Co-Founder / Kalu Interiors
Phyllis is an established Interior Designer, based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
The Designer
I began my Interior Design journey some 18 years ago. I always say that there are two types of talent. There is natural talent and then there is learned talent. Design did not come easy to me and I had to work very hard at it….maybe harder than some of my classmates. It was against everything that I had been previously taught so it was a lot of unprogramming and rethinking.
However, I found my stride and worked my way up until clients and developers began to truly hear my voice and bring my vision to life. After years of working for agencies and developers, I took a leap and became an entrepreneur—fulfilling a lifelong dream of building my own firm and now expanding into new and exciting opportunities.
Fast forward to the today and Kalu Interiors is an immensely recognized and award winning Interior Design Firm in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Back in 2007, I had partnered with my Art Institute of Vancouver classmate (and best friend), Aleem Kassam, and together we’ve built something truly special. Our years of friendship, shared vision, and complementary strengths have allowed us to grow as designers and business owners.With over 500 projects spanning from Vancouver to Los Angeles to Chicago, we have poured our hearts into every space we create.
My style could be best described as Playful Glamour. Bold and vibrant, filled with intense color, sleek silhouettes, and rich textures. I always strive to strike the perfect balance between polished glam and a sense of fun that makes every space feel alive.
The Mother
I began my motherhood journey much later in life than many others. For the longest time it didn’t seem that motherhood was in the cards or that it aligned with what I thought I wanted.
I had always been focused on building my career, chasing my dreams, and carving out a life on my own terms. The idea of becoming a mother felt like stepping into a role I didn’t quite see myself in and felt like it belonged to someone else’s story. I carried a lot of uncertainty, questioning whether I could be the kind of mother I would want to be, and whether I was willing to let go of parts of myself to step into something so unknown especially in such a later stage in my life.
But when it happened (in my 40s?!), it shifted everything. Becoming a mother softened me, stretched me, and grounded me all at once. It didn’t erase who I was before and it added a different depth to it. My children have become the most beautiful and humorous part of a life I didn’t know I was missing. It is definitely not always easy, and there are still days when I wrestle with the balance between ambition and presence, but being their mother has brought a clarity and joy that I never could have imagined.
My Brands
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Kalu Interiors
Kalu Interiors was formed in 2007. For more than a decade, this Vancouver-based design firm has been known to break barriers in the industry and design award-winning spaces. Partners, Aleem and Phyllis, focus on creating thoughtfully curated interiors that enhance and inspire how their clients live. While they both have very individually unique styles and sensibilities for design, the pair share an undeniable passion for interior design. It is this passion that has led them to understand the importance of personal style and space for their clients’ homes.
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Cush Potato Pillows
Pillow obsessed and award winning Interior Designer, Phyllis Lui can never have enough decorative pillows. Wanting to find the perfect design or just the right color for her client was a never ending battle. She gave birth to her two children and oh, Cush Potato Pillows was born with the help of her husband.
Cush Potato Pillows is on a mission from being one small potato to offering gunny sacks of pillows for anyone in need of a specific color or design.
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The Unfoodie
Yes, you read that right. For those of you finding yourselves as the opposite of a foodie, this place is for you.
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Adrienne Alexander Homes - Coming Soon
Something exciting is in the works!