In Focus | Linda Trenholm

In Focus is our gift to the community. A way for us to help show our recognition for the people, businesses, and organizations that help make our city great. The team at KelownaNow.com is passionate about this community and the people that make it amazing. We want to show our friends, neighbours, family and colleagues that we notice them and the fabulous things that they do.

What is your name?
Linda Trenholm.

Where are you from and how long have you lived in Kelowna?
I'm from Calgary, who isn’t! I’ve been here for six years.

Who is your favourite person to spend time with and why?
As cheesy as it is, I would have to say my man. He just gets me and that is not easy!

If you could go anywhere in the world right at this moment where would you go and why?
Probably Panama City. It’s like a tropical Paris, insane shopping, restaurants and history.

What is your favourite local store in Kelowna and why?
Kolu, I’m a sucker for a distressed, European styled boot.

What is your favourite activity?
I have a love/hate relationship with hot yoga.

If you had to choose: pizza, tacos, or burgers?
I could live on fish tacos.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?
Oh where to start! Anything involving my girlfriends and a winery…

What is the most inspiring thing that has happened to you?
Watching my father suffer from a terribly painful cancer for six years while maintaining an awesome sense of humour, a strong faith and a reverence for the life he was given. That unconditional love between my parents.

Tell us your favourite childhood memory.
Going on Wardair to Hawaii for the first time as a kid with my family. I fell in love with travelling and knew it would become a big part of my life.

Where do you volunteer or give back to in the community?
I have volunteered in the past with the Animal Rescue Foundation (I'm up one new puppy!) and I give out cookies and tea to patients and their families in the Chemo Ward. That said, I think here in Kelowna we have such an aging community, I am looking to get more involved in doing something the elderly.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
Education for young girls world-wide. It broke my heart seeing the total lack of opportunity for young ladies in so many countries.

What is your favourite activity in Kelowna?
Big family afternoons by the pool, grilling and chilling.

Where would you sneak away to in Kelowna to spend some time alone?
What can I say, I love our pool! It’s surrounded by crazy tall cedars so it is super private and quiet.

Where would you like to see positive change in Kelowna and why?
We have such a problem with litter in the Lower Mission, I would love to see more garbage receptacles on the main roads running from Gordon to Lakeshore, the amount litter during peak summer season is staggering.

What do you think makes Kelowna great?
The people. I’m a huge 'smiler' and I find the people here super friendly and open.

What are 3 things on your bucket list?
1) Become a Gramma!
2) Take the Trans-Siberian train ride through Russia.
3) Buy a groovy little mid-century condo in Palm Springs.

Tell us something that not everyone may know about you.
I’ve travelled to over 20 countries.

What is the name of your business/organization?
Linda Trenholm Design.

Why did you get into/start this business?
I have always had a passion for Interior Design. I’m deeply affected by my visual environment. Even as a kid I would regularly move my bedroom furniture around to get a new 'vibe'.

What is the goal of your business?
To continue to do what I love, interior designing, and making Kelowna more beautiful one space at a time!

What has been your biggest struggle either in work or life?
Probably learning how to relax. I’m a bit wound-up by nature.

If you could start all over again would you do things the same or would things be different?
Maybe I would have figured out I wanted to be an artist instead of a scientist in my early 20s and saved my parents a couple years of tuition for a subject I had zero aptitude for!

What do you always find yourself saying?
'Yummmmmmmy!'

If you could spend one whole day with anyone in the world who is currently alive, who would you select?
My stepdaughters. One lives in Alberta and the other lives in Europe. When we all get together we spend our time cracking each other right up.

Why do you think it is important to shop locally?
All the obvious reasons, supporting our economy and employment levels. We are blessed because of our climate, we can shop within the '100mile rule' for virtually everything we eat and drink!

What has been your proudest accomplishment?
Going back to university to get my Design Degree after many years working in another field. Kraft Dinner is not nearly as tasty in your 30s!

Give someone you think that deserves it a shout out and explain why!
My fav contractor John Donnelly from JOPA Builders. One of the most honest, hardworking men I know.

My choice for the KelownaNow In Focus spotlight is:
Kelly Hanna. Although she works 50% of the year as an Engineer in Kazakhstan, she is always advocating for improvement to our city. From communal fence repair to the improving road conditions on Ethel, Kelly is one of Kelowna’s most selfless residents.

We encourage you to leave your comments and words of support below and submit your own nomination by clicking HERE. You are also welcome to submit a form of your own by clicking HERE. Thank you, Kelowna.