Monique de la cruz March 2015 BCBusiness 49
she says, "she can paint anything." After
Burns describes the colour scheme and
fabrics she plans to use, McPhee visits
the house and sometimes the ware-
house to see the furniture. "Then I'll
say to her, I'm thinking a 48-by-48 or a
36-by-36," says Burns. "We collaborate
and we come up with a budget, because
the price point depends on the size and
number of pieces of art and different
things that are going to be hung in a loca-
tion." Burns's services, including initial
consultation, design, fur-
niture rental and installa-
tion, range from $3,000
to $8,000, depending on
the size of the home.
In addition to con-
tributing to the interior
design, McPhee saves
designers time. "Now
they don't have to shop
all around to all the stores
just to find the right piece
for this home," she says.
"If they don't see it in my
inventory, then I'll create something
completely custom for them."
Last December a North Vancouver
house staged by Burns and McPhee sold
with everything in it. Burns says that is
unusual. The purchasers of Lissa Green-
wood's house bought all the artwork but
just the main-floor furnishings.
Unsold furnishings and artwork
return to Wow Factor, Burns and McPhee
to be used again. Sometimes McPhee
sells pieces to people who phone her
after seeing her work in homes staged for
sale, although she also markets her work
through galleries, her website and a stu-
dio in Fort Langley. Prices range from
$175 to $5,000. Otherwise the artwork
goes back into her rotation collection
until another suitable home comes up.
"Art is always thought of as the last
thing that goes on the wall, but it's actu-
ally the most important," says McPhee.
"It's sad to see they've spent all this
money on the staging with high-end fur-
niture, high-end accessories, high-end
everything, and then they put a print on
the wall."
•
sometimes Mcphee sells
pieces to people who phone
her after seeing her work
in homes staged for sale,
although she also markets
her work through galleries,
her website and a studio in
Fort langley. prices range
from $175 to $5,000
WALL POWER
The artwork was
not just chosen
for the home but
created for it.
