A new interior decorating showroom will offer Bermudians classy fabrics and tiles from around the world.

Beth MacDonald Interior Decorating (BMID) in Warwick will showcase numerous tile, carpet and fabric collections including Voyage, Robert Allen, Duralee, Sea Cloth and more in everything from cottons, silks, faux suede and linens to outdoor and commercial fabrics.

"BMID also carries window coverings that cater to Bermuda's sunny weather, including, sheer double-wide fabrics," said director and designer Beth MacDonald.

BMID offers full service interior design as well as a selection of tiles, including Ann Sacks, Akdo, mosaics, and an unlimited selections of carpet and furniture through custom orders. The showroom also orders lighting options from around the world.

"We have always tried not to duplicate the product lines of other showrooms and companies in Bermuda," she said. "Therefore, we try to offer something unique to our clients."

She likes to go the boutique route, because she finds exciting products.

"Usually, we try to hit a fairly reasonable price point," she said. "They are high in price point, but they are not at the top. That is our aim.

"We try to offer diversity too. That is our fabrics. Originally, I did a lot of work with the local showrooms. I am still happy to do work with local showrooms, but I started picking up product lines to fill in the gaps. As you get more involved and interested, you can't help but get other ones. It is very exciting. It is a fun process."

Ms MacDonald was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and has dual Bermudian and Canadian nationality.

Since an early age she was interested in design, space and colour, as well as art, interiors, fashion and architecture. She graduated from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1998.

"I have always been really creative through high school and also good at mathematics," she said. "Interior design seemed a natural bridge combining the art with the mathematics."

She started BMID in 2002, and said her company's approach is different from that of other designers.

"I think what separates any designer from another designer is basically their taste and skill sets," she said. "When interviewed by clients for potential jobs, I always tell them to find a designer that they can relate to or adhere to.

"But it is also important that a designer act as a chameleon and present the client's vision, instead of the designer's."

BMID's niche market is the high-end residential and corporate world, but they have also done restaurants and hotels.

Ms MacDonald said she has a lot of fun with her work and goes through different phases of exploration.

"Right now, I am absolutely obsessed with tile," she said. "For a long time, probably the first eight years of being in this business, I was absolutely addicted to fabric.

"Kim Hughes, the other designer, and I travel. Even before we worked together we went to look at other show rooms and things like that. We hit mostly London and New York, although I have also been to France.

"As a designer I think it is the hunt of finding amazing products that is exciting," she said.

Ms MacDonald also has a passion for kitchen design.

"It rocks my world," she said. "That is a real example of combining the creativity with mathematics.

I do a lot of soft furnishings and fabrics, but I will happily take any kitchen that comes my way.

"It is great fun. I like working with the computer programme. It is also great because you need to balance function with form. The kitchen is probably the most important room in the house and needs to function efficiently. That balance is great. I love following all of the wonderful new appliances out there doing incredible stuff. I have the most amazing local carpenter.

"With kitchens, you get into the fun stuff, back splash, curtains, fabrics, carpets, lights. So it really covers everything I like. I will wake up very early just to have a few minutes with my coffee and work on a kitchen."

BMID is a family business. Her husband Geoffrey Stone does the office support. They have a ten month old son, Oliver.

Ms MacDonald said the proliferation of design television shows have had good and bad fallout on her business.

The good is that clients are inspired. The bad is that their expectations are sometimes over the top.

"In Bermuda, we don't have all of the supplies in our backyard at the backyard prices you see on television.

"Bermuda is an incredibly hard wearing environment. It is just not worth putting something in that is low quality, at any price.

"It just won't wear and will fall apart quickly."

For more information, telephone BMID at 236-9459.