News Archives - David Small Designs

Interior design as a tool to achieve our lifestyle goals

April 12, 2022/in News, Export, Interior Design /by Jack Shepherd

There are times when you walk into a space and understand that it’s different. You may not be able to explain exactly why. But it’s clear that the interior design of that particular home is unique. It’s a singular reflection of the home owner’s personal style and identity. It feels like them.

If we were to define what interior design is and the lifestyle dividends it should deliver, it would be about the journey of creating a customized interior space that perfectly encapsulates the personalities of the homeowner and their family. Our Lead Interior Designer Cristina Monaco put it best in our recent short film, Completing the custom home experience with interior design: “Interior design is not just about aesthetics, it’s about combining beauty and functionality,” she explained. “It’s ensuring the owner’s wishes and visions come to life.”

This clashes with the way that many approach the custom home design experience. All too often architectural design—the home’s exterior—is prioritized without considering interior functionality. And vice versa. But both are intimately connected. The two disciplines should, and do, complement one another and must always be conceived in harmony, working hand-in-hand for a sense of balance.

The reality is that we spend far more time inside our homes than outside, even as we enjoy outside four-season rooms, backyards or patios. Interiors must be carefully considered to avoid comprising the overall livability of a custom home. But how?

Asking the right interior design questions

The key is to understand how a homeowner and their family lives, works, plays and interacts. By taking the time to understand their needs and aspirations, we can begin developing architectural design concepts that are rational, structurally efficient and flow with ease. This is important because the space planning aspect of interior design is controlled in the architectural phase—such as whether a home will be open concept or compartmentalized. The ensuing designs should be warm and comfortable because the success of an interior space is innately connected to its livability. If well-imagined rooms can enhance our sense of personal wellness, they serve a far greater purpose than their initial functional characteristics might suggest.

There is a series of important questions that our interior design team asks in the early stages of every engagement. A few include:

Is the preference for those aforementioned open concept spaces, or compartmentalized rooms that offer greater separation (which is now of particular importance to homeowners who may work from home, but have young, active families)?
Where does the family spend most of its time? That could be a central hub such as a kitchen or a family room—maybe both. If so, should those spaces be connected in some way? If the owners love to entertain, then a chef’s kitchen with a connected dining area that allows for free-flowing conversation during meal preparation may be in order
What are the owners’ aesthetic tastes? What statement should the interior make to whomever might walk through the front door?

Defining an interior space is also about understanding the occupants’ other lifestyle pursuits and hobbies. The reason: great design should enhance opportunities for enjoyment and engagement. We often work with clients who want spaces to showcase art or who prefer large spaces for their children to play, for example. These are all considerations that should inform the interior design of their home.

Of course, we can’t overlook the more conventional design considerations. From colour palettes and material choices to joinery and the incorporation of natural light, these are all determining factors behind an interior’s final appearance—and they’re fully informed by the home owner’s preferences. Some opt for a modern aesthetic where glass, steel and concrete combine to make a dramatic, yet minimal, comment on the owner’s ambitions. Others may opt for a modern country design that makes interesting use of volumes and spacing to propose a new, yet entirely familiar, kind of residential composition.

Contrasting interior design projects

Partnering with an architectural design firm that can work across styles is critical to bringing a home owner’s vision to life. Whether they prefer modern, transitional or traditional design, the home owner’s aesthetic tastes should align with their interior designer’s capabilities. David Small Designs is unique in our team’s ability to seamlessly create distinctive custom homes that adhere to one architectural style while adding our own signature touches, just as we work with our clients to develop hybrid dwellings that borrow from multiple design schools.

Two of our interior design projects best capture that capability. The Modern Country Farmhouse is a study in architectural and interior design harmony. While the exterior offers a modernized take on the traditional farmhouse with its careful unity of metal, stone and glass, the interior brings together centuries-old wood roof beams, fieldstone and brass fixtures throughout to create a sense of warmth and belonging.

A room-sized pantry offers ideal preparation and storage space, the kind that would appeal to home cooks and world-class chefs alike. A versatile screened room forms connections between outside and in, while considered use of shiplap, bold wall coverings and a muted palette create a sense of calm and place.

The home we’ve dubbed Modern Interior in Oakville, Ont., is a study in contrasts. It makes dramatic use of soaring glass windows, a cleverly-lit floating staircase and stunning materials to realize the owners’ goals of creating an ideal space to live and entertain. The contemporary interior combines neutral shades and open concept designs for spatial fluidity on the main floor. A generous balcony offers views to the pool and yard below, while a glass room builds connections to the natural landscape. A showcase wine cellar brings the family’s favourite bottles into plain view.

Upstairs, the owners put equal emphasis on form and function. Walk-in storage spaces offer ample room for organizing, while bedrooms for parents and kids present a feeling of calm. In the master suite, an architectural headboard serves equal parts artistic statement and lighting fixture. It’s an intriguing addition conceived with the help of our interior design team and some of the builder’s fabrication partners. A stone-wrapped walk-in shower and oak joinery turn the en suite washroom into a sanctuary to begin and complete the day.

These projects are a reminder that interior design is about considering much more than light fixture placement and appliance or paint selection—although it involves those considerations, too. Interior design is a crucial element that brings any dream home to life.

It takes time to perfect, but once the right interior design vision is achieved, the possibilities to build lasting memories are endless.

The David Small Design Team

Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our interior design process.

The Last House: An architectural design journey

January 24, 2022/in News /by Jack Shepherd

If you had the opportunity to design and build the custom home of your dreams, what would it look like? How would it function—and how would it enable you to live life to the fullest? It’s a question that David Small had pondered throughout his career. He had built homes for himself and his family, but not a last home. Brimming with ideas about what that structure could accomplish, he set out to create a place that would draw on the entirety of his architectural design experience, where aspiration and innovation would come together in an ideal setting catered to his family’s lifestyle needs.

His desire was to create something entirely unique and special, but also warm and inviting. While he didn’t intend to build an architectural calling card for his fast-growing practice, it would become that and more—a love letter to his architectural influences and his family upbringing; a definitive composition in his signature Natural Modern style. This project would be untethered from market pressures or the kind of stylistic considerations that would inform the design of a home made to be sold. This was a home that would be well-used. It would serve as a space to create a lifetime of memories.

