OK Magazine:

Jessi Cruickshank’s Nursery

House & Home:

Before & After: A Classic Bungalow Transforms Into A Three-storey Home

House & Home:

Fearless Decorating Moves Make This Basic Condo Feel Like A Home

Rue Daily:

Contemporary Art, Traditional Design Elements, And Total Cohesion

House & Home:

Before & After: From Derelict To Dazzling

House & Home:

Staying Power

House & Home:

See How Paint Transformed This Main Floor!

House & Home:

This Kitchen Makeover Is A Pinterest Dream!

House & Home:

A Traditional Home Goes From Bland To Bright & Beautiful

House & Home:

Fearless Decorating Moves Make This Basic Condo Feel Like A Home

House & Home:
A Contemporary Take On Country Style

House & Home:
Olivia Botrie’s Kitchen Reno

The Goods:

How to incorporate patterned tiles
into your home

The Goods:
Reno Survival Secrets

House & Home:
Empty Nester Reno

House & Home:
Kitchen Renovation

House & Home:
A White Kitchen Makeover With Smart Storage

House & Home:

September 2013

House & Home:

March 2015

The Goods:

Why hiring a designer will help you get the most out of your next room revamp

House & Home:

Clean Country

House & Home:
Before and After: An Incredible Small Space Transformation

Houzz:
A Kitchen Gets New Style and Function

House & Home:

A contemporary kitchen
that can stand the test of time

House & Home:

An ’80s Log Cabin Gets A Fresh New Look

House & Home:
Elegant Urban Family Home

“As renovation newbies, my husband and I found it challenging to figure out how to start the process of creating a new kitchen. We interviewed a contractor, but it left us wanting more as much of the design concept would be left up to us. We knew that the kitchen layout needed a major overhaul and that walls needed to be moved, but we both lacked the skills to make it happen. Following a friends’ recommendation we met with Olivia Botrie from Dart Studio to discuss possibilities. She energetically opened our minds to what would be possible in creating a beautiful, comfortable and livable kitchen for our family. What followed was a very collaborative process – they supplied three very different layout options and we quickly moved toward a final plan (a kitchen island and a banquette!). Olivia helped us secure one of her ‘go to’ trades people, a wonderfully competent contractor. Site measurements, permit applications and ordering were all done swiftly by the Dart team. Once we decided on a particular aesthetic for the kitchen, they made suggestions for all of the surface materials and fixtures – making our job easy. After the project was completed we were thrilled to have a kitchen that looked like it was straight out of a magazine – beautiful, functional and family friendly. We’ve recommended Dart Studio to numerous friends. You just can’t beat this team, their personalities and their efficient communication. We hope to use them again in the years to come to renovate other parts of our house!”

“Innovative and energetic are two words that describe Olivia from Dart Studios. She has wonderful design ideas and as our house is now coming together we can see the genius in the design taking shape. And she gently steers u away from some of your own ideas that in hindsight would not have made any sense! Call Dart…u won’t be disappointed.”

“[I] have worked with Olivia and the Dart Studio team for each of the last three renovation projects and would definitely work with them again! Large/small projects/budgets, they have always been so accommodating and helpful through every step of the project. Olivia is a great listener and her design and material options were exactly what I was envisioning, but would never have been able to accomplish without them!”

“We had the good fortune of working with Olivia on our first major renovation in 2016. She helped us assess and scope the project, took our design needs and wants into consideration and created fantastic plans. Olivia has awesome ideas and is very skilled at interpreting what we are looking for, even when we can’t describe it very clearly or show her a visual. It’s truly a gift! She also ensured that all the small but important details during our reno were cared for and made it easy for us as ‘first timers’. We’ve recommended Dart Studio to several of our close friends and will continue to work with Olivia and team on projects in the future.”

