Growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, Deborah McCarthy realized at a very young age that she was attracted to the mid-century modern homes and interiors that were featured in the Perfect Home magazines her father used to bring home from a Realtor who was his advertising customer. She couldn’t understand why her parents had chosen to live in a boxy, stucco clad semi-bungalow rather than a house with linear forms of brick facings, wood siding, lots of glass and low sloping roof lines. Soon she was absorbing all she could from architecture and design magazines.

She went off to study Fine Arts at The University of Manitoba, and Nova Scotia College of Art & Design. In art school she realized that nature – light and natural materials inspired her artistic vision. Always compelled to create sculptural objects and furniture, she began to educate herself in carpentry, building techniques and architecture. Deborah eventually settled into a career as an architectural and design representative – a career distinguished working in the flooring industry from 1989 to 2014. Deborah was well known and respected for the qualities of integrity, trustworthiness, technical support and customer service she brought to her clients.

In August 2015 she opened her own company, Deborah McCarthy Studios, providing architectural products and services for architects, specifiers, and interior designers. Deborah wants to share her passion for modern architecture, minimalist design, and materials and textures with architects and designers.

Deborah’s technical expertise includes sustainable design accreditation as a LEED AP; specification writing competency having completed both CSC Specifier 1 and 2 courses; and BIM professional training, Level 1 competency.