He would comb several neighbourhoods searching for the perfect location to build. There were many options, expansive lots that were spacious and appealing, but none that satisfied his vision. Finally, he found a parcel of land just a few streets away from the glass-wrapped dwelling that he had previously designed, the eponymous David’s House. The wooded lot offered a dramatic entry point that would help shelter the new dwelling from the street. The natural canopy enveloped the property in a sense of calm. It was the perfect place to form a connection between this custom home and the surrounding environment.

It would also serve as the ultimate expression of David’s vision to erase the lines between inside and out. The Last House, as it would be named, would reference modern architecture’s embrace of material rawness with extensive use of bare concrete, glass and steel—and exposure of the building’s structural framework—then juxtapose it against a palette of natural wood and stone. With cleverly-deployed geometric massing and material balance, visitors would immediately be struck by its sense of comfort and the harmonious interplay of opposing architectural elements.

Realizing an architectural design vision

In crafting The Last House, David and his family discussed their ambitions and carefully reviewed how they lived on a daily basis. How could their dream home work to suit their needs? The design criteria were developed from their routines and detailed feature wish list. It was a process familiar to our founder and our team.

The ideation and design methodology behind The Last House was the same one that we apply when working with our custom home clients. Our mission is to learn how they live, what they aspire to achieve and now their new home can forward those lifestyle goals. The philosophy is simple: a true custom home should complement our clients’ lives, rather than proscribing functionality and flow based on a rigid set of architectural principles.

In this case, the brief called for a feeling of movement and transparency. A range of intricate details—too expansive to cover in their entirety here—gave a nod to various aspects of the Small family’s personal history: the signature porthole tangerine door, a nod to the mid-century modern homes of their childhood; a living wall in the entry foyer referencing David’s passion for building connections between architecture and nature. A dedicated nook housing an heirloom piano that calls out the generations of family members that once played it.

David was on-site with his construction team every day during the build phase. He would make continual adjustments to his design and navigate technical challenges that came to light. A monumental structural concrete feature wall, for example, would require additional bracing and support. But as a labour of love, the opportunities inherent in The Last Home propelled David to constantly seek out ideal design solutions. It’s an attitude—the pursuit of perfection—that permeates our entire client experience and has become a firm-wide hallmark.

A Natural Modern masterpiece

Detailed landscaping and carefully-planned sightlines enhance the home’s connection to nature, but it’s the extensive use of glass that brings outside directly into virtually every room in the house. The master suite, for example, has a treehouse feel as the room is hugged by backyard foliage. The family space that houses the living and dining room is entirely transparent, offering views of the property on two sides. It was there that David’s Natural Modern ethos was brought to life in a single moment.

Throughout the project, the windows in ‘The Bridge,’ as he dubbed the space, had been covered in builder’s plastic to shield the glass from construction-related damage. A degree of light was able to pry through the sheeting, but the windows were kept translucent. As the end of the construction phase arrived, David walked through the room and began peeling back that plastic. Sheet after sheet slipped off the window panels. He was left speechless as the outside seemed to pour in. Light filled the bridge and the landscape of the property became immediately connected to the interior. It was exactly as he’d envisioned. The Last House, his family’s forever home, was finished.

Upon reflection, David has come to see the home as his greatest professional achievement. That it delivers immense personal happiness while making a powerful architectural statement is a testament to his dedication to the project, along with the potential that emerges when designing a fully customized residence.

Every home in our portfolio is influenced by the expertise needed to craft The Last House—yet there will never be another home exactly like it.

The David Small Design Team

Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process.

The award-winning Narrow Lot: A study in limited-space custom home design

October 1, 2021/in Design Showcase, News, Custom Home Design /by admin

As cities become denser and urban dwellers embrace the necessities of compact living, custom home designers will be encouraged to do more with less. Infill and new-build projects located on narrow lot properties will become increasingly common as city planners demand greater densification. But the needs of families won’t change. They’ll always require room to live and play and work, especially as hybrid arrangements prompt more people to set aside designated office spaces in their homes.

Some might be intimidated by the seeming constraints of a narrow lot. We see it as an opportunity for extraordinary creativity. A narrow lot can create new possibilities to explore designs that leverage height and clever massing to produce an architectural design that satisfies the lifestyle requirements of its future occupants.

Working within a confined space requires careful attention to detail—the structure’s connection to the streetscape and integration with neighbouring homes are key points of concern. Ensuring a house fits in just as it stands out calls for a deft design touch. In fact, it’s a unique responsibility. These homes come to define their streets. When done well, they make an unmistakable statement about their owners’ aesthetic tastes and should effortlessly interact with the surrounding environment.

Natural Modern in urban settings

The significance of our Natural Modern design ethos is just as apparent when working in a closely-packed urban space as in a rural locale—perhaps even more so. In cities, the focus is always on maximizing the potential of a small lot, interacting with the topography in clever ways and maximizing the amount of light that can be transferred indoors. Natural Modern is about ensuring that landscapes and interiors blend seamlessly to create a distinctive flow and a calming sense of cohesion.

Exterior material selection is crucial. It’s sometimes assumed that narrow lot homes must make a dramatic architectural declaration to account for their spatial limitations. Often that means leaning on an ultra-modern design to create a juxtaposition to existing buildings. While intended as a response to other architectural styles, sometimes more than a century in age, they seem to exist in spite of history rather than to advance it.

But the right cladding can weave the home into that existing architectural quilt. Be it wood or stone, metals such as copper or stucco, their careful combination is essential to the custom home design’s success and longevity.

The Narrow Lot

For a project we appropriately dubbed The Narrow Lot, we employed these same principles to create a distinctive structure perched comfortably in a tree-lined Toronto neighbourhood, amid a row of handsome early to mid-twentieth century homes. The project earned David Small Designs and custom home builder LePrevo Design-Build a nod for Best Custom Home Under $1 Million at the 2021 BILD Renovation & Custom Homes Awards. Completed in 2020, the 2,370 sq. ft. dwelling is deliberately set back from the streetscape and from the adjacent red-brick dwelling, cheekily utilizing the neighbouring exterior wall to create an intriguing (if indirect) threshold leading to its entry portico. An elegant granite path and minimalist landscaping serve as immediate Natural Modern reference points.

Staggered windows, columnar façade elements and pitched rooflines draw the eye skyward, creating a sense of wonder and encouraging exploration. Post-modern industrial elements and warm grey stonework interact with finely stained timber to remind us of the possibility of using design to enhance any property, no matter its constraints. Stone and wood wrap the entire building, delivering a sense of warmth and belonging.

