It is a lot like her design approach: Classic, with colourful flourishes and complex finishes. “People are opening up to the idea of mixing design aesthetics,” she says. While she often works with clients on spaces that will stand the test of time, “I always love a little bit of weirdness.” Her own home is classic contemporary, spiced with surprises and a Moroccan edge. In her powder room, a neon sign is mounted instead of a mirror. And a bronze statue in the living room gets people talking about its prominent middle finger.
Hamilton’s creative license has expanded to include a home decor line. The linens and pillows are designed, cut and sewn in Calgary, and evolved from sketchings Hamilton would do in the evening as a stress reliever. Last year, she designed a kimono. “I wear kimonos all the time, so I thought, ‘Why don’t we design one?'” she says. “People sometimes ask why an interior designer is selling clothes, but I’ve had more sales on that kimono than any of our home accessories line.”
Her company’s expansion into Edmonton started with her home decor line retailing in Dwell Modern. Then, in 2014, Hamilton began work on a couple of large residential projects. In 2015, she plans to take on more commercial clients in her hometown, and expand the home accessories product line to more retailers. She says, “It feels good to be back.”
At the end of her afternoon at the AGA, she wandered into the gift shop, where she bought an oracle made by local artisan group Concrete Cat. The artful, short, heavy vase sits on her desk. “Now every time I reach for a pencil, it reminds me where I come from, where I am now and how I’m coming back to the city.”