Project Holland
Guelph Main Floor Renovation
Rooted in familiarity, elevated through details.
This South Guelph home had good bones—but felt disconnected and dated. Through our design-build process, we reimagined the main floor with purpose and personality, all while honouring the original footprint.
By enhancing flow and functionality across the kitchen, dining room, laundry, powder room, foyer, and den, we created a home that now feels cohesive and considered. Thoughtfully integrated storage solutions bring clarity and impact to everyday living, while a layered palette of soft neutrals and curated colour moments offers warmth and quiet sophistication.
Personal touches—like the family’s meaningful art collection—add a lived-in richness that blends seamlessly with modern refinements. The result is an inviting, organic space that feels both new and deeply familiar: a home designed not just for today, but for the many memories still to come.
Location: Guelph, ON
Photography: Lauren Weiler Photography
Design and Construction: Otis Interiors
Our Clients
With full schedules and two active kids, these South Guelph homeowners knew they wanted to stay in their home—but needed help transforming it to better support their lifestyle.
Their main floor had a solid layout, but lacked the functionality and visual interest and layered beauty they were craving. The goal was clear: create more purposeful storage in the kitchen and den, rework the laundry room to double as a functional drop zone, and breathe new life to the dining room, powder room, and foyer with thoughtful updates and refined details.
They came to us looking for vision and expertise—someone to take their loose ideas and shape them into a cohesive, thoughtful plan. Starting with the kitchen, we developed a design that flowed seamlessly through each space, layering soft neutrals, tailored storage, and personal touches to create a home that feels lighter, more connected, and distinctly theirs.
Project Features
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Beautiful quartz countertops
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Kitchen island with wraparound seating
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Custom kitchen cabinetry extending to the high ceilings
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Custom coffee bar
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Statement lighting
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Refreshed powder room
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Reconfigured laundry space with ample storage
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Glass overlook railings and revamped stairs to match
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Wainscotting in den with new fireplace and built-ins
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Furnishings in den to finish the room
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Foyer with patterned tile feature
Project Details
Each space throughout the main floor was designed to maximize storage and functionality and increase the overall appeal to curate a distinct look for each space. Each room is its own moment and invites you in to explore more.
We retired the old wood cabinetry in the kitchen and opted for a scheme of whites, greys and greens to give a fresh new feel for the overall space. We extended the cabinetry to extra tall ceilings for a custom and expansive feel. Additional cabinetry was added to fit in a dedicated coffee bar that has become the focal point of the kitchen. The island also got a dose of colour and was extended to hold ample seating for gathering with a beautiful curved edge that faces the backyard.
By removing the traditional decorative columns in the dining room, we not only gained more space in the dining area, but gained better sight lines into the room from the foyer and kitchen. We opted to create interest in the room by adding wallpaper and crown molding as a modern alternative.
The foyer got a refresh by adding a neutral and organic patterned tile that sets the tone upon walking into the home and we carried it through to the powder room which also got a refresh by adding a new vanity, lighting and custom window treatments.
The compact “L” spaced laundry room received a new layout to accommodate a stacked washer/dryer to allow for more storage and counterspace to support washing and folding laundry in tight quarters.
Lastly, we upgraded the den by creating a new fireplace feature in the room with gas fireplace insert and a shiplap cladding to bring more presence and warmth to the room. We complimented this with asymmetrical built in’s to act as storage and additional seating in the room. Layered wainscotting on the walls were applied to act as a way to disguise wall bump outs while also adding to the interest of the walls. A radial seating arrangement with custom furnishings completes the space to make it feel like a cozy retreat away from the fast pace of daily life.
The Neighbourhood
The Pineridge/Westminster Woods area in Guelph offers a perfect blend of community warmth and practical convenience. It’s in close to the main highway and a neighbourhood designed for people who want a relaxed, family-oriented lifestyle—without sacrificing access to amenities or quality environments for living and playing. It’s a neighbourhood full of families and growing development that’s interwoven with generous green spaces and walking trails.
The area feels upscale without being exclusive- fostering a friendly and lively neighbourhood spirit.
Cost, Timeline, & Challenges
Explore the estimated costs, time to completion and both challenges and solutions that were presented
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Approximate Project Cost:
$175-250K Plus HST
*2024 pricing
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*Property both occupied and unoccupied during construction at different phases
Design and pre-construction planning (conceptual design, estimating and final design presentation) for the project started in Summer/Fall 2023 and we planned the construction to begin in March 2024. Once construction was underway, the project took approx. 16-18 months to complete. In this case, the home was both occupied and unoccupied at different stages of construction. This timeline included furnishing of the kitchen and den areas (including furniture and custom window treatments).
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The biggest challenges we had to overcome working on this project were:
Fine Cabinetry Details
Working through final cabinetry design details - the coffee bar in particular - needed a few refinements to feel perfect for the space and to push along to align with our project timelines. We had a few options to consider for mechanism systems for the cabinetry and electrical (extra planning between multiple partners is not something homeowners are not always aware of) but when it comes to designing custom millwork solutions, it’s always best to spend the extra time to ensure it’s the best solution for the end result. We love how it turned out and the homeowners do too.
A Compact “L” Shaped Laundry Room
This room was the first time we’ve worked with a tight “L” shaped room layout and it was both a unique challenge from a design perspective and construction standpoint. From a design perspective, we needed to make sure we planned the storage appropriately and that the washer and dryer could not only fit into the corner we wanted, but could be physically maneuvered in place in the tight space. It was challenging for our construction team to install and work in such tight quarters but we made it all work and you would never know looking and working in the space now.
Make your home shine!
If you’re in Guelph or the surrounding area and ready for a full main floor transformation, let’s chat. Schedule your complimentary Discovery Call and take the first step toward a space that’s designed with thoughtful details and executed with an eye for craftsmanship - built for how you live.