The project is one of the finest examples of the complete David Small Designs experience. Our team developed both the architectural and interior design for The Narrow Lot. Inside the space, we relied on a continuity of natural materials such as pine, with a subtly striking colour palette of soft whites and greys. Careful window positioning—with transom windows utilized in certain rooms to provide light and privacy— including liberal use of skylights on the home’s upper level, make every space bright and engaging. Bold use of tile and custom stained shelving inject dynamism into the main living spaces.

The function and flow of the house were customized to suit the lifestyle needs of the home owners’ family. High-traffic areas were kept open and flowing to allow little ones to freely play, while the bedrooms were designed as relaxing sanctuaries to recharge once the work or family-related activities of the day have been completed.

The Narrow Lot achieves their goals and is a testament to both their personal identity and the day-to-today realities of a family passionate about architectural design. They could have built a standard home on a narrow downtown lot. But instead they chose to create a space that was distinctly modern, yet indelibly tied to the neighbourhood; one that will stand tall for decades to come.

The David Small Design Team
Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process and how we can transform your lakeside property into the perfect family getaway.

The Dusk Home plays to the rhythms of family life

October 1, 2021/in Design Showcase, News, Custom Home Design /by admin

As disciplines go, music and architecture share a great deal in common. Both require flow and harmony. They’re at their best when their creative energy is tempered by a degree of restraint; because sometimes doing less delivers far greater impact. Like writing a song or improvising on stage, success occurs when various talents are allowed to collaborate and compose a distinct creative vernacular. The Dusk Home is a fine example of what can be achieved when balance, proportion and careful material selection take centre stage.

Canadian crooner Matt Dusk and his wife Julita Borko had a vision in mind when they approached our team to craft a home for their family, which would also include living spaces for Dusk’s mother and sibling. The singer’s appreciation of iconic American architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie style and masterpieces such as Darwin Martin House in Buffalo, NY, would deeply inform the design. So, too, would their desire to ensure the 6,000 sq. ft., home would interact seamlessly with the landscape. Our Natural Modern design ethos provided the architectural platform needed to merge the residence with its topography, a sweeping west Toronto lot that rests alongside one of the city’s finest golf courses.

Ever the artist, Dusk’s focus and careful attention to every architectural detail injects a sense of passion and love into the space. As a couple, the Dusks were determined to ensure their home would be a warm and welcoming space to live, make music and share lasting memories. Honesty in material selection and engagement with the structure were an ever-present consideration, creating intrigue and interest at every turn. The result is an stunning home that exceeded their expectations.

A space to entertain and escape

That the Dusks spend much of their time entertaining should come as no surprise. Beyond co-living with multiple family members, they also welcome a revolving slate of guests. Their home would need to embody the openness and functionality of a luxury hotel, but with far greater familiarity and casual comfort. Spatial flexibility and versatility are key features of the end design.

As such, the home has multiple suite-like rooms that allow for privacy. Large bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and walk-in closets offer oases for relaxation and calm. Rooms are distanced across floors to enhance the hotel feel, while passageways take the family and their loved ones on a journey through the space, moving from one area to the next and encouraging them to enjoy and experience both the materials and the home’s singular design details.

Common areas such as the double-height living room and expansive kitchen provide opportunities to interact and live life to its fullest—or to cater to dozens of friends, family or musical collaborators. Perhaps all at the same time, depending on the night. A wall of retractable glass doors connects the lounge to the deck and pool.

An important detail can’t be overlooked: the fountain that greets visitors as they enter the foyer is a nod to one that Dusk’s father kept in the singer’s childhood home. Then, a surprise. The foyer’s low-hung ceilings suddenly open for a dramatic reveal of the soaring living room. The open-concept space is awash in natural light that pours in from floor-to-ceiling windows; they form a clever connection to the outdoors.

A home for life

Considered use of stone, steel and wood on the façade bring a unique aesthetic to the property, while pitched rooflines and evocative detailing add a sense of grandeur. The objective was to create a dialogue with the surrounding tree-lined streets, which also play host to countless families. As such, the architectural stylings create a clear statement of identity and intention, but without hiding behind the aloof veneer that overshadows so many grand homes.

All pathways through the home eventually lead to the outdoor living spaces, where natural materials and well-considered landscaping provide an idyllic backdrop for music industry gatherings or children’s birthday parties. The infinity pool, wood-clad shelters and an inviting second-storey balcony offer points for relaxation and entertaining in tune with the Dusks’ goal to build a house that offers four-season enjoyment.

These leisure elements interplay effortlessly with the landscape. The magic in the design is a manicured aesthetic that can just as easily transform into a play place dotted with trucks, hula hoops and soccer nets. Again, the Dusks were determined to ensure that their outdoor spaces would be as free and open as those inside. From their choice of foliage to the inclusion of expansive, child-friendly living areas, their passion for togetherness and disdain of pretense sings across the property.

They endeavoured to build a home for their family to thrive—one that could also encapsulate a warm embrace of architecture’s past, present and future. In that sense, they Dusks have delivered a performance for the ages.

The David Small Design Team
Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process and how we can transform your lakeside property into the perfect family getaway.

The allure of lakeside cottage living

September 13, 2021/in News /by Jack Shepherd

Canadian summers may be short-lived, but the draw of lakeside cottage living is one that makes it far easier to endure our seemingly endless, frigid winters. The chance to sit dockside, beverage of choice in hand, allowing the world’s worries to drift away is always alluring. So are the views in picturesque cottaging hotspots such as the Muskokas, Kawarthas and—closer to the Greater Toronto Area—in Collingwood, Ont.

For some, lakeside cottage living can now be a nearly year-round proposition as COVID-19 has enabled an increasing number of employees to work remotely or in a hybrid work arrangement. For others, a cottage is a welcome respite. It’s a place to break away from the daily grind, to reconnect with loved ones, to relax and recharge. And that’s why the architecture of a lakeside home is so important.

The right architectural design has the potential to enhance a home, transforming it from a mere getaway to a statement of a family’s beliefs and aspirations. If an architectural designer takes the time to properly assess and understand a home owner’s dream and needs for their future residence, they have the opportunity to create something truly special. A lakeside cottage home, then, is about something more. It’s a foundation for decades—perhaps even generations—of summertime memories.

