It’s been seven years since her last gig at the Ottawa Home & Remodelling Show, but celebrity designer Sarah Richardson is finally back at the end of the month headlining the main stage.
Not that Richardson, who’s also a best-selling author of four books and has starred in nine HGTV series, has been cooling her heels. Since her last Ottawa home show appearance in 2018, the human dynamo has launched a popular, renovation-focused YouTube series, continued to build her residential design business servicing clients in North America and abroad, expanded her collaboration with international brands as well her own collection of products, and completed an island cottage renovation in Georgian Bay, Ont., with her husband, Alexander Younger, all while raising a busy family, including two ski-loving daughters.
All Things Home caught up with Richardson during a winter break at a Collingwood, Ont., ski resort.
Edited for length and clarity.
It’s been some time since we last saw you in Ottawa. Did you step back from the home show circuit?
Most of them are in this season, and I have ski racers — I have one who’s a very avid racer. And I like to be able to spend my weekends with my family. So, I don’t do many of them. But I’m coming for this one and missing a race!
Ottawa will be happy you’re back. What will you speak about?
A little bit about trends and what’s happening in 2026. For me, what’s most important is sharing insights. One of the things I find super interesting is that everything’s going back to this more classic traditional style and a reappreciation for antiques and everything vintage. It feels like all that’s old is new again.
I think there’s an appreciation for our environmental footprint and a slower approach to living. I think that that movement, it’s just built and built. Literally, three years ago you couldn’t give away a piece of pine furniture and now, funnily enough, I was on Facebook Marketplace this morning looking at stuff and prices have gone way up. Everything was so modern for so long and then at some point the pendulum always swings. There’s such comfort in tradition and quality. I think we finally realized as a society that buying less and buying better and for the long haul is what makes sense over fast, disposable and cheap.
These are unsettled, even scary times. Do you see that reflected in design trends?
Sure, it is. I guess at its core is an appreciation for things that are handmade. I truly hope that part of the response to all of this is that there will be a greater appreciation for trades and every element of life that is only able to be done with human hands. I can only imagine that the lack of control people feel over certain areas could be reinforced by wanting to surround themselves with comfort.
While you’re not currently on HGTV, you seem to have been busy on YouTube.
I’ve done lots of YouTube content, but over the past year I’ve spent my focus creating short-form content on Instagram. What I enjoy about social media is being able to share (and) the instantaneous ability to communicate. It keeps the dialogue so fresh and allows me to feel really connected with the people I’m sharing it with. I see the feedback and know instantly what resonates.
You’ve created wallpaper and other collections for collaborators like Kravet. Do you have any new collaborations in the works?
I have a new one that’s just about to be announced — a collection of facial tissue boxes, which sounds funny, but sustainability is important to me. I have never put tissue boxes out in my house because I think they’re so ugly. People are like, “Do you have any facial tissue?” I’m like, “No, there’s toilet paper.” So, somebody said to me, “Would you do this?” And I was like, “Absolutely.” It’s this collection where I took my own photographs of elements in nature and manipulated them digitally into graphic patterns and then recoloured them. I literally did every single step of the process myself. I think I would design anything as long as I can apply my creative lens and approach and passion to it.
What inspired you to become a designer?
I was creative since I was a little kid. I used a sewing machine when I was five. I wanted to be a graphic designer when I was in Grade 6. I wanted to be a fashion designer by the time I was in Grade 8. Creativity sort of found me. I never set out to be an interior designer or on TV. I never had life goals and plans like that. Everything was just kind of serendipitous; I was just a busy bee.
You’ve used your own home, an off-grid farmhouse on 100 acres, in photo shoots, and what we see always looks perfect. But does it ever look like a hurricane has just gone through Sarah Richardson’s home?
Hey, of course it does. My husband got the kids these incredible flying saucer toboggans, and I walked in and nearly tripped on everything right in the middle of the hall. Life is busy but I sort of don’t relax. If there’s mess, I like to tidy up and then I can sit peacefully and really live in my house.
If you visit a friend or family member’s home that’s messy, do you get anxious?
I wouldn’t feel as relaxed. I’d probably help clean up. I’m not judging! For me, I think without spending a penny, anything can be the best it can be.
♦
Sarah Richardson is on the main stage Friday, Jan. 30, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m.
Also at the Ottawa Home & Remodelling Show
Jam-packed with home improvement experts, design inspiration and advice, there’s lots to see and experience at the show, which runs Jan. 29–Feb. 1. Here are a few highlights:
- Unwind with a cold beverage, a snack and a comfy seat at the Perth Brewery Lounge.
- An indoor backyard showcase is being created with home show partner Bennka Landscapes, including water features, walkways and outdoor furniture and pergolas.
- Main stage speakers include Decor Therapy Plus’s Sue Pitchforth (Design 101 – Tips, Trends and Inspiration for Your Home), Amsted Design-Build’s Lindsay Haley (Your Home Designed with Intention), and Loving Life Chiropractic’s Dr. Craig Hindson Beng (Bullet Proof Your Lower Back: Essential Spine-Saving Tips for Renovating, Lifting and Living Pain-Free at Home).
- All Things Home’s Anita Murray is back as the main stage host as well as bringing audiences up to speed on How to Keep Your Reno from Going Off the Rails.
For more show details, such as times and admission, ottawahomeandremodellingshow.com. (See the ad on All Things Home for discounted tickets.)
