Combining 21st-century efficiency and biophilic principles to a stately Toronto century home while honouring its heritage character, is all in a day’s work for HummingbirdHill Homes.
Written By Rebecca Dumais | Photography By Scott Norsworthy
HummingbirdHill Homes’ full gut-and-rebuild of a century-plus Toronto double-brick home, owned by an avid art dealer, retains much of the old home’s heritage character while bringing it beautifully into the twenty-first century.
The 2,800-square-foot, five-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath home already had many wonderful heritage features for the team to work with. These included soaring ceilings, plaster coffered ceilings, and other evocative details. One of the goals of the renovation was to preserve these details while adding warmth and biophilic design, defined as a sense of connection to nature and the environment. “Biophilic designs meant to add warmth and a calmness to the space included natural materials such as white oak ceilings, floors, cabinetry and stone,” says Aaron Miller, founder and owner of HummingbirdHill. “This backdrop really enhanced the works of art on display throughout the home.”
The team added an abundance of natural materials into the interior of the home, including lighter-toned wood finishes and other organic detailing. The renovation also included a 500-sq.ft addition onto the back of the home. “It all creates a cozier look and feel,” he says. “The idea was to try and retain some of the historic charm while adding a warmer and maybe more contemporary style.”
Tall arched windows provide ample light, and are finished with matte black framing, for striking visual contrast. The doorways recreate the same arched tops found in the original home. The main floor kitchen, which is clean and simple in its finishes, is roomy enough to accommodate both a large dining table and a large island. Branching off of the kitchen, there’s a comfortable sunken family room with a double-sided fireplace and an attractive view of the backyard.
A central staircase with a striking curved handrail flows up to the second-floor bedrooms and baths. The principal bath features a walk-in shower with dual showerheads; the material tones match the main-floor scheme – serene cream walls and light wood, with bronze fixtures and faucets – for a unified calm feeling that is consistent throughout the house.
Based in Oakville, HummingbirdHill Homes has worked hard to earn a reputation for exceptional quality over the years it has been building in the area. The company is certified PassiveHouse™ and WELL AP, which represents the gold standard in building science and the art of making homes healthier and more sustainable. “This is an emerging field, but the evidence is showing us that our homes have a tremendous impact on our health and wellness, either positively or negatively,” says Miller. “Healthy lighting tied to circadian rhythm, indoor air quality, thermal comfort, acoustical privacy, and even water quality become topics of conversation with HummingbirdHill.”
Hummingbird’s company motto is Built to Thrive™, which underpins its approach to building or renovating a home. “It really starts well before a shovel goes into the ground,” states Miller. “We spend a lot of time and effort during the pre-construction phase to ensure our clients are designing within their budget objectives, helping to value-engineer as needed, and planning in detail for flawless execution.”
The company has years of experience and a disciplined process that ensures things stay on track, both from a schedule and budget perspective, for projects ranging across the GTA and Muskoka. “The construction industry is the same as any other industry, except we still rely heavily on human skills. The key is good people, smart processes, and enough people to control the countless variables that occur, often at the same time, when building.
“The construction industry gets a bad rap sometimes, in part because people don’t realize how important a properly staffed infrastructure is. It’s pretty simple math: if you went into a nice restaurant expecting a great experience, but there is only one chef and two waiters for 25 tables, the outcome is pretty predictable.”
Miller is proud to retain highly effective and properly staffed project and construction management teams whose sole job is to control the process and adhere to the plan set out at the onset.
“We work with some world-class architects and designers, and when a proper pre-construction phase is done, and the team is integrated as one working towards a common goal, that is when the magic happens.”
For more information, visit HummingbirdHillHomes.com
