Profile

Maria A. Kim-Petzel bid rid

Practicing Interior Design since 2000, Maria is a professional Registered Interior Designer with the Interior Designers Institute of BC (IDIBC) and Interior Designers of Canada (IDC). 

Maria started her career in custom furniture design with Judson Beaumont at Straight Line Designs as a Design Assistant working a few summers prior to graduating from Kwantlen Polytechnic University with a Bachelor of Applied Design in Interior Design.  After graduation, Maria worked with well-known Vancouver interior design firms, BBA Design Consultants Inc. and Maxam Design International Inc.  As a Junior/Intermediate Designer she gained a vast knowledge in retail design by working on retail tenant improvements, ski resorts, and food court renovations for shopping centres across North America. 

Maria’s passion for design then turned to the world of restaurant design.  The opportunity to work at Earl’s Restaurant Ltd. as Senior Designer/Project Manager exposed her to the restaurant world, opening up twelve new restaurants throughout North America, and being able to work on award winning designs. 

In 2008, Maria left Vancouver to work as Senior Designer for Jeffrey Beers International in New York City.  Maria collaborated with leaders in the hospitality design industry, and completed the design for a Todd English restaurant at the newly built Intercontinental Hotel at Time Square before heading back to Vancouver in 2009 where she joined Joey Restaurant Group as Senior Project Designer.  During her time at Joey Restaurant she developed new design concepts and standards for the restaurants which can be seen at Joey Eaton Centre and Joey Yorkdale in Toronto, Ontario. 

Maria then joined Unison Construction Management as Director of Design to run the Design Department.  During her time in Unison, she was immersed in the world of corporate office tenant improvements.

Maria has been able to expand her experience in a wide range of interior design projects, custom furniture and lighting designs, and prides herself in being well versed in retail, restaurant, and corporate office interiors.  Being inspired throughout her life by Mies van der Rohe, she follows his respect for drawing inspiration from the materials being used and pays close attention to every detail.

“Each material has its specific characteristics which we must understand if we want to use it…”
“God is in the details.”

— Mies van der Rohe

In 2014, RAW Interior Design Inc. was created as a homage to Mies’ principles of the materials being used in all interior design aspects.  Maria looks forward to working closely with Clients on great interior spaces and growing Raw Interior Design Inc. to become a top professional interior design firm that provides great service and award winning designs.