It may be a bit chilly today but it is still the first day of summer... enjoy the coolness while it lasts! To celebrate our favourite season a newsletter focused on the "heart of the home"... kitchens. Also time well spent in the outdoors in extended living spaces, click here for more.

In March, we sent a group of our newer carpenters to Whippletree Timber Framing in Peterborough for a timber framing joinery workshop to learn a bit about this historic craft. Some of our other team members had previously taken the course and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

As members of the Timber Framers Guild we were looking for a way to implement our timber framing skills, so we had a team building day raising a timber frame woodshed just outside of St. Marys.
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We have had a number of requests recently regarding wood windows and doors, particularly restoration of existing older units, and new units built in a sympathetic style for older buildings. In the past, we have spent many hours in convincing our clients with original wood windows to restore them or replace them with new wood windows. And we were excited to see that Shannon Kyles, a professor of architecture at Mohawk College, experimented on old windows to prove that they are as efficient and more environmentally friendly than new vinyl.

One of our clients in Hamilton, has a 1913 Tudor Revival home which sustained much water damage after a fire. This client wanted windows and doors to match the originals which needed to be replaced. We built and installed new wood windows and doors, and even had some of the original leaded glass restored.

Recently, a Stratford client, with a heritage designated home, had their wood windows refinished and restored. Matching storm windows were also built for winter protection and extra insulation.

The first day of summer seems like the perfect day for a spring newsletter... travel back in time (to yesterday) and visit some of our client's beautiful new spaces from the last few months (including spring!)

An Arts & Crafts cottage with a modern update, a "real" farmhouse kitchen in an actual farmhouse, and a newly revived Tudor Revival are waiting for you with a click!

There is our little red schoolhouse on the cover of Saturday's National Post Homes Section. The story goes that we took a decommissioned, converted schoolhouse that had once been a one-room schoolhouse and restored it back to its glory as a one-room schoolhouse; with double entries and a bell tower; sans hoards of school children.

Give the article a read to get the whole story or, if you prefer, just take a gander at the photos. 

And if you live in a unique house, we would love to hear about it!

A Winter Wonderland full of treats! A schoolhouse kitchen renovation, beautiful wainscoting and restoring original wood windows and storms to keep out the cold! Grab a peppermint hot chocolate and a cozy chair by the fire and take a peek! 

Build's Winter 16 Newsletter

Happy Holidays!
​Catherine and Rory

Two of our favourite clients and friends, artist Janet Hill and of Fanfare Books, John Woodward, were featured in The Globe & Mail, a showcase of  the lovely addition we built on their Ontario Cottage. 

We designed the space with a California cottage feel, yet paying homage to the finishing details of the original home. An electic, relaxing living room to read, listen to records and watch classic movies with their delightful dog, Finnigan, was the resulting hybrid. 

Read more about this great space in The Globe & Mail exclusive.

One of the great things about the restoration work we do is getting to uncover the details of old structures that have been covered over through the years. Such was the case with this dormer from a prominent downtown St Marys building. The elements had taken their toll on the wooden windows and exterior details. Much had been covered over with tin and aluminum (on the left) and removing it (right side) revealed the pleasingly detailed woodwork. 

We saved the original structure and replicated all of the exterior mouldings and claddings. The windows were copied and reinstalled. The numerous layers of roofing were removed and a copper roof was fabricated and installed. Here the restored dormer is "flown" back into its rightful place - to set off this great building for another 100+ years.

Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.

Even the most perfect little house can sometimes use a facelift. The front exterior of our favourite Ontario Cottage was not befitting it's recent sparkling new back addition. So we gave it a little nip/tuck with new siding and front door treatment. 

First, we replaced the tired siding and painted the trim and brackets a bright white. The junction box was moved to a less conspicuous spot to allow the entrance to shine. A portico treatment inspired by the original transom was added for shelter.

We were pleased to find the original decorative wood trim underneath the sidelight facings still in great condition,  and removed the screen door to expose the original door as well. Finally, our client painted the door a vibrant chartreuse... pretty as a painting!

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.

As a kitchen designer, my first inclination is to design a kitchen that feels like it belongs. In most cases, it reflects the time period or history of the existing house; and sometimes the house predates a standard kitchen and some invention is necessary as long as it makes sense to the home's architectural evolution.

But what about a house that would not traditionally have a kitchen?
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This former one-room country schoolhouse was equipped with a plain, 35-year-old kitchen; pushed into one corner of the open space it looked out of place. It seemed the most natural solution would be to utilize the entire back wall of the room using unfitted, furniture style cabinets. We wanted the pieces to have the appearance of being collected over time and assembled as a functional kitchen. 
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As a fan of designer Roger Shollmier's workstation theory (he also invented this amazing Galley Sink but that is another story) this reclaimed wood, work island is situated galley-style with a sink directly across from the cooker. The counter and cabinets have designated equipment for each workstation. A prep area and baking area flank the cooker while the marble topped island is ready with clean up and service areas. The refrigerator and pantry are hidden within a fumed, rift white oak, tall cabinet to the left of the island. While the painted hutch to the right is storage for dishes and serving vessels. It is also close to the dining table for easy service and clean up.

Although an eclectic space, we kept it visually clean by predominantly using the same white paint and matching the flemish patterned backsplash tile and found cast iron sink to it. The unfitted style also means that the space can  easily be adapted and expanded if necessary. With a classic style and natural materials that will age well, this schoolhouse kitchen gets an A+ for longevity.