America, Mexico, Philippines, Bali, parts of Europe, Greece, Israel, and Egypt.
When she and Debbie were in University together, Debbie told her that one day they would work together. And now here they are, 21 years later, working together and doing what they love.