A natural modern cottage near the end of construction on Lake Rosseau

A personal perspective on lakeside cottage life

You could say that cottaging is in our DNA here at David Small Designs. One of our founder David Small’s very first architectural design projects was to imagine the perfect Central Ontario getaway for he and his family. The rugged property, perched alongside an expansive lake, offered an incomparable backdrop: the ruggedness of the Canadian Shield, unmatched views and an undulating landscape that was truly remarkable in its architectural potential.

David set out to create something unique on that property. He studied the topography and documented its many nuances. He carefully researched cladding options and developed techniques to incorporate aspects of the landscape into his approach. You could say that it was from that very first project that his Natural Modern design ethos began to take shape.

Most importantly, he refused to stop tinkering with his design until it was near perfect. He became obsessed with creating a cottage that took full advantage of the natural beauty of the region. Every angle, every roofline, every window was designed with a mind to ensuring that his family could fully enjoy their vacation home and, at each visit, find new magic in every aspect of that majestic swath of Canadian wilderness.
Every lakeside cottage home we’ve designed since takes inspiration from that early project.

Creating connections with nature

That influence is best exemplified in the Fairy Lake Cottage, an 1,800 sq. ft. home in Huntsville, Ont. Completed in 2017, the home is designed in our distinctive transitional style, combining traditional massing with modern finishes and an embrace of a gently-sloping property to weave a seamless connection to its surroundings.

In this case, our team worked closely with the home owners to determine their lifestyle needs and spatial ambitions. Their priority was enjoying the cottage-country locale as much as possible, while also creating a warm and inviting space to relax into the fall season. We incorporated a covered Muskoka room that features a roll-down phantom screen and wood-burning fireplace. Virtually every living space—including the luxurious bathing rooms—feature sweeping views of the neighbouring lake. A classic gable roof design references traditional Muskoka architecture, while floor-to-ceiling windows and modern glass railings nod to the owners’ love of contemporary design.

About two hours away in Collingwood, Ont., the 5,000 sq. ft. Lake House brings Cape Cod elegance to the shores of Georgian Bay. Situated on an expansive lakeside property, the home’s peaked rooflines and columned porch front offer visitors an open-arm embrace. A warm, neutral colour palette and traditional stylings remind us that the stylings of yesteryear are as relevant today as ever. That’s especially so in a design such as this one—where extensive use of window glazing and thoughtful landscaping create an idyllic bridge between the bay just steps away and the Niagara Escarpment in the distance.

Lakeside splendour in the heart of the city

And while it’s not a getaway home, our Lakeside Views project affirms our belief that lakeside cottage living can be brought to urban environments. In this case, the 6,500 sq. ft. property located in Mississauga, Ont., and completed in 2017, sits on a gorgeous lakefront property in the commuter city’s Rattray Marsh neighbourhood. The goal was to create a warm family home that also capitalized on the stunning waterfront views on offer.

The transitional design successfully blends manor-esque massing with contemporary detailing for a truly distinctive aesthetic. An oversized front porch, an enclosed multi-season back porch, towering windows and a curated blend of cladding materials all combine to bring the feel of cottage country living to the city.

Because in the end, what truly matters when designing a lakeside home is creating a space for your family to thrive and enjoy time together, while making ample time to enjoy the breathtaking views. There’s always a moment, when you look dockside to see your children leaping off the pier and into warm waters, that you know you’ve created your family’s perfect lakeside cottage escape.

The David Small Design Team
Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process and how we can transform your lakeside property into the perfect family getaway.

The majesty of Mountain Modern design

July 15, 2021/in News /by Jack Shepherd

In developing the Natural Modern design ethos early in our firm’s history, we focused on the seamless integration of custom home architecture with the surrounding landscape. The goal was to create a school that was as distinctive as it was unmistakable. We’ve since employed it across a wide range of urban locales, but it was when we introduced Natural Modern to an alpine setting that it took on an entirely new life. In that context, we began referring to our design approach as Mountain Modern. It’s one that has garnered the attention of home owners from across North America for its uncompromising commitment to architectural truth. It embodies a spirit that combines family-friendly features while accommodating a multitude of diverse lifestyle needs.

Perhaps it goes without saying that situating a custom home amid towering mountains sets the stage for architectural design success. Rugged cliff sides, seemingly endless sunsets and awe-inspiring vistas offer the ultimate natural canvas to create a truly unique home.

But capitalizing on those opportunities requires a deft architectural hand. It’s not uncommon for aggressively-designed homes to dominate their mountain setting, drawing attention to hulking forms and ill-conceived material selections rather than carefully integrating the home into the neighbouring landscape. Mountain modern is a design language all its own, one that’s voiced softly—listening and respecting rather than attempting to obnoxiously overpower.

An enduring presence aligned with nature

So, what defines Mountain Modern? The style relies heavily on natural materials—think exterior use of stone and timber—textured treatments and robust structuring. But it also welcomes the use of industrial-inspired materials such as exposed steel columns. It nods to traditional European alpine architecture with sharp roof peaks and ample use of exterior glazing, but references the topography that frames it with an embrace of chiselled angularity and a distinctive boldness.

It conveys a sense of durability and resilience. This is a reflection of the enduring nature of alpine environments themselves. They are a steadfast presence, staking claim to their space for millennia. While we would never be so presumptuous to assume that one of our homes would enjoy that sort of epoch-spanning longevity, our structures are designed for multiple generations of families to enjoy and build lasting memories.

A Mountain Modern home also makes extensive use of earthen tones and a neutral colour palette that forms a natural bond with the rocky or coniferous-covered terrain that surround it. It is striking, yet blends in seamlessly. The mountain speaks, while the home sits patiently listening.

Perhaps most importantly, it works with the property on which it sits, leveraging slope and immovable natural features such as rock outcroppings or boulders as design features. It seeks to create a boundary-less connection between indoors and out.

Our signature use of covered terraces, outdoor living areas and floor-to-ceiling designs, flooding indoor spaces with natural light from soaring windows, create a feeling of warmth and comfort. Mountain Modern homes are positioned to maximize seasonal light exposure and to capture year-round alpine views.

A Colorado alpine escape

Informed by breathtaking Rocky Mountain scenery, our current project in Evergreen Colorado—approximately 20 miles west of Denver—is likely the finest example of our Mountain Modern ethos put into practice.

