The most painless kitchen renovation I've ever encountered
Sue and Leon don't have a lot of extra time to dedicate to a 
renovation, but their kitchen needed renovating badly; it was too small for more than one person to be in at a time, the countertop was made of those 4x4 ceramic tiles popular in the 80s, and cupboards that were starting to show their 20 years. So what do you do when you have no time and a need to renovate? You call in a full service contracting company like Montclair Construction of course!
Before the contract was signed, Sue and Leon had one planning session with Dave Strathy, Co-owner of Montclair Construction. Dave gave them a detailed estimate of what it would cost and how long it would take, and so began the couple's renovation adventures.
Architect Dee Dee Taylor Hannah of Taylor Hannah Architect Inc. (as well as co-owner of Montclair Construction), worked with Sue and Leon on the plans for the new spaces. Once approved, the reins were handed over to Dave and the demolition and construction began. Samples of tiles, counter tops and other finishes that Sue was responsible for choosing were brought to her (and only samples within her budget). Montclair offers interior design services as well as their construction services, so Sue had the new curtains made and chairs reupholstered through them as well.
Contractor as Problem-Solver:
A good relationship with your contractor is essential. There will be times where unexpected problems or issues arise and you need to be able to work them out with your contractor. In this case, Dave worked with the couple to solve two cost issues.
The laundry room design called for a half wall of small stainless steel tile. When Dave told Sue how much it would cost, Sue balked. Instead, Dave came up with a solution of installing a stainless band of tiles just above the washer and dryer for a fraction of the original cost.
renovation, but their kitchen needed renovating badly; it was too small for more than one person to be in at a time, the countertop was made of those 4x4 ceramic tiles popular in the 80s, and cupboards that were starting to show their 20 years. So what do you do when you have no time and a need to renovate? You call in a full service contracting company like Montclair Construction of course!Before the contract was signed, Sue and Leon had one planning session with Dave Strathy, Co-owner of Montclair Construction. Dave gave them a detailed estimate of what it would cost and how long it would take, and so began the couple's renovation adventures.
Architect Dee Dee Taylor Hannah of Taylor Hannah Architect Inc. (as well as co-owner of Montclair Construction), worked with Sue and Leon on the plans for the new spaces. Once approved, the reins were handed over to Dave and the demolition and construction began. Samples of tiles, counter tops and other finishes that Sue was responsible for choosing were brought to her (and only samples within her budget). Montclair offers interior design services as well as their construction services, so Sue had the new curtains made and chairs reupholstered through them as well.
Contractor as Problem-Solver:
A good relationship with your contractor is essential. There will be times where unexpected problems or issues arise and you need to be able to work them out with your contractor. In this case, Dave worked with the couple to solve two cost issues.
The laundry room design called for a half wall of small stainless steel tile. When Dave told Sue how much it would cost, Sue balked. Instead, Dave came up with a solution of installing a stainless band of tiles just above the washer and dryer for a fraction of the original cost.
Sue and Leon bought new stainless appliances for the kitchen except for one: they still owned a perfectly functional trash compactor. However, next to the shiny new appliances it looked tired and dated. Dave suggested having the front panel redone in stainless steel. The new panel cost all of $90 whereas the replacement cost of the trash compactor would have been $1600.
Unique features:
Instead of installing a second fridge for drinks to take outside in the summer, Sue and Leon installed refrigerated drawers across from the porch door. Kids won't be traipsing through the kitchen to get at drinks, and the drawers look like they're part of the workstation area, instead of the kitchen.The stove was designed in the middle of the kitchen island - something that used to be done only if a vent dropped down from the ceiling. But Sue and Leon
weren't keen on the idea as it would visually close the now open space. However, Bosch offers a "pop up" vent that rises out of the counter. Sight lines remain clear and the sense of space in the kitchen is preserved.
Sue and Leon's favourite resources:
Montclair Construction:
Montclair is a full service contracting company! Dave Strathy offers a full-service company from design and construction through to interior design upholstery and window treatments. We told him exactly what we were looking for in a kitchen renovation and he delivered. During the process we spoke with him on a regular basis and he was both pro-active and a problem solver extraordinaire! We also had a small problem with some accessories disappearing before they'd been installed and he took care of it without question or additional cost to us.
