“We can’t say enough good things about Wanda and our experience with her and her team. Creatively, Wanda is a genius. Unlike other architects we interviewed, Wanda was interested in us, not just the property we owned. As a result, she was able to take what we find beautiful and interesting and what we wanted functionally and wed them in ways we never imagined. Our home is beautiful now and it feels completely ours. Professionally, Wanda was wonderful to work with. This was our first major renovation and it was undertaken, somewhat insanely, during the pandemic. Wanda stayed involved in all stages of the project and, when issues arose, she problem solved them quickly and creatively. The peace of mind she gave us during this sometimes stressful time was invaluable. Moving back into our home was something of a revelation. The home functions so well now for our family and feels much larger than it is because of the architecture and the light. The new space continues to surprise and delight. This is really a reflection of the careful thought and attention to detail that Wanda put into our project. Trusting Wanda with our home is one of the best decisions we ever made.”

“We have an early 19th century house that got a terrible 8’ wide rear addition in the 1970s where our kitchen and bathroom was located. My partner and I initially thought of just demoing the rear addition and rebuilding with a side yard extension to allow for a bigger kitchen that opened onto the backyard. We looked into architects to help us and found Wanda Ely. We couldn’t be happier we did. From beginning to end, Wanda was amazing.

Being newbies to home Renos, she walked us through both her process and process in general from beginning to end before we retained her and her team. She also introduced us to a general contractor - Bigelow Construction Inc. - who likewise has been amazing (and got us back in early).

The design process was thorough and fun! Not only did she listen to what we wanted to achieve, but she was also inquisitive on likes/dislikes etc. to enable her and her team to design our dream forever home. They came up with a number of initial plans to discuss with us. One was our simple side yard extension, but thanks to their expertise and creativity, the other plans offered so much more.

We ended up landing on a side yard extension + a 2nd storey addition that enabled a much larger, stunning mid-century modern like kitchen on the ground with tons of display space for all of our collectibles and tchotchkes and a 2nd floor wash closet with a gorgeous walk-in shower built for two. The 2nd storey addition also enabled a larger master bedroom, a home office, a bonus small studio space and much more closet space!!

Her attention to detail was also greatly appreciated. From the hardware for the kitchen cabinets, to designing perfect lighting, and wonderful plumbing fixtures, our renovation is everything we could have hoped for and more.

Thanks to her guidance on budgeting, we also came in under budget!! We highly recommend Wanda and team, especially if you want a space that is uniquely you and beautifully thought out.”

“Wanda Ely Architect Inc is an outstanding firm. We can’t recommend Wanda Ely and her team highly enough. At every step of our renovation process, from conceiving the new space to creating it, in every detail and every decision, we felt seen and heard by Wanda and her team, and we were amazed by their skill, insight, and execution. We worked closely with Wanda and Tawnya, both excellent architects and excellent listeners. They have a beautiful capacity to take what they hear and transform it into light and space, a light and space that became the home we love. Wanda is professional, exacting, and generous—exactly what we needed in our architect. With her, the process of designing and building a home is a conversation, one that involves time, careful attention, trust and insight. The process felt at once collaborative and skillfully guided. Wanda and Tawnya know their stuff! And it was a privilege and a joy to work with them and the Wanda Ely Architect Inc team. We are grateful for them and their work every day.”

“We recently completed building a country home that was designed by Wanda. This is our second project working with her, and much like the first, we have been delighted with every element of her service. From an architectural and design perspective, Wanda was thoughtful in incorporating our preferences in the initial design and responsive to feedback. During the construction phase, she closely coordinated with the builder to ensure that the project was executed seamlessly. The end result is an aesthetic design and atmosphere that exceeded our best expectations. In addition, to the unparalleled quality of her work, it would be a disservice to not mention her outstanding professionalism. Both for the quality of her design and her professionalism, she has our highest recommendation.”

“Our 1910 semi-detached home was in need of a major makeover to turn it into a place to call home for the next 20+ years. We hired Wanda Ely Architect Inc. to take on the challenge of renovating our entire house and making all three floors into beautiful and functional spaces. The original interior was dark, with poor spatial flow and idiosyncratic layout, as well as an unfinished basement with an ultra-low ceiling.

Wanda and team’s architectural design introduced gorgeous natural light from windows and skylights; tall ceilings on every floor with soaring space in the new entrance and on the uppermost floor; great spatial flow throughout and good functionality with ample storage; the team designed the interior around exceptional custom metal work and unique millwork; and their exterior design gave our house the facelift it needed but a look that fits in with our neighbourhood.

