PAMPER YOUR SENSES: Trio of Oak Bay creatives turned passion into profit
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- By Sam Duerksen
Ben Brannen doesn't just love design; he loves people and the way their personalities translate to paint, pillows and patterns.
His love for design started young. As a business school student, he worked part time in a paint store, building a passion for colour. After interior design classes and a foray into that world, an opportunity came to partner at Bespoke. The rest was history.
Upon walking into the dynamic, beautifully curated store, Brannen might be found animatedly discussing the latest project with his coworkers, samples of fabrics and paint strewn across a table.
When it comes to helping clients, their philosophy is people first. "We don't believe that we have to be the director of your journey for interior design," Brannen said. "We can be your assistant, we can be your cheerleader, or we can do the whole thing."
What matters most is that the team understands their client and their personality, he said. "You almost develop a friendship," he said. He's come to understand what colours and textures will light someone up and the symbolism behind things people don't want anymore. "It could be a divorce, it could be some sort of trauma. Eventually, they open up and you get it."
Then there's the interesting challenge of improving someone's space who might already have everything they need. "You're curating the best of what they have," he said. "And that is very rewarding."
Through close interactions, the depth of those bonds Brannen builds sometimes surprises even him. "When you don't have the need to meet with that client as much, there is sort of a mourning," he said. "It's a professional relationship, but there's enough of an interest in, a bond in their day-to-day life that you miss it when the job's over."
With over 35 years of experience working with clients and a team that he loves, Brannen continues to bring joy, thoughtfulness and excitement into each new project.
"I think it just goes to show that if you do find something you love to do and you put your mind to it, it is the best way to spend your professional life," he said.
