A renovation inside and out to this family home in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood transformed a cramped layout into an expansive family kitchen and entertaining zone.

Renovation by Cole Contracting

Porch by Women Who Build Stuff

Interiors by Mortson Interior Design

Photos by Kiely Ramos Photography

A garage doesn’t have to be just a garage. This ancillary structure in the Upper Beache does double duty as garage, home office and lounge area.

Built by Women Who Build Stuff

Photography by Kiely Ramos Photography

Interiors and exteriors by Mortson Design Inc.

This Upper Beaches backyard upgrade meant turning a bumper to bumper asphalt yard into a backyard oasis with garage structure that could be used for more than just parking a car. It includes a powder room, storage room and flexible open space.

Built by Women Who Build Stuff

Photography by Kiely Ramos Photography

Small projects can still have outsized impact. This narrow garage rebuild allowed a family of 5 to create a mini backyard playscape with the structure, while still allowing parking for their minivan and providing much needed extra storage in a loft.

A third floor addition adds a new primary bedroom and bathroom suite to this semi detached house in Toronto’s Wychwood neighbourhood. A massive skylight adds some quiet drama to the interior, while the exterior ties old and new together. This also project includes a kitchen renovation to uphold the traditional character, but with added freshness.

Architecture and interiors by Drôle House Inc.

Built by Made by McG

Styling by Camille Normandin

Photos by Todd Fraser

A contemporary rowhouse addition for a family of three in Toronto’s Seaton Village with a bold, dark, double story dormer façade. More photos coming soon.

Architecture by Drôle House Inc.

Engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd.

Interiors by Mortson Interior Design Inc.

Construction by Archetype Construction

A Toronto Beaches neighbourhood before-and-after glow-up! Tucked away on an oak tree lined street, this inviting home was in need of an airy interior update and new rear addition to the second floor to add a new primary bathroom. Transforming the kitchen, adding a functional rear mudroom and a three sided fireplace in the centre of the entertaining zones was a delight to bring to life.

Interiors by Mortson Interior Design Inc.

Built by Cole Contracting

Engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd

Photography by Nanne Springer

Situated in rural Cape Breton, Nova Scotia on a lake, this two bedroom cottage features panoramic views, warm natural textures and lots of solitude. The house is a low energy, high performance snug-as-a-bug building that targeted Passive House standards. Completed in 2024.

This first floor addition to a narrow single family home in Toronto included a new candy-coloured kitchen, rear mudroom and expanded family room for a family of four. This family’s vibrant and creative personality shines through in the eclectic palette of finishes. The addition allowed a more generous kitchen layout with dining moved to the front, generous storage at the rear, and pops of colour to brighten anyone’s mood.

Design lead Natalia Bienkowska

Constructed by Flux Developments

Structural engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd

Photos by Kiely Ramos Photography

This main floor kitchen renovation involved removing walls, creating new door and window openings to the rear to improve circulation, and infused the space with daylight and contrasting textures and colours.

Built by Archetype Construction

Millwork by Mehdi Woodworks

Engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd

Photography by Nanne Springer

Felt Art by Felt Studio Media

A traditional house in the Beach gets a three story rear addition to gain extra bedrooms for a family of five, devoted home offices, and a third floor covered deck nestled up in the trees.

Collaboration with Sabrina O’Neill Design.

Engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd.

Photography by Kiely Ramos

This family of five was bursting at the seams. A rear three story addition was created to this detached house to add three bedrooms on the third floor and create a principal suite on the second floor. Overlooking Wychwood Barns to the south, it’s a modern moody house that blends into the traditional street character, but surprises as a #housemullet at the rear.

Built by LivSmart

Engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd

Photos by Kiely Ramos Photography

The front and rear additions expand this semi-detached house to better suit a busy family of four. The renovation includes a generous front mudroom (space for coats AND shoes!), island kitchen with delightful seating nooks to accommodate large gatherings or cosy spots for sipping morning coffee.

Upstairs is a devoted office space facing the street, a new kids bathroom and a principal bath with a cheeky extra shower room across the hall bathed in daylight from new skylights.

Design collaboration with Mortson Interior Design Inc.

Structural design by Hanne Engineering Inc.

Contracting by Jay Chen

Photos by Nanne Springer

Everyone loves a before and after. This interior renovation for a family with three active kids included a main floor overhaul with dramatic front façade upgrade with a new porch, green roof and green parking space.

This was our first collaboration with an all women-led design and construction team including Mortson Interior Design, Hanne Engineering Ltd and Women Who Build Stuff

Photos by Kiely Ramos Photography

The wish list for this interior reno was long, which included a new open plan with vibrant island kitchen, a powder room, a laundry area and two (!) entry closet areas for this growing family. Did I mention this was all fit into a single floor of a Toronto semi?

Structural engineering by Hanne Engineering Inc.

Construction by Mark’s General Renovations

Photos by Kristin Sjaarda

This charming house was most deserving of an upgrade after 25 years. We found unused floor space upstairs that was hiding beneath a low roof so we popped up the back and found space for 3 small bedrooms, a new bathroom and a second floor laundry room.

Women led design and construction team including Mortson Interior Design Inc. , structural engineering by Hanne Engineering Ltd. and construction by Women Who Build Stuff

Photos by Kiely Ramos

The design question to solve in this tiny washroom was “is there enough room to comfortably throw up in the toilet?”. Pregnancy…you get it. By furring out the plumbing cavity wall to fit the integrated toilet tank, we found space for a flush cabinet for bulkier items. Collaboration with James Kett, master cabinet maker, and Mortson Interior Design Inc.

Photos by Kristin Sjaarda Photography

A traditional Toronto semi bathroom was long overdue for an update. Here, minimalist lines paired with warm woods that allow for both storage and display of commonly used items. Curbless showers are awesome.

Photography by Kristin Sjaarda Photography

Contracting by Jack Kim

A modern porch for a social family of four. Cantilevered and buffed concrete pathway and steps jigging past thin aspen trees to lead up to the porch, welcomed with warm cedar ceiling and screen treatments. Green roof above!

Special collaboration with Eva Mendonca.

Contracting by Jaxon Design Group

Photos by Kristin Sjaarda Photography

This bathroom was tucked between four small bedrooms on a second floor. This family stole some space from one of the small rooms to create a four piece washroom en lieu of a cramped three piece. The soaker tub was the inspiration for the clean and spa like atmosphere.

Contracting by Webb and Lashbrook

Photos by Trina Turl

A delightfully warm basement underpin, major interior overhaul and main floor kitchen renovation for a growing family.

Collaboration with Mortson Interior Design Inc.

Construction by Stratas Design Build

Photos by Kiely Ramos

Big family on both sides, and you want to host a gathering? Family was the inspiration for this main floor addition to create a warm, party-central home.

Collaboration with Linnea Lions

Photos by Melanie Gordon Photography

In 2018, Deborah Mesher and artist Melanie Gordon collaborated to form Drôle Play Collective to create free, interactive, loose parts play landscape installations for kids. Art you’re actually supposed to touch! Folleys built by Dylan Moore Studio

Photos by Justin Nalepa and Melanie Gordon Photography