We worked collaboratively with Wanda, Victoria, and team on the design, interior features, and fixtures over the best part of a year before work began to renovate the house over 14+ months (all during the COVID pandemic!). Wanda and team designed the transformation, recommended a skilled general contractor and craftspeople (millwork and metalwork), and then worked with them to turn design into reality. We were looking for a transformation – and that’s what we got!”

“We 100% recommend Wanda Ely Architect Inc. to transform your home into your forever dream home. That is exactly what Wanda, Fabian, and the rest of her team did for us.

We met Wanda in February 2019 when looking for an architect to redesign our semi-detached home. Our house had a lot of problems and we knew the scope of the project was going to be large. The first in-home meeting was extremely detailed. We walked through the entire home discussing what we wanted, what was important, and our needs. She was incredibly thorough and thoughtful with her questions. The scope was big: underpinning, removing the back of the house, gutting the main floor and basement, moving the kitchen, adding and removing windows, etc. Wanda and team managed the entire project from the drawings, permits, the GC, finishing options for us to choose from, and furniture recommendations. This was a stress-free experience considering the pandemic started midway through the renovation. When we moved back home, we were completely blown away by how much the house was a reflection of us. Our house feels more like our home than it ever did before. Wanda and Fabian created an incredibly beautiful, super functional space that we will continue to enjoy for years to come. They brought our dream to life.

Wanda and Fabian are amazing! They are extremely detail oriented, keep you very informed, do an exceptional job of keeping the GC on track, while making sure that every detail is executed without compromise.”

“We were eager to transform our well-lived semi-detached house into a modern home that reflected us as new empty nesters. Our original interior was dark, with an outdated kitchen, tiny main bathroom and very poor flow. Hiring Wanda Ely Architect Inc, the process started with her listening to our needs and what wanted our home to embody. High on our list were our desires to bring in more light, a modern kitchen that reflected our love of food, a spa-like main bathroom and a place that we could enjoy as a city retreat. Wanda and Victoria proposed a number of architectural designs, and we found one that captured our imagination and suited our budget. She matched us with a fantastic general contractor (M Squared Contracting Inc) and they worked like a dream team, communicating with us regularly and resulting in a project that ended on time and on budget. We opened the main floor, changing the flow to provide us with a light filled entry that invites you into transformed living and dining areas. Our custom kitchen with its exceptional millwork, eye catching tiled backsplash and impressive island, makes cooking and entertaining a dream – and all looking onto a spacious new backyard deck. We also renovated our upper floor, and Wanda and her team helped us to redesign rooms to create a functional work-from-home office, new guest bedroom and the spa bathroom of our dreams. We started this adventure naturally nervous as reno novices and unsure how the pandemic would continue to affect construction and supply chain. Wanda’s expert guidance, throughout each stage of the project, made a tremendous difference. Her creativity and attention to detail, taking into careful consideration our aesthetic and functional preferences, turned what could have been a stressful experience into an exciting and worthwhile journey. We achieved the transformation we wanted and are loving our new home.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the work that Wanda and her team did for us. We did a top-up on our 100+ year old house with an awkward and challenging site. Wanda embraced the challenge and presented us with designs that far exceeded what we had imagined possible. While the execution of the project itself was not without challenges and frustration with our contractor, Wanda and her lead Fabian were exceptional in their professionalism and advocated strongly on our behalf every step of the way. We couldn’t offer a stronger recommendation to anyone looking to work with Wanda and we can only hope we get the opportunity to work with her again!”

“We recently had Wanda Ely and her team convert a triplex into a single-family home. The work included removing a staircase, underpinning a basement, and updating three levels. Going into this project we were concerned about preserving the heritage features of our 100+ year old home. Wanda and her team were thoughtful to this and have seamlessly integrated the older part to the newer part of our home.

Wanda is a great listener and truly tried to understand our preferences and vision. She respected that she was helping to create a space for our family and ensured we were comfortable with choices through the whole process. For a project that was completed entirely through the pandemic, it was a relatively stress-free process. Her team managed everything from drawings and permits to finishing options and furniture. They were able to source alternatives when there were shortages or delivery issues and kept the project moving. She pays keen attention to detail that ensured all pieces came together to create a beautiful space. She also brought her own sense of creativity to the project and suggested options that pushed (in good ways) what we had imagined for our home.

Wanda and her team were immensely helpful from the initial imaginings of the project to the final details – from layout to fixtures, mechanics to furniture – all the pieces you imagined and the ones you haven’t. We are very happy with our home and grateful to Wanda and her team for helping create a special space for our family. We would highly recommend her and her team!”

