“With interior design, you can never create the same home twice. Each home is unique to the space and the end vision.”
That’s what Leanne Leon, the interior designer for the three new Crest at Kanaka Springs showhomes, said about why she loves her profession. Leanne has been the interior designer for many Epic-built homes over the past 15 years and loves that every home is different and has unique stories to tell.
Leanne has been an interior designer for over 15 years, but her love of homes and style started as a child. She was that girl who was constantly redecorating her room. When she grew up she always showed interest in helping her father at work as a home developer.
Much of Leanne’s design inspiration comes from her time traveling to California. She loves the light, airy, and organic coastal design elements. She developed this love after visiting the region with her husband (then fiancé) in 2007. They were both deeply inspired and fell in love with that coastal-Californian style and used it as inspiration for the first home they built together.
When asked about her design pet peeves, she said her top two included putting furniture up against a wall and bad lighting. Making sure a room is properly lit is challenging because lighting can make or break a space. She says that “lighting is the jewelry of the home.” Leanne is also acutely aware of when homes are missing important finishing details, like cleanly installed backsplashes, caulking, and paint.
Kanaka Springs: Where every home has a story
Each of the three showhomes she decorated for Kanaka Springs tells a different story. One is styled as a modern farmhouse, the second is more refined modern with cleaner lines, and the third is a Scandinave-feel with more minimal decor. These three homes took three months to conceptualize and 10 days to install with her team.
Her process for home decor and design projects like these starts with the theme and story of the family who lives there. Then she begins by selecting countertops, flooring, backsplashes, and paint. She continues by layering the always-important lighting, furniture, wall paneling details, and wallpaper. Finally, she adds texture, layers, playfulness, and personal character through linens, textiles, and accessories.
When Leanne is not designing our showhomes, you likely find her spending time with her husband and two young kids. She enjoys an active lifestyle of hiking, tennis, golf, and quality family time.
Epic Homes is always thrilled to have Leanne’s expertise for selecting and assembling our finishing materials and interior colour schemes. This added value service of having an expert in design select the colour combinations that our customers then choose from has always added to the “on trend” look and feel of our homes that today’s home buyers appreciate.
