A reno to upscale their downstairs
Toronto couple’s laser focus maximizes beauty and function of their 600-square-foot basement
David and Talia Jubé owned the quintessential small city house. A shallow basement. Narrow main floor. Small rooms. Tight quarters.
When their son, Myles, was born in 2014, Talia, 38, a primary school teacher, tried to brighten up the basement of their 1927-built, mid-town Toronto home so she and her new mom friends would have space to spread out with the kids.
“I painted it and added decorative touches, but there was just not enough room to be there with other people and baby gear,” she said.
Plus it leaked when it rained, the low five-footsix ceiling made it dark and inhospitable and the miniscule bathroom was so unwelcoming that the family rarely used it.
Still, Talia’s efforts revealed the basement’s potential to be the family room they’d always wanted. With David on board, the project took on a whole new dimension. The 41-year-old banking financial risk manager applied meticulous attention to detail to every aspect.
Scrupulous about functional design and laserfocused on creating a multi-purpose space, the Jubés made it their mission to unlock every last inch of their 600-square-foot basement. They’re thrilled with the result and proud to share these lessons they learned along the way. Design your small space around furniture: Contrary to popular wisdom, the Jubés picked some of their furniture first, including an Lshaped, custom-made Barrymore couch and entertainment system with audiovisual equipment.
“We wanted the space to fit the design so we could use the room exactly the way we envisioned,” David said.
“There’s no point creating a layout that may look stunning but limits you from doing the things you want to do in it.”
Despite their best efforts, they did end up with a “dead space.” But Talia put her shopping savvy to work and found an eight-inch sideboard from CB2 that appears custom-designed for the space. Pick a contractor who will collaborate: Although they got seven quotes for underpinning the basement (and saved $20,000), eventually settling on Umbrella Waterproofing, David says selecting Penguin Basements as the renovator was almost a no-brainer because of their reputation and exclusive focus on basements.
“David definitely had a vision and he kept pushing until he got what he wanted, which turned into an amazing transformation,” says David Turnbull, regional manager for Penguin Basements, of the total 10month project.
“We’re usually trying to minimize costs so the project will be more attractive to the homeowner by being practical and value-driven. David was the exact opposite … The friendly arguments we got into were generally me talking him out of spending money.”
The biggest debate centred on the relocation of the bulky furnace and water heater. The move would open up 50 square feet for a luxe banquette with Cambria quartz table and bar chairs. The cost to relocate? $17,500. Pay attention to details: One of the most important features of the Jubés’ basement family room is the cabinetry that houses and surrounds the entertainment unit. For Talia, the priority was an attractive place to tuck away Myles’ toys. She got her wish with cupboards that open upwards at kid-level and close softly, no pinched fingers.
David quickly discovered that the cabinetry was available in set price ranges. A few extra inches here or there could turn a $6,000 shelving unit into a $16,000 one. “I looked at the audiovisual equipment dimensions and cross-checked the cabinetry to see what would fit and realized it could be optimized,” said David.
Talia says it’s no joke that he pored over the measurements for more than 10 hours, ulti- mately creating an Excel Model that uncovered the most efficient solution. Be creative to maximize space: The original tiny basement bathroom was reborn as a spa bathroom that doubles as a laundry room. Know where to splurge — and how to save: Although they spluged on the Barrymore sectional and banquette table, they saved in other ways:
Bar chairs: Talia liked the look of Eames barstools, which sell for $685 apiece. She found knock-offs at Rove Concepts for $115/chair.
Appliances: David scored 60 per cent off the washer and dryer by monitoring prices on appliancehub.ca.
The family makes the most of their new lower level — relaxing in front of the TV, playing games at the banquette — and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing they made the most of every inch.