Aging in Place Vancouver Island has become one of the most desired areas for retirement; with our lush forests and ocean views who can blame them?  Many people are deciding to build or renovate homes so that they can age in place and there are many factors to consider. One of the hardest things to do is to plan for the unexpected but making these design choices now will allow you the independence and quality of life that you are looking for, for many years to come.  As we all know, moving is an unpleasant, disruptive, and costly endeavor, so aging in place offers great value.&nbs ..read more

The Beauty in Imperfections Wood is seldom perfect Like people, wood has flaws. Gnarls and curves, bows and twists, knots and holes. We tend to call this “character”. It gives us an assurance that things are real. We also know that when there is too much “character” things can get ugly. A board with a big knot hole right in the middle is often not useful but with a little imagination and some creative workmanship we can make it more appealing than the “perfect” board. Jolie Laide is a French term which doesn’t translate well in English but literally it means “ugly beautiful”. It recognizes ..read more

Our History of Sustainability One of my workmates recently suggested that I share the story with others about the initial push I felt to learn to build homes more sustainably.  So here goes, just in case you like “fish stories”! Ken Connolly – Owner/General Manager A LITTLE HISTORY I moved to gorgeous Nanaimo in the mid-1980’s and my dad, an avid fisherman, soon had me out on warm spring evenings trolling around Neck Point and the Five Fingers group of islands. With my keen powers of observation, I noted two things. First, it was easy to catch fish!!  We consistently ..read more

Window Technology If you want to know what the latest and greatest is in window technology from around the world, check out this innovative high-end product from Europe. What does a product like this sourced in Switzerland have to do with us here on the left coast of Canada? The answer is that this product will soon be installed in a project right here in our very own Whistler. This is indicative of two undeniable trends.  First of all, a wave of creative energy is coursing through the world of construction as designers, engineers, building code officials, and builders grapple with ..read more

Updating Heritage Homes Heritage home renovations are full of dramatic effect.  You never know what you will find behind the walls, and you are always amazed by how stunning the transformation of heritage homes can be – both inside and out.  Here are three heritage home transformations that we have done in our 20 years of business that we just love to oogle and drive by whenever possible. Art Moderne Home Renovation Here is an example of a heritage home with fantastic original design qualities of the German Bauhaus movement of the 1930’s.  This heritage home, which is now Raymond de ..read more

Colour Can Invigorate A Building A new paint colour can rejuvenate life into a building in so many ways. Read on to hear from our Interior Designer, Roné, about one building’s journey of transformation. Recently I had the privilege of coming along side a special community group, “The Cedar Community Hall”, to help walk through the process to change the image of this iconic building.  The request was … …that the hall have a distinct image so that when people are referring to the building it is not confused with other halls in the area. PreviousNext Before the transformation ..read more

Bringing The Outside In Make The Most Of Natural Materials Found Locally Or Even On Site Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous and highly influential architect is credited with the concept of Organic Architecture in which a building is to develop out of its surroundings. While not every home needs to be an architectural opus, any project can gain a sense of place and life when we apply some fine craftsmanship and draw on the natural beauty of its environment.  Most custom homes built on beautiful Vancouver Island require a few trees to be cut down on the building site. It is often with mix ..read more

When To Renovate Your Kitchen It’s always a daunting question as to when you should choose to renovate your home.  While you decide when the right time is for your home to have a kitchen renovation, have a read and consider the following insights from a builder’s perspective on the benefits to renovating your home, which  may in turn push your kitchen renovation up on your priority list. A kitchen renovation is an upgrade for your LIFESTYLE Every home owner has said … “If I was to build this kitchen I would have… added a skylight, moved these cabinets over here, added an island, kn ..read more

Award Winning ‘Beachfront Living’ – The Process Introducing the award winning “Beachfront Living” home we built in lovable Lantzville, British Columbia on the iconic Vancouver Island. This is a property that has gone on quite a journey, so enjoy this read to understand the process of how it went from being a resort office & home in the 1970’s to becoming the “Best Single Family New Home Under 3,000 sq. ft” at the 2019 Vancouver Island Building Excellence Awards (VIBE Awards) put on by the Canadian Home Builders Association – Vancouver Island (CHBA-VI). This property was purchased by ..read more

Believe it or not, “How much insulation should I have?” is one of the first, and most influential questions that can be asked when starting the design of a new home or renovation.  The answer to that question can affect the usable square footage of your home, the cost of the entire project, and will likely also affect many of the other construction details from the underside of your slab to the top of your roof.  And crucially it will greatly affect the comfort of your residence when construction is complete and you have moved in. There are basically 3 answers to “How much insulation:”  Code l ..read more