Eglinton, West Side Toronto Home Renovation

A west side Toronto main floor renovation that became a full interior rebuild: open concept, a reinforced foundation wall and every mechanical system rerouted.

The problem

The clients had a builder lined up. At the last minute that builder walked and they were left without a renovator.

The house itself had been renovated badly before. It was cut into segments with no flow and none of the rooms looked out at a landscaped backyard that sits next to a park. The heating, electrical and plumbing were all buried in the partition walls that would have to come out.

The solution

An engineer's review called for structural reinforcement of the foundation wall, so that went in first. Every mechanical system was rerouted up to the second floor through interior service cavity walls, which is what made the open concept possible without leaving pipes and ducts stranded.

The stairs between the main and second floor were repositioned to make a central staircase the focal point. The front double doors came out and were replaced with floor to ceiling windows and a custom airtight door. The rear door and window system opened the house to the garden. Laundry moved out of the basement to the second floor, the basement bathroom was rebuilt, a barn door went in for noise control and closet organizers were fitted throughout. Phasing and budget were worked out with the clients as the scope grew.

"First Place turned the house we had been living in for 20 years into our dream home!" Jennifer Z. & Russell L.

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