Teresa Cain – Interior Solutions Design Group

About Teresa

Teresa opened her company, Interior Solutions Design Group, in 1995 and for the past 24 years has been providing residential design services to her clients throughout Vancouver and BC. She works on residential properties and says her design style is flexible using many “different styles as every client is unique with unique needs.” A successful “project is all about the people. The best projects are those where the clients trust the designer and let us do our job. From this there is a mutual respect and a passion from the design end that can only result in the most successful projects.”
Teresa believes that the creation of mood within a space is the single most important design initiative; the “colour, balance, texture, lighting & scale ultimately [make] the homeowner and their guest feel a particular mood.” Through her designs Teresa tries to tell a story, create a mood, and bring beauty to this world – one room and one home at a time.

Incorporating a Fireplace

Teresa likes to utilize fireplaces as a transitional aspect of a room, subtly separating two rooms while maintaining an open feel. Recently Teresa worked on a contemporary renovation project where she incorporated a 3-sided bay fireplace into the living room/lounge space. As desired, the fireplace unified the space while maintaining the open, airy, modern vibe that Teresa had hoped for.
When choosing a fireplace Teresa tends to choose long, linear fireplaces for her contemporary projects, again because of the transitional nature that these style of fireplace afford her. The Regency Horizon series of Contemporary Fireplaces is a favorite of hers because it offers a large, tall viewing area, minimal trim, and realistic log sets.

Juxtaposition of materials makes a textural statement on this fireplace wall. Fireplace: Regency Horizon HZ40E. Design by Teresa Cain. Photo by Barry Calhoun.

What Customers Are Looking For

Teresa says that typically her customers are quite involved in the process of choosing a fireplace as the fireplace is a very personal. “People are quite specific about the look that they want to see and have strong opinions about the log sets vs glass vs stones, etc.” In addition to the style of fireplace and the media choices Teresa says customers vary greatly in the desired use of their fireplace. Whereas some customers just want a fireplace for the aesthetics, others are looking to use it as a heat source.

Choosing the Right Fireplace for a Room

There are many factors involved in choosing the right fireplace for a room. First is the look that the customer is looking to achieve. Next is the venting requirements and not all fireplaces can be installed in every room, therefore designers must consider this. Next – the type of project. If it is a new build there may be more flexibility in Fireplace installation, placement, etc. However, renovations may be more restricted based on framing requirements, location, or existing structures.