At the end of our first meeting, Graeme offered the advice of "going with people you can trust". Our ensuite was redesigned and constructed to include a large glass enclosed shower with bench and rain shower, large soaker tub, and heated floor. Our master bedroom included a dressing room with vanity and enclosed cabinetry in addition to a fireplace at the foot of the bed (TV above), sand-on-sight oak floors throughout and French doors to a future planned outside deck overlooking the backyard. The choices of paint and tile colours, stone and cabinet design were all expertly suggested by Linda. Linda soon became our confidant due to her vision and professionalism. It remains one of our favourite parts of the home.
In 2012, we once again contacted Graeme and his Team; this time to focus on the exterior envelope of the home. At 23 years in, our house had a tired roof, weather stained vinyl siding and (well) 23 year old windows. It is during this phase of remodel that we became familiar with Bruno; Project Manager and absolute master at virtually every aspect of construction and design. Bruno's accessibility, open ears and open mind, along with his intuitiveness for what the client wants (both husband and wife) are extremely appreciated. Bruno exemplified the trust that Graeme spoke of at our first meeting. Many times we found ourselves trusting Bruno's suggestions for construction and/or design when faced with a decision - we were never disappointed. With the help of Linda, Bruno led his team through a phase which included a new roof with redesigned front gables, soffit, fascia, hardy board siding, stonework and windows. We must also call out the attention to detail that Norm provided as he installed the siding and Jason when he installed the doors and windows. We continue to have passersby compliment us on our beautiful home. The project also included a backyard composite deck, built-in barbeque and pergola with an adjoining shed which matches the house. An upper deck was also constructed off the master bedroom with an ulterior purpose of sheltering the barbeque and black granite countertop below. With our existing landscaping incorporated, this space is truly an outdoor oasis for us.
In 2015, we contacted Graeme and asked once more for the assistance of Bruno and Linda. This time, we were ready to transform our kitchen and family room into a Great Room running along the back of the home. The overall project included raising floors, moving walls, hiding beams and then redesigning the entire space. Bruno "found" space underneath our stairs to allow for the addition of a beverage centre. We now have a six-burner gas cook top at one end of the space and a floor to ceiling cast concrete sculptured fireplace at the opposite end. The kitchen area includes white flat-paneled cabinetry with dark grey quartz countertops and a burgundy painted glass backsplash. A nine foot island is also topped with a light marbled quartz counter with espresso shaker-style cabinetry. A 60" TV was mounted in the sitting area with the fireplace; in-ceiling speakers were installed and all other media components hidden controlled via Control-4 integration. The powder room was gutted and redesigned. The laundry room was also repurposed to include a countertop and built-in gated dog crate below, mud room sink and drop zone. We also took the opportunity to upgrade the furnace and introduced hot water on-demand. Save for the front living room, this project included all of the lower floor of the home. For the flooring, we chose a long wide plank tile guised as hardwood. Visitors continually compliment us on the hardwood floors - a testament to Linda for selecting and Oleg (the Tile Artist) for his installation prowess. Although we had already met Jeff (The Finishing Guy), it was in this phase that he really showed his talents in detail. And our dog Chili became quite enamored with Jeff.
This year, we decided to complete the home by renovating the main upstairs bathroom, trimming out both bedrooms (including a redesigned closet), new stair railing and metal spindles, and new carpeting. The front living room received a new vaulted ceiling with lights and speakers and a feature wall clad in repurposed barn wood. Jeff once again performed much of the work and Chili awaited his arrival daily.
Our home has since been named as a Finalist in both the Ovation Awards and the upcoming Georgies.
From start to finish, the My House Design / Build Team worked with us to determine our vision and provided guidance along the way. There was always an appreciation for cost and attempts made where possible to save us money and finish under budget. On a daily basis, work was planned with an appreciation of our personal schedule. We were never concerned about the security of our home during any of the work; nor about the outcome of the craftsmanship. We were, after all, in the hands of people we trusted.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $675,000.00