Cynthia Soda

A Mother’s Day reflection on joy, pressure, and the life we’re designing I was sitting in my new doctor’s office recently, casually answering the question: “So, what do you do?” Like most women (most mothers) there wasn’t a simple singular answer, so, I listed all the things: The kids. Their schedules. Their sports. Their lives. The yoga and fitness classes I make (and squeeze in early mornings so I’ll have the rest of the day free… again, for the kids). The business I built and continue...

It’s a bit of a job hazard to do what I do. Because I care so deeply about our surroundings (and how they shape the way we feel, think, and move through our days) I couldn’t not jump at the chance to redesign my daughter’s room for her 16th birthday. When she was 10, we surprised her with a full room makeover featuring the cutest wallpaper from my friend Shay at the Goods by Shay. There were Lemurs and flowers! It was playful, joyful, and perfect for that chapter of her life. And she...

This past month, a client of mine — whose recently renovated kitchen features a peninsula in lieu of the classic, beloved island — forwarded me an article from a design publication. The gist? Designers are ditching the island in favour of the peninsula. Turns out, I'm apparently “ahead of the curve”. Which is funny to me, because I wasn't chasing a trend. I was chasing the space. (And for the record — I'm not saying islands don't have a place anymore. I stand by islands when they're right. I...