Port Dalhousie Home Renovation in the niagara region
renovation overview
RENOVATION TYPE:
Partial home renovation including kitchen, dining room, living room, powder room, and staircase.
REASON FOR RENOVATION:
A recently relocated retired couple purchased a waterfront home in Port Dalhousie. While the community was everything they had hoped for, the home’s closed-off, compartmentalized layout prevented them from enjoying the waterfront views and natural light they had moved there for. A renovation was needed to open the space, improve flow, and create a high-end custom environment suited to their lifestyle and entertaining needs.
LOCATION:
Port Dalhousie is a historic lakeside village within St. Catharines, known for its waterfront charm, boutique restaurants, and relaxed community atmosphere. This home sits overlooking Martindale Pond, a nationally recognized rowing venue and one of the most picturesque settings in the Niagara region. The rear-facing windows of the home look directly onto the water, making the renovation’s goal of opening sightlines especially meaningful.
RENOVATION COST:
Partial home renovations of this scope and finish level typically start at $225,000+
TRADES INVOLVED:
Sprague Interiors, Verhoef Electric
Xpert Painting, Go Green Plumbing, Aristocrat, Oakridge Custom Cabinetry, Jason Hartog Photography, Make it Metal
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL
“Craig ensured that our project from the planning stage to the final product was an enjoyable experience. He listened carefully to our wants and worked seamlessly with Sprague Interiors to draw up a plan that met our every need. We were able to keep track of each stage of implementation on his portal. He was in constant contact with us and quickly made adjustments to the plan as needed. The project was completed on time and on budget. We could not have been more pleased with Eden Build and most importantly the beautiful end result.”
Design Elements
The design, led by Sprague Interiors, focused on creating a timeless, warm aesthetic that would complement the waterfront setting without competing with it. A neutral palette throughout provides a calm, sophisticated backdrop that allows the water views and the homeowners’ art collection to take centre stage.
The kitchen is the centrepiece of the renovation. Custom cabinetry by Oakridge Cabinets features slim shaker doors with white oak accents, a full pantry wall, and a built-in appliance garage that keeps counters clear and the space uncluttered. Quartz countertops with a waterfall edge bring warmth and elegance, while a custom metal range hood finished by Make it Metal in an aged metallic tone adds a bespoke quality rarely seen at this price point. Fluting on the island face introduces texture and conceals additional storage. Consistent hardware throughout ties the kitchen, dining, and living areas together.
The living room fireplace wall was reimagined entirely. The existing gas fireplace was replaced with a new electric unit, and the surrounding wall was clad floor-to-ceiling in a large format stone panel. Custom built-in cabinetry flanks the fireplace, completing a feature wall that anchors the living room and eliminates the bulkhead that once made the space feel heavy.
The powder room received a complete gut renovation and became one of the most memorable spaces in the home. A console sink on polished nickel legs, marble hex floor tile, and bold fish-patterned wallpaper combine to create a room that is equal parts refined and full of personality.
The staircase was extensively updated with new spindles, handrail, fresh paint, and a custom carpet runner — the finishing touch that connected the updated main floor to the rest of the home.
Before The home Renovation
floor plan & functionality
The original floor plan divided the main floor into separate, disconnected rooms. The kitchen sat behind partition walls with only a pass-through opening to the living area. The dining room was a separate zone. The fireplace wall featured a heavy bulkhead above it that lowered the ceiling line and added visual weight to an already tight space.
Removing the kitchen partition walls and fireplace bulkhead transformed the main floor into a single, flowing living space. The kitchen, dining area, and living room now read as one cohesive environment. Natural light enters from the rear of the home and travels unobstructed to the front, and sightlines to Martindale Pond are now visible from the kitchen island and living area seating.
Storage was a core priority. The open-concept design could easily have come at the cost of cabinetry, but strategic planning ensured it did not. A full pantry cabinet run, built-in appliance garage, dining hutch with lower cabinets, and a large kitchen island with integrated storage provide ample functional space without any visual clutter.
Where walls were removed, existing hardwood flooring was carefully matched and blended to create a seamless, unified floor surface across the full main floor.
after the Home renovation
renovation challenges
The defining challenge of this renovation was the kitchen wall removal in a townhome where exterior walls are structural cement. Because exterior walls could not be used for mechanical routing, all plumbing supply lines, drain stacks, HVAC supply and return ducts, and electrical circuits ran through the interior partition wall being removed. A complete mechanical re-plan was required before demolition could proceed.
All plumbing was rerouted and passed rough-in inspection. HVAC was fully reconfigured, including rerouting ductwork behind the new pantry cabinetry and adding a return to the second floor. A full ESA-permitted electrical rough-in was completed across three phases covering the main floor, second floor, and basement. Permit drawings for the wall removal were prepared by Hartwell Building Design Inc. and stamped by a Professional Engineer confirming the wall as non-load-bearing, as required by the City of St. Catharines before a building permit would be issued.
Mid-project, the scope expanded to include the full staircase overhaul, which was incorporated without disrupting the overall project schedule. Supply delays on the powder room tile were managed by resequencing trades to maintain momentum across other areas of the home.
Scope of Work
- Full project management and on-site supervision from start to finish
- Permit drawings and building permit coordination for wall removal
- Structural P.Eng. confirmation of non-load-bearing wall
- Demolition of kitchen partition walls, fireplace bulkhead, and existing cabinetry
- Complete rerouting of plumbing, HVAC, and electrical through removed wall
- Multi-phase ESA electrical permit and inspections throughout
- Full framing, drywall, and finishing on main floor, second floor, and basement
- Custom Oakridge cabinetry installation including kitchen, island, dining hutch, and fireplace surround
- Silestone quartz countertop and waterfall island installation
- Custom metal range hood coordination and installation
- Tile backsplash installation in kitchen
- Full powder room gut renovation including new plumbing fixtures, tile, wallpaper, and electrical
- Gas fireplace removal and cap, Regency Ei33 electric fireplace installation
- Floor-to-ceiling Dekton cladding at fireplace wall
- Engineered hardwood infill and blending throughout main floor
- Staircase overhaul including new spindles, handrail, paint, and carpet runner
- Comprehensive lighting redesign throughout main floor, second floor, and basement
- Full interior painting and wallpaper installation throughout
- Closet system preparation and trim work on second floor
- Professional post-construction cleaning and PDI walkthrough