Taylor Hannah Architect Inc.:
Beautiful kitchen design thanks to Dee Dee! Taylor Hannah Architect was a pleasure to work with. Dee Dee Taylor Hannah came to our house with an initial set of kitchen plans that she filled in as we explained what we wanted. She listened to our desires (better use of space, updated look), and designed an absolutely superb kitchen. Then, her assistant Sheila helped us choose the finishes. We're thrilled with the results!
Tech-men:
extensive wiring done expertly! Jeff installed all our audio/visual wiring including an intercom when we were renovating our kitchen. He offered us very helpful suggestions as to what kind of equipment we should buy based on our needs (we didn't want to buy the cheapest, but we didn't want to spend a fortune either!) He was very reliable which is especially important when you're working around a contractor's job, and never kept the contractor's crew waiting. There was a huge amount of wiring to do and he did it very neatly. We were really pleased with the service Jeff provided us.
Ethan Allen (Yonge and Davisville Location):
Great Service at Ethan Allen. We bought two sofas, a chair and ottoman for our livingroom. The service at Ethan Allen was wonderful. When our furniture wasn't ready on time they called us and told us (it was going to be another two month wait), they sent us two floor models to use until ours arrived. We really appreciated their going out of their way to help us.
Master Deck and Contracting:
Alec is a great deck builder! We have used Alec for three outdoor projects and wouldn't consider using anyone else. We're very pleased with his service and his work. He is reliable and knowledgeable. You can tell him what you want to build and he'll build it just like that!
Unique features:
Instead of installing a second fridge for drinks to take outside in the summer, Sue and Leon installed refrigerated drawers across from the porch door. Kids won't be traipsing through the kitchen to get at drinks, and the drawers look like they're part of the workstation area, instead of the kitchen.The stove was designed in the middle of the kitchen island - something that used to be done only if a vent dropped down from the ceiling. But Sue and Leon
weren't keen on the idea as it would visually close the now open space. However, Bosch offers a "pop up" vent that rises out of the counter. Sight lines remain clear and the sense of space in the kitchen is preserved.Sue and Leon's favourite resources:
Montclair Construction:
Montclair is a full service contracting company! Dave Strathy offers a full-service company from design and construction through to interior design upholstery and window treatments. We told him exactly what we were looking for in a kitchen renovation and he delivered. During the process we spoke with him on a regular basis and he was both pro-active and a problem solver extraordinaire! We also had a small problem with some accessories disappearing before they'd been installed and he took care of it without question or additional cost to us.
Taylor Hannah Architect Inc.:
Beautiful kitchen design thanks to Dee Dee! Taylor Hannah Architect was a pleasure to work with. Dee Dee Taylor Hannah came to our house with an initial set of kitchen plans that she filled in as we explained what we wanted. She listened to our desires (better use of space, updated look), and designed an absolutely superb kitchen. Then, her assistant Sheila helped us choose the finishes. We're thrilled with the results!
Tech-men:
extensive wiring done expertly! Jeff installed all our audio/visual wiring including an intercom when we were renovating our kitchen. He offered us very helpful suggestions as to what kind of equipment we should buy based on our needs (we didn't want to buy the cheapest, but we didn't want to spend a fortune either!) He was very reliable which is especially important when you're working around a contractor's job, and never kept the contractor's crew waiting. There was a huge amount of wiring to do and he did it very neatly. We were really pleased with the service Jeff provided us.
Ethan Allen (Yonge and Davisville Location):
Great Service at Ethan Allen. We bought two sofas, a chair and ottoman for our livingroom. The service at Ethan Allen was wonderful. When our furniture wasn't ready on time they called us and told us (it was going to be another two month wait), they sent us two floor models to use until ours arrived. We really appreciated their going out of their way to help us.
Master Deck and Contracting:
Alec is a great deck builder! We have used Alec for three outdoor projects and wouldn't consider using anyone else. We're very pleased with his service and his work. He is reliable and knowledgeable. You can tell him what you want to build and he'll build it just like that!
Labels: kitchen renovation, montclair construction, taylor hannah architect
Posted by Cathy
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