Frequently Asked Questions

For full service residential interior design, we serve the Niagara region, Hamilton and Burlington areas, including:

​St. Catharines | Niagara-on-Lake | Niagara Falls | Fort Erie | Stoney Creek | Burlington | Hamilton | Oakville

​Not from one of these areas? Contact us to discuss our remote design options.

An interior decorator works with an existing space cosmetically, using finishes, furnishings and fixtures, to enhance the function and aesthetics. This is done by applying finishes to existing surfaces, replacing existing fixtures, and adding furnishings and decor.

An interior designer creates an entire space, by working with all the integrated structures, systems, and finishings, including structural assemblies, electrical and lighting, HVAC systems, millwork, furniture and finishes. An interior designer works alongside other professionals, such as architects, engineers, and contractors, to ensure all of these components work together to achieve the overall vision of the space with special consideration for accessibility, life safety and sustainability.

Jen Nickel, of Invision Design Solutions, is a professional Interior Designer and a member of ARIDO (Association for Interior Designers of Ontario). She has her NCIDQ certification (National council of Interior Design Qualifications) and over 20 years of experience in the Interior Design field in both commercial and residential applications. Jen also holds certifications in WELL Building Standards, Building Biology, and Healthy Material Labs.

As soon as posssible! If you are thinking about involving our team in your project, it’s best to get us involved right from the beginning. This way, we can provide valuable input into the early stages of site planning and architectural design that will impact your interior space.

With our holistic approach, we prefer to work as part of a complete design team. If you don’t have one, we can help connect you with a dream team of collaborators (architects, engineers, builders, tradesmen etc) to start your project off on the right foot.

Whatever you need for your project and preferences. We provide different service level packages from concept only to full service. Within those packages, the scope of work will be customized to your specific project needs, and may or may not include items like furnishings, landscaping or styling. Regardless of the service level and scope of work, each project follows our signature design process, which is the key to our successful projects. We will not remove steps from that process, as each one is essential to a holistic design approach. For example, 3D renderings are an integral part of our process for each project that we will not remove to reduce the scope of work.

If our holistic design approach sounds like what you need for your residential project, please fill out our residential project form here. We will contact you to set up a 20-30 min Introductory Phone Call (free of charge) to discuss your further to see if we are a good fit. If you’d like to proceed, a consultation (paid) is step 1 of our design process.

Our consultation is a two hour information-packed session customized for your space and your needs. It is an opportunity for us to see your space (or discuss your new build plans), provide you with design guidance as well as learn more about you and your project. After the consultation, we will provide you with a proposal for one of our design service packages. Learn more about our residential design consultations here.

This will vary depending on the size and scope of the project, but most full-service projects typically have a minimum duration of 1 year from our introductory phone call to project completion. New build projects can be up to 3 years from start to completion.

This is always an important question to ask for any construction project. Generally speaking, if you are making cosmetic changes – updating finishes, replacing windows with the same size – a building permit is not required. If you are considering moving walls, enlarging openings, adding plumbing, and other invasive renovations, a building permit will be required. If you are unsure, you can always check with your local building department.

No. At this time, we do not provide certified drawings for permit application. We do, however, work closely with consultants who provide these services, and will help guide you through this process. If you do not have an architect, engineer, or BCIN designer that you’re working with, we are happy to provide a recommendation to one of our preferred partners.

Our residential design consultation is $595 for up to 2 hours. During this consultation, we will determine a scope of work for your project for which we will provide a customized design proposal. Design service fees are determined by the size and scope of a project, and the service level you require. As a guideline, you can plan for the total fees for full service design for a residential renovation or new construction project to be between 10-15% of the total construction cost of a project.

We will always respect your budget, but more than that, we will help you understand what a realistic budget looks like for your project and end goals. We can guide you in determining where it would be wise to make larger investments in quality products, and where you can save money or scale back. There may be times that it makes sense to divide a project into phases to work with the budget. In our initial consultation, we will address these questions before moving into the design concept of a project.

During the implementation phase of your project, we will collaborate with a general contractor (G.C) to oversee the construction of our design. The G.C. will be responsible for scheduling and managing all sub-trades, as well as ordering all of the materials and fixtures that we have specified for the design.

As part of our premium full-service design package, we provide procurement services for all furnishings, window treatments, and decor items. This allows for a stress-free experience where we take care of all of the logistical details for you, and opens up access to our wide range of high-quality, fully-customizable and locally-crafted trade-only sources. If you are looking for a reduced scope of our services, we also offer other service level packages in which we can specify furniture for you to purchase on your own from local retail sources.

We love incorporating our client’s existing pieces and heirlooms, as this not only adds personality to a space, it encourages a more sustainable approach to design. We will, however, be honest about whether or not the piece will pose limitations on the design, require some modifications, or simply won’t work.

INVISION Design Solutions works with suppliers and manufacturers who sell their product only through qualified members of the trade, including interior design professionals. Through our relationship with these companies, we are able to access and sell high quality, customizable products not found in retail stores, and in some cases negotiate discounts off retail pricing especially for our clients. The benefits of purchasing trade-source products through INVISION Design Solutions include:

• Quality: We offer high quality products that are manufactured locally or within North America.

• Customization: We offer a wide range of products, many of which are customizable especially for our clients.

• Price: We offer competitive pricing, extending special discounts to our clients when possible.

