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Here I share the projects that I am currently working on, or that have been newly released to the wild...or for permit, but saying I released them to the wild is much more fun.

Lux Laundry

Is it just me or is every piece of clothing ‘hang to dry’ these days?

If you were designing your dream laundry room, what would it have?

  • Front loading machines on pedestals?
  • Shelves for your laundry baskets?
  • Pull out drawers for dirty clothes?
  • So much space you can spin around, arms outstretched, and not hit anything?

For one of the most regularly used rooms in the house, it sometimes get the bum end of the deal when it comes to space.

Here’s my solution: Make it a multi-use space.

Take this snippet from a plan I’m working on for example:

It’s no longer just a space to do laundry. It’s also a place to wash the dog, to store Costco-sized packages of paper towels, and easy access to a powder room from the backyard. Plus, look at all that floor space!! Think of all the expandable clothes hanging racks that can fit in that room!

Suppress your sketch shame!

WOW. This year has been crazy. For more reasons than just work. Do you feel like you’re doing more than ever or are you feeling like you’re finally getting a chance to take a step back and relax?

It has been an absolute whirlwind here at Centre Line Home Design. So many people are re-evaluating their living spaces and considering a larger space, or a more efficient space, or are no longer tied to a certain location and are moving away from the city.

I find it funny that whenever someone hands me their sketches of what they want, they always apologize for them. Trust me, I don’t expect top draftsman quality when we’re going through your drawings. If that were the case, you wouldn’t need me, right? Plus, check out how my sketches look when I’m brainstorming ideas:

Ridiculous, right? Not what you would expect from someone that’s been doing this for 15 years? That word? Supposed to say ‘hooks’ even though it looks like ‘nooks’.

I totally understand being embarrassed by your sketching ability, but if it gets the point across?

That’s all I need.

Frosted Front Door

Do you like the light that comes through a glass front door system, but don’t want the awkwardness of hiding when you hear a knock on the door, but weren’t expecting anyone?

Frosted glass is your new best friend!

This house used a huge glass front entry system but frosted the glass so they don’t have to worry about the privacy factor of clear glass.

frosted glass door

Skinny but Traditional

Properties are getting skinnier by the day.

The good news? A lot less grass to cut.

The bad news? It’s harder to fit everything you need in a house.

This one has it all: a two car garage, a timeless curb appeal, and the interior amenities that are one everyone’s wishlist.

Bonus? It can be placed on an infill lot, or a skinnier one in a new subdivision!

Formal and Informal Dining

Formal dining rooms have clawed their way back into popularity. For a while one large open space for the living, dining, and kitchen was the thing. To be fair, that’s not completely gone, but I am getting more requests for a formal dining space (and wine rooms, but that’s another topic).

The best layouts still keep the connection to the kitchen, but hides all the dirty pots and pans.

One way to do this is through a butler’s pantry. Usually a small strip of cabinets where you can store your fancy dishes, or a wine fridge, or lay out the extra food that won’t fit on the table (because obviously you’re going to need to have a tin foil swan centerpiece).

This layout took it one further and made use of a corner lined with windows for built-in booth seating. Make yourselves a root beer float, have a seat at the booth (which we all know is the best restaurant seating option) and enjoy it on a date night in.

Being Authentic

When you’ve chosen a style for your home’s exterior, whether it’s french country, modern farmhouse, or craftsman, it’s important to make sure that the elements of your design are authentic to the style.

For instance, a modern home screams for a low slope roof and large overhangs, or a flat roof.

Pop a higher pitched roof on that house and you get something like this:

You grimaced a little, didn’t you? It just doesn’t look right.

So, when you’re developing the exterior views of your house, avoid the grimace, and be sure to incorporate the elements that encompass the style you’re going for.

Maximize Your Lot

If you’re working with a property that is quite wide, you have the advantage to stretch out your home width-wise to allow for maximum natural light penetration.

The most effective way to get loads of natural light in your home is to have it not more than two rooms deep.

In a typical city lot, you won’t likely have this luxury. You’ll need to stretch your home depth-wise to fit a typical main floor layout. Since you have neighbouring houses very close-by, there isn’t much light coming from the sides of your home, so you’re left with the rear windows, and maybe one on the front.

This homeowner had a very wide lot to work with so we made sure to make the most of the width of the property to gain light in every room.

It makes a statement, don’t you think?

Too Many Cars, Not Enough Spaces

When working with a typical city lot that allows for a two-car garage, the third car, the project car that your husband Bill has been restoring for, oh, 12 years now takes the place of a daily driver in the garage.

When it snows you have to scrape the windshield, when it’s hot you have to lay a towel on the black leather so you don’t burn your legs, all the while resentment for that project car grows as it’s all snugly tucked into the garage.

Solution?

Put in a tandem garage. It’s another garage bay placed behind the current two-car garage, like this:

This way you both get to have your cars in the convenience of the garage, and ‘Glenda’ (what a weird car name, but hey, Bill named her) gets a spot too.

Bonus? If you put in some doors to the rear yard, that space can double as storage for your patio cushions, that floating swan for the pool, and outdoor toys for the kids.

It’s a win-win.

Two-Storey Modern Farmhouse

A two-storey take on the modern farmhouse. Huge windows, mixed materials that create opposing textures, and lots of black and white.

modern farmhouse

Modern Farmhouse

Is it just me, or are you loving the modern farmhouse trend that’s going on right now? I actually hesitate to call it a ‘trend’ though as farmhouses have obviously been around for a very long time.

We’re just refreshing it to give a more up-to-date twist!

This means cleaner lines, typically one-storey, and light colours.

I’d argue that simple lines are what keep the design long-lasting, don’t you?

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