The Maple Residence

This project began the way many good design stories do. On paper, with a floor-plan that was doing its best, and a family of four that had simply outgrown it.

One bathroom. Not enough storage. A primary closet that could not, under any circumstances, be expected to contain someone’s wardrobe, not to mention two. Life was happening, but the house was not keeping up. The wish list was long, the square footage was not, and the hope was cautious but very real.

Our job was not to make the house bigger. It was to make it work harder.

Early on, the brief became clear. This family loved their home. They were not chasing resale value or trends. They were investing in how they wanted to live, and they were willing to be patient to get it right. What they needed was space, both physically and emotionally, and a layout that allowed everyone to breathe.

The solution was a complete reworking of the private wing of the home. We added a second bathroom, which we lovingly coined the micro-ensuite, introduced a second closet in the primary, and created a true front mudroom complete with lockers and storage designed to hide every sign of real life. Shoes, backpacks, coats, gone. Calm, restored.

The home was dark, so we brought in light. A large new window and slat wall now flood the space with west-facing sun, creating a visual connection between inside and out and quietly changing how the entire house feels throughout the day.

One of the biggest challenges, and one of our favourite moments in the project, came down to storage in the living room. There was nowhere to put it, so we got creative. By cantilevering cabinetry into the attached garage and accessing it from the living space, we were able to create a fully integrated built-in that takes up zero square footage. It is one of those solutions you would never notice unless someone pointed it out, which is exactly how we like it.

And then there was the stone.

These clients have exceptional taste, and sourcing stone with them was a highlight. They landed on a Cristallo quartzite that has depth, movement, and an almost ethereal quality. We used a single slab throughout the home, in the ensuite, as a fireplace surround, and as a floating vanity shelf in her side of the his and hers closets. By using it sparingly but consistently, the stone became a through line, adding moments of luxury exactly where they mattered.

That idea guided much of the project. Luxury without pretension. Beauty where you touch it.

The homeowners understood instinctively that the elements you interact with every day carry the most weight. They invested in fixtures that feel good in the hand. Doorknobs that bring a small moment of joy every day. Materials that elevate daily routines rather than simply photograph well. This is how a home feels luxurious to the people who live in it.

The new layout changed everything. By darkening the primary bedroom and keeping the ensuite lighter in tone, with sand-toned tile and green onyx in the shower, the lack of natural light in the bathroom became a non-issue. Movement through the space now feels intuitive, calm, and intentional. The house feels like it always should have.

There were risks, of course. The living room storage required coordination between engineers, millworkers, framers, and contractors. The micro-ensuite was a leap of faith, one of those designs that looks perfect on a floorplan and slightly terrifying in real life until the walls go up. Trusting the process was essential.

The moment it all clicked came after framing and drywall. For the first time, the clients could walk through their new layout, see where the storage lived, feel how the light moved, and understand how every inch had been accounted for. Everyone exhaled.

Today, the Maple Residence feels effortless. The flow makes sense. The storage is generous but invisible. The light is soft and grounding. The home supports real life while offering moments of quiet beauty throughout. It is proof that thoughtful planning and patience at the beginning create space for design to truly shine at the end.

For us, this project represents exactly what we love to do. Honour the original energy of a home while quietly updating it for modern life. Take a massive wish list and make it fit without forcing it. Add luxury through touch points, not excess.

If you know what you want but are not quite sure how to get there, or if you are staring at a home that almost works, this one is for you. Sometimes the solution is not more space. It is different thinking.