Woodbine House

Location          Toronto, Ontario

Type                  Residential Renovation

Size                   3,240 Sq Ft

Date                  2012

The first comprehensive development project for Studio Jonah, the focus of the renovation went beyond suiting the current tenants, but predicting what would appeal to prospective buyers.

Typically, when working on residential projects, there is a considerable time dedicated to working on initial designs and getting input from the clients ranging from decisions like the orientation of the house to details like selecting kitchen cabinet handles. Instead, with this project, extensive research was done to bring “new value” to future buyers. The design decisions were a result of these studies, going beyond what suited the current owners, but also appealing to prospective buyers.

Due to the value driven nature of the project, renovations were approached by looking at the project as a new construction. It was not enough to update the existing house aesthetically, instead designing with future buyers’ considerations in mind. One such item was adding a new deck for the existing backyard to create direct connection from the house to the backyard. 

Through all stages of design and construction, the project was a unique one where aesthetic decisions were coupled with pragmatic considerations.