LDR Design

Linda helped me update and refresh my pied a terre in midtown Toronto. I am a very happy client and I highly recommend her work. Linda respected my budget and did not try to up sell me on the latest gimmick or trends. She guided me through the process of what really needed to be replaced and what could be updated with hardware and paint. Linda and her partner Mike have contracted high quality trades people, who completed the project on time and on budget. Decorating the space was a lot of fun! Linda took my ideas and made them come to life, better than I had imaged. When she suggested that my gallery wall be painted black, I did not object. I knew I was in good hands and it’s only paint, right. Again, I would highly recommend Linda and Mike for any home renovations. It was a pleasure to work with them both.

Linda and Mike have been wonderful to work with since our first meeting. They have creative ideas, listened to us with our wants and were honest with what to expect. Coupled with their sense of humour and pragmatic approach they made for a renovation that was easy to have. They came in within budget except for our add-ons that we requested during the project. With their skilled team, all was done with high quality workmanship, reliability, attention to detail and a commitment to excellence. The basement was tidied up everyday and we were given plenty of warning if electrical or water service was being interrupted. The team of Richard, Peter, Tom etc were so pleasant to have in our home as we lived here through the renovation. Nothing was beyond their excellence even if there were some unexpected surprises (like cast iron, rusted pipes) discovered in our 1940s home. We absolutely would recommend Linda and Mike for any project small or large.

We have worked with Linda (LDR Design) and Mike (Balkota Contracting) on a number of projects for our house, the most recent being a full renovation of our ensuite bathroom for our main bedroom. As with the prior projects, our experience with Linda and Mike was outstanding (!!); they are professional, personable, flexible, accessible, very clear communicators and we trust them implicitly. And this extends to the entire team. Richard and Peter and all the other team members involved in the project were great to interact with, which is very important when you’re sharing a space during working hours. Our family genuinely enjoyed interacting with all of the team members, and we were sad to see them go when the project was finished. In terms of the reno, we wanted to make fairly significant changes to the layout, and by working with Linda and Mike together in the initial phase, they came up with some creative solutions that made our desired layout feasible. After that they came up with a clear and comprehensive budget for the project and kept us up to date throughout the progress on the timelines and against our budget. We really enjoyed the design aspect of the project; we ended up going with a beautiful custom vanity that Linda designed to perfectly fit our space, and she brought us lots of options to chose from for tiles, faucets and fixtures, accessories etc. She also took the time to talk us through the design elements so that we could make informed choices, and we couldn’t be happier with the end result. The project was completed in a very reasonable timeline, within budget (with no trade-offs), and the finished product exceeded our expectations from from both a design and build quality perspective. We highly recommend Linda and Mike and we really look forward to working with them on future projects!

After a neighbour recommended them, I contacted Linda and Mike and asked them for a quote to finish my basement. From the initial meeting, to the follow-up quote to project to the finishing stages of the last few items, I have never regretted the decision. Renovations are a stressful time for anyone, but I am certain the process went as smooth as possible for me thanks to Linda and Mike. They completely finished my basement, re-built my mudroom and back deck and built a shed for me. I felt very comfortable with them throughout the process. They are professional, responsive and took the time to walk me through each stage of the project. They are also both friendly and funny people. I felt comfortable that they were being honest and transparent with me about what was necessary, what was recommended and what was not as useful for my living situation and needs. I never felt like i was being pressured into anything that wasn't right. They were also very good at sticking to the initial estimate and the minimal number of issues that arose were clearly explained and were often things that Linda and Mike had noted at the outset may require additional costs. They also worked with me to keep those to a minimum. Linda and Mike's crew and contracts all worked to the same very high standard.. They kept everything as clean as could reasonably be and were very considerate of my space. They were all friendly and reasonable people and I felt they all embodied Linda and Mike's integrity. I recommend them without hesitation. There are some items/areas in my home I wasn't able to address in this renovation due to my financial constraints, but I will definitely be reaching out to them in the future when I have another project to complete.

Linda & Mike were excellent to work with: professional, knowledgeable, great attention to detail, friendly and honest. We are thrilled with the outcome of our bathroom and laundry renovations!

