Irene Turnbull has a mission "to make the world happier, one home at a time!" and what's more, she is doing it!!!  Now, she wants to share her Secret of Great Interior Design and Decorating with you!!

Irene's journey has followed a meandering path engaging both her creative and her academic skills. Having completed continuing education programs in fashion design and business administration at Ryerson while working full time, Irene returned to school in the 1970's and graduated  from Toronto School of Interior Design. After a brief position as a decorator with a large Toronto drapery house and working freelance, she enjoyed a successful career in association management for eleven years. She left her post as President of the Confectionery Manufacturers Association of Canada in 1988, and returned once again to the world of interior design opening  That Country Place in Orillia, Ontario, which ultimately evolved to the well-known custom interior design house, Turnbull Interiors.

Looking back Irene recalls, "Something was awakening within me during my last years at CMAC". It was the end of the eighties and like so many women my age, I was beginning to question a great deal about my life. Somewhere deep within me I knew there was just so much more to everything." Now,  I realize that this was the beginning of twenty years of personal growth and discovery that would change my life forever."

A self-proclaimed addict for knowledge about our mind-body-soul connection, Irene persued some of the worlds's leading researchers and authorities on the subject. Her dedication and relentless quest to understand how we experience our homes - our relationship with the physical world - how we see and feel and the link between our perceptions and our emotional satisfaction has resulted in her leading edge approach to interior design & decorating.

It became evident to Irene early in her career, that decorating decisions were not always easy for people. Often differing opinions caused stress where Irene believed there should be joy. She set out to discover why this was so, and after many years of intense study and practice, she began to understand that most difficulties for people had little to do with the colour of paint, or the furniture in the room, but rather, it was all about how we relate to our choices. 

Irene clearly understands that we have an emotional connection to our homes and it is this link that ultimately influences whether we feel good in our space our not.   Her passion for bringing this "feel good" result to her clients has earned her an enviable reputation as a true leader in her profession.

Irene believes good design is about the people who live in the space, not about the designer.  It is about understanding needs and desires and helping to express the best feelings in a way that brings harmony to the home to be enjoyed by all who share it. 

Irene Turnbull currently serves as National Chairman of CDECA, Canadian Decorators' Association, a volunteer non-profit organization representing decorators and designers in Canada who are dedicated to maintaining the highest industry standards and professional practices.