“I try to think local, and I love repurposing things.”

26.08.15_WesternLiiving_79044 copy “I may not know the answer to everything, but I’m always looking for a new way to use products,” laughs interior designer Jamie Banfield. He’s built a custom countertop from wood found in the Richmond Olympic Oval’s scrap pile, and is currently working to construct a table made from railroad ties and an old tree stump (“I try to think local, and I love repurposing things”). While his designs are filled with West Coast flair—think wood and stone accents, and beach-inspired colour palettes—Banfield also focuses on functionality. Interior design, he says, is about “being an artist, but also being an engineer on the practical side of things.”Catch Jamie sharing his design tips at the Vancouver Home and Design Show (October 22-25) and the Edmonton Fall Home Show (October 23-25).More from Jamie Banfield: It’s All Relative: 5 Designer Tips for Your Family Home