#custom home Archives - David Small Designs

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 such close proximity with neighbours, maximizing living space and privacy therefore become top design priorities. This modern home near Bloor West Village utilizes an open concept floor plan to achieve nearly 3,500 square feet of living space on its narrow city property. Windows are strategically placed at the front and rear of the home, and kept minimal at the sides to appease both the desire for privacy and certain building code requirements.

A key exception, however, to the more compact nature of Toronto properties are corner lots. While these lots typically enjoy more space than their neighbours, they can have more restrictive setback requirements and often share a property line with major streets. Home designs therefore need to adapt to the unique requirements of these properties. In the case of this traditional home in Etobicoke, the lot was tucked into the intersection of a busy major road and a winding side street. The positioning of the home was therefore oriented to block out the negative noise and views and direct focus to the best attribute of the property: a curved side yard lined with beautifully matured trees.

Regardless of shape and size, a common factor of many Toronto properties is their belonging to older, established neighbourhoods that are keen to preserve their heritage and character. Proposed infill designs must therefore be very respectful of nearby homes. This custom home in Etobicoke embraces the design conventions of a traditional family home, aligning it with the mature character of its neighbours, while also touting a timeless appeal through a unique blend of materials and more contemporary windows.

Visit our portfolio for more custom home designs in Toronto.

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.

A project in the U.S. starts the same way as one five minutes from our office: with a thorough understanding of both the client’s wishes and the unique attributes of their property and neighbourhood. Before picking up a pencil, our design team meets the client, often in person, and travels to the property to gain a full appreciation of its environment. This sets us up to design a home that will ultimately be respectful of not only the client’s wants and needs, but also of the property and surrounding area.

Our U.S. clients also enjoy the benefit of a different, original perspective on their home design. While an architectural designer in California or Texas may have extensive knowledge and experience in their localities, our 20+ years of experience designing custom homes for clients all over Canada and the U.S. have equipped us with a unique style and sensibility that result in homes that not only fit in with their properties and neighbourhoods, but also maintain a nuance and character unlike anything else in the area.

Visit our portfolio for custom home designs in New York, Michigan, and Colorado.

This proposed home design in San Jose, CA is just 10 minutes away from Apple headquarters.

Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the views from this proposed hillside home design in Austin.

Posts

Design Showcase: Custom Homes in Toronto

Coming to America: Our U.S. Home Designs

Design Matters