The Past and the Present 🙂
Workday: 07/05/2025
Today was a particularly reflective day, one that allowed me to pause and take in just how far I’ve come. With the submission of my first DPS draft, I felt encouraged to dive back into my photo archives and start compiling before and after images of my design projects, both interior and exterior. It began with the Lover’s Garden, the most recent transformation I worked on. As I flipped through older pictures, I was struck by how quickly we grow accustomed to beauty and order. The original state, overrun with tangled leaves, mismatched plants and general visual chaos, felt worlds away from the coordinated, serene garden that now lives in its place. Seeing the neat layers of mulch, the balanced plant palette and the thoughtful layout reaffirmed how storytelling through landscape design can honour a space, giving it purpose and dignity.
Feeling inspired, I looked even further back into my archives and uncovered the early photos of the French office, a project that had drifted to the edges of my memory. The contrast was staggering. The office had once been cluttered, claustrophobic and devoid of any design cohesion. It didn’t reflect the Château’s character, charm or story. These photos evoked a mix of pride and sadness, pride in the transformation, but also sadness in remembering the uncomfortable conditions my colleagues once worked in. It reminded me that design isn’t just visual, it’s about improving experiences and environments for the people around us.
Today, the office tells a completely different story. The paintings on the walls, the evolving mural I’ve begun and the carefully placed plants bring the outside garden in, creating harmony between the Château’s natural and interior worlds. It’s a space that now breathes with the same energy and care as the gardens outside. Every choice made was grounded in both aesthetic value and emotional connection, a reflection of the people who inhabit it and the history that surrounds us. It’s become a creative refuge that holds memories while inviting future stories to unfold.
Looking ahead, I plan to compile and laminate these before and after visuals into a clear, engaging presentation to share with the board during our upcoming meeting. I want the transformation to speak for itself to show how far we’ve come as a collaborative team and how meaningful design can truly reshape not just spaces, but spirits. These images are more than proof of progress; they are a quiet celebration of intention, care and the collective will to make things better.