WE’RE AN AWARD WINNING OTTAWA-BASED DESIGN AND BUILD COMPANY WHO JUST HAPPEN TO BE A LOT OF FUN TO WORK WITH.

Whether you want to update the look of your home, or rip out that ancient carpet and start from scratch- our talented team of designers, carpenters, painters and contractors work hard to create stunning and functional spaces that are as unique and individual as you are.

WE’VE GOT THIS

We deliver beautiful living spaces designed for every lifestyle. At Grassroots, we know renovating isn’t always fun, but we are! So whether this is your first time working with a designer or you’re a seasoned vet, we strive to make you comfortable from demo day to ‘I can’t believe this is my kitchen!’

Emma Doucet

CEO, Principal Designer,
Grassroots Design and Build

Founder and head Designer, Emma Doucet opened Grassroots Design & Build in 2012 after taking first place in House & Home Magazine’s budget-conscious design contest. Emma left her government position to open Grassroots and hasn’t looked back (ok…. maybe occasionally… reliability is not nothing!). Her designs reflect this belief in taking chances. She’s known for her use of bold colors, beautiful patterns, playful furniture pairings, natural materials, and her greatest love of all: wallpaper. Emma’s design aesthetic is grounded in her belief that beauty and function go hand-in-hand.  She feels grateful to have received numerous awards and magazine profiles over her decade-long career.  

Emma’s approach to design has been shaped by being a busy mother of three. She understands that living spaces need to evolve along with us as we move through different stages of life. Emma meets her clients where they’re at in their lives, designing with one eye to the future, while celebrating the past. She firmly believes that good decor and renovations start with imagination (a nod to her lifelong role model, Anne of Green Gables) and finish with impeccable custom construction. Emma is a trailblazer as one of the women CEO’s in the Ottawa construction industry. She’s worked tirelessly to make the field of construction more accessible to women.  She would be happy to talk your ears off about this issue if you give her an opening 😉

Emma is also a passionate champion for mental wellness. She is an advocate for safe working environments and housing for all those recovering from mental illness. Emma understands the critical importance of needing safe spaces for healing from her own lifelong struggles with the disease. You can read more about Emma’s experience with mental wellness on her blog “How Wallpaper Saved My Life”. 

Born and raised in Ottawa, Emma’s lifelong mission is to help remove all the stigma that surrounds mental illness and, that her hometown is boring and conservative, one reno at a time.  Easy peasy 😉

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TESTIMONIALS

“Emma and her team redesigned our entire ground floor and basement family room, including a full bathroom. We found her to be insightful, creative and engaged. She worked hard to understand our requirements and provided a professional guidance where we needed it. The result was an open, livable space for our family that suited our style perfectly. It was like getting new house. Absolutely worth it.”
Mia Raymond, Home Owner

TESTIMONIALS

Emma and her team redesigned our entire ground floor and basement family room, including a full bathroom. We found her to be insightful, creative and engaged. She worked hard to understand our requirements and provided a professional guidance where we needed it. The result was an open, livable space for our family that suited our style perfectly. It was like getting new house. Absolutely worth it.

Mia Raymond, Home Owner
More Glowing Reviews

Let’s talk about what we can do for you.