Ottawa builders ‘do a beautiful, beautiful job’
Housing Design Awards judges were surprised at the calibre of local entries, and one wondered why more local firms aren’t entering more of their designs in national competitions because they do a ‘beautiful job,’ Anita Murray writes.
When it comes to design, Ottawa’s reputation as sleepy and conservative is taking a beating, with multiple judges in this year’s Housing Design Awards surprised by the calibre of the entries.
“By far, it was the nicest product I’ve seen,” says project consultant Heather McGinnis, who has judged several awards programs across the country. “I am shocked that the Ottawa builders are not submitting more of their product nationally. … They do a beautiful, beautiful job.”
It was McGinnis’s first time judging the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association awards, which are held annually and recognize excellence in Ottawa’s housing industry. A record 277 entered this year, and trophies in 58 categories will be given out at a gala dinner at the Shaw Centre on Saturday night.
McGinnis’s comments were echoed by fellow judges Louie Zagordo, president of SLV Homes in Sudbury, Ont., and Bob Deeks, president of Whistler, B.C.’s RDC Fine Homes.
“I looked at over almost 200 awards, and very few of the projects that were submitted didn’t receive high marks,” says Deeks, who also chairs a committee of the national home builders’ association.
Projects ranged from sleek, contemporary custom infills to rustic, rural retreats and sophisticated production builder models.
Inside, kitchens and bathrooms proved popular — as usual — as did renovations that opened up space and made it more functional. They stood out for their use of white, their visual volume and smart design choices.
“Some of the space wasn’t overly large square-footage-wise, kind of minimal sizing, but the ‘Wow’ came in because of the tall ceilings and how they dropped the bulkhead and how they added some features,” says Zagordo, who was impressed with the techniques used to make rooms feel larger.
McGinnis, who works with luxury builder Munro Homes in Regina, also liked the more restrained approach taken in many kitchen projects, which is in keeping with European influences we’ve been seeing.
“I think back to 15 years ago, in expensive homes kitchens got almost ridiculously sized. People spent their money on just putting more cupboards in. Didn’t make their kitchens necessarily functional, but more cupboards were a way of making a statement. It seems now people are being realistic and being minimalist.”
Very few of the projects that were submitted didn’t receive high marks.
White in kitchens continues to rule, with its popularity now extending to other rooms. “There are a lot of people who are almost defaulting to entirely white colour palettes,” Deeks says. “It’s clean; it’s contemporary . ... When people have to make decisions around finishes, sometimes just going to white becomes a very easy design decision.”
And designers love white, McGinnis says.
“Artwork looks best on those walls. Millwork looks best on those walls … your furniture and your components in your home become the decorating.”
But perhaps surprisingly, production builders who might be expected to stick to white or other neutral colours in their model homes in order to appeal to the masses, often chose to go bold, with rich walls and pops of colour.
“Paint is a very cheap way of getting impact” when you don’t have the budget for gallery artwork, custom draperies and statement furniture pieces, says McGinnis, who was impressed with the quality of the builders’ model homes.
Rustic and natural touches continue to be popular, as accents or in distressed and muted hardwood flooring.
“I think people have realized that it’s very difficult to live with a glossy dark brown hardwood,” McGinnis says.
And wallpaper is making inroads again, showing up as feature walls that add texture, or in small spaces.
“As a child of the ’70s, it’s always cool now to see some wallpaper,” McGinnis says. “Wallpaper is definitely different than it was back then.”