Salix Studio
Alberta, Canada

Mandy Wozniak might just be starting on her career path, but she’s already invested considerable effort into creating a work-life balance that benefits not only herself but also her clients and her community. Years before the Bonnyville, Alberta resident took the bold leap to found her own interior design business, Salix Studio, at age 23, she routinely rearranged and redecorated her bedroom as a teen and later earned second place in the kitchen category in NKBA’s Student Design Competition while studying for her Interior Design Technology diploma at Lakeland College. She went on to receive her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Yorkville University, where she completed her senior thesis on mental health in adolescence. 

Turning her words into actions, Mandy volunteered to help create a local community Youth Hub that integrates health and social services. The project remains one of her most memorable, based on her “strong desire to help others and impact individuals in a meaningful way,” she says. But equally dear to her heart is her current project, the Salix Studio Show Home, which “embodies my full creative undertaking and personal design direction.”

“My goal is to create spaces that resonate with users and serve their needs above all else.” 

What is Mandy’s design style? “My personal design preferences tend to be based on authenticity rather than aesthetic,” she says. “Does the furniture, finish or equipment have sustainability features, do they honor the culture or surrounding landscape and will the design serve people to its fullest potential? My goal is to create spaces that resonate with users and serve their needs above all else.” 

In her daily routine, Mandy is equally meticulous, the word that she says best describes her. In addition to connecting with clients and working on projects, her day isn’t complete without self-care. “Putting effort into moving my body and fueling my mind with good food, good connections and room to reflect at night is very important to me,” she says. Also top of mind: Ryley, her husband of two years, and the couple’s one-year-old Red Heeler pup, Chief, and two American Quarter Horses, Whiskey and Rocky. And while Mandy professes multiple life goals, one tops her list: “Impacting people’s lives for the better.”