Canadian Home Trends’ Style & Design Editor, Marc Atiyolil
Glen, I understand you are the proud co-host of Restaurant Makeover and Take This House & Sell It. What types of design challenges do you run into when designing these spaces on national TV?

Glen Peloso
The biggest problem I face when designing a space for national television is dealing with time and budget constraints and having to make decisions quickly. You have to keep so many elements current in your minds eye including plumbing, electrical, structural, colour, dimension and scale, because there is so little time to go back to the drafting table or even to produce new elements in such a short turn around time. It’s a bit like writing a final exam which counts for 100 percent of your mark, you prepare like crazy, but ultimately what you present on reveal day is what counts. Also having tight budgets and a whole raft of personalities on the job means that you have to be a parent, a leader, an accountant and stick to your vision with some flexibility, all at the same time – it’s a whole lot of hats for one head!

Marc Atiyolil
Often our CHT readers are overwhelmed by the Design process. What types of designer tips and tricks could you tell our readers who are planning on designing a space in the coming months?

Glen Peloso
Start with the function of the rooms you are working on and then move to the form. A kitchen is really a food workshop first then beautiful cabinets and surfaces. Beauty without function will become ugly to you quickly and create frustration for you. Next be conscious of the scale of the pieces you want to work with. Measure them before you buy and then tape it out in the space. Don’t be too anxious to get started with the physical work, planning is more important than constructing in this process. Plan revise, plan revise until you are 100 percent satisfied with the look and the budget. Bring all of the elements of colour together as samples and be sure you like how they all look together. If you feel really unsure, hire someone to help, the cost of a design professional is often much less than making mistakes and having to do things twice.

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Canadian Home Trends magazine gives you a personal tour of the most stunning homes and condos across Canada. You'll be inspired by a selection of accessible home décor products, trend reports, simple yet stylish DIY projects, and much more. In each issue, you are given the tools to recreate designer spaces you've always dreamt of having at home, in-depth renovation and design advice, colour palette and furniture pairings, and Canada's best places to shop.