Lakeside Rancher

This 1980’s rancher had good bones and lovely views, but it suffered from a closed-off kitchen and dated style.

We removed the wall between the kitchen and great room and added a beam to open up the spaces to each other for better light and flow. Appliance and plumbing locations were retained where possible for cost savings, but cabinet layouts were improved. The new island with bar seating includes a prep sink and the dishwasher. An adjacent closet was converted to a pantry for extra storage. A new sun tunnel brings natural light deeper into the kitchen.

The old hot tub room became a lovely sunroom with a games table and media zone. This room also doubles as a guest space with a pull-out bed in the sectional sofa. Bathrooms throughout were updated, though some retained the original vanity cabinets. The master ensuite’s new sliding mirror system provides privacy from the deck, plus flexibility in user positioning. The mirrors’ barn door hardware is repeated on the new sliding doors for ensuite and closet. All the new finishes suit the natural surroundings and the existing redwood accent walls and ceilings. New furnishings throughout the living spaces were part of the design package. Also included were new energy efficient lighting fixtures throughout.

Before & After

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Ellenwood Homes did renovations of approximately $120 ,000 for us, which included completely redoing the 3-bedroom main floor (including the kitchen and bathroom), structural changes in the basement (including the addition of a legal suite), and some exterior and garage work. We were extremely happy with the quality of the work, the process, and the pricing. When we were initially getting quotes, some contractors would tell us what we wanted was very complicated, but Marc Brillon told us it was do-able. We were very impressed by how he was able to handle any problems with ease. Ellenwood's pricing was very competitive. Throughout the project Marc was very conscious of costs and would provide options for more cost-effective solutions. Marc was also an excellent project manager - he handled the acquisition of materials and the management of subcontractors extremely well! In addition to doing excellent quality work cost-effectively, Marc was very helpful in accommodating our family's needs as we lived through the renovations. It was a real pleasure to have Ellenwood Homes do our renovations! Not only are we extremely happy, we are constantly getting compliments.
Shahir P.
Ellenwood Homes did renovations of approximately $120,000 for us, which included completely redoing the 3-bedroom main floor (including the kitchen and bathroom), structural changes in the basement (including the addition of a legal suite), and some exterior and garage work.  We were extremely happy with the quality of the work, the process, and the pricing.  When we were initially getting quotes, some contractors would tell us what we wanted was very complicated, but Marc Brillon told us it was do-able. We were very impressed by how he was able to handle any problems with ease.  Ellenwood's pricing was very competitive. Throughout the project Marc was very conscious of costs and would provide options for more cost-effective solutions.  Marc was also an excellent project manager - he handled the acquisition of materials and the management of subcontractors extremely well!  In addition to doing excellent quality work cost-effectively, Marc was very helpful in accommodating our family's needs as we lived through the renovations. It was a real pleasure to have Ellenwood Homes do our renovations! Not only are we extremely happy, we are constantly getting compliments.
Shahir P.
Nancy and Mike B., Harrop

Our newly-purchased home was built in '93 and when the realtor arranged a first showing in late 2016, my wife said, "This place has potential value but it needs a serious updating".  At the same time, I kept thinking, "I think this house has good bones".  So we bought it, moved into it and embarked on updating it with the help of Lara and Marc from Ellenwood Homes. All excellent decisions.

Lara is educated and experienced in building and furniture design; Marc in construction and budgeting.  Add to that the varied skills of their main onsite contractors, Corey and Scott.  What a team!  We've never known better and if we were to tackle another job like this we'd choose these folks again...in a flash!

After a winter of renovating and selecting of new furniture - all guided by our team, we are totally thrilled with the outcome.  On top of that, we've gained very good friends in the process...

Nancy and Mike B., Harrop
Marc and Lara provided a top notch product and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone considering a minor or extensive renovation. Initially I was provided with a very detailed cost analysis and later, if costs differed, there was always a consultation. What also impressed me was when the tradespeople commented that Marc and Lara are some of the best and most professional people they've ever worked for. Any issues which came up after completion were promptly addressed by Marc and Lara. A great team, providing a great product!
Ruth B.
Marc and Lara provided a top notch product and I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone considering a minor or extensive renovation.  Initially I was provided with a very detailed cost analysis and later, if costs differed, there was always a consultation.  What also impressed me was when the tradespeople commented that Marc and Lara are some of the best and most professional people they've ever worked for.  Any issues which came up after completion were promptly addressed by Marc and Lara.  A great team, providing a great product!
Ruth B.
"I asked Ellenwood Homes to change my kitchen / living area and turn it into an open concept situation. It looked like a fairly easy job but the walls that needed to come down were stuffed with plumbing, ducting and wiring for the whole house and no detailed drawings were available. Instead of starting a project without knowing if it would go way over my head, Marc conducted a very thorough investigation, suggested opening up part of the walls and he had the trades people who originally built the house come out to talk about what was there. I felt safe when we decided to go ahead with this. Lara is a wonderful designer, aware of tiny details and she came up with materials that I really liked. She seemed to understand exactly what I was looking for. These two people are a wonderful team, very professional and complementary to each other. And such pleasant personalities to work with. Budget and planning worked out fine, I love my new kitchen/living room and I would recommend Lara and Marc to anyone considering a renovation."
Birgit T.
"I asked Ellenwood Homes to change my kitchen / living area and turn it into an open concept situation. It looked like a fairly easy job but the walls that needed to come down were stuffed with plumbing, ducting and wiring for the whole house and no detailed drawings were available. Instead of starting a project without knowing if it would go way over my head, Marc conducted a very thorough investigation, suggested opening up part of the walls and he had the trades people who originally built the house come out to talk about what was there. I felt safe when we decided to go ahead with this. Lara is a wonderful designer, aware of tiny details and she came up with materials that I really liked. She seemed to understand exactly what I was looking for. These two people are a wonderful team, very professional and complementary to each other. And such pleasant personalities to work with. Budget and planning worked out fine, I love my new kitchen/living room and I would recommend Lara and Marc to anyone considering a renovation."
Birgit T.
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.
Colleen B.
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.
Colleen B.

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