Triple Dot Design Studio
British Columbia Chapter

Cara Hansen says the word that best describes her is “ambitious.” What else would you expect from someone who founded her own design firm just four years after earning a bachelor’s degree from CIDA-accredited Vancouver Island University in 2014? 

That ambition, combined with savvy design skills and business acumen (she grew up with parents who ran a construction company), resulted in 180% sales growth for her Vancouver-based Triple Dot Design Studio from its second to third year of business. Cara also experienced early success with multiple nominations, and wins, for local Georgie and HAVAN awards for some of her company’s inaugural projects.

“I have appreciation for all styles. But if I had to choose my personal preference, it would have to be a transitional design, something still modern but with details like panel molding or face-frame cabinets.”

With a design philosophy rooted in three fundamentals — functionality, aesthetics and longevity — Cara remains open to the myriad possibilities within a space. “I have appreciation for all styles,” she says. “But if I had to choose my personal preference, it would have to be a transitional design, something still modern but with details like panel molding or face-frame cabinets.”

Her favorite project is one she calls “A Rose By Any Other Name,” describing it as “an old heritage house that I was able to give a new lease on life. I created such a change to the floor plan and added back in some character elements that had been stripped away.”

Cara, who remembers making “a few bold color choices,” including a very deep burgundy paint, when decorating her own bedroom as a child, now loves seeing how much of an impact a transformed space can have on a client’s life. But she’s also committed to a work-life balance. “I find it’s really important to have time after work to unwind so I can be fresh and ready to create the next morning,” she says. “Being creative on demand can be challenging without down time!”

Her favorite indulgences include traveling (“Copenhagen has a piece of my heart”), eating great food, enjoying adventures around Vancouver and binging a good show on Netflix. Her two ultimate ambitions? “Build my own dream house and travel as much of the world as possible.”