My Dad: The Man Who Reads the Manual (Because Of Course He Does)

Above: This little room is where Nest & Notion takes shape — one design plan (and cat paw print) at a time.

Before I ever became a designer, I learned how to demo a deck, read a manual, and use a spreadsheet — thanks to my dad. This isn’t just a Father’s Day post (though yes, it’s a love letter). It’s a story about how early renovation lessons, hands-on problem solving, and a high-functioning family project lead shaped how I work today — and how I help my clients now. If you’ve ever roped your dad into a reno, or learned the smart way to approach a project from someone close to you, you’ll get this.

If you’ve ever wondered who those thick product manuals are actually written for — it’s my dad. 

He’s the guy who reads them cover to cover. For fun. 

He’s also the guy who will happily spend hours (days, even) researching something online — a new car, a software update, the perfect cat name. (We once got a cat and he spent DAYS deep in research, only to proudly announce he’d chosen “Dusty” — for Dusty Springfield, naturally.) 

That curiosity and love of learning has always been one of his most “classic dad” traits. If you asked a question at dinner, he might not know the answer right away — but you could bet that by the next morning, after hours of research at the computer, he’d have it ready to tell you (whether you still cared or not). 

Growing Up With Dad 

Some of my strongest memories of my dad aren’t the big, flashy ones — they’re the little, ordinary moments that stuck. 

Like coming home from school, curling up on a chair, and waking up to the sound of the stove fan and the smell of his spaghetti sauce simmering away. To this day, I can still hear that fan in my head. 

We played catch in the yard. He read me bedtime stories. We had long, nerdy discussions about why words are spelled the way they are — like why “cupboard” isn’t pronounced “cup-board” (seriously, why?). 

And when it came to schoolwork, he was my original IT guy. We spent hours at the computer together over the years — he taught me so much about how they worked. Even in university, when I took a coding class, I’d send him my broken homework files. He’d email me back a fixed version with notes explaining what I’d done wrong — and once told me, “I see what you were trying to do — and that was clever.” Those moments meant more than he probably realized. 

And the humour? That’s another thing I get from him. My dad is super quiet — which only makes it funnier when he lands a perfectly timed zinger. I definitely inherited my dry sense of humour from him. 

One of many days learning from Dad — sign building 101. What’s a Little Boomer you ask?? Zero clue.

The Fun Stuff 

He does have a few signature moves: 

✓  His favourite phrase? “Bob’s your uncle” (convenient, since his name is Bob). 

✓  His wake-up method when I was a kid? Flick the bedroom light on and off repeatedly, then leave the room — with the light on. Who wakes someone up like that?! 

✓  The hair twirling. When he’s thinking, he twirls his hair between his fingers. I’ve developed a version of this too (mine’s a little more destructive, but still — I can totally picture him at the computer, twirling away. We joke that he twirled the curl right out of his hair). 

And some classic family stories: 

When I was little, I made him a “tie” out of cardboard — coloured it horribly, was so proud — and was devastated when he wouldn’t wear it to work (he is not a tie guy... I’ve maybe seen him in a suit three times in my life). But he did hang that tie on the fridge for years. I think it only came down when they replaced the appliances sometime around 2005! 

I also remember going to Take Your Kids to Work Day with him. He was SO excited to tell us all about fuzzy logic (he tried to convince us it was the coolest thing ever). Later in the day, we saw a virtual reality demo — which was, admittedly, cool — but I think my dad still won for sheer passion about his topic. 

And of course... the food thing. We tease him mercilessly about this. He has the world’s most sensitive taste buds — new or bold flavours are generally a no-go. A good ol’ PB&J sandwich? Always a win. He’s predictable that way. 

My dad thinking he’s pretty funny!…probably right after sticking a punch line of a classic dad joke!

Dad Today 

Some things about my dad haven’t changed — and probably never will. 

He’s always been a guy who likes things neat, tidy, and just so. Cleaning? He’s been passionate about that for as long as I can remember (definitely not a trait I inherited). These days, you’ll often find him happily cleaning the pool — even though he complains every year about the squirrels launching acorns into it from the oak tree. Every year he threatens to cut that tree down... but I think he secretly likes having the excuse to clean.  Or at our place meticulously cleaning up a mess we made and stacking the dumpster with the precision of a Tetris master!

As for his style? Classic dad comfort-wear: pajama pants and a T-shirt, or sometimes track pants if he’s feeling fancy. Jeans are strictly reserved for rare occasions. In other words — consistent, efficient, and no fuss. Very on brand. 

Precision cutting even when it comes to stacking dumpsters! Tetris Level 10,000 unlocked!

Why He’s Awesome 

He is brilliant. Curious. Exacting. A “measure 57,000 times, cut once” kind of guy. 

He’s absolutely influenced how I approach life — and business. He taught me the value of learning new things, of planning and thinking before executing. He gave me the confidence to tackle hard things and figure them out (or Google them — which, let’s face it, is a life skill). 

He’s also the one who taught me how to use tools and build things with my hands: 

→ He built a shed by himself in his backyard. 

→ Helped us build our first deck. 

→ Came to our house to haul wood, bricks, and garbage — and meticulously rearranged the dumpster to use every last inch of space (and scolded the tradespeople who’d thrown things in haphazardly). 

→ Helped us get our first rental ready — pitching in on all the renos. 

And yes, I absolutely inherited my perfectionist streak from him. He always wanted things done just so — and now so do I. 

Oh — and he cuts his own hair. Always has, always will. Except that one time, before my wedding, when I made him go to a real barber. He did it. Begrudgingly. (Thanks, Dad.) 

One of many projects Dad has helped us tackle — always with precision. Pretty sure this was our 17th “let’s just check it one more time”

Happy Father’s Day 

He’s the guy who quietly makes life better in a hundred little ways you don’t always notice — until you do. 

He’s taught me more than he knows. 

And today, I get to say: 

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. 

Now go enjoy your PB&J. Bob’s your uncle. 

A sweaty pair celebrating the fruits of his labour! Happy Father’s Day , Dad.

Need someone who can balance the practical and the emotional on your project? I work with clients the way my dad taught me — with smart strategy and sleeves-rolled-up energy.