A Year in Review: 2024 Reflections
As each year passes, it's hard not to feel like time is speeding up. Everyone says it, and I have to agree - it feels like the days fly by faster with every turn of the calendar. The only way I've slowed it down is to pause, reflect, and take stock of what I've done, achieved, and, most importantly, created.
Funny enough, those "self-reflections" we dreaded in grade school? I get them now.
If we don't take time to look back, we risk moving forward without a chance to learn, grow, and improve.
Every year, I set goals and intentions, and while they don't all unfold as planned, it's always fascinating to compare where I was 1, 2, 3, or 4 years ago to where I stand today. This year's reflection feels even more significant, and it's through this lens that I want to review the past year - not just personally but through the growth of my business. So, while I'll sprinkle in some personal updates along the way, this reflection is really about what matters most - how my business has evolved over the last year.
Q1: New Year, New Beginnings
As MCD grew, it became clear that working from my home office just wasn't cutting it anymore. So, in a big and exciting step, I signed a lease and moved our day-to-day operations into a charming brick-and-beam loft in the heart of Roncesvalles Village. I'd been dreaming of having a dedicated workspace for a while, and when I saw this space on Morrow Avenue, I just knew it was the one.
Since moving in this February, it's already been a game-changer, bringing fresh energy to our collaborations and giving us the space to really dive into projects together.
This first quarter brought some incredible milestones for us too, like our feature in Toronto Life, where we shared the before-and-after of a truly memorable project (with one of our most wonderful, longtime clients who we're currently helping with their cottage reno!).
We were also featured in The Spruce, showing off a beautifully transformed bathroom from a recent project with an amazing couple. Promoting our work is a goal I aim to prioritize even more this year - it's such a rewarding feeling seeing our projects out in the world!
On the personal front, I took some time for inspiration and relaxation with a three-part winter getaway. I started in Palm Springs with my fiancé, then met friends in Mexico City, and finally rounded off the trip celebrating my best friend's bachelorette in Tulum.
Getting to explore vibrant, colourful places mid-winter keeps me refreshed and inspired, ready to bring that energy back into MCD.
Q2: Spring Has Sprung
In Q2, I brought on Tori, a talented graphic designer I went to high school with, to help rebrand MCD and make it feel more ‘us’ - a reflection of where we are now.
When I first launched MCD eight years ago, I quickly pulled together a logo and brand look, and honestly, it hadn’t evolved much since then. But with the website recently revamped thanks to Garlande Haney Design, run by one of my best friends and brilliant web designer, it was time to refresh the rest.
The new brand colours might feel subtly familiar, but the new logo brings a fresh and authentic touch that truly represents MCD today.
Along with the rebrand, we fully launched the MCD Newsletter and Design Guide.
Sharing what I’ve learned is something I love to do, and despite the balancing act of client projects, designing my own home, and all the other roles I juggle, I wanted to create space to share tips, insights, and inspiration with those who are curious and passionate about design.
Click here to download our design guide!
We also had the chance to shoot another beloved project - Terra Cotta - with my day one photographer, Kerri Torrey.
It wasn’t a full home shoot, just one wing of a farmhouse, but there’s something so satisfying about seeing your vision captured just as you pictured it. Those images are truly special keepsakes of the journey.
On the personal side, I had some memorable adventures too - a family trip to NYC with just my parents and sisters (no partners!), and my own bachelorette in Cape Cod.
I guess Q2 was my East Coast chapter! Both places left me inspired and recharged, adding so much creative energy to everything we're working on at MCD.
Q3: Summer Glow
This summer, we relaunched and redesigned The Edit, where we now post a few times a month, sharing project reveals, design guides, and more (if you’re here reading this, you probably already know!). Our hope is for it to become a useful resource for design enthusiasts.
We also managed to squeeze in a photoshoot of our Alcina Ave project, where we finally got to share some of our favourite design moments from the space.
With my wedding right around the corner (early Q4!), much of the summer was spent finalizing every detail - soon to be shared!
When you work in a visual world, the aesthetics obsession seems to matter in every aspect, and I may have overestimated my abilities by taking on all the planning myself.
Q4: Fall Fun & Focus
The end of the year always feels like a race to the finish line, wrapping up projects and preparing for an exciting lineup of new ones breaking ground in the coming year. We’re making the most of this time to get all our ducks in a row before the new projects begin construction.
Q4 began with a huge personal milestone: I married my boyfriend of 10 years!
And just about a year after starting the process, we finally received the full building permit to renovate our house.
With these two major moments checked off, I’m heading into the end of the year feeling grounded, energized, and more focused than ever after a family trip to London to visit my sister and Norway to see the northern lights. London will forever be one of my favourite design cities – Londoner's love of design overflows from its very pores.
Some Project Highlights
We don’t get the chance to photograph every project we complete, and sometimes it almost feels like those projects slipped through the cracks or never quite got their ‘final reveal.’
I want to highlight a few projects that might one day get their time to shine but, for now, live in our archive of never-before-shared homes. These projects are every bit as special as the ones we capture professionally; they’re just currently preserved in ‘in-progress’ snapshots and candid phone shots!
Lessons Learned and Looking Forward
This year was one of growth and reflection.
When it began, I knew I wanted to streamline our process to create the best possible client experience. There were bumps along the way and plenty of learning moments, but I’m so proud of how far we’ve come.
Our full-time team of three, along with our part-time behind-the-scenes crew, makes all my dreams for MCD a reality.
Being client-focused is at the heart of what we do, and finding the best way for our team of three - Caitlin, our Project Manager, and Emily, our Associate Designer - to collaborate effectively took time and some trial and error. But through that process, we’ve found ways to work both creatively and efficiently.
Taking a step back to refine things is never easy when you’re deep in the day-to-day, but I feel like the effort we put in this year has set us up for our best year yet.
Looking back at my notebooks from previous New Years (although I’ll keep the contents to myself!), I can say that while none of those big dreams happened overnight, I’ve slowly been checking off goals I once thought were nearly impossible.
How we got here, I may never fully know, but here we are.
