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October 28, 2020
Natasha Penzo McIntosh wears many hats. Mother of two, a realtor with the Debbie Penzo Team, founder at Urban Blueprint, a real estate development and lifestyle company, and recent founder of Homekin, an accessible solution for interior design. Natasha has a wealth of knowledge to share in all things property! We sat down with Natasha to see how she does it all and get insight into the many facets of her career.
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PRC: Tell us about yourself and what you do.
NP: My name is Natasha Penzo. My first job is as a wife, mother of two young children and our doggie Auggie. I am very passionate about the home and how people interact with their home and neighbourhoods, which has led to my exciting career in construction, design and real estate. I am the Co-Founder of Urban Blueprint, a design + build firm, based in Toronto that specializes in architectural planning, construction management, and interior design. I am a real estate agent with the Debbie Penzo Team at Chestnut Park specializing in residential real estate transactions servicing buyers, sellers, investors and renters. I just recently launched my new business Homekin, an online interior design platform that pairs our customers with interior designers who translate their inspiration into a furniture plan, style boards, rendering and shopping list based on their budget.
PRC: You wear a lot of hats! How do you balance it all?
NP: Every hat I wear in business is integrated so that each of the businesses that I am involved with can serve our customer through the full cycle of everything related to their home. In that regard, there is a lot of crossover and doesn’t feel as though I am wearing a lot of hats, just one big hat ☺
I am also very committed to my wellness regime and workout every morning to ensure I start my day off on the right track.
PRC: How long has Urban Blueprint been around? How has it changed over the years?
NP: Urban Blueprint has been in business for 6 years. My brother, Luca Penzo, and I co-founded the company together. Our vision has stayed the same, which is a seamless design + build experience for our customers from start to finish. The business has evolved in that we have built stronger vendor and trade relationships, so we are able to offer a more diverse experience with more access than when we initially started.
PRC: What is one of your most memorable projects?
NP: Every project is memorable for different reasons. Working on a very personal aspect for a customer - their home- we develop great relationships with our customers, and we definitely miss seeing them as often as we do once the project is over. However, a lot of our customers are repeat business, whether its for real estate or interior design and décor, so that’s exciting and then we get to hang out with them on a regular basis again.
PRC: What is the most common challenge you encounter in home renovation projects?
NP: The most common challenge is managing many stakeholders, from trades, the City for planning and permits, and vendors and suppliers. Right now, we are experiencing some challenges with Covid and industry-related delays.
PRC: Switching gears, how did the idea for Homekin come about?
NP: As a real estate agent with Debbie Penzo Team and a principal of Urban Blueprint, I spend the majority of my time in people’s homes. Over the years and thousands of consultations later, I would listen to their needs and felt we were missing a niche that wasn’t being served by either of our businesses - a service for customers who want the same access and expertise that a traditional interior designer offers but without the traditional interior design hours and process.
PRC: How does Homekin differ from traditional interior design?
NP: At Homekin, we offer design packages based on room size, so not the traditional billable model of $150 + / hour. We offer preferred pricing if a customer decides to do their entire home with us. We also offer an ‘Ask the Designer’ package where a customer can ask the designer a certain amount of questions for validation that they are on the right track.
Depending on what package is right for the customer, they receive a furniture floor plan, style boards, rendering and shopping list all based on their project. We also offer the customer preferred pricing from over hundreds of vendors.
It would just kill me to hear that someone purchased their entire room from one vendor because it was the easiest option, and then their room looks like a catalogue from one vendor instead of curated and personalized.
Homekin puts the power in the hands of the customer - it is the power of a space that is truly the customers. Customers are educated, they are on Pinterest, they are on Instagram - they need Homekin to help pull everything together, so we cater to any type of style.
PRC: What does a typical Homekin project look like?
NP: Each project is personalized for the customer. The customer fills out their style quiz and some Homekin onboarding questions, and then our Team gets to work. Within 3weeks, they receive their Homekin package including their furniture plan, style boards, rendering, and shopping list.
Our team is busy working towards the development of our e-commerce so that the customer can purchase all of the products directly through our website and social media.
PRC: What is your best tip for DIYers?
NP: Invest in the Homekin Ask a Designer package. This package starts at $149 so you can get the expertise of a designer to validate you are on the right track.
PRC: What is your favourite neighbourhood in Toronto and why?
NP: Summerhill -it’s where I live and to me - it’s Home.
Lightning round:
PRC: Thank you for taking the time to answer all of our questions today!
NP: Thanks for including me. I love collaborating with other new innovative businesses and am so excited about Park Road Concierge's valuable business proposition.
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