Meet Isabelle
Isabelle is the creator, producer and host of the award-winning DIY home design show Engineer Your Space (EYS). Affectionately referred to as the love child of MacGyver and Martha Stewart, here are some tidbits about Isabelle and her background that may surprise you.
She Started Out As A Building Engineer
The path to creating Engineer Your Space was anything but a straight line, and it all started with a successful career as a building engineer designing HVAC systems for large commercial buildings.
English Isn’t The Language Isabelle Grew Up Speaking
Some may have detected Isabelle’s accent but few people guess where it comes from. She grew up in a small town near Montreal, Canada, in a French-Canadian family.
Isabelle and her sidekick have been together for 18 years
It was love at first sight – one look at those big green eyes and Isabelle just had to bring Lia home from a local shelter. Lia has also become a pro at moving like her mom, and she has been know to make a few cameo appearances in some EYS episodes.
Isabelle Didn’t Own A Drill Until Her 30’s
Looking at how Isabelle handles tools now, you might think that she grew up around tools or was surrounded by handy people that were experts at carpentry or construction. Not exactly! While she did enjoy crafty hobbies, no one had ever taught her any specific woodworking or construction skills growing up. Her DIY journey started out with doing simple projects like reupholstering chairs or refurbishing an antique trunk, and she gradually worked her way up to building shelves out of wood, to eventually building a Queen size Murphy bed from scratch.
No space is too small to get the Engineer Your Space treatment
From tiny neglected balconies to micro studio apartments, Isabelle always finds a way to transform them into inspiring spaces that are both functional and beautiful. She never shies away from a challenge: the more restrictions and limitations there are, be it lack of space, budget or too many landlord constraints, the more her creative juices start flowing and clever solutions come to life.
7 years is the longest she’s ever stayed in one place
A fun fact about Isabelle is that she grew up moving a lot (mostly because her mom needed a fresh house to decorate!) and she continued to do the same as an adult, rarely staying longer than 3-4 years in one apartment. She’s seen her fair share of rental apartments that were less than ideal and that’s one of the reasons why she’s so passionate about sharing her ideas for “engineering” spaces – she wants everyone to feel empowered to create a home they love. She’s been in her LA apartment for 7 years now, and counting!
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