When complete, the family home’s mono-slope roofline, floor-to-ceiling windows and accentuated deck overhangs will allow its owners to unwind and enjoy the space throughout the seasons. Maximizing the time for family connections and relaxation was a key focus in the design discovery process. We worked with the owners to understand their lifestyle requirements, how they planned to utilize this inspired structure, along with their long-term residential ambitions.

In the final design, every space was utilized to its full potential, with flat roofs on each storey unveiling multi-level decks that integrate exterior and interior spaces and help focus attention on the nearby peaks. The cascading effect of the home’s design is informed by nearby mountain streams and further underscores our goal of creating direction connections to the local environment.

Inside, nearly every principal living area is defined by towering glass panes that frame the Rocky Mountains in all of their idyllic splendour. The objective was for the residents to wake up each morning and look across the horizon as if they were staring into the pages of an alpine magazine, daydreaming about one day immersing themselves in the mountains’ dream-like magnificence.

Only in this case, that view is theirs to cherish for as long as they occupy their Colorado home.

Looking to create your own Mountain Modern masterpiece? Contact a member of our team today to learn more about our custom home design process and our architectural design methodology.

The David Small Design Team

The intrigue and opportunity of the corner lot

July 1, 2021/in News, Custom Home Design /by Jack Shepherd

Every corner is an opportunity. In geometry it’s the point where two straight lines meet, creating an entirely new dynamic. Those lines can then diverge in different directions, but their intersection serves as a foundation for the journey that comes next. When a custom home is built on a corner lot, it takes pride of place in a neighbourhood and creates a similarly intriguing junction. It becomes a focal point. The architectural designer can leverage that intersection to frame the home’s composition in exciting ways—creating a structure that’s both interesting and distinctive, then grounding everything around it.

With three elevations visible from the street, the angularity of the corner lot home’s architecture can sit on full display, accentuating glass, stone, wood or whatever material clads the exterior. Feature windows can take on exciting prominence just as pavilions are poised to elevate sightlines and exposures.

Stepped rooflines and corner peaks add layers of dimension and depth, producing a home design that speaks to its owner’s identity, while engaging in a lively conversation with the surrounding neighbourhood. Landscaping can be designed to add flare and complement the architecture in stunning ways. That includes potentially creating multiple outdoor living spaces that capitalize on the home’s positioning.

Corners allow for unparalleled creativity, in other words, but demand the utmost attention to detail. Thoughts on privacy and the intricacies of engaging in harmony with the streetscape should always warrant careful consideration.

As such, leveraging the full opportunity of a corner lot requires a strategic approach to design. Developing a holistic site plan that accounts for the property’s defining characteristics and integrates important considerations such as outdoor elements requires a deft design hand. At David Small Designs, for example, our Natural Modern aesthetic is focused on ensuring that our custom homes take their natural surroundings into account in a meaningful and deliberate manner.

Corner lots at play

One recent project, aptly named The Corner Lot, perfectly captures that design ethos.

The home’s positioning and extensive use of feature windows helps flood its living spaces with natural light. By positioning the garage on the narrow wide of the lot, our team was able to ensure that rooms such as the kitchen and den were afforded optimal views of the property. That includes sightlines to the remarkable backyard featuring a pool, cabana and spa area designed to maximize the owner’s year-round outdoor enjoyment of the home.

We achieved a similar result with The Glass Corner, winner of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association Awards of Distinction 2017 for Most Outstanding Custom Home (5,001 sq.ft. and over). In this case, a two-storey glass corner offered sweeping views of the property, produced an instantly-recognizable architectural feature and forged a clear connection between outdoor and indoor spaces. As with The Corner Lot, this home’s high-traffic spaces are immersed in natural light, enhancing livability and achieving the home owner’s goal of marrying a modern aesthetic with a warm and welcoming interior ambience.

For the California Corner, in Menlo Park, CA, we took inspiration from the Natural Modern aesthetic of David’s House, positioning the home in a way that leverages sight lines to the street and maximizes light exposure. Once complete, California Corner’s contemporary architecture is sure to become a prominent feature of this fast-growing Silicon Valley neighbourhood, located a short 15-minute drive from the area’s most notable architectural landmark, Apple Park.

A chance to create something special

It’s not uncommon for aspiring custom home owners to be reluctant to build on a corner lot. From a perceived lack of privacy to the need for more intricate landscaping across elevations, they often worry that designing a corner-based property involves excessive complexity and added architectural design costs. In most cases, this simply isn’t true.

In fact, we see a corner lot as an architectural gift—a chance to create something special for you and your family to thrive. It’s an opportunity to build a cozy and inviting home with architectural allure—pitched angles, structural roofs and towering windows that add detail and life to the interior spaces where most of your memories will be made.

It’s an opportunity that should never be overlooked.

The David Small Design Team

The process of determining construction pricing

June 24, 2021/in News, Custom Home Design /by Jack Shepherd

Building a custom family home is about designing a space where you and your loved ones can grow together, build and share memories and live life to the fullest. The considerations that will inform that eventual architectural design are vast and varied, but one of the most important is budget. From materials to labour costs, construction pricing is a key determinant of the look and feel of your future home.

The Build – David’s House Case Study – View More

Complete: David’s House – View More

Of course, no two budgets are ever the same. Every home owner has a specific vision for their future dwelling that dictates how funds will be allotted, why and where. Some may insist that the ‘bones’ of the house be of the highest quality, meaning they’re willing to channel as much money as possible into structural details such as insulation, HVAC or truss systems. Others may prefer to spend more on the aesthetic finishes or technological componentry with which they’ll eventually spend more of their time interacting—fine oak millwork or advanced smart home features, for example.

In our experience, the most successful custom home design projects are the ones that strike a careful budgetary balance between structural and aesthetic or lifestyle features. That’s the key to building a residence that addresses the everyday needs of your family, while nodding to your individual and collective identities and tastes. A custom home should not only serve a functional purpose—offering a wonderful place to live—but it should also make a statement about who you are and what you aspire to be.

The path from the initial engagement with our architectural design team to exploring, revising and ultimately signing off on a construction budget with a builder is rarely linear. It’s part of the journey, one that should be both comfortable and practical, free from unwelcome surprises and full of excitement and potential. It helps to understand that the process of setting a construction budget requires careful consideration and the right team to make it all come together as seamlessly as possible.

Choosing the right architectural designer

Selecting the architectural design team to help set the right vision and compose dynamic drawings for your home is absolutely essential. As with those aforementioned custom home budgets, no two designers are the same. Fee structures will vary, as will quality, but the most important consideration is working with a firm that understands your objectives and is prepared to work to meet your specific needs.

