My sister and I have always been close. From the start we were hard to tell apart, our identicalness extends to even our left-handedness. Growing up, we shared the same talents with design and drawing and interests in how things were constructed.
Our love for all things art and design began early. We come from a family of artists which instilled in us a true appreciation of art. After graduating from the regional arts high school in our hometown of Mississauga, Ontario, we went on to attend OCAD University together. Our twin degrees in Environmental design were based heavily in architecture and interior design; however, it was in the shop classes where we learned about various tools and how to work with wood, metal, jewelry and ceramics that we discovered our passion to use our hands to build and create.
Shortly after graduating, we decided to pursue a career in the trades and mentored under Odile Picquet, a female master carpenter and contractor. Learning from a woman in the trades proved to be an invaluable experience. Her approach and attitude to working out design dilemmas was different than the male contractors and designers we worked with. Each on-site experience provided new challenges that increased our repertoire of knowledge and skills.
Our working relationship was well balanced. Our mentor’s expertise was in the building and practical elements; while our talents are in drafting, designing with intention and attention to detail. For five years we bridged the gap that usually exists between contractor and designer.
We are currently working toward getting our Red Seal Certification in Carpentry and growing our presence in the carpentry and design industry. We also want to carve out our niche in the blogger and influencer sphere. We look forward to new and exciting projects with clients and brand partnerships.
I’m Meredith, although I do respond to Kathleen too. I’ve been called ‘The Doer’. Kathleen usually puts forth the idea or how we should approach a build, and after a little push back, I execute. And while we are both hands on, I’m usually first up the ladder. The joy I take in driving has also led me to be the errand-runner. Just sayin', I’m usually the one picking up and strapping material to bring to the job site.
What amazes me is how different our thought processes are sometimes. Have you ever felt like you’ve had to argue with yourself over something that seems like the obvious decision. Well, let me tell you, it’s very frustrating when you have to tell your twin, to “be my twin”! That being said, I wouldn’t trade our twinship for anything.
I’m Kathleen. Simply put, I’m the smart twin. On the job, I’m the one who is checking and double checking measurements before I autoCAD and draft out a project. Shh…I had higher grades in math. I like to tinker with every possible design solution, so our clients can choose the option that most suits their needs and budget.
I feel that your environment truly shapes your quality of life. Even doing a small job to help improve someone’s surroundings is worth it, as the day to day impact can be huge. And being able to do it all along side my sister, well what Moore could I ask for.