“Having just completed a major renovation of our east-end semi, designed by Wanda and her colleague Fabian, I can wholeheartedly recommend their services. Key strengths that my husband and I observed while working with Wanda Ely Architect include:

- Co-Design: An enthusiastic commitment to articulating and realizing a vision that respects and builds on the tastes and ideas of the client. Unlike some architects we considered working with, WEA does not push a particular, narrow aesthetic signature. Rather, they work up front to ensure that the client’s vision is something WEA is comfortable interpreting, and then use their skill and knowledge to refine and maximize the potential of the space.

- Communication: WEA is both proactive and highly responsive, providing timely information and guidance, checking in regularly, keeping appointments, and steering the conversation toward timely decision-making.

- Listening: Wanda and Fabian didn’t just solicit input through formal mechanisms; they listened even to casual comments we made during and after meetings, and used those to inform the design in ways that were often surprising and delightful.

- Diplomacy: WEA saved us time and money and avoided problems by working closely with zoning officials, vendors, our contractor, and tradespeople as necessary. This was always done in a quiet, respectful, drama-free and highly effective manner. Wanda also thoughtfully and respectfully challenged sub-optimal ideas we brought to the table, guiding us away from what in retrospect would have been some very bad decisions.

We’re absolutely in love with the final product of our collaboration. Our formerly frumpy house is now sleek and modern, but warm and welcoming. It functions better than we thought possible, even though we didn’t add any square footage. We’re particularly thrilled with WEA’s skilled use of natural and artificial light, which makes each and every room both more functional and aesthetically pleasing in different ways depending on the time of day and the way the room is being used. Wanda’s design expertise also extends beyond the built environment to encompass interior design, and she made great suggestions in terms of window, wall and floor coverings and furniture, even working with a local carpenter to design a custom harvest table that is now a signature element of our space.

On a personal note: we had a great time working with Wanda and Fabian. They’re warm and friendly, they love their work, they take joy in their clients’ happiness, and their enthusiasm is contagious.”

“Wanda Ely Architect Inc. was a dream to work with. She and her team managed our project with confidence and professionalism, forming relationships with all those involved and making sure to ask the right questions on our behalf. There’s a lot of decisions that need to be made when renovating a home. Wanda supported and helped us through every choice big or small, ensuring that things kept moving forward and that we felt comfortable with where we landed. She always listened and was attentive to our ideas and concerns. For Wanda Ely Architect, Inc. every project is approached with fresh eyes and with the goal of reflecting the personality of the owners, their priorities and how they want their home to feel. Equally as important is the personality of the existing structure its beauty both inside and out. Wanda carefully considers how to marry these along with prioritizing functionality and modern design. This gifted approach leads to an element of awe in every one of her projects. There are new builds and then there is the art and ability of being able to “intervene” in a way that honours the history and unique attributes of an existing building while also creating a home that feels personal to those living in it. We are so grateful to her and to be living in our beautiful home.”

“We had an incredible experience working with Wanda and her team on the top to bottom renovation of our house. The outcome is stunning, and the process to get here was fun and engaging. They helped to organize and streamline decisions in a way that made the overall project manageable rather than overwhelming. And they were open to innovation and helped us identify ways to minimize the GHG footprint of our house (including replacing the gas furnace with extra insulation, heat pumps and solar panels). Overall we couldn’t recommend Wanda more highly! She’s a great combination of style meets practicality meets personality. Five stars!”

“Wanda Ely and Fabian Grieco are truly outstanding! I highly, highly recommend them to anyone who wants inspirational design, incredible attention to detail, and a stress-free, enjoyable renovation (and who doesn’t want that). I interviewed multiple architects for a large renovation (a complete gut of a 3-storey semi-detached home in the Annex). Wanda was the only person who tried to “get inside my head” to understand what I find beautiful before she presented design options.

Wanda is highly creative - she doesn’t repeat the same “look and feel” on every project. She works with each client to build a space that is unique to each home, and special to each client. In my case, Wanda’s design preserved the grandeur of my 100+ year old home while building it back up from scratch. This meant high baseboards, coved 10’ ceilings, a grand staircase, an incredible wallpaper mural, large new windows, a stunning kitchen with a granite that reminds me of hiking in the Dolomites, and a healthy use of colour that I love! Beyond the “wow” factors, Wanda and Fabian also think of many special touches. No detail is too small to be considered.

