About Us

HELLO! IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU. We’re Home Designers ready to listen and
deliver spaces that truly feel and function like YOU.

A modern living room showcases the expertise of home designers, featuring a light wood ceiling, gray sofa, and round coffee table. The view reveals a staircase with a glass railing, while large windows flood the space with natural light.

There isn’t a design challenge or complexity that we aren't up for.

From compact homes on narrow city lots to expansive 20,000 square foot estate homes on properties throughout the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland, we’ve done it all.

Over the years we have evolved into one of the highest reputed home design firms in the Fraser Valley and beyond, known among the trades for quality detailed plans and stunningly functional concepts.

Custom home design is where we excel. Maybe you’ve noticed our signs around town. We also specialize in large scale home renovations and additions, Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) like carriage houses and garden suites, barns and shops, office buildings and tenant improvements, and multifamily housing.

People are our highest priority and we pride ourselves in excellent communication and honing into our clients’ needs. We listen well and love to ask the right questions that allow us to unleash our creativity and develop vision on any project. Working within constraints of local building codes and drawing on our deep understanding of the ALR and ALC, we create showstopper designs that are highly functional and customed to our clients’ wish list.

Sound like you want to work with us? We’d love to meet with you.

Logo of the Canadian Home Builders' Association British Columbia, designed by a leading design firm, featuring a house with maple leaves and the organization's name in text.
Logo with an illustration of a house and the text "BCABD BUILDING DESIGNERS" in black and gray on a white background, representing a professional design firm.
ASTTBC Technology Professionals logo in black text on a white background, ideal for use by any design firm seeking a professional and modern image.

Who We Work With

Line drawing of a large, two-story house with multiple gables and windows, skillfully crafted by talented home designers, surrounded by trees.
Homeowners

Most of our clients are home owners who come directly to us looking to build their dream home. But not every one of our clients is at that stage in life – we also design starter homes and renovation plans. Many of our clients own property in the ALR zone and need special expertise from us to meet ALC requirements. Whether or not you've already teamed up with a Builder, we'd love to get on board and guide the design process.

Black and white drawing of a large, multi-story house with a steep roof, detailed woodwork, and surrounding trees, showcasing the artistry of building designers.
Builders & Developers

We work together with a number of reputable home builders who bring their clients to us. As design technologists we have an innate understanding of building science and structural design, employing a more practical approach and making us a preferred choice by most contractors and builders. Our close relationships and mutual respect for quality plans and stunning design makes us a great team if we do say so ourselves.

A detailed black and white sketch of a large, multi-story house with multiple gabled roofs, surrounded by bushes and a wide driveway in front, epitomizes the creativity of home designers in crafting custom home designs.
Additional Professionals We Work With:

We happily work with all of the Professionals needed to bring your home or building project to life, including:

  • Interior Designers
  • Engineering Consultants
  • Architects
  • Building Officials
  • City Planners
  • Energy Consultants

WOVEN IN OUR HISTORY A Legacy of Great Design

Willson Design’s roots in Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley reach back to the 1940s, when Earl Willson turned his passion for thoughtful design and quality construction into a lifelong pursuit. By 1959, he and his son James formally established the company, laying the foundation for what would become a multi-generational design practice.

Over the decades, the Willson family helped shape our local landscape. Jim Willson joined the team in 1981, leading the firm for over forty years with a reputation for integrity and a "common sense" approach to great design. He guided the company's growth through changing markets while earning a reputation for consistency, integrity, and well-executed design.

Today, that legacy enters an exciting new chapter. After nearly two decades with the firm, Cam Krause has stepped into the role of Principal. While the leadership has transitioned, our heart remains the same. We're is still grounded in the same values the Willson Family started with: quality plans, functional beauty, and a deep respect for the people we design for.

We’re proud of where we’ve come from, and we’re even more excited to help you design where you’re going.
Blue armchair with a gray blanket beside a small round table holding white flowers, showcasing exquisite custom home design. A brick wall and cowhide rug complete this stylish setting.

