house design parry sound, north country design and build, home design, residential design,  jen schwindt, cottage design, cottage design parry sound

I had a lot of fun working on this design and the location is beautiful. The screen porch makes you feel like you're up in a tree fort, and the windows across the kitchen counter provide an amazing view and connection to the outdoors. This is where we started: And here we are now: #houses #exteriordesign #projectplanning #interiordesign #design #beforeafter

I thought I'd share a couple photo's of a house I designed a couple of years ago. I love going back to walk through a place once it's complete! This one makes you feel as if you're in the middle of sunny forest. Here's the photo gallery, just click to scroll through. #exteriordesign #projectplanning #interiordesign #houses #beforeafter #design

How often do you move your furniture? Do you move it once a year to fit the Christmas tree in for a season? Perhaps every spring you move it, clean under it and put it right back where it was? Maybe you move it a lot more often? Personally I tend to fall into the "a lot more often" category. I like to move things from room to room, finding new ways to display things, making our furniture and our stuff work for our family and how we are currently living and using the space. Th

If you are planning a building project for this summer it's time to get started on your drawings. Remember for almost all construction projects you need a building permit. It's the law. To get your permit you need to apply, fill out the paper work and provide clear detailed drawings of your construction plan. You may need to provide additional information as well depending on your plans. This process along with the design process can take some time so don't delay. Contact me

The kitchen: Before, After and the Inbetween It's okay to have an "inbetween", making progress is something that should be celebrated. The Kitchen story… This is the dated, very dated, (very decorated?!) kitchen. It was in rough shape and hadn't had a lot of attention in what looks like years and years and years! It has been transformed and now looks like this… A clean, white, classic kitchen with lots of functional work space and storage. White shaker style doors are a clas

So recently I decided to jump on board with this trend… …in my own way of course. I loved seeing all the beautiful tree stumps being brought in doors to be used as a side table, extra seating, or a stool. It's a contemporary, clean looking way to incorporate nature. It adds an organic shape, texture and look which is a nice contrast against some of the hard lines of our homes. They seem to be everywhere in design magazines, featured on décor blogs and all over Pinterest. I kn

What does BCIN mean, who needs it, why is it important? BCIN stands for Building Code Identification Number. Anyone who is offering design advice or who provides drawings to the public, besides an Architect or an Engineer must have a BCIN to legally be a Qualified Designer in the province of Ontario. In order to get a BCIN an individual must pass at least two exams. One must be a legal exam on the Ontario Building Code Act. The second is a technical exam in the individuals ar

I work mostly from my home office. I also travel to clients houses or property. I love living close to work and my family and the flexibility that it offers. Initially my office was in the basement… This wasn't a bad place, it was quiet, and it was still one of the best offices I've had. However, it was still the basement. It was colder than the rest of the house (notice the space heater!), and there wasn't as much natural light. Recently my children decided that they wanted

Design is More than Pretty! Everyone wants to have a house or space that looks nice and reflects their personal tastes, but if that’s the only goal you have when designing a space you most likely won't feel satisfied with your project for very long. Whether your project is a bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, rec room or entire house each room has a specific purpose and needs to be designed so that the maximum potential for that space is being utilized. The focus in every design I w