Calgary Home and Garden Show: Building advice with Grounded in Design
A home builder and two designers team up to talk about home building and renovations from the ground up.

When it comes to renovating or building a new home, nothing is perfect. But Katie Osmond, owner of Alair Homes Calgary, strives to execute the process as close to perfect as possible.
“For homeowners, it starts with having the right team. Designers and architects who work well together and are able to collaborate with each other and the homeowner,” says Osmond who is teaming up with two local designers to emphasize the point in a Main Stage presentation at the Calgary Home and Garden Show, running Feb. 27 to March 2 at Stampede Park.
Their presentation is called Grounded in Design and is a collaboration between Osmond and two interior specialists who attended a design and build workshop hosted by Alair Homes in late 2024. After that introduction, Brittany McNab of Fifteen Twelve Home Co. and Jess Byers of Lyn Designs asked Alair Homes to be part of the Calgary Renovation Show in January. The threesome found common ground in their desire to educate homeowners on the importance of a good design team during the renovation or building process, which led to the Grounded in Design presentation that they believe Home and Garden Show audiences will appreciate.
“We understand that deciding where to start can be overwhelming and confusing. First, select the right architect or designer and then, the build team. While they each have a separate role to play, most of the time they work together to ensure your project is executed flawlessly,” says Osmond.
It can take weeks or months of planning and collaboration between the various teams before construction even starts.
“We can’t stress how important this planning work is. Pre-construction is extremely important to ensure the lowest amount of risk for your project. The combined efforts of the design and build team ensures that your vision was clearly defined, executable and that care and craftsmanship are of the highest importance,” she says.
The Main Stage is a kitchen vignette, designed by McNab and Byers and built by Alair Homes. The company is a franchise founded 12 years ago in Nanaimo, B.C., and is the largest premium custom building and large-scale renovation company in the world.
“Alair Homes is the first of its kind franchise model. My partner, Byron Brooks and I own one of two Alair locations in Calgary with 107 locations across Canada and the U.S.,” she says.
Show times for Grounded in Design and all other Main Stage presentations are listed at calgaryhgs.com.
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