Ola Hiraeth is an interior design studio based in Winnipeg run by Renee Struthers and Tanya Peters, both graduates of the University of Manitoba’s Master of Interior Design program.

Focusing on a mixture of small and medium-scale commercial and residential projects, Ola Hiraeth takes a human-centred approach to design and place-making. They aim to design spaces that people and other forms of life can grow into, spaces that have room to evolve over time.

Central to Ola Hiraeth’s design practice is a strong inclination towards a natural simplicity wherein they continually question the topics of timelessness, beauty, nature and aesthetics.

By prioritizing comfort and authenticity, the needs of the studio’s clients are carefully considered and the existing architectural and cultural contexts honoured.

Ola Hiraeth brings meaning to their work by instilling a quiet richness to their projects. They focus on creating a “quality of space” filled with a collection of natural materials and artful details that spark the human spirit. Their work is a celebration of both function and the unexpected. 

Meet Our Team

Renee Struthers

Prior to establishing Ola Hiraeth with business partner Tanya in 2019, Renee completed various projects independently, alongside and through employment with various Winnipeg design firms, including 5468796 Architecture before starting her own practice, Studio Hiraeth in 2017. Her personal practice has included interior design for commercial and residential spaces and the design and manufacture of small run furniture, lighting and objects. She has a firm belief in the potential for design to ignite the spirit - to facilitate a narrative. She is a graduate of the Master of Interior Design Program at the University of Manitoba.

Tanya Peters

Tanya graduated from the University of Manitoba’s Master of Interior Design Program in 2013. Before establishing Ola Hiraeth with Renee in 2019, she worked independently in her design firm Studio OLA, focusing primarily on cultural and residential projects. Prior to that she worked as the Project Manager for artist Wanda Koop, where among other skills, she honed her affinity for colour and form. Her interests lie in exploring the areas where art and design intersect and in making sure these spaces reflect the human life within.

Lauren Wiebe

After completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a path into interior design felt like the perfect way to combine her personal passion of making into a commercial form. Lauren graduated from the Master of Interior Design program at the University of Manitoba in 2022, working at blurring the personal place of home in the public setting of the city. Similar to this, her artistic practice translates into the excitement of everyday objects and makes running a whacky little shop on the side an exciting adventure that quite often translates into her design practice.

Carla Zacharias

Upon taking a furniture studio course during her studies in Environmental Design at University of Manitoba, Carla was drawn to the human connection to these everyday objects we live with. This led to a career in product design in 2011 at EQ3 for seven years, which formed her ideas on what good design is. Carla focused her designs to not only represent function and beauty but to take into account the environmental and social aspects of the manufacturing and sourcing process for each product. Upon a trip to India for EQ3 where she worked closely with rug artisans, she fell in love with the vibrant country and the art of textile and rug making. This led her to focus her attention on the handicraft production methods of rugs and textiles, building her own studio in 2018- Studio Rae. Since then, she has worked with various modern furniture retailers designing rugs and other small products to be lived with and enjoyed in our daily life.

Ola Hiraeth is based in Treaty 1 Territory, the homeland of the Metis Nation and traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anishininewuk, Ininiwak, Dakota, Dene and Inuit peoples.

We acknowledge that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation.