Where Montessori insights meet practical tips for everyday family life.
Say yes to “yes” spaces! Explore featured interviews, workshop replays, blog posts, and more.
Having spoken to 250+ parents through workshops at Montessori schools and parent groups across the GTA, and appearing on live television and in trusted publications, I bring Montessori-grounded reframes and practical tips to help you bring more calm, creativity, and connection to life with littles.
Subscribe to Show & Tell, my monthly roundup of child development insights, family-friendly design tips, and client project recaps.
For media and partnership inquiries: hello@chezshaydesigns.com
AS SEEN ON
From television interviews and published features to community workshops and practical blog posts, this is where you'll find conversations, insights, and resources designed to help you create calmer, more connected spaces for your little ones.
On Air
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![Toronto kids interior designer Sophie Shay with Breakfast Television hosts Meredith Shaw and Sid Seixeiro]()
Breakfast Television
I share with hosts Meredith Shaw and Sid Seixeiro my top tips to maximize the spaces we have at home with kids.
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![Toronto kids interior designer Sophie Shay with CTV Your Morning host Lindsey Deluce]()
CTV Your Morning
I share with host Lindsey Deluce my top tips to maximize the spaces we have at home with kids.
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![Toronto kids interior designer Sophie Shay with CTV Your Morning host Kelsey McEwen]()
CTV Your Morning
I share tips with host Kelsey McEwen on easing the back-to-school transition for families with young kids, using Montessori principles.
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![Toronto kids interior designer Sophie Shay with CHCH Morning Live host Louis Butko]()
CHCH Morning Live
I share tips with host Louis Butko on easing the transition from school to summer break for families with young kids, using Montessori principles.
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![Toronto kids interior designer Sophie Shay with CP24 Breakfast hosts Jennifer Hsiung and Nick Dixon]()
CP24 Breakfast
I share tips with hosts Jennifer Hsiung and Nick Dixon on easing the transition from school to summer break for families with young kids, using Montessori principles.
In Print
Today’s Parent
“This can be as simple as a kid-sized table and chair set, with accessible art supplies nearby,” says Sophie Shay. “It invites open-ended creativity, helps develop…”
Workshop Replay
“Kids’ Space Design” Workshop
In my workshop with Toronto’s Westside Montessori School, I share how Montessori principles can be applied at home to foster, calm creativity, and connection.
Topics covered:
The environment as the third teacher
Montessori’s 4 Planes of Development and what it means for our home environment
Sophie’s 5 Montessori home design principles used in every client project
In the Community
Yorktown Family Services
Sophie, alongside some of Toronto's top interior designers, gathered to support children's mental health services through Yorktown Family Services' inaugural PillowTime event — raising $97,644 in total!
True to her roots as a kids’ interior designer, Sophie partnered with her 7-year-old daughter to transform her drawings into one-of-a-kind custom pillows for auction. Very fitting for a studio built around kids and the spaces they call their own!
In the Journal
Sorry! That’s Not Montessori
Montessori is a term that is being tossed around often. Everywhere you look, toys or furniture are being marketed as being “Montessori.” As a kids' space designer who specializes in using child development and Montessori principles in all her designs, I'm here to demystify the myths surrounding this popular term.
How to Design an Art Space for Kids
I'm excited to share my top 5 tips for creating your very own kids' art space. Whether you're working with an idle corner or have the room for a dedicated space (just like my recent client project), I can promise you it's absolutely worth it!