“Olivia and her team completely made my house into a home. I have a semi in the Danforth area in Toronto and it’s small. Olivia transformed my basement into a whole new living space with a workout area, art studio, a bright laundry area and tons of storage. Olivia also renovated my first floor — she recommended switching the location of the dining and living room. It was her vision that has made my living space so inviting, comfortable and bright. Her suggestions for furniture, lights, paint, mouldings, built-in’s, carpets and art work all work incredibly well. There is no way I could have made all these decisions on my own, nor did I have the vision for it. The project took under 6 months. It was on time and on budget. What I learnt when working with a designer — don’t expect things overnight. Planning, budgeting and communication are the key factors. Olivia was upfront, professional and accommodating. I would work with Olivia and everyone at Dart Studio again and again, and again. They really are a GREAT team.”

“When my husband and I embarked on a major reno to our small, downtown house, we were feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea of having to make all the decisions that come with the territory. But we were also nervous about hiring a designer that might steamroll our ideas. But when I found Olivia’s work online through House & Home, I really loved her aesthetic and took the plunge. At our initial meeting she was immediately relatable, but also professional, knowledgeable and a clear communicator. She had lots of great ideas and helped us see things in new ways, and we quickly grew to trust her instinct and judgement. Olivia and her team also worked well with our contractor, whom she’d never met before. As he said, there are some designers who have great ideas and drawings, but don’t follow through to the end. He appreciated that Olivia and her team followed through until the idea was executed, on time and within our budget. From the materials and layout of our kitchen, to doors and windows, to the colour on the walls, Olivia and her team helped make this a home we want to spend time in. We’ve since recommended her to friends, and will continue to do so. If I had another reno project to do, I’d most definitely go to Olivia first!”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Olivia Botrie on several projects, ranging in scope from furniture reupholstery, to a full basement renovation and everything in between! The reason we keep coming back: our confidence that Olivia listens – really listens – to our needs, our wants and our realities (kids, cats, too many books)… And delivers every time. She has proven time and again to be smart in her approach to managing our budget, and productive in moving things forward when the inevitable snags occur. Her go to trades people are professional, and never feel intrusive when working in our home. But perhaps the best thing about working with Olivia (and the real reason you should hire her) is that she has helped us to create a space that is a reflection of us and how we live. A home. If you’re in the market for a designer what more could you ask for?”

“It was a true pleasure working with Olivia Botrie throughout our entire kitchen/main floor project. Upon meeting with Olivia, she instantly understood our design style, and offered up ideas that we had never thought of, yet still worked perfectly with our aesthetic and lifestyle. She is collaborative and passionate, and was always communicative and easy to reach. We always had completely confidence that Olivia and our contractor had everything under control, and indeed they did. The end result is simply stunning.”

“Wonderful experience. I hated my new condo. I brought some pieces when I downsized but nothing worked. I hired Olivia and Dart Studios and now I love my new condo! Olivia handled everything and I am so pleased with the result. She reimagined the space better than I could have imagined.”

“When I saw the work by Dart Studio on their website and also on House and Home magazine, I fell in love with their clean, modern yet imaginative designs. My project was farther away within the GTA region and was not sure if they would travel to do it. I contacted them regardless and was surprised that they agreed to travel for the work. The entire process of working with Olivia and her team was very pleasant and enjoyable. Her team was courteous and helped to trouble shoot through the project. They were always reachable and available. And of course, I’m absolutely in love with the way things turned out at the end. Guests have showered us with compliments for the place.”

“We were thoroughly impressed with the work of Olivia Botrie on the recent renovations of our home. From initial planning meetings to the date we moved in, Olivia took our aesthetic and lifestyle into consideration and helped us create our dream home. She was capable, professional and organized. Olivia was very clear on both the scope of the work (designing a kitchen, bathroom and living space) and on the project budget, working with us and our contractor to keep to out (tight!) timelines. She worked well with out contractor, and the pair were clear and in touch about any alterations and modifications that would need to be made during the construction phase. Olivia was very easy to communicate with and kept us informed on both progress as well as any decisions or changes that needed to be made. We so enjoyed working with Olivia and are in love with our home as a result. We have nothing but praise for her work and are happy to recommend her to others.”