Laneway House

We hired Lara to help us design the kitchen of our dreams in our existing space. Lara had all the right tools to help us visualize a finished project before we got started so there were minimal hiccups in the building stage. Lara was patient with us and after many revisions we finally committed to the one design that fit our budget best and gave us more than we thought was possible. Mark and Lara's team then stepped in and created the final product which is now the cornerstone showpiece of the home and is a cook's dream, which we both happen to love doing. Thanks to Lara, Mark, Corey, Dustin and the team for creating a functional and beautiful kitchen!

The uniqueness of my situation made my choice of builder critical.  I was away 90% of the time during the planning and building stages of my house construction and my old house was falling down around me.  I needed a reliable and motivated design/build firm to execute the project within a certain time line.  I found a house I liked online and sent Marc the link.  From the pictures and rudimentary floor plan he and Lara drew up the plans and designed the house to accommodate my demands for green SIP construction.  Finalizing the design of a house can be a little daunting with all the details.  Lara made sure to have only 2 or 3 suitable choices of each layout, fixture or sample so I was able to make decisions without being overwhelmed.  Marc and Lara proved to be very accommodating with my ideas and their communication was open and easy.  In all, the project ran for almost one year start to finish and I now live in a beautiful and comfortable new home.

We are very happy with our renovation and addition. Lara's design ideas shine through the finished project, as does the quality of the carpenters involved. A considerate, kind and professional team. Our guests this summer have been left speechless with the transformation to our living space. We highly recommend Lara, Marc and the Ellenwood team.

I have completed three high-end, successful and significant residential renovations with Lara Ellenwood during the past 11 years.  Lara is a uniquely talented Interior Designer. She is a pleasure to work with - quiet, thoughtful, pleasant and sensitive. She is very well trained, professional and highly organized. I met her initially as a client of Ledingham Design, where she handled their interior design. She excels in design and in liaising with suppliers and trades whom she knows well and who hold her in very high regard.  I understand why! She is more than willing to listen to her clients and their personal needs, and bend her choices in their direction. Additionally, she enriches their choices, adds new ideas, presents fine concept sketches, then detailed plans, and absolutely aces the colour palette after the required contemplation work. She then supervises the actualization process from beginning to end, has the best resources at her disposal, and brings together all the disparate elements together, successfully.  Whoever you are, you are fortunate to be able to consider working with her.

I had a complete kitchen renovation done by Ellenwood Homes. Lara oversaw the design and Marc the construction. I had an idea of what I wanted, along with some pictures. Lara was able to bring together these threads and help me put together a fabulous modern kitchen. Not only did she do a lot of leg work [materials sourcing] and construction drawings, she also did construction supervision along with Marc. Lara is a very experienced designer. She was easy to work with and came up with great options and sensible solutions. My job was small, but both Marc and Lara gave it top-notch attention. I love my new kitchen! The work was very good quality and we stayed within budget. I would happily hire them again for my next project.