It’s a classic house becoming modern – a Tudor-style home from the 80s adapting to a modern world.
Wendy and Todd Buchanan bought their Mississauga home nine years ago when they moved from an Etobicoke condo. Their new 8,500 sq. ft., four-bedroom home had many Tudor-style hallmarks – dark wood accents, ornate door frames and mantelpieces, a rich palette. “It was a little elated, in my mind,” says Todd.
“We lived with the place for six or seven years to figure out what we wanted.”
Instead of a large-scale renovation to remake the home in one sweep, the Buchanans renovated piece by piece, handling some tasks on their own with support from Todd’s cousin, contractor Matthew Nesbitt. “There are pros and cons to doing this the way we’re doing it,” admits Todd. “The con is that it takes you several years. The pro is that you can do it the way you want to do it. You’re less limited by the budget because you’re doing it over years and you are able to learn from every project you complete.”
First on the list was the three-car garage. They brought in Garage Living to assist with new flooring, custom cabinetry and new baseboards. The project got the ball rolling on renovating the rest of the home. Selecting and overseeing contractors, Todd and Wendy went to work on the basement, which boasts a home gym with team room and sauna, a built-in bar, game room, den and almost completed wine cellar.