Couture Home Renovations by Stephanie

Stephanie took over an orphan project in the summer of 2023. Our 3’700 sqft house had water and structural damage. After 2 years of dealing with unscrupulous and incapable general contractors, we were at a crossroads. We needed someone to take charge, competently, and have the flexibility to deal with issues that were mostly halfway or unfinished. Most general contractors would have balked at such a task. Stephanie stepped into a pre-existing situation and site that were not for the faint of heart. Our project was a complete gut of a 1970 home. Her very first item was to finish the plumbing excavation and hook up to city services that a previous contractor had abandoned. It was a dirty, difficult job, in a muddy 10 ft deep trench. Her plumber connected the storm, sewer and sanitary to the main and the weeping tile in under 3 days. Stephanie then ensured that the excavation company finished their part of the job – and did so safely. She literally got us out of a rut that had been lasting 6 weeks, where workers were at a standstill. What followed was a year of coordinating and partially undertaking some of the work herself the entire remodel of our house: which included reengineering part of the framing in the attic and garage; removing and installing a new HVAC system (with heat pump, air handler, ERV, and several duct blowers); abating and insulating; all mechanical (electrical, plumbing); installing 5 bathrooms; and finally all finishes (flooring, paint, trims…). It was a considerable undertaking that she did with gusto and amazing to problem solve and anticipate issues on the fly. What made all the difference? Good project managers are notoriously hard to find. Some are analytical but lack hands-on experience; others have been on the tools but lack the ability to write and convey the situation to the client. Stephanie is comfortable in both worlds and enjoys both. The complexity of the issues never ended throughout the duration of the project. The more we opened the house up, the more we discovered. Stephanie was able to navigate dealing with 3 different engineers, close to 15 tradespeople, 3 city inspectors, all while moving the project forward, keeping workers safe, and relaying the information back to us 3 provinces away regularly and instantly when necessary. She knows the Building Code and has a practical sense when looking at the feasibility of certain elements of our project. This combination of skills and attention to detail enabled the project to keep moving continuously for the most part. She’s responsive to feedback and the communication line is always open. Stephanie was a godsend for us, for which we will be forever grateful. We wish her the very best with her new venture in Georgia.

Stephanie is very professional and thorough in her work. She explained the work before she started so we would understand exactly what was required and why. She was open and transparent in all aspects of her work, and left our house tidy after she finished the door milling and installation. We highly recommend Stephanie and will not hesitate to use her services for other work in our home.

The work done by this company was done well, in a timely fashion for a reasonable price and good follow up afterwards.

We were planning a major redo of our main bathroom and interviews several contractors. Stephanie demonstrated honesty and integrity in every aspect of the project, from her very detailed quotation to the actual execution of the project. There were no surprises and her team were amazing. We couldn’t be happier. There are so many dubious actors out there who want your money. Confide your project to Stephanie. You won’t be disappointed.

I recently hired Stephanie to lead the renovation of a rental property I purchased—a bungalow that we converted into two separate units. The project was complex, especially with the need to split the single-family home into two rental units. Stephanie handled the challenge with ease, calling in her architect to design the plans and navigate the city permits process. Her extensive network of reliable tradespeople and experts truly made a difference. The upstairs unit was completed in just two months, including the addition of a bathroom, new flooring, a kitchen, and fresh paint. Once the fire separation and plumbing were done, we were able to rent out the first unit while work on the second unit continued—a financial relief that kept the project moving forward. Yes, we encountered some issues along the way, but Stephanie and her team were quick to address them as they arose. The second unit, which included in-floor heating, a new kitchen, two bathrooms, and two bedrooms, was completed to a high standard. While landscaping isn't her specialty, Stephanie went above and beyond to find contractors for our new fence and manage the exterior work. She's an amazing designer and project manager who brought our vision to life.