A Basement, a Bathroom, and a View That Was Always There — Just Waiting to Be Uncovered

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This Mill Bay project is a great example of what a well planned renovation can do when every part of the process is handled in house. From drawings and structural engineering through to municipal permitting, sub trade coordination, and finish work, the full project was managed through one connected process. The scope covered 3 areas of the home: a full basement gut renovation, an upstairs bathroom overhaul, and a guest bedroom refresh. Each had its own brief, but together they represent a home that now works significantly better than it did before, with improved function and expanded ocean views.


The basement was the most complex part of the project and where the most meaningful transformation happened. The starting point was a space that felt constrained, with bulkheads, foundation curbs, awkward flow, and a layout that resulted in a loss of usable space, largely due to the elevator access and how the lower level had originally been planned. Due to expanding the ocean view with larger windows we were required to weld in place a steel moment frame which we were able to disguise in the framing of the floor and walls. We removed those obstacles, redesigned the flow, and rebuilt the space from the slab up. Structural engineering was incorporated throughout, and the exterior finish was carefully blended using stucco, wood trim, and Pella windows and doors to ensure the renovation read as part of the home rather than an addition to it. The ocean view, which existed but was not being fully used, was expanded as part of the design, and the new layout was planned around making the most of it.


The finishes throughout the basement are high end and considered. Accessibility compliant doors and a full accessible bathroom were integrated into the design from the start rather than added as an afterthought. A steam shower was built into the bathroom package, and custom hand built cabinetry was fabricated and installed to suit the specific dimensions and character of the space. The storage room was rebuilt with birch plywood walls and a full shelving system, creating an organized and well finished utility space that makes a real difference day to day.


Upstairs, the bathroom was taken back to the studs and rebuilt completely with the same commitment to high end finishes that ran through the basement. The guest bedroom received framing alterations to correct the geometry of the space, followed by new tile, a custom built closet system, trim, and paint. Smaller in scope than the lower level, but finished to the same standard.