An example of a typical floor plan – View More

Peruse various designers’ websites and social media feeds, visit the homes they’ve designed (assuming they’ve worked in your city before) and meet with them (at least virtually) to ensure their aesthetic sensibilities align with yours. At that point you can determine whether theirs is the kind of firm that understands and suggests pricing checkpoints with builders during the design exercise.

Choosing the best home builder for your needs

Most architectural design firms will have a short list of builders to which they refer projects. This is normal. You may have your own list of names from which to choose (either through family/friend referrals or your own research) as you embark on the custom home-building process. The choice of builder will ultimately dictate your eventual construction budget.

Most will price based on a range of factors including the proposed square footage of the home, the quality of materials to be used, the complexity of the home—which will ultimately dictate the pricing and fee structure—and the time and labour they’ll assign to the project. Some will mark up material and finishing costs to some degree, while others will opt to add a project-management fee instead. Some will take a hybrid fee structure approach.

Once your vision is on paper in the form of conceptual drawings, you can then review and have preliminary pricing conversations with multiple builders. Even if there is a preference for one home builder from the start of the process, we always recommend obtaining multiple quotes and then making a balanced comparison based on your home wish list.

Build in flexibility

Your builder should provide an estimate that itemizes the full project scope, a work schedule with details (and any specific nuances) of their fee structure and a sense of items that will be outside the original project scope.

Being comfortable with your construction budget is a vital part of making the custom home experience a positive one. Still, it’s advisable to build a certain degree of flexibility into your budget. Most home owners, at some point in a project, will make design or material changes that impact their budget. Having a financial cushion built into your construction budget—as much as 10 to 20 per cent of the total value of the project—will help to alleviate the stress of constant spreadsheet scrutinizing as you try to keep spending in check.

Your home, your budget

Ultimately, construction pricing is a function of the quality and complexity of the home you plan to build. But as the home owner, you should be in full control of that budget at all times.

Traditional house with gabled roof, stucco siding and black trim.

Before/After Modern Upgrade

By choosing the right architectural designer and builder—and ensuring that their approach aligns with your vision and project-management preferences—you can make budgetary decisions that deliver a stunning end product.

The David Small Design Team

Mississauga custom home with natural stone, backyard pool and shingled roof.

Enhancing your custom home with harmonious outdoor living spaces

June 18, 2021/in News, Custom Home Design /by Jack Shepherd

If the architectural design of a custom home is a reflection of the owner’s personal tastes and aspirations, then the home’s outdoor living spaces are a nod to their love of nature, need for relaxation and sheer enjoyment of the many features of their surroundings. Because for many Canadian and American home owners—whether in northerly regions where the summers seem all too short, or in warmer climes where a year-round connection to nature is easier to maintain—their outdoor living spaces are just as important as the ones inside.

David Small Design’ Natural Modern school directly acknowledges that connection. Our architectural design language ties a home’s interior and exterior spaces in exciting ways. Through extensive use of glass, natural materials such as stone and wood—along with intricate planning that accentuates a property’s topographical details—it creates a dynamic flow and energy that enhances a dwelling’s potential.

It’s an engaging way to turn sightlines, natural light and sweeping views into striking design features.

It also creates intriguing areas for owners and their families to live life and enjoy precious time together with loved ones and friends. There’s a reason why Natural Modern is often described as ‘lifestyle-friendly modern’ by architecture critics and our clients alike. It adds new layers of warm and inviting functionality.

But transforming an exterior space into an inviting oasis takes careful attention to detail and planning. It’s a process of considering how your family interacts, how you wish to engage with the outdoors and how that interplay can enhance the enjoyment of your home as a whole.

Thinking outside during the design phase

Many home owners focus the bulk of their attention on the exterior façade and interior spatial requirements of their home during the architectural design stage—and for obvious reasons. But from the earliest phases of the process, we recommend also envisioning how your future outdoor living spaces should be designed to suit your needs.

Doing so not only helps integrate outdoor and indoor living environments in a seamless way, but will also align your custom home wish list and budgetary realities. Creating an outdoor living room (or several enticing spaces purpose-built to maximize the enjoyment of your surroundings) can quickly inflate a construction budget—especially if major landscaping work is involved.

Perhaps your plan is to create a fully-equipped outdoor kitchen for summer barbecuing or even year-round cooking. Maybe you aim to integrate a pool with a surrounding deck or other elements such as a water feature. A fire pit area could be the perfect setting to take in the stars, particularly on cooler nights. A bar-lounge nook would allow you to watch sports or other events in the open air. Working with your interior design team, you may even choose outdoor lounge or dining furniture of a similar aesthetic to the furniture inside your house. The goal being to create a sense of unity and coherence between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Remember that additions such as these will have a significant impact on your final construction budget. Discussing them in the early stages of the design process not only affords your architectural designer the opportunity to ensure that angles, sightlines and even room positioning are ideally situated to capitalize on exterior elements, but can also allow for the kind of proactive planning that avoids costly re-work or expensive late-stage project additions.

Using a property to your advantage

Whether built on a slope, a lakeside or in a busy urban neighbourhood, it always makes sense to leverage a property’s natural features to create a truly unique outdoor space. For example, a hillside property could allow for a terrace system with multiple seating areas—one for dining, another for lounging and one to enjoy a soothing hot tub soak, for example. A large balcony could afford sweeping views of an expansive valley or nearby mountains.

Our Fairy Lake cottage project is a fine example of our Natural Modern aesthetic at work, while showcasing our use of a property’s natural features to enhance its form and function.

In that case, we took full advantage of the property’s natural slope to include features that framed extraordinary waterfront views, while creating multiple outdoor living spaces and establishing a clear connection to the dockside environment below. As we note in our Portfolio case study:

“This cottage shows how traditional massing can be combined with modern finishes to create a welcoming getaway. A classic gable roof design was elevated by exposed steel beams, floor-to-ceiling windows and modern glass railings. The Muskoka room—the three season covered living space—features a roll-down phantom screen and wood-burning fireplace.”

Even the home’s upper floor bathtub placement was carefully situated to offer serene waterfront views and create opportunities to relax and unwind. Pine-ceilinged, covered porches extended the indoor spaces to produce an elegant continuity of the natural material palette.

At the forefront

We often remind clients that outdoor spaces should never be an afterthought in the custom home design process.

