Second Wind Interior Design

Ana Castanheira was a pleasure to work with. She is a very talented lady who listened to my thoughts and incorporated them with her design talent to create a great room. She was always available by email and phone and on time with appointments.

We have lived in our house 9 years and never knew quite what to do with the formal living room. Ana was awesome. She spent so much time with me in he initial consultation and planning to really understand what our needs and style are. She then sourced all the furniture and services needed. She made redoing the living room easy and fun. We use it all the time now and are so pleased with the first impression it makes when people enter our home. I can't wait to work with Ana again.

Our initial contractor suggested Second Wind Interior Design services to design the bathroom and kitchen because we were completely renovating our home. Because we were so impressed with the work she had completed in the kitchen and bath areas we trusted her to aid in design of the remainder of the house, including furnishings, artwork, etc. Ana has been with us during our home renovations from start to finish and we could not be happier with her service. Our home looks amazing!

I needed to update my foyer and living room. Ana from Second Wind met with me and within a couple of hours understood exactly what I wanted. She was professional, very talented and responded to any questions I had imemdiately. I lead a busy life, so Ana coordinated everything and all I had to say was "yes. or No. She actually kept the project under budget--and to my great surprise finished well ahead of timelines. I tried to work with a designer once before who quoted a ridiculous fee and didn't understand what I needed or wanted. I gave up on the project until someone recommended Ana at Second Wind. I am so grateful for that recommendation. I would recommend Ana to anyone who is looking for a talented designer who will be able to work with you , understanding all of your needs, saves you money and finishes the contract promptly. I am very satisfied with this company and service (10+) and I would most definitely recommend to others (10+)

I recently purchased two pieces of furniture in my living room but I was stumped about how to decorate around it while creating the cozy feel I wanted for the room. Hiring Ana for two hours was money so well spent. I thought she would focus on the one room but instead, she walked through every room in my place and threw out ideas (colours, material, stores to buy from, etc.), measurements and tips. The two hours flew by and she didn't waste any time at all. I took notes and afterwards I put together a "wish list" which I can access from my cell phone. I love feeling confident about future purchases and know it will save me money and time.

Thank you, Ana!

My small Arts & Crafts house was nearing its 100th birthday, and it looked tired. There was nothing specifically wrong with it; but taken all together, the colours, the wallpaper, the windows, the carpet created an effect that was cramped and dim. Then Ana worked her magic. While respecting every cherished architectural feature, such as the fine old woodwork, the stained glass windows and the living room’s timbered ceiling, she made my home fresh and new. For Ana’s clarity of vision and her professionalism in choosing the right craftsmen and in overseeing the work, I could not give higher praise.

Having now worked with Second Wind Design over the last couple of months, I can certainly say that Ana has exceeded all expectations. I highly recommend Second Wind Interior Design to anyone looking for design services.

I had never worked with any interior designer before, and initially I had some reservations about using one to transform our living room and dining room. Our house is an older, more modest home with a number of limitations in terms of what could be done – both from a practical standpoint and cost-wise. I also had few ideas of my own of what I wanted for the space. In short, I was concerned that a designer would expensive and not necessarily produce any ideas I could actually use or afford. Happily, Ana has proved me wrong on all fronts.

Ana's initial consultation was very professional and thorough. She took a lot of time to learn about our family preferences, how we expected to use the space, budget, etc. I found Ana very professional and thoughtful in her approach but also cheerful, humorous and very easy to talk to. With one of my biggest decorating challenges being an ability to like practically anything in a wide range of styles, Ana was skillfully able to identify what we “loved” rather than simply liked, and – more importantly – what we needed to make our space function for our family. She then produced a detailed document outlining her recommendations, complete with colour visuals, floor plans, and an itemized budget. She provided us with a fantastic design and then she gave us with access to sources that provided quality work that fit within our budget, sharing the trade discounts she received. It was surprisingly affordable! She was also able to incorporate many of the furniture and decorative items I already owned and loved in the new design. No hidden costs, and the only budget surprises I had were all positive: when she found a fabric almost identical to what I had chosen but less expensive, when she took the time to browse the local antique stores and found the perfect mirror for my space for a fraction of the cost of new. Ana was also able to take on the challenge of getting my antique dining room chairs rebuilt, which was no easy feat, and had it done for far less than I thought it would cost.

It’s still a bit of a work in progress for the finishing touches but we are very pleased with the results so far. We use both rooms far more often and have received many compliments from our friends on the changes.

It was such a success and pleasure working with Ana that we are now asking for her help with our basement recreation area as well.

We have had an extremely positive experience with Ana of Second Wind Interior Design in the summer/fall of 2011. We were overwhelmed with the large scope of our main level reno once we expanded the project from a kitchen re-design. Ana was patient at helping us initially decide what style and colour palate suited us; she really listened and took the time to get to know our tastes and need for good function. She is very personable and worked collaboratively with our contractor; she was very skilled at keeping us focused on the priority of the moment. Ana was always timely in responding to our many questions and we felt her expert guidance ensured we achieved the end result we were looking for. Ana kept reminding us she wanted us to love our new space...and we do!! We would recommend her in a heartbeat!

looking forward to having Ana design my new home - her advice this early on in the project is remarkable! I can't wait to seeing Ana help bring our ideas alive. I love getting her emails with conceptual ideas that help formulate our renovation.

My husband and I bought this small home about 7 years ago, and have taken all those years to renovate it (ourselves) from the inside out. In anticipation of finally finishing those small nagging building projects, I quickly realized we had a long way to go before we could actually call it "home". Renovating is one part of the transformation... but decorating and making a functional space in a small open concept home is another! With 2 small kids, and a busy household we just didn't have the time or knowledge to finish the space. We decided we needed someone to help us - and called on Second Wind Interior Design.

Ana's initial consultation was brilliant. She took a lot of time to ask me thoughtful questions about our place, she wanted to learn more about us and our household needs to make sure her recommendations were spot on. And they were. She created a document outlining her recommendations, with visuals and explanations. She did most of the shopping for the furniture, and then took me with her to actually see what she selected before we bought! Talk about personal service. She did it all, and was fabulous. Oh yeah, and did I mention affordable? She gets great discounts on furniture and other decorating things. And her consultations and design services are worth every penny. I'd have her back in a flash.

We've lived in a bit of chaos over the last few weeks as furniture has come in and the painter finished up the walls, but we are officially done. Our living space has been transformed, and it exceeded all expectations in its functionality and look when we hosted 10 adults and 10 kids for a holiday get together yesterday. Everyone couldn't believe how great our place was - and my husband and I were finally proud to host people in our little home!

Thanks Ana!