Building Our Heronwood Family Home

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

We are so thrilled to share the news that Ann-Marie and Jason are finally and officially building their own custom family home! It has always been a dream of theirs to build something uniquely designed for their families’ needs and now this is actually becoming a reality. From the first shovel in the dirt, to framing, floor plans, finishes and of course cabinetry, follow the Heronwood family as they embark on one of the most exciting adventures of their lives.

To start things off we chatted with Ann-Marie to find out more about the vision they have for their future home and what they are most excited for.

First off congratulations on embarking on your journey of building a new home! Can you tell us how you and Jason came to the decision to do this?

Jason and I purchased the land 3 years ago knowing at some point we wanted to build! But 3 years later we were still overwhelmed with taking on the build as the General Contractors. We have a busy business and two young boys and taking on the house seemed overwhelming. Our business is our top priority and we did not want to take time away from Heronwood to build.

  We both came to the decision we really want a new house but we need to hire a General Contractor if we want it done. Once we hired a contractor (Vandine Construction) everything seems taken care of and manageable and we can't wait to break ground!! I can't stress enough the importance of reaching out to the experts!

Why is building a custom space important to your family?

Firstly, I can't wait to have Heronwood cabinetry throughout my whole house. Our team from design to install creates the most stunning cabinetry and I can't wait! Jason and I have lived in character homes which are cute but really lack storage and functionality. With our family of four we are really finding that we need more space and function in a family home. So building a custom space we are able to check off all our wish lists from layout, to storage, built-ins and of course the ktichen! All our cabinetry was designed alongside the houseplans.

What excites you most about this process?

I can't wait to have a Heronwood Kitchen! I have seen for the last 13 years all the dream kitchens we do for our clients and I'm so excited to be a client. Jason and our designers created the most beautiful kitchen for our house and I can't wait to see it come to life.  Jason is the most excited for the Master Bedroom.  We have always had really small master bedrooms and no closet space.  So he's very excited to have a master ensuite and closet! 

 I've always loved interior design... so I am very excited to design the interior space of my home.

What are your kids most excited about?

Cole is the most excited about his garden that he is already mapping out and drawing. He has a plan of what he will be growing and how many garden boxes he needs haha. Our house will be on 4 acres and we told him he will get his own spot to garden. He is a natural green thumb.

Brett is the most excited for his own room. The boys have always shared a room so I think he is excited to have his own space without his older brother controlling the bedroom. He also wants his room to be like the ocean... so we will see how far I let him go with this theme...

How will you include the boys in the process?

Our boys have been alongside the process the whole way. Thanks to COVID and limited childcare they have been to every meeting, showroom, etc haha. Both our boys are already really hard workers and hands on so they will be right in there during the build helping. Our 9 year old has already been running the excavator to clear the land.

What do you hope your kids will learn from going through this?

I hope the boys will learn the process of building a family home. The work that goes into the process.

What is your design style?

Traditional Farmhouse.

Who inspires your design style?

Studio McGee. I love all their projects and I pull different design styles from various projects of theirs.

What is a unique custom design that you want to incorporate?

I'm a very functional person so nothing is too unique in my style but I have definitely incorporated lots!!!! of cabinetry through the whole house.

Burning question: what cabinetry features are you most excited about incorporating?

The Kitchen! I can't wait. I have never had an Island before... so of course it is big. The kitchen is the heart of the home and I love to entertain so I can't wait to have a space with a big island for friends and family to sit at! I can already imagine this space filled. Our laundry/mudroom is going to be amazing too! We've incorporated lots of cabinetry to make use of the space. Lots of floor to ceiling cabinetry with roll-outs to optimize the space.

Why did you pick this location to build?

We wanted to be close to town as we are in town lots with our business but we also wanted to feel like we were in the sticks haha. So when we found 4 acres that was in town but has farm land and horses surrounding us we knew it was the spot. Our boys also need lots of land. They are busy! They love riding their dirt bikes and love being outside so we wanted lots of space for them to do that. And of course build a tree house. This will be our home to raise the boys but I see Jason and I with Ocean front and a dock. I'm dreaming big but have always wanted to live on the ocean so we will see. But I think it would be fun to build a west coast home one day too!

Find Your Design Style: Take the Quiz!

Are you a Modern Farmhouse, a Traditional, or Coastal? Get to know your interior design style, and make tackling those design projects a little easier, with our quiz.