Hi, I’m Tracy
I’m an interior designer, artist, and furniture designer. I created this website in 2015 to provide simple, practical, easy-to-follow home decorating ideas. What started as a blog for my log home clients that covered traditional rustic decorating ideas has developed into an article-based website that reaches an audience seeking new ways to bring rustic, coastal, Scandinavian, traditional, bohemian, and farmhouse flair into their rural homes.
Canadian Log Home’s content has been well received by the community, and we now have home improvement, remodeling, and decorating guides, attracting thousands of visitors from across the globe every month.
EDUCATION
Interior Design: Montana State University
This program covered the theory and history of design, building construction, space planning, textiles, kitchen & bath design, and professional practices.
University of Calgary: English Literature
I attended courses to develop comprehensive written communication and critical thinking skills, conduct proper research and literary analysis, develop report-writing and fact-checking skills, analyze theories, and critique prose and verse.
4 Years Toronto Metropolitan University School of Interior Design (Ryerson)
Bachelor of Applied Arts/Interior Design Degree. This program covers all aspects of the interior environment, from corporate, residential, and hospital, focusing on health, wellness, inclusion, and sustainability.
My Journey
I grew up on a farm in rural Alberta with my parents and sister and enjoyed a childhood spent mostly outdoors – from camping and horseback riding to snowmobiling, 4-wheeling, and long hikes in the wilderness. We had two extensive vegetable gardens (one on our property and another down by the Smoky River) that kept us all very busy.
My father was a cowboy who had grown up on a horse ranch and passed on the skills of self-sufficiency and living remotely. He also worked for a home design company, and I would spend hours looking over the construction drawings he had prepared for his clients. I started to study drafting and was able to offer suggestions to him during the design process. This influenced my career decision to become an interior designer.
My first year in design was spent at Montana State University, and my second was studying English Literature and writing at the Univerity of Calgary. I then became a flight attendant for several years to provide the opportunity to travel.
I decided to return to university and spent four years obtaining a degree in Interior Design from Ryerson. After working as a designer for many years, I relocated to a rural community to enjoy an outdoor lifestyle again.
I became a partner and Vice President of a handcrafted log home company that shipped log home packages predominantly throughout the US and overseas. Aside from management, my responsibilities included designing log homes and creating architectural drawings and renderings. I also worked directly with our clients on interior design and landscaping projects for homes and lodges. This background provided the opportunity to work as the lead designer in several wilderness resorts.
I raised my children like I had been, with plenty of fresh air and outdoor activities and surrounded by a wonderfully supportive and kind community. We had a large vegetable, flower and herb garden, and I canned 1000’s jars of everything from tomatoes and homemade pasta sauce to pickles, soups, and peaches.
When my children were older, we moved to a coastal community to be closer to family. My children were also interested in careers requiring more diverse educational opportunities. My daughter is now a doctor in her third year of surgical residency, and my son is working towards his master’s in civil engineering. Although it was difficult to leave our small community, it was a good decision.
I now spend as much time as possible visiting my kids, exploring the great outdoors, and creating articles on interior decorating ideas, gardening, and landscape design. Best part of the job – I love researching each topic in depth and viewing images of beautifully designed homes. It’s a passion!
Remote snowmobiling with my daughter, Caitlin
Snowshoeing with my son, Dakota
Outdoor adventures in Australia (2023)with my mom, niece, brother-in-law and sister
BIO
As the founder of Canadian Log Homes, past Vice President of a handcrafted log home company, and an interior designer, Tracy Svendsen has provided her clients with information on decorating their homes for over 20 years. An artist and furniture designer, Tracy’s work and log home designs have appeared in various publications, including Log Home Living. Her love of writing led her to study English Literature at the University of Calgary and later to hone her writing skills.
Tracy has studied various design styles, from rustic and farmhouse to modern, coastal, bohemian, traditional, and eclectic. This allows her to create articles that resonate with diverse home decorating interests.
