Halton Hills 2B

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Jim

This is the second post showcasing the work we did on a 1960s bungalow last year in Georgetown.

In addition to building our client a custom fireplace/media wall, we also built him a completely custom kitchen. He had found a picture on line of a cabinet door style/colour that he loved and we were able to replicate that.

We used stock cabinet boxes and then we crafted, stained and assembled all of the cabinet doors, drawers and drawer fronts, panels, fillers and toe kicks. He had gorgeous quartz counters and a solid quartz backsplash installed.

We built a coffee/wine bar with a built in fridge and two add a rustic tone to the space, we built a 25 foot long beam spanning the length of the main area and installed two pendant lights.

The perfect blend of modern and rustic, this custom kitchen was a lot of painstaking work but also incredibly gratifying.

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Halton Hills 2A

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Jim

A while back, we completed a renovation on a 1960s bungalow in Halton Hills that had been completely gutted.

Our job was to finish the home by building a fireplace/media wall, a custom kitchen with a huge island and a coffee/wine bar, finishing the bathrooms and basement and doing all the doors and trim.

This is the first of a few posts which highlights the gorgeous fireplace/media wall that we built from scratch based on a photo the client had found online.

This is the inspiration photo he found:

We built a floor to ceiling “box” from 2X4s and plywood and installed an electric fireplace. We covered the unit with stone and shiplap and built a custom book case with closed cabinets below. Our client was able to source a 19th century barn beam complete with mortise and tenon that we cut and finished as a mantle (you can even see the marks from where the original wood was hand hewn). Very, very cool.

We are extremely proud of this one:

Posted in Custom Desks and Wall Units, Fireplace Makeovers, Renovations, Uncategorized, Woodworking | Leave a comment

The Middle of No Where Part Two

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Jim

Recently, we were invited back to the “cabin in the woods” to do some work on the main floor. We had done the basement last summer (see previous post)

Our client had an outdated powder room and a mud room/laundry room that wasn’t functioning at all for either.

We started by tearing everything out including the wall next to the laundry tub. We completely renovated the space. The powder room got new drywall and paint, a new toilet, a custom vanity with a farm house sink and a gorgeous faucet that my colleague built on site (since we ditched the laundry tub, this seemed to make sense), a new mirror, light fixture and towel holders.

In the mud room, we stacked the laundry machines to save space, built a custom set of cubbies, replaced the door and the bathroom door with custom made barn doors ( since previously they were banging into each other), installed some hooks and a new might fixture and brought in a bench. We also installed new LVT flooring in the entire area.

Everything now functions perfectly, looks so much nicer and has tons of room to dry off the dog and store coats, boots, etc.

We also headed back down to the basement to build another murphy bed (our 4th so far)

and in case you missed it, here is the other one in that home.

Posted in Bathroom Makeovers, Before and Afters, Closets and Storage Solutions, Flooring, Renovations, Woodworking | 1 Comment

Halton Hills 1B

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Jim

This is the second in a series of posts about two homes we’ve been working on in Halton Hills.

In addition to the fireplace makeover and the removal of a load bearing wall, we’ve also completely redone the main bathroom.

The bathroom was, well, gross, old and dated and all-around kind of nasty. The clients tried to give it a new paint job to refresh it during the pan demic but unfortunately that wasn’t enough.

We completely gutted the bathroom, install a new tub, new tiles, new fixtures, new flooring, a new vanity (which by the way, weighed an absolute ton, so much fun carrying that beast up to the second floor, a new toilet, new mirrors and light fixtures and new trim all around.

The result is a beautiful, warm and cozy bathroom, the perfect place to get away from it all.

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Halton Hills 1A

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Jim

We are currently working on updating a 17-year-old home in a small town west of Toronto. This is the first of a few posts that we’ll be presenting.

We began this project by working on the living room and taking out a load bearing wall, replacing it with a beam. (Photos of that to follow at a later date)

We then took out the original traditional fireplace mantel and surround, took out the old hardwood flooring and installed new LVT plank flooring and built a completely new, modern, floor to ceiling fireplace surround finished with shiplap. Our client had the new mantel custom built a few months ago and it was the prefect size and colour.

The first picture in the gallery is the client’s inspiration photo and is what she had decided she wanted her new unit to look like.

I’m happy to say and I’m sure you’ll agree that we nailed it.

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Posted in Before and Afters, Colour and Paint, Fireplace Makeovers, Renovations, Woodworking | Leave a comment

The Middle of No Where Part One

Posted on August 28, 2022 by Jim

Between late winter and early summer of this year, we completed what is probably our most ambitious project to date.

