Aleem Kassam - Principal

Aleem started his path in Interior Design in 2004 by obtaining a formal education at the Art Institute of Vancouver. He soon found himself with a desire for adventure and furthered his education abroad at the Art Institute of Chicago to obtain a Bachelors Degree of Interior Design & Sustainable Interior Architecture. He then attended the Domus Academy in Milan for Hospitality Design and the school of Central Saint Martins in London for Retail Design. This Global perspective inspired Aleem’s taste for design and personal style.

Aleem is a fixture in both the Interior Design Industry as well as a style icon (he was named one of Canada’s best dressed in 2017.) He has made various media appearances and has been involved in designing well-known spaces both locally and abroad.

"Design has no borders, nor should we or our interiors." -Aleem Kassam

Phyllis Lui - Principal

Embracing her passion for Interior Design, Phyllis decided to change her career from Finance and obtained her formal design training from the Art Institute of Vancouver. Since then, her career has taken off and she has become known in the Industry for her classic and tasteful style. Her designs have captured the attention of many and have been nominated for awards nation-wide.

Phyllis likes to keep herself busy running around town with multiple projects and personal endeavours on the go. She has a bit of an obsession with collecting art and pillows, especially if those items contain the colour Aqua. In her spare time Phyllis loves to travel the world and to spend time with her husband Shelby, kids Ayrton & Charlie, and her dog, a Jack Russell named Bruce.

Vanessa Banhaw - Intermediate Designer

Vanessa's fascination with the world of design and all things creative blossomed at an early age, driving her to pursue a career in interior design. After completing her Interior Design Diploma and NKBA (National Kitchen & Bath Associate) Certificate at BCIT, she left feeling more confident and inspired to design beautiful and happy homes. Enthusiastic, driven and always willing to learn new things, Vanessa brings a force of creativity and finesse to the Kalu team. Her positive attitude and ability to find humor in every situation (seriously, she laughs at everything!) makes her your go-to gal.

Sima Kazemi - Intermediate Designer

Here to make your design dreams a reality!

Being surrounded by the wonder of structural engineering in Iran inspired Sima’s interest in design. She studied to obtain her Bachelors Degree in Architecture and worked in Commercial High Rise Development for several years before realizing that she wanted to specialize in Interior Design.  

Although materials and colours excite Sima, she is most passionate about building meaningful relationships with each and every project she undertakes.

Outside of work you can find her doing yoga, hiking, and enjoying the amazing North Shore with her two beautiful boys and loving husband.

Cece Truong - Intermediate Designer

Cece has always been fascinated by all forms of art and is constantly drawing inspiration from her environments and travels. Her passion for the creative career was driven by love for contemporary and conceptual arts, as well as the many interactive abstract artworks she's done over the years. After Cece’s time living and studying Architecture in Australia and traveling to more than 20 countries, she settled in Vancouver and earned her Bachelor of Applied Design in Interiors Design at the Art Institute of Vancouver. 

Cece's willingness to learn, enthusiasm for everything beauty, and thriving on challenges make her a perfect fit to the Kalu team! She enjoys spending time outdoors, collecting antiques from her travels, and sketching her surroundings wherever she goes.

Clare Hardjowasito - Junior Designer

Since she was young, Clare has had an interest in anything to do with art and design, which led her to discover a passion for interior design. She pursued her design education at BCIT, earning her Certificate in Interior Design as well as her Diploma in Residential Interiors (NKBA). Through her travels and fascination with art history, she is constantly inspired by the various cultures, architecture, and natural beauty of the world.

When she's not in the office, Clare enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking with her dog, and sometimes jumping on a trampoline.

Claudia Sheillomita Velinda - Junior Designer

Born and raised in Indonesia, Claudia has always been enthusiastic in learning new and different things due to the cultural diversity of her surroundings. Through growing up, she has been consistently passionate about the Arts & Design world, particularly designing homes and creating beautiful spaces.

Claudia’s constant desire to explore more of the Interior Design industry led her to take a leap of faith by moving to Vancouver to pursue her studies, where she earned her Interior Design Certificate from BCIT. Not long after completing her studies, she was overjoyed when given the opportunity to dive deeper into the Interior Design industry and was extremely excited to design and build homes for people, together with the Kalu team.

In her free time, Claudia loves to play music, learn new recipes, and capturing the beauty of nature.

Meredith Dent - Junior Designer

Meredith has taken an interest in art and design from a very young age. Always an avid drawer, she pursued art since her childhood and first started taking an interest in interior design at age 12, going so far as to redecorate her bedroom as her first project.

Born and raised in Toronto, she moved to Vancouver to pursue a degree in Psychology and Creative Writing at UBC before enrolling at BCIT to study interior design. After completing her certificate in Interior Design Fundamentals, she followed her passion of creating innovative and welcoming spaces and began working at Kalu as a Junior Designer.

In her free time, Meredith often enjoys drawing, listening to music and hanging out with friends.