Seven projects that should inspire your dreams
Hiding in plain site in neighbourhoods all over our city, lie hidden gems. From the outside, some may not give away their secrets.
But, given the opportunity to step inside, they help visitors to envision how to turn their own houses into their own dream homes.
On Oct. 14, seven Ottawa-area homes are opening their doors to the public for the fourth annual Reno Tour. A fundraiser by the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) in support of Habitat for Humanity — to date they’ ve raised $10,000— this event is a great way to meet with qualified renovators to learn how you can turn visions for your home into reality. But it’s more than a meetand-greet fundraiser. Giving back is built in to all aspects of the tour, with many of the renovators donating any and all materials they could from their demolition work to area Re-Store locations. In so many ways, this event is about building a stronger Ottawa community.
“The Reno Tour is so much more than an open house,” explains Jason Burggraaf, executive director of the GOHBA. “It’s an opportunity for our renovators to meet with the public and not only share their quality of work, but also discuss what projects in their homes might look like.”
Inspiration abounds throughout the day as pass holders make their way through projects from award-winning renovators.
At each stop, renovators are ready to showcase their design and answer questions about what pass holders might be looking to do in their own homes.
“Ottawa is a real burgeoning market with so much potential for growth,” says Burggraaf. “Often, we find that clients want to stay where their roots are, but find that their homes no longer suit their needs. Maybe they need an addition for their growing family, or a refresh of the dated space. They know they want to stay, locationwise, so the only solution is to renovate.”
That was the case with 26 Willard St. in Old Ottawa South.
When Casey Grey, founder of The Conscious Builder, first came to the site, he was met with the beauty and challenges of a 100-year-old basement. It was dank, dingy, useless and wasted space. It wasn’t ideal for anyone, let alone a young family with kids.
Walking down the steps today, you’ll be welcomed into a large living space flanked with wraparound storage. The added laundry and bathroom add functionality.
In speaking with Grey, you learn that it took a lot of work and patience to get through the renovation. “As we dug down the two feet, we had to pass the rubble out pail by pail through a window.” But, it was worth it. “I love that the family really uses this space — it’s their go-to place as a family.”
This renovation wasn’t the first renovation Grey did for these clients. Be sure to see the upstairs main bathroom, where he worked within the existing square footage, reorienting the room.
This isn’t the only home that saw repeat renovations. Carleton Kitchen Bath Design Build has spent a lot time working with the homeowners at 530 Highcroft Ave. in Westboro. Over the past year, they’ve updated the powder room, main bathroom, laundry room, basement, front porch, back deck and outside spaces. The most recent renovation transformed the main living spaces into a bright and open kitchen and dining room.
“The best feature of the renovation is absolutely the kitchen,” says designer Karri Kirkwood.
“We didn’t want to take away the parts of the spaces that did work. Our shared goal as to correct the issues and concerns that had prevented the clients from truly enjoying living in the space. We are thrilled with the outcome and the shared impact of the renovation on the entire family.”
Sometimes, a single room renovation morphs into a bigger project, as was the case for Amsted Design-Build’s project at 79 Kenora St. in the West Wellington neighbourhood.
“This project started as a kitchen request,” says project coordinator Paulette MacGregor.
“The homeowners wanted an open kitchen and family room.”
Next came changes to the formal dining room, master suite and shifting the laundry room to the second floor “all while creating a seamless transition and maintaining the charm of the home.”
MacGregor spent more than a year planning the designs with the homeowner.
“Each room has something really special and personalized to best suit this family — whether it’s the stained glass windows, the wood-burning fireplace, repurposed mantel or live edge bar,” MacGregor explains.
“There isn’t anything I would have done differently.”
At 85 Renfrew Ave. in the Glebe, homeowners tasked Lagois Design Build Renovate to give their vintage 1900s home an overall refresh, both inside and out, on a fairly strict budget.
The layout in the kitchen was reconfigured to make it roomier, which also brought more light into the space, and the main bath was adapted to incorporate the laundry. Outside a new, two-storey cedar porch and balcony was nestled into the existing brick pillars, and out back, a two-tier deck and custom pergola were added.
At 20 Crantham Cres. in Stittsville, the ARTium Design Build Inc. embarked on an update that didn’t compromise the original colonial esthetic.
Even though the home boasted key features from decades past — including a sunken living room — designer Jenny Neilson wanted to make sure that the renovations worked with the “bones of the home.”
“Consistency from space to space is what ties this whole home renovation together,” says Neilson. “The result is classic and clean with a beautifully traditional twist.”
When Roy Nandram, president and CEO of RND Construction Ltd. first visited with the homeowners at 61 Assiniboine Dr. in Nepean, he was greeted by a dated and compartmentalized 1970s bungalow. To help the homeowners love their home again, Nandram opened the space up by pushing out the entire back of the home. He also added a single car garage and mud room.
The large open concept living space is full of light, and key features, including a floor-to-ceiling double-sided fireplace, which helps to delineate the space without disrupting the flow. But, there’s more than just beauty to this space.
Nandram’s company focuses on sustainable solutions, and this home highlights that sustainability is also stylish.
“Although we made the home bigger overall, we maintained the size of the existing HVAC due to energy efficiencies. We upgraded insulation, used triple glazed widows and air sealed the home.” This means that besides looking great, the home is brighter, more comfortable and functions more efficiently. A win-win.
The final home on this year’s tour brought its own unique challenges, as is often the case with condo units. In these instances, the design needs to work around shared walls and features.
Often, compromises have to be made, but you won’t believe that was the case when you stop by Unit 10 at 253 Botanica Private.
Homeowners asked Eric Schuller owner and sommelier at Capital Cellars and Custom Renovations, to completely gut the 1980s space. “We pulled it all back to the concrete, expanded ceiling heights and opened up the unit as much as possible.” The result? A fully opened unit from front to back, infusing the space with light from the sunroom.
The homeowners didn’t want to keep their wood-burning fireplace, but that didn’t mean they were rid of the chimney, which other units attached into. To work with this, Schuller created a stone-faced entertainment wall.