Often the most rewarding outcomes from a major renovation or new-home build don’t come from working with the biggest, splashiest companies. Smaller, boutique-style firms can often provide the personalized attention, greater flexibility and a level of care that the larger guys just can’t.
In the case of Oakville-based Cresmark Design Build, you can count on a proven track record of experience, delighted clients and top-quality builds. Partners (and brother-and-sister team) Lisa and Nick Maida grew up literally with sawdust in their blood – they’re the scions of a family homebuilding business that spans three generations. The pair complement each other perfectly: Nick’s background is in residential construction, while Lisa is an award-winning interior designer.
Working alongside a trusted team of skilled sub-trades and suppliers, they specialize in delivering turn-key renovations and new builds that feature a high degree of custom-tailored services and personal attention: from that first exciting meeting, right through the entire design, construction and finishing process, to the moment when the clients step through the front door of their new home. And with Cresmark’s comprehensive two-year warranty, that personal touch and relationship extends well into the future as well.
One of Cresmark’s recent projects perfectly illustrates the special care they give each individual project. The clients were a family who had relocated from South Africa, with two active teen boys and a pair of big, friendly Huskies.
“They loved their East Oakville neighbourhood, but they weren’t happy with the layout of the house,” Nick recalls. “The rooms were all chopped up and closed off, and there was a real lack of natural light.” Lisa recalls walking into the narrow kitchen, which was confined by two walls and little functional workspace.
“They also really didn’t like the exterior,” he continues. “It had a dated, pink-toned brick with an old mansard roof on the garage; no character whatsoever! So, as part of phase II, they asked us to propose options for enhancing curb appeal that would harmonize with the style we were creating inside the home.”
Their wish list also included a mudroom – with active teens and two large dogs, a durable, functionally designed space with lots of storage to stash sports gear and clean off muddy boots (or paws, as the case may be) was imperative. The wife dreamed of a bright, modern kitchen, with separate islands for food prep and for casual meals. Upstairs, the bedrooms and bathrooms all needed modernizing. And from a style point of view, they wanted an upscale modern farmhouse look, in keeping with the family’s stylish but relaxed lifestyle. Lisa’s ability to listen to clients and truly understand their vision for the space made the design process seamless.
One of the more unusual challenges for the team, Nick says, lay not so much in the renovation itself: it was the family’s request to continue to live in the house during the reno. Not every builder is agreeable to this with such a major project, for safety as well as logistics reasons. But for Nick and the team, it was simply a matter of a few adjustments, such as doing the renovation in phases, and they made it work.
“Fortunately, the basement featured a walkout to the exterior, so they had their own entrance, and it had a bathroom and a makeshift kitchen,” he explains. “So they were able to live down there while we did most of the work; then they moved upstairs while we completed the basement.” Work areas were kept even more safe and spotless than usual at the end of each day, and extra care was taken to accommodate the family whenever asked.
The first step was to virtually gut the entire main floor, right down to the studs. In order to rework the main floor layout, several walls were removed and replaced with load-bearing ceiling beams and new footings, notably in the new family room and kitchen. To maintain a sense of symmetry, the design team came up with an inspired touch: in each room, a second “faux” ceiling beam was installed running parallel to the first. The result is a classic farmhouse timber-frame look.
The new, expansive kitchen is bright and roomy, with built-in stainless-steel appliances, their own coffee making station, Shaker-style cabinetry in Benjamin Moore Oxford White, and a special compartmentalized range hood at one end. Twin Hanstone Quartz-topped islands feature base cabinetry painted soft celadon green. And warm touches such as brass hardware and light wide-plank flooring keep things light and airy.
Also, “Because they are from South Africa, we wanted to bring in a sense of their style,” adds Lisa. The choice of woven-straw pendant lighting has an artisanal feel that fits well with the African artwork, furnishings and artifacts on display throughout the home.
The dining room flows smoothly between the kitchen and the family room on the other side. Bathed in light from big windows overlooking a big, leafy backyard, it has a welcoming, unpretentious feel. The owners had brought the big trestle-style table with them from South Africa; a narrow credenza, another of the owners’ pieces, stores dishes and serving pieces and completes the grouping.
With its stone-clad fireplace and reclaimed-timber mantel, tongue-and-groove wall cladding and open storage shelves, the family room was designed for worry-free good looks. Tough, easy-care fabrics were chosen for their ability to maintain their composure through everything that dogs, kids, and friends can throw at them. The room is sophisticated enough for entertaining guests, but equally well-suited for taking your shoes off and kicking back after a long day of work or school.
The final step was a new look for the exterior. The solution was simple yet stunning: the pink brick was stained a sunny cream, and an old-fashioned metal gable was added high above the front entrance; the existing mansard roof around the garage was removed. Board-and-batten wood Maibec siding installed on the front portico and garage, with new black metal roofing and black-framed windows and doors, add to the breezy modern farmhouse look. Coachlights flanking the front entrance and garage doors make the perfect finishing touch.
Now that the work is complete, the family is thrilled with the result. “We love the flow of our new home,” the owner says. “Before the renovation, we had half our main floor being taken up with rooms we never used! Cresmark redesigned our space, and we now have a floor plan that is open and perfect for our family. Our home feels lighter, brighter, and so much bigger.”