Cut into 67 acres of forest in northern Ontario is a custom board and batten/log home that had a 1,200 square foot, largely un-useable walk out basement. The client wanted to transform it into a space for relaxing, entertaining, working and working out and a comfortable place for overnight guests.

He had a basic floor plan that he had come up with and some things he had seen online that he liked, but beyond that, he was at a bit of a loss as to how to pull it all together and turn his vision into a reality.

The plan involved removing three load bearing walls and replacing them with a post and a 21 foot beam to create a large open floor plan and then building two bedrooms, a home gym, a four piece bathroom with a soaker tub, a stage, a media/fireplace wall, a queen size Murphy Bed and two bars.

We went with a steampunk inspired design with lots of stained rough pine, gas pipes and fittings, coffered ceilings, 4 frosted glass pocket doors, black hardware and a one of a kind, hand hewn fireplace mantel that the client created from a log found on his property.

The result is a distinctive space (haha) like nothing we’ve ever done and in addition to checking off all of his boxes, it is simply gorgeous. Something we are truly proud of.

Posted in Bathroom Makeovers, Before and Afters, Colour and Paint, Fireplace Makeovers, Flooring, Renovations, Woodworking | 1 Comment

Cottage Country Basement Renovation

Posted on December 4, 2021 by Jim

This may very well be the best work we’ve ever done, a real collaberation between the clients and us.

What led to this project was a couple of basement leaks and the need to replace the old damaged carpet with new flooring. The clients decided that as long as we were available to do the flooring, they may as well have the basement renovated and make it into the entertaining space they had always wanted.

Here is what the basement looked like when we arrived and after we tore everything out.

The renovation evolved significantly from what was originally planned, as new ideas and new possibilities came to light. It’s always important to keep an open mind and not be too “married” to the original plan or you might miss some golden opportunities.

In addition to installing a new subfloor and new Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring, we designed and built a custom media wall fully wired for audio and video, complete with a hidden door leading to a home office, a bar unit in an alcove under the upstairs bay window with two wine racks and a beverage fridge, a long bar for gathering and TV viewing with shelving below for DVDs, Blu Rays and books, two custom murphy beds for overnight guests and a ton of open and closed cabinetry and shelving providing ample storage to meet their needs.

The result is a unique and gorgeous entertaining and relaxing space, as well as a functional work space that is something we are truly proud of. Take a look:

Posted in Art and Mirrors, Before and Afters, Colour and Paint, Custom Desks and Wall Units, Fireplace Makeovers, Flooring, Renovations | Leave a comment

Davisville Village

Posted on August 28, 2021 by Jim

If you’re looking for flooring that is durable, easy to clean and maintain and beautiful, consider Luxury Vinyl Tile or LVT in tile or plank format.

I’ve had a client for the past 8 years, who I’ve done a lot of work for, everything from painting, lighting, furnishings, closets and decor to a full kitchen renovation.

Long overdue was his flooring. It was old, dark, out dated engineered hardwood full of pits and scratches. Finally this past week, we replaced that in addition to the carpet in the bedroom with LVT plank flooring from MSI Stone.

We decided to go over the existing flooring which was important as the previous owner had a wall unit built in place on top of the hardwood so removing the hardwood by first removing the built in wall unit would have been an expensive and time consuming task.

Leaving the existing hardwood in place allowed us to router a channel through the flooring to run the TV cable from one side of the condo unit to the other as opposed to around the baseboards as was previously done by the cable company giving a much cleaner look.

The result is simply stunning….a beautiful, modern yet rustic floor that will be easy to maintain and last for years.

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Two very different bathrooms

Posted on August 28, 2021 by Jim

Recently, we completed two very different bathroom renovations. Both are in the same neighbourhood in the north end of Toronto, but in two different homes and two very different projects.

One was a brand new bathroom in a basement we had finished a few years ago (the bathroom was only roughed-in at that time in anticipation of future completion) and the other was the renovation of a 20 year old ensuite bathroom replacing the tub with a shower and transforming the bathroom into something more modern and serene.

Here is the basement bathroom:

and here is the upstairs ensuite:

Each project presented it’s own set of opportunities and challenges but in the end, both turned out beautifully.

Posted in Bathroom Makeovers, Before and Afters, Renovations | Leave a comment

Capriol

Posted on July 18, 2021 by Jim

Recently, we did some work at a condo for some long standing clients who had bought a 600 SF unit in downtown Toronto. We changed all the flooring, painted the whole place, changed the lighting, installed a new faucet and next month we’ll be delivering and assembling some new furniture.

So far, it’s looking pretty cool!

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