Balkota Contracting & LDR Design After a few years of knowing you both and your crew, we can now sit back and enjoy the renovations that you so skillfully completed. What was to be an update on our kitchen ended up being a gutting of our main floor and we are so glad we did it. The space is beautiful, functional and a joy to live in. It could not have come at a better time now that we are all home all the time . We had previous work done prior to this by Balkota Contracting & LDR design. The results were why, when we were ready to renovate our bathrooms and kitchen, Mike and Linda were the obvious choice. Mike and Linda are not only professional on all levels but are incredibly in-sync when it comes to the process of renovating. From the first walk through to the final details they are always on the same page. It made the process as seamless as it can be. To be able to have Linda’s design ideas confirmed almost immediately by Mike, not only saved us an immense amount of time but, made the decision process for us much easier. We felt comfortable with each and every crew member that came into our home. All were extremely professional. We would highly recommend Mike and Linda to anyone wanting to renovate their home

I engaged Linda (LDR Design) and Mike (Balkota Contracting) to renovate my house, including new floors and ceilings on the ground floor, and a new kitchen and bathroom. All of the work was beautifully done, on time, and a little under budget. They are lovely people to work with, offered great ideas, and were responsive to my thoughts and needs. Their workmen and trades were all highly competent, punctual and unfailingly friendly. The clean up at the end was thorough and left the house in live-in condition. I have been through several renovation projects in the past and this is the first time I have actually enjoyed the process. I recommend them enthusiastically as highly skilled, experienced professionals who listen well, and have integrity and a sense of humour.

The work done in our house by Linda and Mike and their team has been superb. It began with a recommendation by friends of ours who had asked Linda and Mike to complete significant renovations in their home. We wanted a partial update of our kitchen – keeping most of the existing wooden cabinets to retain the older nature of the house (built in the 1920’s) while installing quartz countertops covering a larger area and creating much better space usage, plus an elegant sliding door and more appropriate/better looking lighting. Linda and Mike are very pragmatic, being conscious of the ultimate look and feel of the rooms they’re working with, highly professional, and with a strong sense of colour coordination. They listened very carefully to our wishes and were quite delightful on the occasions where they felt it important to delicately steer us in a direction that they thought we’d end up preferring (they were always correct!). Their work was timely, and if there were any unforeseen delays they were always upfront in alerting us. They were also so enjoyable to talk to – both of them have a strong sense of humour that matched ours. Their team (Richard, Tom, Peter, etc.) were also a pleasure to deal with. We were so pleased with the end result in the kitchen that we began to think of other renovations they could do in our house. So we asked them to create far greater elegance in the old master bedroom, and the result is a room that we’ll proudly show off to dinner guests. We also discovered that Linda’s skills extend to advising on artwork and carpets to match the colour and style of the room. We have a feeling that the previous generations of owners of our house would greatly admire the new look of their master bedroom, which captures a lot of the feel of the original house. Linda’s and Mike’s expertise has us now bringing them in to do more work. We have a strong recommendation to anyone looking for high quality, timely, innovative and professional building or renovation work. Linda and Mike are excellent.

