It’s a privilege to be invited into someone’s home. We approach this intimacy with care, respect, and a deep sense of responsibility.
our mission at Nyla Free Designs
We are committed to alignment — both personally and professionally — at the outset of every project. We work collaboratively alongside architects, builders, and trades, valuing the collective expertise that brings a home to life.
Our role is to lead with integrity, guiding clients through a considered process while shaping spaces with intention and care. The result is a home that feels thoughtfully considered, enduring, and uniquely your own.
our story
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2002
The dawn of social media for NFDI! I joined Twitter and started my blog, originally called “The Nyla Blog”.
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![Modern kitchen with white island and black bar stools, wooden cabinets, built-in oven, marble backsplash, and pendant lights.]()
2004
I built my business in Calgary, while living in Red Deer. I commuted back and forth every other week for over four years with my daughter in tow.
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2009
As our girls grew up, in order to get as much done as possible, I worked on the go. Cell phone and laptop in tow, I worked at and in between kids activities. There was never enough time in the day.
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2013
In 2013, I moved into my first office and started to build my team. I was ready to move my business to the next level. As our team expanded, I realized I wanted to grow in different ways. Over the next few years, my business model shifted.
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![Interior of a modern home with a woman walking up the staircase, a large mirror, a chair, a potted plant, and a cowhide rug.]()
2018
We moved into a larger office and were now a team of six.
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![Modern kitchen with white island, black chairs, wooden and white cabinets, marble backsplash, and white pendant lights.]()
2019
Our first national publication in House & Home magazine hit newsstands featuring our Country House project.
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![Founder of Nyla Free Designs Interior Design Studio standing in front of a wall covered with colorful interior design and travel photos, holding a floral photo album.]()
2022
NFDI turns 20! We celebrated with a big party alongside industry peers, suppliers, trades and friends and family.
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![Three women examining interior design samples, including fabric swatches, wallpaper, and wood finishes, spread out on a table.]()
2024
We renovated our office from top to bottom, designing it more in line with who we are and design details that share our story.
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![Three women laughing and discussing design samples or swatches at a table in a bright, modern indoor space.]()
2026
As we move towards our 25th anniversary, we’re the most centred we’ve ever been. Not only do we lean into our process, focus on our ideal client, and celebrate our projects, we lean on each other. We’re a family unit and our office is our home.
Meet the Team
Nyla Free Designs Inc
Nyla Free
Principal Designer | Chief Creative Officer
With a longstanding passion for people at the heart of her practice, Nyla founded Nyla Free Designs with a strong belief: meaningful spaces begin with meaningful relationships.
In 2002 Nyla started her business in the basement of her home in Red Deer, Alberta. Today, Nyla and her team are leaders in the interior design industry across Canada and beyond.
With a focus on residential projects, Nyla brings a considerate and collaborative approach to every project. Her appreciation for natural light, layered materials and a sense of ease and warmth in every space allows her design to feel deeply personal, timeless and thoughtful.
During the day, Nyla is typically connecting with her team on project development, ideating, planning, creative problem solving, relationship building, visiting sites and sourcing. No day is ever the same!
favourite part of the process:
“I love the tactility and hands-on approach of a project. Site visits are probably one of my favourite parts of the process, when you can immerse yourself in a space and really start to feel it.”
Get to know Nyla
A fun fact about Nyla is that she’s half South Asian.
What role do you play on the team? The Energizer Bunny
Favourite place you’ve travelled? Portugal
Early bird or night owl? Night owl
City or mountains? City
Books or podcasts? Podcasts
Favourite season? Fall
Ana Peña
Office Manager | Director of Client Care
For over 12 years, Ana has overseen extensive administration. Her efforts to support and encourage the success of every project are often behind the scenes.
With a background in executive assistance, she brings exceptional organization, foresight, and attentiveness to the care of each client and their project. Ana is a trusted, confident, caring member of our team, who never fails to show off a good dance move.