Meet the Team

As Home Designers we are always learning and growing in order to stay at the top of the building industry. With our reputation of hard work, integrity, and respect on the line our Designers go above and beyond in all that we do. We are full of passion and creativity, and strive to combine beauty with function while working within the boundaries of due diligence. We're also down to earth and easy to work with!

A wooden front door in a hallway with light-colored walls, showcasing the elegance of custom home design. A side table with a lamp, a potted plant, and a small rug complete this beautifully curated space by skilled building designers.

Our Approach to Design

We recognize that there are plenty of talented Home Designers to choose from. This is why we focus on a superior and seamless design experience, high quality and detailed building plans, magazine worthy designs to even the most discerning eye, and approachable yet confident attitudes. Get to know us more and see what truly sets us apart (and a glimpse into what it’ll be like working with us).

A modern living room features a wall-mounted TV above a fireplace, embodying the art of custom home design. Large windows illuminate a wooden dining table with chairs, and a stylish sliding barn door adds an elegant touch.

The Design Process

With 65 years under our belt we have developed a well-exercised design process that is proven time and again. Styles and trends come and go but the steps on the journey to give our clients their dream home remain virtually the same. From our first meeting full of dreaming to designing and modifying, we'll walk you through each step to ensure that the finished product is much more than you ever expected.

Core Values - It’s Who We Are!

  • 1

    Collaborative Spirit: Work closely together with our clients as well as builders, City Officials, and other consultants, with humility and respect, in order to get the best end result. Together truly is better and we believe there is value in collaboration.

  • 2

    Quality Is Top Priority: If anything is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. We don’t settle for good enough and spend the extra time to get the best result. All drawings must meet a high standard of design, accuracy, and detail that undergoes frequent meticulous review.

  • 3

    Improvement Beyond Status Quo: Continuously improving with a forward-thinking mindset ensures that we have the skills and products, systems and processes, as well as expertise and knowledge to design homes that meet current needs and anticipate future trends and functionalities.

  • 4

    Seeking Better Solutions: There is always a solution, you may just need to look harder for it or think a little more creatively. Be an optimist - focus on solving the problem and not the problem itself.

  • 5

    Lift One Another Up: Building meaningful connections means everything and kindness goes farther than you might expect. Relationships will always be at the core of our business - people work with people they like. Let’s treat each other well.

  • 6

    Communication is Key: Always be transparent and communicate more than you think you need to, making sure everyone is in the loop. Communication goes both ways - listening is a lost skill in our culture and we want to fix that.

GLAD YOU ASKED! What People Often Ask Us...

Still have questions that we haven't answered yet? Send us a message and we'd be happy to help!

WHAT BUILDERS & HOMEOWNERS ARE SAYING We Love Our Clients And They Love Us Too!

A custom home design, this two-story house boasts cream-colored brick and a dark roof, with a double garage. Crafted by expert building designers, it is surrounded by trees and shrubs and features a curved front entry path that enhances its charm.

"Being the first house we have designed and built we needed a lot of hand holding, and Cam and his team were incredible throughout the entire process. They listened to the wants and needs for our dream house, and curated a perfect match for what we could only imagine."

— Taylor Lodge
Modern house exterior with stone facade, black-framed windows, and a two-car garage, all reflecting exquisite custom home design. The driveway and small shrubs are visible in the foreground.

"The Willson team is awesome. Great to work with, responsive and very well detailed plans, easy to follow and comprehensive ... when we have questions they get back to us so quick."

— Felipe Freig, Versa Homes
A large stone and wood house with a landscaped front yard, designed by expert home designers, is surrounded by trees and features a charming gravel driveway.

"Thank You to Willson Design for helping us design our dream home. From our first meeting to the final plans, you helped us develop our vision. We could not have gotten our dream onto paper without your professional help."

— Sue Smith, Picasso Homes Ltd.

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Committed to quality plans, style that 'wows', and a design experience that's smooth and enjoyable.

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(NO PRESSURE, NO EGOS, JUST GOOD IDEAS)