Design For New House Construction – I am building a new house in Toronto. I have been working in the interior design field for over 15 years, but this is the first time I have done my own project. That’s why I decided to document the whole experience on my blog – from an interior design perspective, to explore the many challenging decisions when building a home. I will update the blog every week (sometimes daily) and add new posts. So please check back regularly.
My previous blog posts focused on backstory, the T-minus period, demolition/excavation, and foundation building. This post first looks at topics directly related to interior design – framing the house. And there were so many issues we had to deal with, from the size of the windows to the location of the main staircase and the HVAC planning and the hassle of my life – the bulkheads! Below you will find regular updates on the house frame.
Design For New House Construction
Fifty-three days after demolition began, we are now starting design. Last week we delivered the lumber and other suitable framing materials and today the skilled workers started the framing. Here are some photos of what was done today.
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A major advance in framing. It’s getting more and more interesting for me as our contractor has contacted me several times over the past few days to finalize our window design (I’ll blog about that separately) and decide which rooms will have tile and which rooms will have hardwood. Frame properly. It’s finally starting to become an interior design project! Or at least make me feel relevant again. But that means all the time I thought I had to make important decisions is wasted.
Since there was no work yesterday, the rain is less heavy. But today was a good day — there are a few more photos — showing the ground floor with the kitchen and living area.
A few more photos of the frame with the exterior stairs and the main interior stairs. I can now even catch a glimpse of the view from the second floor.
The house is really taking shape. Today they started framing the patio so they can pour the concrete.
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Three months after demolition and more than 40 days of construction, the house is essentially complete and the roof is largely finished. However, there are still a lot of adjustments and things that need to be done and I will blog about that in an upcoming post. But at least one guest looks pretty happy with the framing!
The next steps on the exterior of the home include installing windows and trim – stone, stucco and siding. Meanwhile, the interior heating/cooling system is being installed as well as the concrete floor and drains in the basement. I’m not sure how to continue blogging in the next stages, but stay tuned! Let’s start this fun project in the front yard. The real rule here is: “business ahead, party behind”!! The front yard plantings are beautiful, but the real fun starts when we get to the back yard. Here’s a great mix of colors and textures on the front to keep things interesting all year round. These perennials, flowering shrubs and evergreens regrow over time (this photo was taken a few months after establishment).
This is our inspiration board for this project – very modern, clear and complex. We love taking this inspiration and turning it into reality!
Here is a “before” photo of the front yard. This is what every new home owner gets when the building is completed. A half-dead tree and some bushes hit the house in stone. We didn’t tear up the sidewalks on this project, but we did on several of them – we can do more than just pour concrete!
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I love this photo because it highlights what you get when you build – the house on the right may be finished, but the landscaping is a miserable mess! They will only add turf. Compare this corner to our project on the left – it looks like the house is right there! Landscaping is the task of integrating new homes into their neighborhood.
This corner bed takes some of the color and texture of the front planting bed but adds beautiful Siberian spruce. We’ve made sure there’s no electricity to make this baby Christmas lights!
Here is the entire front yard. We installed a corner bed around the electrical box, to the left of the driveway. There are boxwood shrubs to grow in the electrical box and provide shade, and some bright perennials to add summer color. These photos are from a few months after planting, so things will really come out over time.
Here’s a planting plan for the front yard. Small corner beds frame the whole thing and make it stand out as you walk down the street. Overall, the front was kept pretty simple, allowing us to focus on the back yard.
In The Studio
Here’s what we started with in the backyard: a completely blank slate with nothing but lawn. Since it was a walk-out basement, we faced a slope on both sides. Many homes have this! I love the retaining wall solution we used on one side. We kept a gentle slope on the other side so that the machines could enter the courtyard at any time.
Here the master plan sheet shows both front and back – the entire project. New construction homes have such plain, boring landscaping! It certainly isn’t. We have a lot of fun in a small backyard.
Here is the protective wall and the entrance on this side. I love everything! Gray, carved granite steps combine with large stone slabs to create a stunning, multifaceted walkway. Landscape lighting is perfect. All shades of anthracite, bluestone and light gray work well together. A row of arborvitae provides privacy and protection from neighbors.
The mix of tumbled stone between granite slabs was the inspiration from the homeowner. I originally created a hedge with small stepper plants in granite slabs – I always add plants! However, this was a situation that was not needed. The dog mulched the house and the little mounds never grew. The homeowner removed the mulch and chose this stone instead. I love it! Such a great solution – it’s practical and adds even more texture and visual interest.
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This view is perfect. It shows a patio with a fire pit, a patio in front of the house, a pergola and its patio, and a pizza oven. This pergola is a big deal. It has slats that close when it rains, light, electricity and everything you need. It’s a really big outdoor space.
This sweet little corner is one of my favorite parts. Yes, it must be raised, but it provides welcome separation for homeowners and their neighbors. I always try to encourage clients to think of fencing or screening as a gift rather than an insult to the families they share the property line with.
A small fire pit is perfect for a couple staying here, while the retaining wall behind the chairs can be used when more people come over. It’s a great space that creates a private, relaxing oasis.
Wood storage! Built in retaining wall! This was suggested by our landscape installer and is genius. I love it and have included it in wood burning fire pit plans.
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Speaking of wood burning, we added a pizza oven to this incredible backyard. The terrace adjacent to the basement is the cooking and preparation space. There are a few small bistro chairs under the existing screened patio, providing the perfect seating area as you walk out the door. A pizza oven fits perfectly.
The scale plans we create allow everyone from landscape architects to homeowners to understand where we want to go and see everything at once. If you have ever visited our website, you will surely recognize this beautiful home. This landscape project was one of Red Fern’s first design commissions in New Hampshire several years ago and has never been on the blog before! We love the beautiful front porch, the calming green-on-green design, and the soft, graceful curves of this landscaping. It’s amazing what good design, healthy plants and TIME can do to make a newly built home feel like it always has.
The drawing above shows our final landscape master plan – several planting beds, some hidden seating here and there, and a back deck area. We worked hard to find the right plants in the right place and create a foundation that blends the house with its surroundings. We wanted to take advantage of the great views of the forest from inside the house and create new views with beautiful plantings. So many houses are complete with the required 2 trees