A typical day for Ana includes managing key operational details, overseeing orders, coordinating with vendors, tracking shipping, navigating deficiencies, and supporting client care and project finances.
When she’s not at work you can find Ana enthralled in a Korean drama.
“I'm obsessed with them and true crime podcasts. I also love watching my girls and my husband play soccer.”
Get to know Ana
A fun fact about Ana is that she loves tennis and hopes to attend every major international tournament, at least one ;)
What role do you play on the team? The Get-It-Done Girl
Favourite place you’ve travelled? Japan
Early bird or night owl? Night owl
City or mountains? City
Favourite season? Spring
Angela Sayers
Design Project Manager
Thoughtful, detail-oriented, and grounded force in every project, Angela or ‘Ange’ has experience in both residential and commercial interior design.
With a strong foundation in project management and facilities coordination, Angela supports projects from early planning through to completion. Her warm spirit and listening ear creates intentional spaces for client relationships.
Day-to-day you can find Ange coordinating our projects (aka: calendaring), connecting with clients, trades and contractors, selecting furniture and finishes, visiting sites and managing the minutiae of each project.
Outside of work, Ange enjoys getting outside her regular routine. She loves spending time in the mountains, trying new things and travelling.
favourite part of the process:
“I love that every client is different and each project varies from the last in terms of style, scope and personalities,” says Ange.
Get to know Angela
A fun fact about Ange is that she went to school for Holistic Nutrition before making a career change into design.
What role do you play on the team? The Naturalist
Early bird or night owl? Early Bird
City or mountains? A city with mountains
Favourite season? Fall
Paola Casasbuenas Solano
CAD Designer
Pao brings passion, energy and a little bit of spice to our team everyday. She is skilled in finishes, specifications, drawings and connecting interior design with branding and architecture.
Pao’s experience is international, spanning from small commercial projects to large-scale high-end residential work. She plays a key role in translating design concepts into precise, buildable documentation.
With a Bachelor of Architecture, a Bachelor of Design, and a postgraduate degree in Construction Project Management, Pao has additional training in BIM and Autodesk software, service management and interior design, with a keen interest in emerging technologies — including AI.
A day in the life of Pao might look like: designing and refining technical details, managing and supporting Ana Maria, our CAD wizard, and coordinating drawing production, connecting with clients, trades and contractors and visiting sites.
When she’s not at work, Pao loves travelling, experiencing architecture in different places and sharing amazing food with good company.
favourite part of the process:
“I enjoy connecting creative ideas with the technical precision required to bring them to life beautifully and successfully,” says Pao.
Get to know Paola
A fun fact about Pao is that she used to be in her school choir!
What role do you play on the team? The Cheeky One
Vintage or modern? Modern
Early bird or night owl? Early Bird
City or mountains? City
Books or podcasts? Books
Favourite season? Fall
Elena Bogomolova
Studio Assistant
As the youngest of our bunch, Elena brings enthusiasm, intentionality, thoughtfulness and a smile to work everyday. Elena works closely with our team to support product ordering and inspection, arrange deliveries, organize installations and communicate with vendors and suppliers to track orders and problem solve.
Studying to become a paramedic, Elena’s passion for people and care allow her to confidently shine in various environments. Whether she’s talking to suppliers or engaging with deliveries, her joy abounds.
When she’s not in the office, Elena considers herself “a bit of a grandma” as she enjoys hobbies such as collaging, crocheting and most recently pottery. She also finds herself in a boxing class two times a week.
favourite part of the process:
“I really appreciate seeing first hand how projects build over time, change, and evolve. Witnessing how the creativity flows and adapts to challenges is admirable and impressive,” she says.
Get to know Elena
Elena is trilingual! She speaks, English, Russian and Spanish.
What role do you play on the team? The Sweetheart
Favourite place you’ve travelled? California
Early bird or night owl? Night Owl
City or mountains? Mountains
Vintage or modern? Vintage
Books or podcasts? Books
Favourite season? Summer
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The Portfolio
Step inside our portfolio to take a deeper look at our full service interior design services.
