Grosvenor Master Suite Progressing; Cabinets are IN

We are working in conjunction with John Jasken at Jade cabinets to get the custom look we wanted. Now that the cabinet boxes are in only half of the work is done, the Walnut panelling will give a big WOW factor. It was difficult to design a clothes storage for two people after taking out all of the closet space but Lindsay, our in-house designer made it happen. 

I like to think of designers like symphony conductors. Each portion of the process is individually prepared by experts and pulled into crescendo under the instruction of one person. Each part has to navigate around the others in unison. One part is ongoing while another begins. Design develops from fragments of singular purpose to a holistic harmony. Grosvenor embodies these traits. Here are some more design fragments for your viewing pleasure:

There will be more updates to come! Thanks for keeping up with our projects.

Value Tire

We have been working on the plans for Value Tire on Marquis road since December. There is something about a methodical process that seems to make projects like this seem especially satisfying. There is over 3000 sf of tile going into this building. We have been working with Ryan and John at Contec to seamlessly get this project done right. Eric is starting the tile setting this week. Here are some pics!

Art Construction's River Front project: Its all in the details

I have been requesting pictures from our installers for a while now. Badgering them, really. Finally our in house tile setter, Tadas Kubilis brought in an immaculately itemized and chronologically ordered 16GB flash drive of all his work. 

and. Its amazing. 

The first thing that struck me when looking through was that these pictures are an opportunity to see what our tile guys take pride in. To see what the insiders value. To see a breakdown of the labour it takes to complete intricate work. I am beyond impressed, and I think you will be too. I wanted to feature the details that went into Art Construction's house on Sturgeon. We all know it looks great. This just proves that it IS objectively great work.

The above gallery is an overview of the steps an installer has to take to do in-floor heat. First subfloor prep, then laying the heat mat, then threading the cord through the channels inch by inch, followed by hooking up the cord to a programmable thermostat, lastly smoothing and filling the surface with cement to give the tile a suitable substrait. AND all that happens before the tile is even placed. 

Before you ask... its expensive. Worth it? absolutely! but pricey.

The below gallery is showing the guts of Chameleon tile vents. Its incredibly intricate work, tiny cuts and tiny adhesive with tiny grout in a tiny frame. 

Fresco Interiors Spruce's up the Place

We worked with Charlene and Shelby at Fresco Interiors to bring some life into a small space. I love this back splash for so many reasons. These designers worked with the existing fixtures and colors to update the whole space; I love the subtle metal schluter detail separating the two types of tile that coordinates perfectly with the hardware; I love the stove feature. Small details can make a huge difference. A simple subway tile can breathe life into a plain space. 

The install work was done by our in-house expert tile setter, Tadas Kubilis. You can see the precision we admire in the corner where the counter steps up a bit. The line remains perfectly level, and the grout is perfect.  

Variations on Subway Tile

Subway tile is a unanimous hit across the board. It's ubiquitous to design in 2017. Its an affordable option that looks great literally everywhere. Our manufacturers are starting to have some real fun with variations on the classic. Its amazing how much impact subtle variations can have on an overall design. 

This post features our supplier Julian Tile, but there are literally hundreds of options out there. https://www.juliantile.com/subwaylab

Wool Wins

We have been working hard to seek out naturally sourced, traditionally inspired, timeless floor coverings. A carpet rep recently told me that the average consumer changes their flooring every 5-7 years. As easy as we can make the process of renovations, it's not easy. Yes, you can buy something trendy and cheap now and replace it when you hate it in 5 years: but its a hassle. Unless you love moving furniture, painting and having a crew of people in and out of your house for days. That is a whole bunch of fun "Hey Honey, let's do this again in 5-7 years". Luckily there are other options.

Wool is one of the oldest best options for floor coverings. No you can't dump bleach on it (like SmartStrand, or solution dyed poly carpets), its not scotch guarded, its not treated with silver antibacterial treatments, or odour neutralizers. BECAUSE YOU DON"T NEED THEM. Wool is more expensive, but its the best. Trust me. Most of these things are natural features of wool. For years the big manufacturers have been working with chemicals to mimic the natural softness, strength and features of wool.

Wool is naturally flame retardant, naturally the MOST crush resistant material, it improves indoor air quality, it is sustainably sourced, the longest lasting fibre, sound deadening, insulating, super soft and available in some of the most classic visuals available. We are excited to be bringing in Godfrey Hirst and Karastan wools to our showroom. Its responsible, beautiful and timeless. 

https://www.godfreyhirst.com/na/carpet/carpet-explained/wool-carpet-about

Grosvenor Master Suite Update

The amount of work going into this house is staggering. This master suite is shaping up to be a masterpiece *hardy har har, please forgive the pun*. Lindsay Tetreault has designed and overseen this project from inception. Eric is lending his skills to the tedious hexagonal tile in the master oversize custom shower. We are eager to see this project come to fruition. 

Kraus, Affordable Canadian Flooring

http://krausflooring.com/

We are doing an increasing amount of work with Kraus products. I am a softy when it comes to supporting Canadian companies. Kraus provides some beautiful carpets and vinyls at great prices. Vinyl AND carpet starting at $2.10/sf without compromising style and texture. 

The Vinyl Plank comes with a ceramic bead finish and competitive warranties. Most importantly it looks AMAZING. The visuals in the vinyl plank category have grown exponentially better in the last five to seven years and Kraus has managed to stay on point with their style choices. 

Art Construction River Front Update

It is becoming clearer daily that this project is one for the history books for all involved parties. Our tile installer, Tadas Kubilius, has been on site for over a month and the light at the end of the tunnel is only now becoming visible. The bathrooms and fireplace have been completed. Initially that is all we had signed up for on this project. The owners have now added the installation of some GORGEOUS natural marble to the entire lower level of the home. We have had to call in some back-up to get this tile work completed. Alvaro Romero has stepped up to collaborate finishing the natural stone tile. 

The custom Mercier hardwood was slotted to arrive ... yesterday. When the roads clear and these freak blizzards give us a break, the project will continue with the main floor. We will follow up with some white washed maple pictures when APEX starts the installation. 

Master ensuite bathroom. 9 foot shower! 

Jarvis job continues

We are excited to reveal the finished Jarvis project. Pictures speak better than words ever could, so I'll keep it short. Shout out/props to OTM for the amazing work they have done on this job and a big thanks for including us. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or would like to mention anything.