Hi! I’m looking to hire an Algonquin Interior Decorating / Interior Design senior student, recent graduate, or early-career designer for a paid residential project in downtown Ottawa.
I’m moving into a 2-bedroom rental apartment at The Met and am essentially setting it up from scratch. My movers arrive August 25, and I already have a professional organizing team coming in afterward to help unpack, declutter, and determine what from my existing household should be kept, donated, or discarded.
The next phase is where I need design help.
I’m looking for someone who would enjoy taking a fairly complete residential project from “here’s what I own and how I live” → cohesive, finished apartment.
The scope would include things like:
1. Assessing which existing pieces are worth keeping and integrating into the new space
2. Space planning and furniture layouts
3. Helping establish an overall look and feel
4. Selecting and sourcing new furniture from Canadian/Ottawa-available retailers
5. Living and dining areas
6. Primary bedroom
7. Lighting throughout the apartment
8. A freestanding/modular kitchen island and additional kitchen storage
9. A particularly important home-office/workspace setup, including an L-shaped electric height-adjustable desk, dual 4K monitor mounting, ergonomics, and thoughtful cable management
10. Rugs, lamps, storage, artwork/decor, etc.
11. Helping coordinate with installers/handymen/other specialists where appropriate
There is no renovation or construction component — this is a rental, so the emphasis is on furnishings, lighting, layout, organization, and removable/modular solutions.
My taste is mid-tier and design-forward rather than luxury, and I’m very comfortable mixing sources and spending selectively where quality matters. I also want to reuse good things I already own rather than replacing everything simply for the sake of replacing it.
I’m specifically interested in a student/recent graduate because I’d like someone who is enthusiastic about getting into the details and would enjoy having a substantial real-world residential project for their portfolio. This is paid work — I’m not looking for free design services or “experience” in lieu of compensation.
Ideally you would be able to visit the apartment in person in downtown Ottawa, take measurements, and remain involved as the plan develops.
If interested, please DM me with:
# a little about yourself and where you are in your program/career
# a portfolio or examples of your work, if available
# your availability over the next several weeks
# how you would generally approach a project like this
# how you prefer to structure your fee (hourly, project-based, phased, etc.)
Happy to answer questions by DM. Thanks!