A collection from the Workshop

Decision
Notes.

Two good options.
One real home.

Most renovation choices come with a catch. These short notes put both sides on the table, then give you a way to choose.

7 decisions · About 3 minutes each

Coats on the hooks, boots below the bench. The mudroom has started earning its keep.

The kitchen

Follow the groceries, the dishes, and the person trying to get past you.

Cardboard pantry mock-up beside groceries, a chopping board and small appliances on a worn kitchen counter

Kitchens that work3 min read

Tall Pantry or More Counter Space? Follow the Groceries.

The cereal has a home. The chopping board does not. A pantry can solve the wrong shortage.

Weigh the options

Open green kitchen drawer holding worn pans, with a tall lidded stockpot beside it

Kitchens that work7 min read

Kitchen Drawers, Door Cupboards and Corner Storage: What Fits?

Compare usable drawer space, door cupboards and corner mechanisms using real cookware, measured openings and retrieval tests.

Weigh the options

The bathroom

Beautiful at a glance. Comfortable at seven in the morning.

Out on the deck

A place for the table, the people, and a clear route to the garden.

Grey backyard deck with black metal guards and steps down to a paver landing

Decks & outdoor living5 min read

Deck Layout: Side or Centre Stairs, Levels, Seating and Lighting

Choose deck stairs with the chairs occupied, the door open and the route to the garden drawn. Then test the levels, seating and lights together. A symmetrical plan is less useful if everybody has to stand up when one person takes a tray outside.

Weigh the options

The things that fit

Storage and joinery designed around the things you actually own.

Sage entryway cubbies and an oak bench with coats, a backpack, and muddy boots

Storage, floors & trim3 min read

Open Mudroom Cubbies or Closed Cabinets?

Closed doors hide the coats. They do not persuade anyone to hang them up.

Weigh the options

Cream window seat with its centre drawer open beneath the cushion and board games inside

Storage, floors & trim4 min read

Window-Seat Storage: Lift the Lid or Pull a Drawer?

A lift-up seat holds plenty. Getting the blanket means moving the person who wanted the blanket.

Weigh the options

The shape of a room

Decide what the space should do, then resolve what holds it up.

Steel support column beneath a basement beam beside a taped furniture layout

Structure & open-plan living4 min read

Flush Beam or Dropped Beam? The Ceiling Is Only Half the Story.

The beam disappears from view. The work needed to make that happen may move into the floor above.

Weigh the options

Open ceiling joists in an unfinished basement room beside a finished family room.

Basements & suites4 min read

Basement Ceiling: Removable Panels or Drywall?

A smooth ceiling hides the pipes beautifully. That is less helpful when someone needs to reach one.

Weigh the options

From the street

A considered exterior, with the practical details still doing their jobs.

Need the practical details?

Permits, materials, timing, and the things a good plan needs to account for.

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