David Small Designs has gained notoriety for a design approach called Natural Modern—an original school that reimagines post-modern architecture, creating distinctive custom homes that blend seamlessly with their surrounding environment. When asked to elaborate, we often explain our style as being ‘lifestyle-friendly modern.’ Why? A lifestyle-friendly modern home is personalized and aesthetically pleasing, while being […]
There are many components to personal identity. From our professions to our family structures—and dozens of characteristics in between—we define who we are by what we do and believe, but also where we live. The process of imagining and building a dream home is the ultimate expression of that individual identity. More than a structure, […]
Out of all of the areas where we’ve designed homes over the years, the six boroughs of Toronto offer some of the more challenging properties. But with great challenge, comes incredible opportunity, resulting in some truly noteworthy custom homes. A common quality of properties in and around Toronto is smaller, narrower lot sizes. Being in […]
When we say we work anywhere in the world, we mean it. On top of countless projects across Canada, our boundless geographical reach has afforded us several opportunities to work with clients across the United States, resulting in custom home designs in Castle Rock, Boulder, Chagrin Falls, Ann Arbor, Long Island, Austin, and San Jose. […]
Every now and again, we’re asked if the floor plans of our existing homes are for sale. At David Small Designs, all of our home designs are completely custom. While we love when someone is inspired by one of our designs, we’re happy to work that inspiration into their own custom design. Here are a […]
With an aging North American population, we’ve noticed an upward trend of clients looking to design homes that will accommodate their needs as they grow older. We’ve seen this referred to as “accessible design,” or an element of “aging-in-place,” but it’s most commonly known as universal design. In a broad sense, universal design is just […]
This before picture is all too familiar. When driving through suburban neighbourhoods across the GTA you are guaranteed to see a version of this 1970s 2-storey home. With craftsman architecture as the inspiration, this home was given a complete overhaul. Visit our Additions & Renovations portfolio for more before and after images of The Craftsman […]
We are thrilled to share that our Modern Oasis design is a finalist for Most Outstanding Custom Home over 5000 sq.ft. at this year’s Ontario Home Builders’ Association Awards of Distinction. Covington Estates was the builder for this project and Barb Poce the Interior Designer. Winners will be announced on September 28th at the OHBA […]
This week we celebrated the life of Bill Small, David’s father and mentor who passed on February 12th, 2015. Bill personified the phrase “live life to the fullest”. His multitude of accomplishments in his professional life (President of the CHBA & BILD, Chairman of the National Home Show) and personal life (licensed pilot, Director of […]
We had so much fun last year we had to do it again! On July 9th, Team DSD (aka Custom Homies) laced up our running shoes and hit the streets of Toronto for BILD’s 5th annual Race for Humanity. The ‘Amazing Race’-style challenge proved to be a bit harder than last year: 12 challenges, 4 […]
And no, we’re not talking about the weekend activity you do with your kids. Rather, we’re referring to the architectural design style. Used interchangeably with ‘craftsman’, ‘arts & crafts’ was a design movement of the late 1800s-early 1900s. It was essentially a revival of the decorative arts; an appreciation for traditional craftsmanship and an anti-industrial […]
In a meeting the other day, David described the process of designing a custom home as “creating a home with soul”. We receive calls every week from potential clients who have been searching for a home, preferably a turn-key home, with the aesthetics that appeal to their design style and the layout the suits their […]
A “modern home that attracts and even converts traditionalists” is how Freshome, an international design blog, introduced David’s House to their readers. Freshome featured David’s natural modern home on their wildly popular design page at the start of this week. Click here to check out the feature. www.freshome.com
Transitional design is the middle ground between traditional and modern. It’s a balance of the sleek, stream-lined design associated with contemporary style and the warmth and timelessness appreciated in traditional design. ‘Copper Corner’, a custom home featured on our website, is a prime example of transitional design. It’s a marriage of clean lines with natural […]
We receive calls regularly from homeowners inquiring about renovating their bungalow. These inquiries can be broken down into three categories: 1) homeowners in need of more space, 2) homeowners looking to create a more open concept layout, and 3) homeowners seeking curb appeal and only interested in updating the exterior of their home. Some homeowners […]
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