Got to have a pull-out pet gate? Need a second kitchen in the butler’s pantry? Have your eye on a built-in beverage station? When they’re designing their dream kitchen, everyone’s must-have design features are a little different. Here are some of our favourite ideas and trends we've gathered from recent projects and our in-house designers to inspire your plans for your home in Markham, Ontario.

There’s nothing like summer in the Muskokas! If you’ve been summering here for decades or recently purchased an older cottage, it’s likely your place in Muskoka is looking a little dated. Cottages are much more forgiving about dated decor and bygone trends because they’re frequently nostalgic places passed down through generations, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere. You can’t live with a shag carpet and a pink stove forever. It’s hard to part with the range your grandmother used to make your favourite summer treats or your dad’s dusty fly-tying desk. However, some upgrades are necessary to keep your cottage safe, comfortable, and convenient.

You need another bedroom, bathroom, or new kitchen that works the way you do. Your friends and neighbours enjoy updated modern features, making you feel like you’ve got a shabby place. Some folks mistakenly believe that running away is the only way out of a run-down home. Many often struggle to decide between renovating their current home or simply packing up and moving elsewhere. It is common for a family to feel that they have “outgrown” their home and that their only option is to move somewhere with more space – but this is not always true!

A General Contractor (GC) takes full responsibility for ensuring a renovation or custom home build is completed on time, on budget and to the level of quality their client expects. Whether you’re looking to build your dream home or remodel a section of your home, knowing what to expect from your Markham area contractor before the project gets started is key to success. You can better prepare yourself by choosing a GC whom you trust and can rely on for the entirety of the project.

You know you can’t stand the blonde oak vanities and grody old grout anymore. It’s time for a bathroom renovation. If you’ve never renovated a bathroom before, the idea of redoing your bathroom can be intimidating. If you have renovated a bathroom in the past, you may have had an experience you’d rather not replicate. How do you plan and budget for a bathroom renovation to set your project up for success?

If you own a TV, you're likely aware that there is no shortage of reality television served up in all forms, including numerous real estate and home improvement programs. These shows are entertaining and engaging, and you should enjoy them as much as you like, but they are not great tools for planning your own renovation. As with any highly-produced program, home renovation shows, unfortunately, showcase a selective reality that's only possible with the magic of TV, a huge crew, and the clout of the cameras. When clients come through our door expecting the options, budget, and timeline reflected in their HGTV favourites, contractors are responsible for resetting reality. While we're happy to help any client understand the scope, cost, and timeline for the beautiful new space they've got in mind, starting our relationship with disappointment is never our preference. We want you to feel excited and empowered to begin an exciting upgrade and investment in your experience. Let's talk about the truth about HGTV & home improvement shows so that you can get realistic about your own home renovation project.