By Donna Heiderstadt

Asked for the one word that best describes her, Valerie Furazhenko replies, “caffeinated.” But that’s the only outside energy source she requires — the rest comes purely from within. Now 28 and the Owner and Lead Designer at Newmarket, Ontario-based Viola House, the evolved identity of Valerie Iush Interiors, she moved to Canada by herself from a small town in Siberia at age 18 to pursue her passion for design. Valerie later earned diplomas in Fashion Business and Interior Design, established her full-service residential design studio in 2020 during the pandemic, worked on pivotal projects that helped shape her career, and got married and had a son, Nicolas, who is now one year old. Caffeinated. Got it.

Family is at the heart of everything she does, says Valerie, and luckily, a passion for kitchens and baths is in her DNA (her mother is also an interior designer). “I’ve always been drawn to spaces within a home that hold transformative power,” she said, “and kitchens and baths are just that — the heart and soul of a home, where functional beauty can significantly enhance both the living experience and property value.”

Valerie’s personal design preferences reflect her penchant for improving the at-home experience for her clients. “I have a soft spot for designs that stand the test of time — classically beautiful yet functional, with a modern edge that ensures freshness and relevance,” she noted.

Looking back at her proudest accomplishments, Valerie cites achieving over $715,000 in sales at Cesario & Co, a luxury plumbing and tile showroom, which helped her realize the impact she could have through creative design and strategic marketing. Her second career highlight, she says, was renovating a downtown Toronto condo, revamping its baths and kitchen to create a chic urban oasis. Lastly, Valerie is also proud to have launched a home decor subscription box, an initiative to help people build their home decor collection from scratch with curated seasonal products.

As a designer, Valerie says her greatest satisfaction comes from the final reveal of each project. “Seeing all of my hard work come together, witnessing my vision materialize, and ultimately, observing the joyous reaction of my clients — these moments are truly rewarding,” she said. As a wife and mom, she also finds satisfaction in a successful work-life balance. “I’m happily married to the love of my life and a mother to an incredible little boy,” she said. “Balancing the demands of work and family life is an art, one that I am continually refining, with family always at the heart of everything I do.” Even if she and the fourth member of the family, a cat named Lisa, share “a rather love-hate relationship.”