This is a “full service” team. They helped me select a fantastic contractor (M-Squared), managed all administrative details, and were flexible (and quick) in responding to my requests. Wonderfully, if you want the help, Wanda is happy to provide interior design advice so one does not lose her creativity once the drawings are complete.”

“We loved working with Wanda and her team and recommend her unconditionally.

She is a very talented architect who encourages her clients to participate in and enjoy every step of the design process. She begins with a lengthy interview so she can help identify priorities. She identified a need for a single large space where my husband and I could both enjoy our separate hobbies while still being together. This space also allows us to host our circle of friends in a comfortable, relaxed manner.

The team was great. They kept an eye on the construction process and made sure that the quality met their high standards. They found a way to incorporate all of our wants, and they engaged with us each week. They are personable, professional, and pleasant to work with.

We absolutely love the results. in particular, we appreciate Wanda’s ability to use natural light for dramatic effect. We did not enlarge the footprint of our home, but it feels larger because each room is pleasant and usable.

Her associate, Fabian Grieco, was a genius at finding fixtures that enhanced the space. Every piece feels in balance with its surroundings.

Our renovation took less than a year start to finish. Wanda Ely and her team created large beautiful spaces in our modest home. Renovations are tough, but we thoroughly enjoyed the process. As a result, we feel more at home in our new space than anywhere we have ever lived before.

It was a great experience.”

“Our experience working with Wanda Ely and her team was excellent. Our project was a kitchen Reno that involved gutting the existing kitchen. One of the challenges was to ensure that the vibe and style of the new kitchen worked with the rest of our house - an Annex Edwardian that is renovated but with original architectural elements. Wanda got it immediately. The other challenge was to take a kitchen defined by a 14 foot dining table and no prep space and transform it into a chef’s kitchen and dining room. She did it using natural stone counters and island, custom built cabinets and drawers and an elegant banquette for the kitchen area and a refinished and repurposed version of the original table to create a stunning dining table for 8. Wanda, her contractor and the rest of her team were creative, efficient and a pleasure to work with. The job happened on time and on budget.”

“We are thrilled with the work of Wanda, Fabian and their amazing team of contractors, Christian and JP. They transformed the third floor of our Riverdale Victorian rowhouse into an airy, light-filled, functional and beautiful bedroom and office. With all the new skylights and the gorgeous millwork and built-in bookshelves, it feels like we are living in a cozy treehouse surrounded by our books. It is a dream come true and I am amazed at how Wanda was able to run with our undefined ideas and create this beautiful and functional space. The project was on time and on budget and everyone was a pleasure to work with — communication was great, ideas were practical, terrific problem solvers, and really understood our needs and goals. Thanks a million, Wanda and team!”

“This is the story of a family who bought the worst house on the cutest street in Toronto’s west end and lived in the state of disrepair for 10 years. When the pandemic forced them to stay home, they couldn’t escape the dysfunction that was their house. Enter Wanda Ely.

We had been fans of her work for many years - keeping an eye on the stunning transformations on semi-detached homes.
Our family and friends thought we were crazy for embarking on a renovation during a lock down but we made the bold move and started down the road.

And who knew that it would be such a joyful experience? From the initial presentation to the finishing touches, Wanda and Fabian were attentive, engaged and managed all aspects of the project.

When problems arose, we felt confident in their ability to find a solution and keep the project on track. They listened to our ideas, our likes and our dislikes and gave us options that created a ground floor that is bathed in light, flows, is stunning to look at from every angle and feels like it reflects us. The custom touches and innovative use of space (we now have 2 eating areas!), has made us appreciate and love our home. We couldn’t be happier with the end result!

We highly recommend WEA - they are not just talented architects, but incredible people who care about their work and their clients.”

“We had a wonderful experience working with Wanda and her team. Wanda designed and managed a large addition and renovation to our 1925 home. We could not be happier with the results.

We hired Wanda as we liked her style on her past projects. She has an excellent sense of what will work well in a specific space and what is right for a particular individual. She learns and understands her clients well.

From the beginning of the process, Wanda was thoughtful about the design and listened to our needs, ideas and suggestions. She learned my family’s style and intuitively knew how to help us visualize when we were unsure. She ultimately pushed us to a new design level.

The end result is we now have a home that we feel is beautiful and functional. She filled the house with natural light and brought in design elements that made the house feel unique, comfortable and welcoming. In addition, nothing feels frivolous. Every design element has a purpose, yet still looks beautiful.

Wanda and her team managed the entire process, beginning with architectural drawings, construction and interior design. She also recommended a fantastic contractor. Weekly meeting helped the project run smoothly and on schedule, which is generally unheard of in this industry.

