Designer Spotlight: Winnipeg’s Grant Design Group

Based in Winnipeg, Grant Design Group has been servicing clients across Canada since 1985. The boutique firm comprises a team of ten interior designers whose mission is to provide clients with functional and aesthetic interior spaces within budget. While they are located downtown in the heart of Winnipeg, Grant Design Group works on projects across Canada, providing design services for any scope.

We connected with Debbie Grant, principal of the design firm, to learn more about the team’s inspiration, the type of projects they work on, and why they include Cosentino products in their designs.

What does a typical day look like for you at your design firm?

I am pleased to say there is no typical day at our design firm. There are many routine tasks, such as client meetings, technical drawings, and design collaboration; however, each client gives us a fresh perspective on the execution of these tasks. The variety of personalities, company goals, and unique client programming keeps our design life interesting.

Where do you find design inspiration for your projects?

As principal, I find the most design inspiration comes from people and our interactions with them. Each client has a vision for their company, and it’s a challenge to find new and creative ways to bring their vision to life. Our product reps are extremely helpful in assisting our creativity with new and exciting products, which, as you know, every designer is thirsting for.

What do you find is the most significant request from clients when it comes to project planning?

The biggest requests are that budget and schedule are maintained, and value in the design services are provided. Excellence in design is always expected, and it’s how we execute that excellence while meeting financial and time goals for each project that is the challenge.

You’ve worked with Cosentino products in the past. Tell us what your experience has been working with the Winnipeg showroom.

Our most recent Cosentino project took place during the most challenging of times – the onslaught of COVID-19. Pandemic-driven delivery hurdles and the difficulty of social distancing on a tight job site, coupled with the installation unknowns of a product we had never used before, gave us cause for concern. However, the showroom staff at the Cosentino Centre Winnipeg - whom we never did meet in person due to the pandemic – were extremely attentive. They answered all our questions during the specification process, chased down product ETAs and provided timely updates during the procurement process. They also worked very closely with our general contractor during the construction phase. When using a new product for the first time, it was reassuring and appreciated to have the Cosentino product rep see the project through from inception to execution.

What is your favourite Cosentino product to specify and why?

While Cosentino offers a myriad of beautiful products, the ultra-compact Dekton product collection is the current favourite at our firm. It is such a versatile product – available in large format slabs, useful for interior and exterior applications in both horizontal and vertical designs, including overhead or ceiling applications. All of this together, with numerous colours and patterns to choose from, implies that the possibilities are limited only by our imagination.

Can you share an example of a project where you’ve used Cosentino products and why it was a great fit for the space?

We recently completed a project for Artis REIT in the concourse at Winnipeg Square. An upgrade was desperately needed in their south concourse washrooms that washroom users constantly vandalized due to drug abuse. We were tasked with selecting products that would make the washrooms vandal-proof while also incorporating tamper-proof needle dispensers and accessories that could not be accessed or pulled from the wall surfaces. The other challenge was to create a design that was not industrial or clinical-feeling, as they are in a Class A building of the concourse. We chose Dekton for the floor, wall, and ceiling cladding and the countertops with fully integrated sinks in both male and female washrooms. This application was highly successful and accomplished both goals – indestructible and with a beautiful aesthetic!

To learn more about Grant Design Group, visit www.grantdesigngroup.com or find them on Instagram at www.instagram.com/grantdesigngroup