Heritage Home Revival

Before & After

Before

After

The Design Challenge

The 130-year-old home had extraordinary original details — ornate crown moulding, plaster medallions, wide-plank pine floors, and pocket doors — but decades of deferred maintenance and poorly executed previous renovations had obscured or damaged much of the original character. Knob-and-tube wiring remained in portions of the home, insulation was minimal, and a 1980s kitchen renovation had covered original millwork with drywall and laminate.

Our Solution

Jon's approach was archaeological: carefully peeling back layers of previous renovations to uncover and restore original details wherever possible. The kitchen was gutted, revealing original beadboard walls and a wide doorway arch that had been drywalled over. These were restored and integrated into a modern kitchen design that honours the home's period. Bathrooms received period-appropriate tile (hexagonal mosaic floors, subway walls) with modern fixtures and heated floors. The entire home was rewired, insulated using minimally invasive dense-pack cellulose, and updated with modern plumbing while preserving plaster walls and original millwork.

The Full Story

This Grimsby Victorian was purchased by a heritage-loving couple who saw past the peeling paint, outdated systems, and decades of questionable renovations to the architectural gem underneath. They wanted a contractor who would respect the home's character while making it liveable for modern life. After interviewing three contractors, they chose JVR Complete because Jon was the only one who talked about what to preserve, not just what to replace.

The kitchen renovation became a restoration project. When demolition began, Jon's crew discovered original beadboard walls, a wide arched doorway, and hardwood flooring that had been covered by successive layers of vinyl, plywood, and laminate. Jon modified the kitchen design to showcase these recovered elements: the beadboard became a feature wall, the archway was restored and illuminated, and the original pine floors were sanded and refinished with a clear matte polyurethane.

Both bathrooms received complete renovations with period-appropriate materials chosen to complement the 1890s architecture. The main bathroom features hexagonal white marble mosaic floor tile, white subway wall tile with dark grout, a clawfoot-style tub with modern fixtures, and a pedestal vanity. The ensuite is more contemporary, bridging the gap between heritage character and modern comfort with large-format porcelain, a curbless shower, and heated floors.

The insulation upgrade was handled with particular care. Dense-pack cellulose was blown into the wall cavities through small holes drilled in the exterior clapboard siding, then patched and repainted. This approach allowed the interior plaster walls and original trim to remain untouched while dramatically improving the home's thermal performance. The electrical rewiring removed all remaining knob-and-tube wiring and brought the home up to current Ontario Electrical Safety Code standards.

Key Features