Wanda and her team are incredibly professional. No request is too small and financial issues are clear and transparent.

Finally, Wanda and her team are a pleasure to deal with. You spend a lot of time together and enjoying being with Wanda and her team was an unexpected bonus!”

“We highly, highly recommend Wanda. From the outset, she carefully listened to our needs and wants. She saw (and felt) what we desired and executed on that vision with the utmost professionalism (i.e., on time and on budget). She is a terrific architect and a fantastic human. She has become a part of our tribe and we are grateful for it. You will not regret working with her.”

“Wanda Ely is a master of her craft. She reimagined our kitchen in a way that had not occurred to us, keeping its unique aspects but reinventing them to a modern aesthetic. Instead of getting the generic white marble kitchen we had originally pictured, we were left with one that is totally original, resplendent yet understated - a room that feels like the heart of our home. She is a professional and a visionary of this work.”

“We have a fabulous, pretty much brand new house that was designed by Wanda and her team. Over the past 2 and a half years, Wanda worked patiently and diligently with us to fix and design our small rowhouse and turn it into our forever home of our dreams. The scope of the project changed quite a bit in the beginning, due to trying to manage budget and design scope, and through it all I would say Wanda and team were a great guiding light, full of knowledge, committed to design excellence and quality, and working with us to hear our feedback and suggestions along the way. In the end our scope included: basement underpinning and restructuring, main floor, second floor and 3rd floor addition. Some key experiences that stood out include:

- Preparing for Committee of Adjustment hearings - our project proposal included adding a 3rd floor and extending the roof by 2 ft. Wanda killed it during the Committee hearing and we got approved on the spot, even with concerned neighbours attending the hearing. Her design was respectful of the streetscape and kept in line with the other houses nearby, a good balance between giving us more space and not changing up major elements.

- Design and Materials - One of the main reasons we decided to do this once in a lifetime project with Wanda was because we fell in love with her design aesthetic and her fearlessness in using colour, texture and pattern. We wanted a house that would be timeless, yet also show our personality and she guided us really well; offering many different options and helping us make tough choices.

- Construction Management - Wanda was really active and present during the construction phase, which took 10 months. She would do frequent visits to ensure everything was going according to plan and when we had to pivot and change directions, as usually happens, she helped us make the right decisions along the way. She also ensured everything was done to high standards and helped us manage difficult situations as they arose.

- The final details - Perhaps one of the most surprising things to me was how Wanda was able to bring it all together in the end with interior details. When we were tired of the construction and just wanted to rush things along and move in, she helped us carefully choose our lighting, blinds and accessories. This really tied everything together and without her vision, we wouldn’t have the beautiful home we now have.
All in all, we had a great experience, some parts were hard and stressful as renovations usually are, but Wanda always kept calm, was patient with us and truly cared about our project, our budget and creating something beautiful and of the highest quality.”

“We hired Wanda to re-start a failed full-condo renovation. We had her start completely from scratch and couldn’t be happier with the results. Wanda took the time to understand the style we were interested in and the (sometimes very technical) requirements we had. At every step of the process we had great options to choose from but we never felt overwhelmed with too much choice — Wanda was able to really present us only with best options. Once we got into construction Wanda and her team were with us the entire way, tracking and managing the millions of details, both large and small, that my wife and I neither had the time nor experience to tackle ourselves. We were always in the loop with issues and changes and progress which gave us great peace of mind going through this process.

The end result is nothing like we ever imagined it could be when we first started. We have now been living in the condo for 6 months. We get nothing but compliments from all of our guests. Wanda’s vision and creativity gave us a cozy, functional, efficient and stylish new home. I can’t recommend Wanda more highly for anyone looking to redesign their home. From the first meeting to the very last details after we moved in she’s been with us the entire way.”

“Wanda and her team did a world-class job in helping us bring our ideal “forever home” to life.

It was a complete renovation and though we had a vision there is no way we would have achieved the level of functionality and style without her expert guidance. She listened carefully to our ideas and enhanced them in unique and interesting ways that brought a real sense of cohesion to the final result.

Wanda helped make our dream house a reality and we couldn’t be more satisfied. Thanks Wanda!”

“We hired Wanda because we wanted to transform our kitchen into a beautiful, functional space. We had high expectations for something special, and Wanda and team delivered. Their attention to detail and commitment to creating truly unique and beautiful spaces makes Wanda stand out from most architects. We are extremely happy with our kitchen project and highly recommend hiring Wanda and team.”

“It is a pleasure to write a review for Wanda Ely Architect (WEA).