These spaces could well be the ones where you and your family spend the bulk of your time when the weather permits—and sometimes even when the temperatures make a cozy blanket or a roaring outdoor fire a necessity. Take the time to imagine how you want to spend your outdoor time, then work with your architectural designer to bring that distinct vision to life.

The David Small Design Team

Natural modern home with wood soffit and natural stone at dusk.

Lifestyle-friendly Modern—a Primer

April 27, 2021/in News, Custom Home Design /by Jack Shepherd

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 comforting and precise in its composition. The term is a nod to the fact that modern design can (and should) be adapted to a home’s occupants, rather than being proscriptive in dictating how those occupants should use the modern space itself. Your home, in other words, should work for you. Not the other way around.

Mere mention of modern architecture in home design evokes a strong emotional reaction from almost everyone. The style tends to either be loved or loathed by homeowners. But it needn’t be polarizing. Modern architecture can prioritize function over form and trust in building materials to define a space, yet still be warm and inviting.

Divergent views of modern

Devotees of modern will point to the classic minimalist creations of Mies van der Rohe (think Farnsworth House) or Philip Johnson (designer of the iconic Glass House), as being near the pinnacle of modern residential design.

In these homes, industrial materials and precise geometry interplay with light and carefully balanced proportions to create a structure remarkable for its lack of ornamentation, yet striking in its reliance on the context of the surrounding landscape for texture—seamlessly connecting outside and in.

Johnson’s Glass House was a major inspiration for The Last House design

And for those very same reasons, modern residential design is rejected by so many who feel it lacks heart. A modern home is indicative of an owner’s identity (or an architect’s vision), but the common critique is that houses in this vein are stark and cold. They may look dramatic in an architecture magazine, but have no place in a family photo album.

To some, modern evokes thoughts of the unapologetically concrete, institutional brutalist structures that were in vogue among some in the architectural elite from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Many of the buildings aged poorly and were roundly unloved. Some, like Paul Rudolph’s Burroughs Wellcome & Company building in North Carolina, have fallen prey to the wrecking ball. The criticism is not always fair, but it is prevalent—especially when distilled and applied in the context of the family home.

Modern and livable

Among others, Natural Modern draws from several schools including the sleek mid-century modern of Eero Saarinen and Pierre Koenig, and the Prairie School movement made so famous by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Prairie School’s embrace of angularity, hanging rooftops and geometric patterning—which came to define many a downtown core and some of North America’s fast-growing suburbs through the early to mid-20^th century—were a reaction to the prevailing neoclassicism of the time. But it also reminded contemporary architects that modern homes needn’t surrender their sense of warmth. It was possible to embrace many of the modern movement’s core objectives without compromising a dwelling’s livability and appeal.

As design styles progressed and taste shifted, modern architectural designers began reframing their efforts to place a greater emphasis on the needs of the homeowner. They determined that a modern home should aspire to being more than a functional museum piece. It should be a place to build relationships and memories.

The best of all worlds

In that sense, lifestyle-friendly modern is both cozy and ideally suited to families of all sizes and structures. It’s open, airy and welcoming. It’s defined by clean lines and decluttered spaces. It has space for work, play and reflection, while usually being open-concept and filled with natural light—a beloved modern feature that has been adopted by architects across a wide spectrum of stylistic leanings.

Whether our team is creating custom homes in traditional, transitional and modern styles, our work is anchored by a simple question: How can we produce a design that is beautiful and functions as efficiently and effectively as possible for the family that will eventually occupy it? How do they interact on a daily basis, and what experience do they want their home to deliver? Just as importantly, how can we ensure that the home interacts with its environment so the family can love their time both outside and inside the house, moving from one space to the other and finding enjoyment in both?

By answering those questions and working with clients to clarify their vision before we begin work, it’s possible to create a distinctive design that suits their needs—to build a lifestyle-friendly modern home where they can grow and thrive as a family.

The David Small Design Team

Modern home with concrete wall, hardwood floor and steel column.

Unpacking the Custom Home Experience

April 20, 2021/in News, Custom Home Design /by Jack Shepherd

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, a home represents our ambitions and stylistic preferences. It’s as much an expression of who we are as what we strive to be. But the custom home experience—the process of taking an idea and turning it into a structure—is one that’s not always fully understood.

That’s likely because, when done right, it should be completely customized; it’s difficult to articulate because it’s always changing. In our view, the custom home experience should be highly personal and tailored to your needs. Building a dream home starts by understanding you, your family and your daily rhythms.

The Last House

Your home, your way

That means analyzing the way you live and what your home should aspire to achieve.

Consider the most important aspects of how your home should look and flow: Open concept or more compartmentalized. Modern or traditional. Spacious and elegant or smaller but with a highly functional design. A formal dining area or a more casual eating space that better suits your busy lifestyle. If you have young children, for example, wide-open spaces for play may well trump the desire for more formal eating or living areas. Perhaps a design that creates seamless integration between exterior and interior spaces for the summer months is your preference.

Town and Country

Your vision will not only be dictated by where you are in life today, but future considerations, such as grandchildren on the horizon or a potential home down-sizing in the near future. In the latter case, design decisions could be dictated by their ability to enhance the home’s eventual resale value. These are only a handful of the many points to weigh. Ultimately, the decisions will require a balance between your architectural ambitions and practical lifestyle considerations. Another key factor are the unique characteristics of your property.

A home in harmony with the surrounding landscape

All too often—especially in tightly-packed urban areas—the design of a custom home can be ill-suited to the property that it occupies. The design may be incongruent with the neighbourhood’s dominant architectural aesthetic, for example, or the home may be too large for the lot size, detracting from its overall design appeal. Sightlines, topography, existing foliage and landscaping should all be incorporated into the design discussion at the early planning stages.

The Lake House

Mid Century Upgrade

Then there’s what we call the “approvability” factor. In short, it speaks to the ability to get a design plan approved by the local municipality. While top architectural design firms will always push limits to meet client expectations, the good ones are quick to remind that sometimes design ambitions need tempering to satisfy local building regulations. Height and setback restrictions, sightlines, environmental considerations—especially if the property is located within a conservation area, as is the case with many cottage or ravine lots—are all considerations that factor into the administrative balancing act that determines the exact shape and exterior appearance of your dream home.

Dream big, but don’t fret the details

A common perception is that building a home involves arriving at an architectural designer’s door with a fully-formed idea for your future home’s layout. That’s not the case—or at least it shouldn’t be.

