Age: 36
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Designer Do: Do allow your personality to shine through by surrounding yourself with a few objects that you genuinely love.
Designer Don't: Don't be afraid to experiment often with new colours in your paint and accessory choices.
Bio
Mariela is excited to have taken the plunge from public relations into the world of interior design. Seeking a creative career, Mariela moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. There she earned a degree in Interior Design, including courses in set design, art history and a summer spent in Paris, studying French architecture and interiors.
Upon graduation, Mariela accepted a Design Assistant position in NYC, working with Doug Wilson of TLC's Trading Spaces. She was delighted to begin her design career this way, setting her on a busy path of set styling for TV shows in NYC and Toronto ever since.
In addition to her work in TV, Mariela continues to build an interior design clientele in both cities. An authentic "people person," she thrives on interacting with clients and industry professionals and draws upon her PR skills when working on projects.
Mariela has lived in Montréal, Paris, Barcelona, Los Angeles and New York City. Her experience living abroad and her travels to Asia have been the greatest inspiration to her design philosophy. Mariela's favourite design aesthetics range from modern to post-modern often fused with exotic elements. She also loves to contrast industrial materials with soft, glamorous fabrics and finishes.
A native Torontonian and a self-professed "design fetishist", Mariela is thrilled to be home again, spending time with her ever supportive family and enjoying Toronto's flourishing design scene.