WEA was the architect for a project that involved a renovation and addition to a semi-detached house, originally built in 1883, located in the Little Italy district of Toronto.

WEA offered architectural services as well as optional assistance with a number of other aspects of construction. In our case, this included assistance with permitting, vetting contractors, construction supervision and interior design.

The team at WEA was consistently available, professional and lovely to work with. Our project was seamlessly organized and consequently the renovation and addition were on time, on budget and produced a final result that exceeded our expectations. We strongly recommend WEA as an architecture and design firm. It was undoubtedly the best decision that we made in the course of our project.”

“I have the pleasure of writing this testimonial having lived for 2 years now in the renovation that Wanda designed for our charming little house on St Clarens Ave. The house whose images have now been shared on literally thousands of idea books on Houzz (one image of our bathroom is the record-holder with over 45,000 idea books!). That has been published in Designlines and Chatelaine. None of which is important, other than a point of pride for me and well deserved recognition for her. But the thing that makes me happiest is how this house makes me feel when I come in the door.

When the renovation was done, my wife and I would just stare at it all in the evenings, thinking to ourselves, “is this really ours?”, looking at all the little details that made it come together. The reliefs between vertical surfaces meeting horizontals. The subtle shifts of volumes and materials. The play of industrial and commercial finishes with cozy and comfortable furniture. Our expansive, hotel-like bathroom with a luxurious steam shower. The light bouncing from front to back of house where there was once just walls. The subtle honouring of the bones of the house that has stood for over 100 years, now wrapped in a new, colourful shell. This house takes us in and says welcome home.

Wanda was amazing at interpreting our requests; avoid drywall, lean towards durable kid friendly and interesting textures, give us built-in concealed storage to contain all five of us and our stuff for years to come. Kid-friendly, but not kid-like. Modern, but not cold. The kitchen was to be the machine of the house, a no-nonsense workspace where everything has a place and there’s a place for everything. She had an amazing knack for pouring over hundreds of choices of tiles, fixtures, appliances and finishes, presenting me with the best option for approval, and then blazing ahead.

Budget-wise, hiring an architect was a leap of faith; in the beginning hiring her was not the least expensive option we could have taken. Having been through the process right now, I believe we actually saved money, particularly when I think of the amount of time it would have taken for either our GC or us to fill her shoes and being distracted from the things that we do best. And we certainly would not have been able to replace her skill as an architect; without her I can imagine the job would still not be finished. It was a tremendous relief to have the job in her hands.

Once past the concept stage and into execution, Wanda crafted a coherent building plan, contractors began, and she shifted hats into job manager. Wanda is fun to watch and great to work with. She handled stressful issues and unforeseen circumstances with grace and humour that kept us all on our toes, knew how to handle and motivate our contractors, and ultimately led to a well planned, on-budget and just on-time project. And now that the dust has long settled and been swept away, and living continues, her true skill as a designer and architect shines through. This is a house that I’m so proud to call mine. Thank you, Wanda!”

“My wife and I are absolutely thrilled with Wanda and her team. We essentially gutted our ranch bungalow, updated all the electrical/mechanical, and added an extension out the back. Construction started May, 2017 and will finish January, 2018. We began working with Wanda in February, 2016 in the design phase and she continues to oversee the construction process. We would like to highlight FOUR qualities that we appreciate about Wanda and her team.

FIRST —- Wanda is a professional in the fullest sense of the term. She is a highly creative artist with an astute eye for shape, colour, texture, and harmony. She has a wealth of experience in design and shepherding a project from beginning to end. She is highly organized, pays attention to detail, and carries through on her promises and plans. Every deadline has been met. We are so grateful that she has been with us through the design, selection of the general contractor, and the construction phase. We cannot imagine doing this renovation without her and her team. Her expertise has been worth every penny and more!

SECOND — Wanda and her team skillfully and artfully balanced letting us communicate our vision and plans for the renovation while at the same time, stepping in with their expert advice. She was not afraid to tell us when she thought we had a bad idea. We also appreciated her pushing us out of our comfort zone for style and design. We enjoyed the dialogue and discussion which shaped the design of our renovation. We appreciated that Wanda did not impose her ideas on us nor took over the project.

THIRD —- clear, open, and honest communication is a priority for Wanda and her team. My wife and I are the same and so is our general contractor. The design meetings and subsequent weekly site meetings during construction were efficient and effective as problems and concerns were freely raised and discussed. Any renovation has ups and downs. Wanda is a good therapist/counselor who shepherds her clients through the inevitable surprises, delays, and setbacks.

