Design consult prep | Waterfront Homes

Section 1 of 9

Property basics

Let's confirm we're talking about a real home in a real place. Five quick questions.

What's the property address?required We use the address to check our active build zones, pull the property record, and prep for the site visit.

Please give us at least a street and city.

Are you the owner of this property?required

Pick one so we know how to scope the consult.

Roughly when was the home built?required Age drives renovation complexity and material direction.

Pick the closest era.

Roughly how large is the home?required

Pick the closest band.

Upload a current floor plan, if you have one.optional Sketch, photo, PDF, or builder drawings all work. Saves us 20 to 30 minutes of measuring in the consult.

Drop a floor plan here

or

Choose a file

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Section 2 of 9

Project scope

What's actually getting touched. Six questions.

Is this a renovation, addition, or new build?required

Pick the closest.

Have you looked into permits, setbacks, or zoning for the address yet?optional No wrong answer. Projects this size live or die on what the lot allows, so it's worth a candid line.

Any walls you'd like to remove, or layout changes you've been thinking about?optional Even a rough thought helps. Structural change drives timeline more than anything else.

Any rooms you specifically do NOT want to touch?optional

If we got one thing perfect, what would make this whole project worth it?optional The room or moment your future self walks into and thinks, "yes, that was the right call."

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Section 3 of 9

Functional must-haves

The practical features that matter, room by room. We only ask about rooms you flagged in Section 2.

Nothing room-specific to ask based on Section 2. We'll just confirm the whole-home features below.

For any other bathrooms in scope, what's the priority?optional

Family-friendly (tub for kids) Guest-ready (looks great, low maintenance) Ensuite to a guest room Powder room (no shower or tub) Pool or backyard bath Accessibility-friendly (grab bars, curbless shower)

For utility spaces (laundry, mudroom, foyer, pantry), what's most important?optional

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Section 4 of 9

Inspiration and style

The heart of the quiz. Photos and a few quick taste signals tell us more than five paragraphs of writing.

Upload a few photos that capture the look or feeling you wantoptional, but the single most useful thing you can share Phone screenshots, Pinterest saves, magazine snaps, anything that resonates. Three to twelve is the sweet spot. If nothing comes to mind right now, skip and we'll dig into taste together at the consult.

Drop your inspiration photos here

Up to 12. Captions are optional but help.

Choose photos

Any Pinterest boards, Houzz idea books, or Instagram accounts you've been saving from?optional Paste the links. We'll browse them ahead of the consult.

"Not sure" is honest, and it gives us something to work with.optional Describe one space (a friend's house, a hotel lobby, a coffee shop, a vacation rental) that felt right for the home you want. The where matters less than the why.

A few quick feelings sliders. Where does your home want to land?optional Slide each one toward whichever end feels truer. Centre means no strong pull either way.

Bright and airyMoody and dramatic

Warm tonesCool tones

Ornate and detailedClean and minimal

TraditionalContemporary

Soft and quietSharp and energetic

Earthy and naturalPolished and refined

ShowpieceLived-in

A specific past project, ours or another firm's, you've seen and loved?optional

Anything you want the look NOT to remind people of?optional

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Section 5 of 9

Materials and colour

Direction, not specifics. We'll pick the actual products together.

Your scope is exterior. We'll ask about exterior finishes and trim direction during the consult, where seeing the house in front of us makes the materials conversation faster.

Wall colour direction?optional

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Section 6 of 9

Lifestyle and use

Who lives in this home and how. Five questions.

Who lives in the home?required Couple, family with kids, multi-generational, empty nesters, pets, anyone significant.

Give us a quick line, even a fragment.

How do you use the home most days?optional

Family meals together Entertaining (small) Entertaining (large or frequent) Work from home (one of us) Work from home (both of us) Hobby or craft space needed Kids' homework or activities Multi-generational caregiving Quiet and restorative

How long do you plan to live in this home?optional

Any accessibility or aging-in-place considerations to plan for?optional

Any pets that should factor into the design?optional

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Section 7 of 9

Budget and timeline

Bands, not numbers. Helps us scope honestly before the consult.

What budget band are you working with for the project?required Construction only, excluding land or appliances you bring yourself.

Pick the closest band so we can scope honestly.

Projects at this size usually have one or two real constraints driving them. What's yours?optional Lot conditions, heritage rules, neighbour relationships, schedule pressure, family events, resale plans. The earlier we know, the better.

How firm is that budget?optional

Firm, that's the ceiling Flexible if the right scope demands it Wide range, we're calibrating Not sure yet

When would you like the project complete?required

Pick the closest.

Is there a specific event driving the timeline?optional Move-in, holiday, family milestone, anything.

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Section 8 of 9

Decision context

Who's making the call and what frame you're in. Five questions.

Who's making this decision with you?required

Pick one.

Have you renovated before?optional

Never Once or twice, smaller scale Multiple times Second or third major reno together

Have you spoken with other firms about this project?optional

No, you're the first One or two informal conversations Yes, gotten quotes from others We've worked with someone before and it didn't go well Prefer not to say

What went wrong, and what would you want different this time?optional, but the most useful single answer in this form for us No need to name the firm. The pattern is what matters: communication, change orders, schedule, quality, who showed up on site, anything.

What's the biggest concern you have going into this?required Be candid. The thing you'd want addressed first.

Even a short line helps us prepare honestly.

When you imagine the project is done, what's the feeling you want?optional The emotional anchor. Walk us through the moment.

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Section 9 of 9

Anything we missed

Last three. Open boxes for the things the form didn't ask about.

Is there anything else you'd like us to know before we meet?optional

Anything you'd like us to bring to the consult?optional Material samples, vendor catalogues, examples of past work in a specific style.

Best way to reach you between now and the consult?optional

Section 9 of 9

Thank you. We've got everything we need.

We'll review your answers in the next day or two and build a consult deck shaped around your project, not a stock template.

If something changes between now and the consult, just reply to the email we sent. We'll see it.

Saved

Thanks for the honesty.

Our work is design-build, and that means we need owner sign-off on every project. We can't take you all the way through the form without it, but here's the open invitation: once you're on title, or once you have written sign-off from the owner, reach out and we'll start fresh together.

In the meantime, if you want a few designers who do beautiful work for renters, reply to the email and we'll send a short list.

Saved

Got it. We'll be ready when you have keys.

We've saved everything you shared. We'll reach back out closer to your expected close date so the consult lands when you can actually walk us through the place.

If your timeline shifts, or if there's anything you want us to start thinking about now, reply to the email and we'll loop back.

Saved

Thank you. Honesty is the easiest way to be useful.

For projects in this range, our full design-build engagement usually isn't the right fit. We don't want to waste your time or ours pretending otherwise.

Two paths that often serve homeowners in your spot better:

Architectural drawings only. We can scope and price a Phase 1 design package so you have permit-ready plans to hand to a contractor of your choosing.
A trusted referral. We work alongside a handful of design-only firms and reno-focused contractors who are better calibrated to projects this size.

Reply to the email if either sounds useful and we'll route you cleanly.

Saved

A few questions before we meet

Thank you. We've got everything we need.

Thanks for the honesty.

Got it. We'll be ready when you have keys.

Thank you. Honesty is the easiest way to be useful.