We encourage clients to find alternate lodging for the duration of the implementation phase as renovations are very disruptive to everyday life, especially for a family. During the Concept phase of the project, we can give you an idea of the length of time you would be away from the site so that this can be worked into your total investment value and so that you can begin to plan. Living in a renovation state does no favours to the sanity of everyone involved in the project!

 Inevitably, interior design often leads to exterior design, with outdoor living areas being integral to the flow and design of a home. We will delve into exterior design typically when it is integrated as part of wider scope of work involving interior design. This may include exterior facades, integrated deck/patio spaces, outdoor kitchens, sheds/pool houses, and overall landscape concepts. As always, for any work outside of our expertise, we will collaborate with the appropriate professionals required, such as architects, engineers, and landscape designers.

No. A well thought-out design takes time, and trying to rush the process and start construction before the design is complete doesn’t do anyone any favours. We find it best to wait until you have ownership of the property before beginning the design process with a thorough site assessment, which means it will take a minimum of 8-12 weeks before construction could start on a just small scale project.

Every commercial project begins with an introductory phone call to discuss project scope and design service requirements, and to see if we are a good fit for your needs. We will determine our next steps – whether it is an on-site consultation, assessment of architectural drawings, or review of tender request – in order to provide a proposal for design services. To book a commercial or retail design introductory call, please fill out our commercial project form.

During our introductory phone call, we will discuss the scope of your commercial project and your interior design service needs. Design service fees are determined by the size and scope of a project and the service level you require. If an on-site consultation is required to properly assess the project, our consultation fee is $595 +HST. After determining the scope of work, we will provide a custom design proposal. As a guideline, you can plan for the total fees for full service design for a commercial renovation or new construction project to be between $5-15 per square foot of the space to be designed.

We will always respect your budget, but more than that, we will help you understand what a realistic budget looks like for your project and end goals. We can guide you in determining where it would be wise to make larger investments in quality products, and where you can save money or scale back. There may be times that it makes sense to divide a project into phases to work with the budget. If needed, we will work with you and the project design team to value-engineer our design to align with your budget goals.

INVISION Design Solutions will align the design strategy and aesthetic with your corporate brand look, feel, colour palette, and philosophy. We believe that thoughtful interior design is an integral part of a company’s experiential branding. We will work in accordance with your branding guide documents, or if you do not yet have a branding strategy in place, we will recommend consultants that we have successfully worked with in the past. A strong branding strategy is the first step to a successful interior design project.

INVISION Design Solutions will work collaboratively with other creative partners that your business uses for brand ideation, signage, or marketing strategy to ensure the new interior design plan is on brand. Our interior design plan will support and showcase the corporate brand.

We define sustainable design as design strategies, construction methods and product choices that are healthy for people and the planet. This includes looking at the impact of a project in terms of health and wellness, environmental impact, and social responsibility. There are parameters within these categories that can overlap, and products and methods that can be sustainable in one area but not in another. If sustainable design is a priority for your project, it is important to discuss your overall goals at the beginning of the project, to have a direction to aim for.

Yes and no. There many healthy and sustainable design choices that can be simple and cost-effective, like using non-toxic paints instead of conventional paints. And there are also many sustainable design options that can be much more expensive than conventional options, like using solar power. Oftentimes healthy material options are more expensive than unhealthy options, not because of the wellness factor, but because the quality is better. It can be difficult navigating truly green options from “green-washing”. That’s why we are here to help guide you in this area. We can help you prioritize which areas to invest more in, and which areas to scale back, identifying the ways that will make a significant impact on the health and sustainability of your space.

Yes! We are passionate about working with materials that are healthy for people and the planet. We are familiar with the unique characteristics of different natural building materials, and can design the interior elements to be congruent with the architectural design and sustainability goals of the build. If you are just beginning you’re journey, we can connect you with preferred consultants and contractors that are well-versed in using these unconventional building methods and materials.

Passive House (or Passivhaus) is an energy-efficient building standard designed to reduce a building’s ecological footprint by using minimal energy for heating and cooling while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. It originated in Germany in the early 1990s and is now recognized globally for its sustainable, high-performance design.

No. At this time, we do not provide certified drawings for permit application. We do, however, work closely with consultants who provide these services, and will help guide you through this process. If you do not have an architect, engineer, or BCIN designer that you’re working with, we are happy to provide a recommendation to one of our preferred partners.

No. We are not certified Passive House consultants, but we work closely with consultants who specialize in this. We are familiar with Passive House standards and will design the interior elements of your project in a way that will not compromise the energy efficiency of your build, and that will ensure healthy indoor air quality in your air-tight space.

Building biology (or Baubiologie) is a holistic approach to designing and constructing healthy, sustainable spaces that promote human well-being and environmental harmony. Originating in Germany in the 1960’s and expanding globally, it focuses on using non-toxic materials, improving indoor air quality, reducing electromagnetic radiation, and enhancing energy efficiency, all while creating environments that connect occupants to nature.

Jen Nickel, of INVISION Design Solutions, is currently training to be a certified building biologist with the Building Biology Institute.

The WELL Building Standard is a global certification focused on enhancing human health and well-being in buildings. It assesses how a building impacts factors like air quality, water quality, lighting, fitness, comfort, and mental health, promoting environments that support physical and mental well-being. The standard combines best practices in design and construction with scientific research to create healthier spaces for occupants.

Jen Nickel, of INVISION Design Solutions, has trained and achieved certification as a WELL AP (WELL accredited professional) in 2018.