The invitation to shoot a television pilot for Magnolia Network is a dream come true for acclaimed Vancouver interior designer Ami McKay.
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Ami McKay is a self-described “dream collector”.
“I take dreams seriously,” says McKay, the founder of Pure Design, a full-service Vancouver interior design firm.
McKay was first approached for an interview three years ago by a television producer working on a project for HGTV. Then the pandemic turned the world upside down, the project didn’t get picked up and McKay’s video “just sat there.”
A friend then asked McKay if he could forward her video to a producer he knew. “His friend sent it to a producer in Los Angeles, who saw it and said, ‘Ami is Magnolia.’ He’s the one who made the magic happen,” says McKay.
The team at Magnolia asked McKay to send them another video.
“It was a little selfie video mix talking about houses. Then they said, ‘We want to give you a TV show.’ There was no casting call, nothing. I seemed to fit the bill of what they were looking for,” says McKay.
“It’s a beautiful show and a beautiful team. My experience with both Magnolia and the producer has been so positive and easy. What I love about Magnolia is that they consider us storytellers. The show really just captures what I do. The first episode is about a client who hired me to design her house. It’s our real client, doing our real thing in real life.”
McKay begins each design project by interviewing her clients about their goals, desires and lifestyle.
“I ask questions to find out what they want to convey — whether it’s peace, joy, calm, comfort — whatever it is. Then I try to reflect that in the space,” she says.
“I care about living in a healthy home, creating the most comfortable environment that I can. Comfort is different to everyone — I want to hear what makes them comfortable. For some people, that’s colour. One client I’m working with right now wants a yellow kitchen and that’s making me so happy. I get so much joy having a challenge like that, with a client who trusts me to create this beautiful space.”
McKay has always dreamt big, even as a teenager. Her aunt recently shared with her a newspaper clipping about McKay when she was 18. The article read: “Ami Scott, 18, is studying interior design at Humber College in Toronto. She enjoys art, the environment and the future. Her plans include opening an interior design studio.”
McKay can proudly tell her 18-year-old self “mission accomplished”. “Reading that clipping made me happy,” she says.
“We also have a retail shop that represents products by artisans from around the world, ensuring they receive a fair wage,” says McKay.
Creativity has always been at the core of McKay’s endeavours. Her career path included theatre design, costume design, set design and floral design — all contributing to her unique and artistic point of view.
Frequent travels around the globe have also influenced McKay’s design philosophies. She says the time she spent in her early 20s as a volunteer in India was motivational, inspiring her decision to feature fair-trade items in her retail shop.
“I spend a lot of time travelling in Europe. I like to go there and see what’s happening — the shapes in the clothes people are wearing, interesting fabrics being used in different hotels and restaurants,” says McKay.
“In my house, right now, what’s happening is textured wall treatments — plasters, lime washes, visual textural walls. It’s something that has definitely moved its way from Europe to North America. We did a lime wash treatment in our house this past year and it’s just so beautiful.”
At present, she’s waiting in breathless anticipation to hear if Magnolia Network will pick up her pilot and turn Vancouver Reno into a full-fledged series. Will this dream be accomplished? Stay tuned.
