Design With Soul: How Meme Brooks Built a Vancouver Studio That Feels Like Home

Some studios are born from a business plan. Ours started with paint under the fingernails.

In the summer of 2002, I was a first-year graphic design student who asked my landlord for a job. One “sure, why not?” turned into an unforgettable season of paving driveways, replacing windows, roofing houses, wallpapering powder rooms, and painting exteriors. I learned tools before titles—and I fell in love with how spaces feel when they’re cared for.

That hands-on start led to teaching DIY classes as the “How-To Girl” at Home Depot, then to my first venture, Facelift Interiors, where I helped women feel confident tackling their own home projects. But the design questions kept coming, so I sharpened my craft at Westervelt College, graduating with presidential honours at the top of my class. I packed my car, drove to Vancouver, and began consulting for Benjamin Moore—hundreds of colour consults, an all-women painting crew, and a clear path forward.

In 2010, I registered Meme Brooks Design with a simple promise: Colour. Paint. Decorate. By 2015, we incorporated, opened a showroom, and evolved into the full service, design-build studio we are today.

What We Believe

Great design isn’t just about what a room looks like—it’s about how you live in it.

• Function first, always. Layouts that flow, storage that works, lighting that does more than glow.
• Aesthetic warmth. Mid-century lines meet West Coast Modern calm; colour is invited, never shouted.
• Quiet luxury. Natural materials, refined details, heirloom pieces—styled for real life.
• Sustainability with intention. We source locally when possible, specify durable finishes, and design to last.
• Concept → Completion. One team to imagine it, cost it, build it, and style it—so you can breathe.
  

How We Work (and Why Clients Exhale)

1) Discovery & Walkthrough We listen. Goals, quirks, wish lists, must-haves—and the “please fix this” moments.

2) Concept & Costing Design direction, finish palettes, renderings, and a transparent budget. Every selection is client-approved.

3) Build & Project Management Our designers, project managers, and trusted trades work as one. Permits, schedules, deliveries—we wrangle the details.

4) Styling & Reveal Custom pieces, curated art, and the layers that make it yours. Then the best part: you step in.

5) Aftercare We’re here for the “how do I care for this?” and the “ready for phase two?” calls.

A Few Projects That Hold Our Hearts

Parisian Kitchen + Living, VancouverA client called us after a flood left her condo in chaos. In just six weeks, we transformed it into a timeless, Paris-inspired sanctuary—creamy cabinetry, Dreamy Carrara counters, Zellige tile, brushed-gold details, and a white-oak island designed for gatherings. “Meme gave me my home back,” Susan wrote. That’s why we do this.

Coquette Restaurant RefreshProof that good design tells a story. We layered lighting, texture, and tone so guests feel the mood before the menu arrives. You bring the story—we’ll set the scene.

Buckland House, West VancouverA rare West Coast Modern original (1951, Thompson, Berwick & Pratt). Our role: honour the architecture, restore what matters, and stage it with restraint so the cedar, glass, and light could speak. Preservation and polish, in harmony.

Who We’re For

• Homeowners who want beauty that works—kitchens that connect, living rooms that host, bedrooms that exhale.
• Real estate partners who need thoughtful staging and fast, market-boosting transformations.
• Hospitality & boutique spaces that deserve an atmosphere guests remember.

Services

• Interior Design, Design-Build & Renovations (kitchen, bath, living room, home office, bedroom, full home)
• Home Staging & Styling
• Interior Design Consulting

Why Choose a Design-Build Studio?

Because seamless saves you—time, money, and stress. With one accountable team, design intent translates cleanly to construction, trades stay aligned, and you get the finish you approved—not a “close enough” version.

Ready When You Are

Whether you’re dreaming in mood boards or standing in a room that needs a miracle, we’d love to help.

• Book a Consultation – let’s walk your space and talk possibilities.
• Visit the Portfolio – see more “before & after” stories.
• Join the Inner Circle – design tips, reveals, and first looks, delivered.

From paint buckets to dream homes—it’s been a beautiful ride. And the best part? We’re just getting started.