Valerie has loved to decorate and beautify homes as long as she can remember. For twenty years she had done this for her family and friends – decorating, managing renovations, and preparing her own homes to sell – all of which entailed changing addresses on a routine basis. Finally her family decided they wanted to stay put and stop moving, so Valerie had to find another outlet for her creativity.
Fired by her creative drive and love of home beautification, Valerie decided to apply her skills outside the home. In February 2004 her son Kyle helped her come up with the company name 'First Impressions', and two days later she had her first professional engagement. The rest is history. Valerie has been working in the Kingston area ever since, and continues to love beautifying people's homes.
Michelle Gagnon
Michelle graduated in 1993 with a 'Diploma of Interior Design'. She then worked in the Ottawa area as a freelance interior designer, as well as a member of interior design teams working on larger commercial projects. After settling into Kingston with her family in 2008, it didn’t take long for Michelle to cross paths with Valerie. Michelle joined Valerie’s team at First Impressions in 2010.
They have worked together on designing kitchens, bathrooms, and whole-house renovations using their complementary approaches to interior design. Valerie and Michelle thoroughly enjoy providing well-considered, personalized design solutions to help clients achieve their home-beautification goals.
Skilled Trades
Led by Valerie, the team is made up of organizers, electricians, carpenters, plumbers, painters, movers, cleaners, flooring installers, to name a few. We are an enthusiastic group who enjoy beautifying homes.