As a single woman who had only been involved with minimal home renovations, I was apprehensive when I inherited a home that required a total renovation. The extensive changes would include gutting the house from basement to ceiling and adding an extension to the main floor and basement, requiring additional underpinning. My main concerns when searching for a renovation firm to do this project was finding one who would listen and understand my needs and desires, as well as one in whom I could place my confidence and trust. Linda and Mike had just finished a kitchen renovation for friends of mine who were very pleased with the result. After hearing my friends’ recommendation and seeing their beautiful new kitchen, I got in contact with Linda and Mike. At our first meeting, I was pleased with how approachable they were; how comfortable I felt discussing my ideas and the scope of the renovation. Linda and Mike continued to gain my confidence throughout the project by doing the following: •Listening to what I wanted and determining how that was attainable. In some cases, this included making sure that I understood other possible options and the implications of any decisions. For example: oI wanted to keep the house as a bungalow but wanted to change it from two small bedrooms to one large bedroom on the main floor. While noting that adding a second story or keeping two bedrooms would increase the future sale price, and advising regarding possible scenarios, they happily designed according to my specifications. oI was very concerned about making sure that the house would be open and filled with light and air. By adding skylights, lots of windows and a wide-open hallway with glass staircase railings that runs the length of the house, they achieved this and, in fact, more than exceeded my expectations. •Confirming project and cost expectations by preparing a detailed Scope of Work that outlined all construction work and design services with their estimated cost, as well as additional budget estimates for fixtures and finishes, appliances and engineer, architect and permit fees. •Managing all aspects of the project including: oBringing in trusted contractors that they use on all their projects and reviewing and confirming that their work continues to satisfy Linda and Mike’s exacting standards before signing off. oEstablishing a relationship with neighbours by introducing themselves and dealing with any concerns about the renovations. •Suggesting features that would give an extra Wow factor to the house. These include, but are not limited to: oA double peak on the front of the house that makes it look wider, even though the original width has not changed. oA vibrant blue front door that catches the eye of all passersby. oA beautiful turquoise scallop tiled kitchen that is immediately complemented by everyone visiting the house. oWall to wall windows in the living room that look out at the backyard and a custom shed which Linda and Mike designed for me, that with its bright yellow door can’t help but make me happy every morning. oA guest bathroom shower with penny tiles not only on the floor but running up the wall that is loved by all my visitors. I also employed Linda to help me with purchasing furniture for my new home. I cannot stress enough the benefits of having a designer help with this task. Not only was I sure that the items we purchased would fit perfectly in the rooms, there was also the advantage that that if we did not like the way they looked, that Linda would take them away. In her daily travels, she was able to keep an eye out for items that would suite my taste, plus we were able to take advantage of her designer discount at many stores. At the end of this project, I can honestly say that I am totally satisfied with the result of the renovation. Every day I walk around the house and smile at how Linda and Mike have managed to create a house that is so perfect for me. I would definitely recommend them to any friends and family who are taking on a home renovation. Plus, when it is time to update and refresh my house design in the years to come, I will definitely be contacting them to help me make those changes.

Linda and Mike were a pleasure to work with! We did a full reno - addition on the back for all 3 stories and a dig down of our basement and it was an amazing experience. Linda and Mike worked with us to create the initial plans, managed the complete demo, construction and final design phase. They were professional, addressed any issues/problems immediately (of which there were few) and were very respectful of our budget. Their trades and crew also all worked to a similar high standard and were friendly fantastic. We are thrilled with the final result and would not hesitate to recommend them or use them for any projects in the future.

We had the pleasure of working with Linda and Mike for a major and extensive project that lasted just over a year, a dig out and complete design of a basement. Linda, Mike and their entire teams professionalism was outstanding. We were always listened to, our concerns and “fears” always addressed- they were always accessible! The quality of the work and the finished design was incredible and the attention to detail impressive. Worth every dollar! We would happily recommend LDR design to anyone and will most definitely consider this amazing team for future renovations!

Linda and Mike completed a full renovation of our 1000 sq. foot basement plus main floor bathroom and prepared our main floor for a kitchen renovation in the future. The project involved complex design and specs which included: a complete underpinning of the existing footprint; the removal of 4 structural posts to radically open up the space; re-framing, re-positioning of ductwork; the repositioning of bathroom and laundry facilities to optimize convenience and space; and a full upgrade of mechanicals plumbing and wiring. The finishings were absolutely superb! Both Linda and Mike have a critical eye for detail and worked with us to find ways to balance this with budget expectations. All of these details, trades, and excellent sub-contractors were coordinated by Linda and Mike who took full accountability to ensure the process and results were managed to our full satisfaction. Our basement is no longer a basement but our "favourite living room" in the house which boasts high ceilings, a custom built bar, two TV screens with the larger one mounted on reclaimed barnboard (covering the back wall), a ping pong and foosball table and even a spot for my retro pac-man tabletop. It has changed life! I would highly recommend Linda and Mike for any project -- we are going to use them again this year! Larger renovations like ours are disruptive by definition but Linda and Mike truly put us first in the process instilling great confidence and trust --- we really enjoyed working with them!