Oke Woodsmith delivers a home to grow into

When Lorie and Rick decided to demolish their old home just outside of Stratford to
accommodate their new custom home back in 2013, they wanted a place that their rapidly growing family could call home – and not feel cramped.

The previous house, a split-level home with low-ceilings, had been tired out by numerous renovations – none of which satisfied the couple.

After purchasing and moving into a home in town while their eldest son occupied the old house, Lorie and Rick had to come to a decision on their future – would they rebuild in town or on their ten-acre property?

After the decision was made to stay on the big property outside of town, Rick contacted Oke Woodsmith. “We went to look at a few homes they had done,” said Lorie. “We were impressed with the designs, finishes and workmanship. We liked how Oke Woodsmith finished their homes.”

Rick adds, “When you go to their houses there’s a different level of craftsmanship.”

For their custom home, Lorie and Rick had a good grip on their wish list. An ideal medley of traditional yet modern styles would work nicely with the open concept layout and high ceilings.

Furthermore, Lorie and Rick hoped for a basement that didn’t really seem like a basement – a space with ten-foot ceilings that would flow out to the backyard easily with eight-foot patio
doors. “We wanted the basement to be a second entertaining area,” aid Rick.

Lorie and Rick were impressed with designer Steve Poortinga, who had already drawn up a floor plan and seemed to have thought of everything.

Oke Woodsmith put 100 per cent into everything they did for Lorie and Rick, even down to interior design. “We looked at having an interior designer come,” said Lorie. “The Oke Woodsmith people were better to source; it didn’t seem as important to [the other designers] as it did to the different members of the Oke Woodsmith team.”The rebuild really did take a village – with Randy, Wayne and Kevin Oke on site constantly, and plenty of other skilled workers assisting with framing, trim, roofing and many other tasks – and the demolition itself, managed by Wayne, was a tearful day.

“It was hard to watch it come down,” said Lorie, of their long-time family home.