For a long time, we had been planning to change our dated kitchen and bathrooms. But we kept putting off the renovations because we never found a contractor who gave us the confidence to move ahead with the major changes we wanted to make. We had heard many horror stories from friends whose contractors would disappear and reappear without warning, and whose costs and schedules had ballooned far beyond what they had been led to expect. And then there was the shoddy work that was often left to be fixed by others. It was more than a little scary.
Lucky for us, a trusted neighbour pointed us toward Tyler Windfeld (Renos by Windfeld), and so on New Year’s Eve of 2015, with some trepidation, we met with him for the first time, just to do a bit of exploration. Tyler welcomed us into his home, and took us into his remarkable and quite beautiful kitchen, where we began to chat — and that was how it began. From the moment we met him, there was an instant connection: he listened to us more than talking at us, and we were soon deep into a mutual sharing of ideas. We left with the confidence that comes from meeting someone of fine character: we pride ourselves on our good judgement of others and Tyler proved himself exceptional from the start.
The following week, we met with Tyler again and toured him through our home, discussing the changes we wanted to make to our kitchen, the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, and our 1980s era basement rec room (complete with hideous wet bar). The ideas he expressed showed that he had been listening carefully to our introductory chat a week earlier, and he was already brimming with creative options for us to consider that would get us what we wanted while simultaneously increasing the market value of our home. It was evident that his interest in the type of renovations we proposed were fuelled by a creative energy matched by a solid sense of enduring value.
And so we drew up plans, obtained a quote, and Tyler and his crew soon set to work. Many times during the course of our renovation, Tyler came to us with ideas — always respectfully presented — when he noticed opportunities to make adjustments that might lead to valuable improvements in our desired outcome. Some of these we explored further and others we left by the wayside, but we were never put under any pressure to make these changes. However, we were (and remain) grateful for those ideas, small or large, that gave us more of what we had envisioned while keeping a close eye on the cost.
Renovations can be stressful, but we were so fortunate to have a contractor who was ethical, honest, responsible, responsive, and offered more than standard work and tired ideas. Tyler went out of his way to explain what was happening all the way along, and to reassure us when (as in any older home) he and his crew stumbled upon issues hidden behind the walls or with the old plumbing and wiring. Tyler was never afraid to offer up great creative suggestions that made our renovation so much more than just a change to our HOUSE, but a change to our HOME, which we now enjoy so much more than before the work began.
And indeed our home is nothing like it was when we started. It is something quite amazing. We love our new IKEA kitchen, built to make cooking (and cleaning up) a pleasure, with its unexpected mix of beauty and efficiency; we can look out onto our extensive back yard garden from our new kitchen window; and we can can wander out onto our deck through the beautiful new French doors in the dining room, which let in much more light than the dark and gloomy windows they replaced. The space in our downstairs bathroom was expanded to include a bathtub and shower, warm accents throughout, and wonderful ambient lighting, and although originally a tiny utilitarian room, is now both beautiful and functional. Our original recroom and its aging wet bar, which was always cold and awkwardly organized, is now divided into a bright craft room and a family media room, which are warm, comfortable, and much more usable. Our upstairs bathroom is an absolute show piece. Through a clever bit of expansion into unused space in one of our bedrooms, the upstairs bath — originally a cramped and crowded room — is now spacious and stunning with a five foot walk-in shower, a large vanity and mirror, cheery pot lighting, and beautiful tiling.
We did not just have a renovation. We had a transformation.
Throughout the process, Tyler showed us the same care and attention to detail that he would take for his own home and family. We gained a gorgeous home, but also a friend.
Several of our neighbours have asked us about our renovations, and we are quite willing to give everyone the grand tour. During the tour, we’re always asked how we felt about our contractor, particularly if his work was solid and if he had shown himself trustworthy. We always tell them that it’s worth waiting for Tyler to become available, because, as they can see for themselves, the result was clearly worth it, and it was all done with care and respect. Invariably, they comment that no one they know has ever talked about their contractor in such glowing terms.
We would recommend Renos by Windfeld for anyone who wants a renovation that is done well, done right, and done with care and honesty.
- Pamela and Jonathan