Setting yourself up for success in the custom home design journey means not having every decision made in advance. It means being willing to explore options and allowing your architectural designer to bring their creativity to the table. Thinking about your room requirements and preferred features is enough. It’s a designer’s job to understand which questions to ask as they work to learn about you, before translating those insights into the drawings that will eventually become your custom home.

What is essential is an exploration of design styles. At David Small Designs, for example, we ask our clients to find visuals of homes they love. Platforms such as Houzz, publications that deal with architecture and design such as Dezeen or Architectural Digest—among many others—and both Instagram and Pinterest, are a great place to start. By exploring visuals and narrowing in on details and features you’re drawn to, you can set the guide rails that steer your designer in the right direction.

The good news is that this is one of the most exciting and engaging aspects of the custom home experience. Immersing yourself in a new world, then entrusting your architectural designer to put their experience and expertise to work, is what makes the journey both worthwhile and fulfilling.

The David Small Design Team

BILD Renovation & Custom Homes Awards 2020

June 16, 2020/in News /by Rebecca Muise

BILD GTA recently announced the winners of the 22nd Annual Renovation & Custom Home Awards. We were thrilled to have two of our projects honoured with a total of four awards. The winning projects were completed in collaboration with the talented construction team at Profile Custom Homes.

Modern Upgrade, won Best Renovation over $500,000 (no addition). This project was about applying a modern aesthetic to a traditional ranch style home. On the exterior, we maintained the existing shape of the home but applied materials and windows in a more contemporary way. On the interior, walls were removed, windows were enlarged and some rooms were re-positioned for enhanced functionality. A white colour palette mixed with black-framed windows and warm wood flooring and furnishings works together to create a clean modern aesthetic.

The winner of Best New Home Bathroom was The Last House. It has a beautiful symmetrical layout with a custom prismatic skylight in the centre. Floating walnut vanities with concrete countertops flank the entry. Smooth, large scale porcelain tile transitions seamlessly to the curbless shower and continues up the walls and ceiling. With matte black fixtures completing the modern appeal, this master ensuite is simple yet luxurious.

The Last House also won Best Custom Home over $2 million and Best Overall Custom Home. We are extremely proud of this home and are honoured to have it recognized. The goal of this design was to feel the power of the natural environment. With each design decision, we revisited this objective. The homeowners wanted to experience the beauty and serenity of their heavily-wooded, 1.4 acre property from each corner of their living space. They wanted barrier-free living; figuratively in terms of the intensity of the indoor-outdoor connection, and literally in terms of aging in place.

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Modern house with steel beams, wood soffit and black frame windows.

Mississauga Urban Design Awards 2013

October 2, 2013/in News /by admin

You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world.
But it takes people to make the dream a reality.

– Walt Disney

Last Friday evening, David’s House was presented with an Award of Merit at the 2013 Mississauga Urban Design Awards. A Mississauga native and the son of a past Mississauga Urban Design Award winner (nearly 30 years ago), David was truly honoured to accept this award.

As the longest running urban design awards in Ontario, we were thrilled to have our entire team present at Mississauga’s Council Chambers to see Mayor Hazel hand David the award and congratulate our team on a job well done.

Thank you to the City of Mississauga for continuing to recognize excellence and innovation in both public and private design. Thank you to the jury members for your time, discerning eyes, and feedback. Thank you and congratulations to the other winners and finalists; it’s your extraordinary design talent and continued submissions that keep these awards interesting, competitive, and highly esteemed. And a BIG thank you to all the people – our dedicated team at DSD, our loyal clients, our dependable partners – for your contributions in making David’s dream home a reality.

We were fortunate enough to have David’s parents, Bill & Betty Lou Small, join us at the awards on Friday evening. Bill Small, a mentor to David and a respected and accomplished man in the building industry, both on the local and national level, was the President of HUDAC in 1978 (now known as the Canadian Home Builders’ Association). In our search for information about his Urban Design Award, we came across this HUDAC newsletter published in 1978. Just one of Bill’s many contributions to the Canadian Home Building Industry.

The Urban Design Awards were held in Council Chambers at Mississauga’s City Hall

Three generations of the Small Family

David Small and team at OHBA award ceremony.

OHBA Awards of Distinction 2013

September 27, 2013/in News /by admin

This past Tuesday evening, we were honoured to receive three Ontario Home Builders’ Association Awards for David’s House.

David’s natural modern design was recognized as the Most Outstanding Custom Home in its category, and then received 2 more awards for individual room design, New Home Kitchen and New Home Bathroom. We were thrilled to have David’s House acknowledged by the OHBA; a project that is so personal to David and represents a new approach to modern design.

Thank you to the OHBA for putting on this great event that recognizes outstanding design, construction and marketing within the Ontario Building Industry…and kudos to those who came up with the Bond theme “licensed to drill”.

A BIG thank you to all the team members who helped make David’s House an award-winning design. To our DSD team, thank you for your hard work and dedication to excellence in design. To our incredible builder, Tony Ferkul of Tony Ferkul Construction Management Group, thank you for your attention to detail and quality craftsmanship. And to our vendors, Cameo Kitchens & Fine Cabinetry, Pella Windows, Watermarks Kitchen & Bath Boutique, York Fabrica, and many more, thank you for your exceptional customer service and customized product offering.

It was a fantastic evening celebrating tremendous talent in our industry. Sincere congratulations to all the winners and finalists.

OHBA Awards of Distinction 2013 | Most Outstanding Custom Home (2501-5000sf)

Accepting our award for ‘Most Outstanding New Home Bathroom’

Asking the right interior design questions

Contrasting interior design projects

Realizing an architectural design vision

A Natural Modern masterpiece

Natural Modern in urban settings

The Narrow Lot

A space to entertain and escape

A home for life

A personal perspective on lakeside cottage life

Creating connections with nature

Lakeside splendour in the heart of the city

An enduring presence aligned with nature

A Colorado alpine escape

Corner lots at play

A chance to create something special

Choosing the right architectural designer

Choosing the best home builder for your needs

Build in flexibility

Your home, your budget

Thinking outside during the design phase

Using a property to your advantage

At the forefront

Divergent views of modern

Modern and livable

The best of all worlds

Your home, your way

A home in harmony with the surrounding landscape

Dream big, but don’t fret the details

You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.

Design Matters

You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world.
But it takes people to make the dream a reality.