Christine & Jim St. Lawrence Moving back to Canada after many years in New York was easy but renovating a house was an entirely new experience. We bought a wonderful century home in Stratford that had great bones but decidedly weary flesh! It needed a major overhaul of the electrical and plumbing system, refinishing or replacement of hardwood floors, a bedroom closet transformed into an ensuite bathroom, complete reworking of the main bathroom and an entirely new kitchen, in addition to dry-walling, painting, installing fans, light fixtures and new appliances. And, by the way, all of this had to happen in the space of two and a half months while we were in New York trying to sell our home and prepare for the move! Our only thought beyond panic at the immensity of this task was to lament the loss of a dear old friend who had been an architect (and perfectionist) who had specialized in doing exacting renovations. When we commented, sadly, to his widow how much we needed him her response was to recommend the only person her husband would ever allow to do any work on their home – Peter. It is still hard to believe our good fortune in finding Wheaten Renovations! Peter moved in, hired local trades people as needed, and took care of everything while keeping us constantly informed via e-mail reports including photos of the progress. Admittedly the photos were sometimes terrifying – dumpsters full of debris that had been ripped out of the house, an ancient crumbling vent stack, electrical sockets that had been illegally and dangerously mounted in some of the floors, door jambs that had adopted odd angles over the years, etc. As we wanted to cook with gas Peter arranged for a gas line to the house for the stove, an outdoor barbeque, a fireplace and cast stove, and to the basement so we could convert to a gas furnace and water heater. He built new housing to accommodate the gas fireplace in the living room using an antique mantle we’d found in the basement (and removed the old electrical one from another location). He advised us on the perfect small cast iron stove to efficiently heat the back room that had been added to the house in the 1950s. He helped us make decisions about paints, appliances, tiles, counter tops – all the details that help to make a house a home. And most importantly, he did a superb - and patient - job of educating us, advising us, addressing our needs, listening to our worries and keeping us constantly informed about costs so that there were no surprises. We love what he did. We love our home and will be forever grateful.

Our 1936 Beach home needed updating in several areas and neither my husband nor I could do it ourselves. Our first major project was a two-story addition to the laundry room and kitchen. The second was a complete rennovation of the remainder of the lower floor. Over the years, Wheaten has also managed replacement of the knob-and-tube wiring (completing it with very little damage), upgrading of our ‘30’s garage, replacement of attic insulation, and the renovation of several rooms. Peter has the experience to assess what is involved so that we can budget and schedule the work. He also makes sure the quotes from suppliers are apples to apples, and acts as a go between, ensuring that they understand exactly what is required and when. He can recommend the best alternative when faced with the surprises of working on an old house. And he keeps our life-style and budget in mind. He works with a team of high quality sub-contractors he’s known for years. They are all nice people we trust. They even took in the mail and watered the plants while we were away. All this results in workmanship that is top quality. We have had many visitors who comment on the effort put into things like getting the baseboards just right and the doors hung perfectly straight. It matters to Peter that you are happy with your new space and that you remain happy with it for years to come. “Enjoy” and “renovating” are not used in the same sentence often, but we enjoy renovating with Peter. We love what Wheaten has done for us.

My wife and I live in a 50 year-old co-op building. The bathroom and kitchen had previously been 'renovated' by previous owners and were largely unliveable - no storage in the bathroom (!) and only one drawer in the kitchen. Peter not only did an beautiful renovation but reworked the space so that both room now have ample storage and are much easier to use. He uses excellent workers (cupboard makers, floor re-sanders, painters) and cleans up after every work session so that you can actually live in your space as the renovation is proceeding. Worth every penny!

Over more than twenty years, Peter has supervised and/or carried out a number of projects for us. Most recently, he supervised the rewiring of our house. He also rebuilt the deck at the rear of the house. Many years ago, we left him to gut and remodel our kitchen while we were away for a month. We trusted him to sort out details and are very pleased with the results. It is my favourite room in the house. He is very creative, but is also considerate of the financial means of his clients. I highly recommend him. The cost given above is for the most recent projects.

I bought a house that was almost 100 years old. Besides requiring new wiring and plaumbing, the bathroom and kitchen were both ugly and functioned poorly. I hired Peter because he had redone the bathroom in my previous residence and I had been very happy with the results. He worked well with subcontractors to bring my house up to code and secured city permission for me to install a bathroom in my attic which was to become my studio. One of Peter’s great strengths is that he pays attention not only to the functionality of the spaces he alters but to the aesthetics and to small details that could easily be overlooked. He is also very conscious of the ergonomics of the situation and the life style of the client. I will provide some examples of this: My kitchen is essentially a galley shape. I thought an island or a peninsula would be a good idea but Peter pointed out how in the way something like that would be, actually inhibiting the flow of movement about the space. He could have just gone ahead and done what I wanted but he steered me in a much better direction. The stove in my kitchen was placed right up against the mudroom door so that anyone coming or going through the mudroom could collide with anyone working at the stove. It never would have occurred to me that it could be different but he suggested moving the stove towards the middle of the wall, again making the space both more functional and more attractive. When it came time to choose my appliances he took me to a very good dealer and encouraged me to get 24 inch European stove and fridge. I don’t have to store and cook for a family so the narrower appliances and were adequate for my needs and provided more space for storage and work. He was also careful to make sure I could reach the top shelf of the fridge as I am short. He worked with me and the dealer to ensure I had the kind of kitchen that suited my lifestyle. He also suggested getting one big kitchen sink instead of the divided one I wanted. because I was getting a dishwasher. That big sink has been great for washing really big pots and pans that won’t fit easily in the dishwasher. Peter also made sure my counter top had a lip to prevent fluids from dripping onto the kitchen floor, something I would never have thought of. I was just going to have the back splash between the counter and cupboards painted but he suggested tile and helped me to shop for the ones that suited my décor. In the end my kitchen is a joy to work in and the envy of my friends. The main bathroom was tiny and inconvenient. Peter knocked out the linen closet next to it creating much more space and a perfect place for the bathtub. He installed a heater and good lighting. Again, because am short, he installed the shower at a height that works for me. Besides the appliances Peter’s advice on selecting everything from flooring, to tiles to tubs and sinks has been invaluable. His good taste combined with his sensitivity to my needs, extensive knowledge of materials and processes and his ability to think outside the box have created a home I love to live in and inviting to my friends.