FOURTH —- with respect to finances and billing, Wanda is transparent, honest, and very fair in her pricing. Invoices are itemized in detail and her office is efficient and organized. There are no hidden fees or charges. She was open and up front with us from the beginning and those qualities continue to mark our relationship with her. She is a highly skilled professional who knows the value she can bring to a project and we respected and appreciated that.

BOTTOMLINE: We endorse Wanda with the highest of recommendations and have already booked her for our next project!”

“We had a dream house imagined when we hired Wanda. Now that we have it, we are certain that there was no way we could have done it without Wanda. Considering how little we knew about what it takes, being first timers for a gut job of this scale, we were lucky to have been referred to Wanda.

Wanda struck us from the start as having an artist’s sense for everything to do with a living space and how it’s experienced. But as soon as we started working with her on designs we discovered that she was also a great coach. She listened patiently and she and her staff recorded every idea or wish we expressed during these early conversations. She also asked a lot of good questions, some of which we never thought about but clearly made good sense. Gradually she started to show us ideas that got us excited. It was such a pleasure to work with Wanda during the design stage that we indulged ourselves to the point where she had to remind us that her time comes at a cost. I clearly remember realizing that the experience of designing one’s own home and doing it right is such a privilege that should be indulged. This is the part where budget should matter least. And indulge we did. We punched in as many windows on the south side as we could to flood the house with light, we got a beautiful nook in the kitchen for breakfast that I’ve always dreamed of, we grabbed views that span over 300 feet of green trees to the front and back, we have so much functional space there is hardly any dry walk. And the list goes on.

But that was just the start. Wanda introduced us to a range of builders to give us options but also recommended one; M Square. They were an excellent recommendation but that is another review. She handled the city approvals, the budget discussions, the planning and then she managed the project every week wading into every aspect of it. Her attention to detail, diligence and hard work were really impressive. Her professional relationship with the builder was a great asset. There was no detail too small or unworthy of her attention. And there was a lot. Without her the task could have been stressful and likely impossible. With her it was really enjoyable.

We recommend Wanda without hesitation.”

“We did a major renovation on our home that ended around April 2014. The work included 3 new bathrooms, new kitchen, new dugout basement, new extension on main floor and saw us essentially redo the third, main and basement of our detached victorian home from studs. The project took about 9 months to complete.

Wanda acted as our designer, architect and project manager for the construction phase. We spent a lot of time trying to find the right person to lead us through this. We needed someone who understood our aesthetic (a mix between modern and mid-century) and someone with the time and patience to deal with two very busy people that just wanted it done and wanted it to be perfect without having to be too involved! Wanda nailed it. She spent a good amount of time focusing on our lifestyle and what we needed functionally in the home and really digging into how we live our lives and what things we like and don’t like. That time paid off as the first set of designs were amazing and hit basically all of our asks while completely capturing our aesthetic. After that Wanda would bring us new designs and finishes which we almost always simply agreed with. When we did push back she took it very seriously, spent time listening and getting her head around what we wanted, went back to the drawing board and came back with something even better than we were imagining. Her motivator seems to be making her clients happy and comfortable in their home, and nothing else.

Wanda helped us choose the contractor and as project manager basically acted on our behalf in dealing with the day to day questions and decisions a contractor needs. She also thoroughly reviewed all of his bills and time spent. I am not sure we could have done this without Wanda in our corner. She is a tough and thorough negotiator, but somehow always friendly and easy to approach.

Most importantly we were quite nervous about the disruption the reno would cause in our lives and Wanda managed that perfectly, dealing with our concerns in a way that made the whole thing so much less of a disruption than we were worried it would be. We didn’t know her before but our experience was so positive we are now thrilled to call her a friend and to recommend her work as a designer, architect and project consultant/manager without any hesitation whatsoever.”

“My wife and I spent two years working with Wanda on a custom design for our condo. A project that included combining two units in the pre-construction phase of the building. The project was completed in the spring of 2016.

Wanda embraced our “open to all ideas” approach. She incorporated a series of beautiful designs throughout the unit while at the same time making great use of space. Her attention to detail particularly with respect to wallpaper and other wall finishes created a number of unique showpieces within our unit that command attention from anyone that enters it. As a couple that had no idea what we wanted but strong opinions about what we didn’t want, Wanda has the talent to bring to life ideas we would never have been able to articulate. Even after 9 months of living here, not a day goes by that I don’t marvel at the work of art she created, that is now our home.”

