In this episode of In Development, Ryan and Olivia sit down with Nancy Surby, Principal of
NAKO Design - a full service interior design firm. Nancy dives into how NAKO came to be, the influences of travel and lifestyle on NAKO’s style, the company’s core values and the nuances and challenges of entrepreneurship. Nancy also provides her thoughts on infill design across Alberta and compares housing within the inner cities to those in the suburbs. Listen to the full episode to hear Nancy share about NAKO’s unique projects, designing for longevity, and multi-general living, as well as of the importance of becoming educated as a client.
Nancy Surby is a self-appointed insanely passionate creative who loves design; when she is not working, she is still researching, reading, and discussing design with her carpenter husband Karl. In August of 2019 she stepped out on her own creating NAKO Design after thirteen years of working with talented architects and designers across various sectors; this included leading designs on high profile mixed-use buildings: prominent city projects such as the TWOSE Planetarium, recreational facilities like the Jasper Place Pool Renovation, and boutique commercial spaces. Combining her creative and technical skills with her list of extensive travel experiences from all over the world, including a short living stint in Australia, she approaches each project with authenticity, designing specifically to each client. Her focus has always been function meets timelessness’ quoting her clients are investing in ‘forever’ not 'trendy'. This encourages collaboration with builders and makers within each city that her projects take her, which currently is across Canada from BC to Nova Scotia. When she is not working and not designing, she enjoys being active in the mountains whether hiking or skiing, or being calm practicing yoga.