Who: Jenny Francis, architect and owner of Jenny Francis Design, with partner Marc Downing, also an architect at MJMA.
What: A small (ish) Victorian in Toronto's Parkdale neighbourhood. The home is over a hundred years old and approximately 1,300 sq ft including the two floors and basement, but is only 12 feet wide on the inside. Upstairs there are two bedrooms, an office (with a view of the CN Tower and downtown skyline), and a bathroom. There is a second bathroom in the basement, storage space, as well as Jenny's sample and product library.
Where: The neighborhood, Parkdale/Brockton Village, is wonderfully vibrant -- a great mix of cultures and generations, with the convergence of Portuguese, Tibetan, West Indian, Chinese and Polish communities. New stores and restaurants are moving in constantly, and many homes are being renovated, which is a great indicator of a thriving area.
Why: It's refreshing to see two young architects who are no doubt bursting with sky high ideas, exercise both restraint and a lack of preciousness about gutting their Victorian. The results are lovely, liberating and reno-affirming: bust those walls down!
HGTV: How did you come to live in this home?
Jenny Francis: We bought the house 5 years ago during the period when there were heated bidding wars
happening all over the city. I think we had the advantage as architects
of seeing the potential of the house because we actually paid even less than asking! We really wanted to live in this neighborhood so it was great to find a house that we could renovate fairly easily, with a front and back garden, walkout basement and even a garage on a laneway. I would love to convert the garage into a studio.
HGTV: What didn’t work for you about the home when you got it?
JF: The main space on the ground floor had been divided into small bedrooms and we removed many layers of multiple ceilings and floors that accumulated over time, to strip everything back to clean, modern
essentials. I liked that nothing was precious, so we didn't have to
hesitate about ripping things out. We basically gutted the ground floor to open everything up. Upstairs we took out all the carpet and layered flooring finishes and sanded and refinished the original hardwood floors that were beneath.
HGTV: Tell me about your exposed ceiling beams...
JF: During demolition we discovered that
the joists were gorgeous dark Douglas fir -- some still had bark on
them. I loved the
idea of leaving them exposed within a crisp drywall opening. It also adds height and drama to the room.
HGTV: Tell me about your kitchen...
JF: We both love to cook -- we host dinner
parties quite often and I have a collection of great cookbooks. Since
our house is narrow we decided to keep the kitchen layout as wide as
possible by using a rolling stainless steel island that can be moved to
the side when not needed. Everyone hangs out in
the kitchen during a dinner party while we are cooking, so flexibility is helpful.
JF: The butcher block counter, wide sink, and cast
iron top to the gas stove are all great for preparing meals. We
actually made the unconventional move of putting the fridge just beyond
the wall closer to the backyard. In the summer we like to go back and
forth between the garden and barbecue so it's the perfect place for it, while also keeping everything as
uncluttered as possible in the kitchen.
HGTV: Where did you splurge and where did you save?
JF: We splurged on a
beautiful floor -- engineered oiled
walnut. I love how they look and feel. The boards range from a
rich deep ebony to a champagne blonde. We also splurged on new windows, a new cedar fence, and all new
wiring and plumbing throughout the house. We saved by waiting to
renovate other areas, and doing some of the construction ourselves. I
would rather do things properly one at a time than cheaply and quickly
without the right level of quality.
HGTV: How was the whole experience?
JF: It was exciting! Marc and I would do demolition, supervision and finishing after work and in the early morning -- it was a great workout and very satisfying. We did everything in under 6 weeks and then moved in.
HGTV: Is being a designer a curse or a blessing in the reno process?
JF: Definitely a blessing. I love to be able to realize a vision, particularly with my own space, and to constantly tweak things. We are both architects, and so having confidence with the construction process was a great help as well.
HGTV: Did you go over budget?
JF: No, we were very mindful of not overstretching, and so we planned on renovating in stages.
HGTV: Any advice on how to stay on budget?
JF: I would certainly try to do as much as you can in the beginning (it takes a lot of discipline to plan for construction 'phases'), but if the budget is tight, prioritize items that will have the most impact on your lifestyle. Do the broad architectural moves right away (ie, open up spaces, change walls), and focus on main areas like the kitchen and bathrooms, good infrastructure (the roof, plumbing, wiring, windows), and a good quality floor. It can be easy to become excited about the renovation and to splurge on an amazing piece of furniture or light fixture before construction, but if you can, make sure you get the bones right first, and then layer things afterward. It's important to invest in high quality construction, fixtures and finishes -- if you find you can't afford something right now, save until you can, instead of going for cheap things.
HGTV: What in your opinion are the most valuable reno investments?
JF: I would definitely recommend investing in good windows and doors, a thoughtfully designed kitchen, and high quality plumbing fixtures. The elements that you touch and feel are also very important: door handles, cabinet handles and hardware, and good dimmers. Also, don't forget your entry space -- the way that you enter the house, hang up your coat and put away your shoes all shape the way that you feel about coming home.
HGTV: What style would you say your home leans toward?
JF: I'm definitely a modernist when it comes to design, but not a minimalist. I love art, and furniture with history and character. The James Robert Durant piece hanging behind the dining room table for instance, brings its own story and colour to the room, and I also like it proportionally.
HGTV: Where did you get all your furniture?
JF: A lot of things are prototypes that I designed or was involved in for projects, others are vintage finds.
HGTV: Would you have done anything differently?
JF: I would in retrospect have renovated more in our first phase (we still have to renovate our bathroom upstairs), but at the same time, I have new ideas now about how I would like to design it, so perhaps it is good we waited!
HGTV: What’s next in the reno plans?
JF: Many things! The bathroom certainly, a big new closet for the master bedroom (I have a LOT of clothes), and we are planning to build a new front porch. We will also fully renovate the back room of the house by enlarging the window and door to the garden and cladding the interior in wood as though it were a piece of furniture - it will become a beautiful little sitting room and library. There are a million things to do really. Every step is an effort to add refinement and thoughtful detail. I'm sure it will be an ongoing process as we think of new ways to improve each room. I regard everything as something to look forward to.
So CUTE!! What do you guys think of the exposed ceiling? Yea or nay?
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