“Wanda and her team worked with us over the past two years on the renovation of the entire first floor our house in downtown Toronto. What can I say? It was a real pleasure working with Wanda and I wouldn’t hesitate to do so again.

In addition to getting the big thing right - the design itself is (for us) really outstanding and reflects what we hoped the space could be - she got all the little things pretty much right as well (a much taller task). These were things like an iterative design process that authentically listened to our desires and constraints, great ideas for using the space efficiently, incredible availability and patience with our decision-making process and cadence.”

“We are living in the stunning renovations of our (recently purchased) Roncesvalles home designed by Wanda Ely Arcithect Inc. We can’t speak more highly of our experiences with Wanda and her team.

It was our first experience with a renovation and we were on a steep learning curve. Wanda guided us expertly through the entire process. She was open and responsive to our ideas, but then created a design that both incorporated our vision and brought it to a new level. Her designs were thoughtful, creative, practical and beautiful. At the same time, her professionalism was exceptional: she is a first-rate communicator with excellent judgment and a tremendous amount of integrity. She kept us calm and confident even amidst the many challenges of home renovations.

We are thrilled with our home and we are very thankful to Wanda and her team.”

“We hired Wanda to design and renovate our downtown home. What started as a basement reno quickly morphed into a partial 2nd floor/multiple bedroom reno along with furniture sourcing and design advice for our living and dining rooms.

A talented and intuitive architect, Wanda was able to navigate the fine line of giving our home a much-needed modern update while upholding the integrity and heritage of our 1920s home. A great collaborator and advocate, Wanda worked exceptionally well with our contractor and sub-trades and eased us through the minutiae of detailed decision-making. Her work for us ran the gamut from overall architectural design, to ensuring quality control to sourcing furniture (including affordable custom pieces from local crafts people), drapes/blinds, carpets, paints, bathroom fixtures, etc. No request was too big and no detail was too small.

We couldn’t be happier with the end result and have had tons of compliments from friends (a photo of our basement reno was even used in a Bay-Bloor Radio ad). And to top it all off, Wanda is a great person and excellent company - qualities I was definitely grateful for in someone who was temporarily such an important part of our lives. We would definitely use Wanda again and have already recommended her to friends.”

“Mid-way through our renovation we became completely overwhelmed and hired Wanda to design some interior architectural elements and select finishes - all of which pulled the space together.

We loved working with Wanda - she made the process collaborative, exciting and educational. She worked hard to help us nail down our own aesthetic and then proceeded to take it to the next level. At each step of the process she checked in to make sure we were happy with the direction we were heading. She liaised with our contractor and some of the sub-contractors to ensure everyone was on the same page and to advocate for us when required.

She was extremely focused on function as well as design and made sure that we were taking practical considerations into account so the home would be liveable for our family. She provided incredible value and helped us to create a beautiful, unique and timeless home that reflects our personalities.

Wanda is extraordinarily talented and a pleasure to work with - if we are ever in a position to renovate another home the only thing we will do differently is retain her from the very start.”

“We hired Wanda Ely for a renovation of our Victorian row house. Wanda took the time to listen to our ideas and understand our tastes and requirements and came back with options that we never have come up with ourselves but were entirely in line with our needs.

From start to finish working with Wanda was a pleasure. The designs and finish options that she suggested were entirely in keeping with our tastes and design sense, and this made the decision making process quick and easy. She remained in close contact with the contractors throughout the process and gave us a complete sense of comfort that everything was under control.

We were particularly impressed with both the focus on detail and understanding of the need to stay on schedule and budget demonstrated throughout the project. The final result was better than we could ever have dreamed and Wanda was a huge part in making that happen.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Wanda Ely Architect Inc. for your next project.”

“My husband and I are currently working with Wanda to update the kitchen of our Toronto century home.

Wanda took time to hear our needs and wants and has been expert at helping us to clarify what those actually are. We had been stalled in the decision making stage for years, and within a few short weeks of working with Wanda, she had helped us to come up with a design that we are very happy with. It works for our esthetic and our budget and solved the design riddles that had plagued us.

I had seen some other projects that Wanda worked on and whilst I really admired them, I knew my husband and I would be making very different style choices from those clients. I have been most impressed with Wanda’s ability to “get” and work with our eclectic and somewhat undefined tastes as well as our thrifty budget.”

“We are so happy with our main floor and master renovation by Wanda. Her design acumen and attention to detail resulted in spaces that are beautiful as well as functional. Maximizing our space and making it modern yet warm allowed us to stay in a neighbourhood that we love. We know we couldn’t have achieved this without Wanda - and will certainly work with her on future projects.”