Designing women: Allison Evans challenges her inner artist

While she was growing up in Richmond, Allison Evans was no stranger to the creative process behind construction projects: both her parents were developers. So pursuing a career in interior design seemed the natural thing to do.

“I remember as a child watching in awe as buildings went from paper to reality,” Evans says. “The whole process intrigued me, and as I was always the ‘art student’, I wanted to incorporate my talents with development, and what better way than interior design?”

After obtaining her bachelor of interior design from Toronto’s Ryerson University, Evans started her own firm, Allison Evans Design Corp., just over a year ago.

The 25-year-old says that her ethnic background—she’s half Chinese, half Caucasian—is a big factor in the ideas behind her designs.

“I feel that I’m able to see and understand both worlds, which has always benefited me and my clients,” she says. “When it comes to individual renovations in terms of my Asian clientele, they generally tend to want to incorporate their culture into their living space in a minimal way, using paintings, colours, graphics, and materials that are true to their heritage.”

Evans specializes in residential projects, in particular multi-family dwellings and renovations.

She designed the interiors of 3333 Main Street, a 98-unit condo building by Bastion Development Corporation, which is currently under construction.

The target market for the building, which will have a large park out front, is couples and young families. With modern fixtures, chrome accents, low-flow faucets, built-in wine racks (in some units), and light- or dark-oak cabinetry with frosted-glass accent panels, the suites are as functional as they are funky. Their clean lines and nine-foot-high ceilings give them an airy, spacious feel.

Evans is currently working on several renovations for private clients as well as the Opsal project, a 24-storey tower on East 2nd Avenue at Quebec Street. As an intern she helped work on Coast, a collection of 73 luxury residences inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright on UBC’s Iona Drive, and Pulse, a contemporary seven-storey building in Kits. She notes that new developments are heavily focused on environmentally friendly, sleek design.

So passionate is she about her field that she’s in the process of starting her own development company, through which she’ll do all of its projects’ interior design.

And while her inner artist is constantly challenged and satisfied, Evans says her work also has deeper meaning.

“What I love about my job is watching the process of creation, where conceptual ideas become a physical reality, which then become a huge part of peoples every day lives,” Evans says.

“When I was sitting in my car outside of 3333 Main Street waiting for a construction meeting one day, I saw a young couple park their car, get out, and stand on the southwest corner of the building embracing each other. They were just watching the construction of the building, beaming with the look of excitement and happiness. I watched them for probably 10 minutes until they stopped and got back into their car and drove away. That’s when I really realized how much I was directly affecting people’s lives. It really made me feel honoured.”