Our Team

Lara is one of the only registered interior designers in the Nelson area, with over 30 years of experience working on projects throughout BC and Alberta. Along with space planning, project management and interior design, Lara can also help you choose furniture or art pieces, create functional furniture layouts, improve your work space, and more. Whether it’s traditional or modern design, Lara helps her clients choose refined, innovative designs and products for their environments that are financially appropriate.

Marc is a residential builder and a trained architectural and building engineering technologist. He focuses on green building design, estimating & cost planning, as well as production management.  Marc is constantly researching the latest building technologies that create long term sustainability in our built environment and value for his clients.

Ian is Ellenwood Homes’ Lead Estimator and Project Manager, and has been working with us since 2015. He has been certified as a Red Seal Carpenter since 2013 and has 20 years of experience managing projects in residential construction, industrial construction and forestry. When he isn’t working, Ian is passionate about mountaineering and rock climbing, plus he is our official nordic ski coach.

Krista is an award-winning Interior Design Technologist of residential spaces. She strives to design beautiful interiors that will have a positive impact on her clients and believes that homes should tell a story about the people who inhabit them. On a personal level, she has an immense appreciation for a range of design periods and styles. When Krista isn’t drafting or selecting finishes, she’s outside, enjoying nature with her fur-child, Arlo.

Laurie is responsible for taking care of the bookkeeping and payroll for Ellenwood Homes. She has been working with Marc and Lara since 2015 and enjoys being part of a positive and growing company. Originally from Vancouver, and after working in accounting for 15 years in the corporate world, Laurie is thrilled to be away from the big city and to call Nelson home. When she is not crunching numbers, Laurie can be found playing outside with her husband and dog; running, paddling, skiing or just relaxing with a glass of wine with friends.

Corey moved to Nelson from Sydney, Australia to enjoy our snowy winters. With over 25 years of carpentry experience, he has been our Construction Supervisor since 2014. Every Monday, he hits the ground running, looking after all the organizational needs of our sites. He guides our carpenters and keeps our clients informed. He grew up surfing, but now, due to being landlocked, he gets to snowboard and tube the Slocan River.

After completing the Carpentry program at Selkirk College, Meredith thought she would try her hand at building houses in Northern Alberta. Upon returning to the greener pastures of Nelson, she was lucky enough to join the Ellenwood team and hasn’t looked back. Away from the job site, she spends her time exploring mountains and rivers, eating dark chocolate, and reading in hammocks.

Benjamin has been building and renovating custom homes for over two decades. His love of skiing drew him to the Kootenays in the 90s, where he began his career working on local projects. Benjamin then spent ten years in Vancouver honing his skills on multimillion-dollar luxury homes. He returned to the mountains in 2016 with his lovely wife and two sons in tow and is happy to be building in the community again. When he’s not on the worksite, you can find him at the ski hill or coaching baseball. If you’re up at Whitewater, look for the black-bearded man on Blast.

Aaron moved to Canada from the UK in 2014 to escape city life and experience the Canadian wilderness, and he completed his carpentry apprenticeship in 2020. When he’s not working, he spends his time ice climbing and ski touring in the winter, and rock and alpine climbing in the summer. Aside from his mountain adventures, he enjoys reading books, exercising, relaxing with his family, and playing with his border collie, Annie.

Tate grew up in Vancouver, but relocated to Nelson with his partner to take advantage of the mountains and outdoor adventure. After helping build a new warehouse for the skateboard company he worked at, Tate transitioned into a carpentry role at a local building company in 2014. He then completed his schooling in carpentry and earned his Red Seal in 2022. On a day off, Tate can be found climbing, hiking, canoeing or playing board games.

Having grown up in Alberta, Clayton moved to the Kootenays in 2013 to take advantage of our great snowboarding conditions. In 2018, he started working for a local contractor and decided to enroll in the carpentry program at Selkirk College in 2023. When he’s not working on site or in the classroom, Clayton enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, ski touring and baking.

Having grown up in Cairns, Australia, Nick made the big move to Nelson to enjoy the Kootenay lifestyle. He started working as a carpenter in 2006, and completed his schooling in 2011. When he’s not busy on the tools, Nick enjoys mountain biking and camping with his friends and family.

Scott grew up in Prince George, BC and started working in carpentry in Whitehorse, YT in 2021, before moving to Nelson in 2022. He’s currently working through the carpentry apprenticeship program, and although he’s only been at it for a few years, he’s done a bit of everything in residential construction. Scott is very involved in the theatre scene in Nelson, and you can sometimes catch him in a play or musical, or singing in choir. In other spare time, he’ll be out running, biking or climbing in the summer, and skiing in the winter.

Rosie grew up in Kaslo, BC, and after working in various locations, including a few months with a carpenter in Germany, she chose to settle in Nelson. Starting her career in carpentry as a labourer, Rosie is now working towards her Red Seal certification.
Outside of work, Rosie volunteers with Nelson Search and Rescue and enjoys river rafting, climbing mountains, biking and ski touring.

Dayna grew up in Whitby, Ontario and moved to Nelson in 2018. She took on her first role as a carpenter building a log archery range with a cowboy in the Callaghan Valley, and has since gained over two years of experience in the field. Dayna completed her Level 1 carpentry certification at Selkirk College, and will return to complete Level 2 in the fall of 2024. Outside of work, she is normally getting roped into silly adventures with her friends or playing the banjo in her beautiful garden.

Jessica was born and raised in Nelson and has been exposed to carpentry and woodworking her entire life. Growing up, she worked at her family’s saw mill and spent time in the bush processing firewood. She has completed her Level 2 carpentry certificate, and plans to continue her schooling in 2025. Jessica loves doing art, making and playing music, and being outdoors – fishing, hiking, skiing and playing rugby.