RENOMARK® RENOVATOR BLOG

In August 2019 in this space I spoke about improving your home’s energy efficiency through renovating, and how improving the energy efficiency in existing housing is extremely important to our future quality of life in Ottawa. Since that time there have been two important developments: First, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) certified the first…

In the long, warm, sunny days from May to October, you might want to spend as much time outside your home as you can. And that can mean renovating the outdoors, in a manner of speaking. Your professional renovator can provide you with lots of ideas about the things that beautiful summers are made of.…

No matter how badly you want your renovation to go smoothly, and no matter how great the skills of your renovator or design professional, if there’s no communication, the project could be rocky. This is one reason a project’s site supervisor, project manager, foreman or owner is so critical to its success. These people talk…

Suppose that your dog could talk. And suppose you’ve scheduled a renovation of your main floor, maybe going as far as also landscaping the backyard. Imagine yourself asking your dog if she or he has any ideas about the way things should go. Such a conversation could be the impetus for the development of a…

Renovating a bathroom or a kitchen is one thing. Creating a space for kids is quite another. When you are planning an addition or renovating a floor in your home, this is probably the ideal time to come up with a special child-space. But it needs careful consideration ‒ more careful, perhaps, than choosing appliances…

This ensuite makeover took a dated, inefficient space and transformed it into a modern, welcoming, and functional retreat. The ensuite was a generous size, but poorly laid out, with a tiny cave of a shower, an outdated platform tub, and an awkward makeup vanity. “The original bathroom was dark and closed in and there was…

SkilBilt has a second project on the tour that showcases the transformation of an older home into the modern desire for an open-concept space. This project involved the renovation of both the first and second floors with the removal of load-bearing walls on the main level and an updating of the second floor, including adding…

Faced with a space that had potential architecturally but hadn’t quite hit the mark, Artium sought to turn this bungalow into a home that really reflected the personality of the owners. Vaulted ceilings throughout created amazing shapes and shadows, says Artium owner Norm Lecuyer, but strong colonial detailing was competing with the style. Plus, the…