Vancouver has lost many of its character buildings that have history and heritage to replacement by condominiums and other multi-dwelling properties. It has been a sad trend. The City of Vancouver is concerned about heritage conservation and has an active heritage management plan. You can download the latest staff report to see what is going…
It may not be a trend, but several homeowners have recently asked our designers at Kerr Design Build to develop traditional designs for their homes. This is something novel for Vancouver, which generally has been on the cutting edge of modern design. I can’t say it is a trend, but it is definitely different from…
In 2020 and early 2021, people in the Lower Mainland spent a lot more time at home. Today, many are still working from home and some children continue to be homeschooled as an option. “Home” still more important today Today, the home is still the heart of everyone’s activity and, if you are reading this,…
by Elton Donald, Senior Project Consultant If you go on your site and some guy meets you one time, measures two things, and goes away and then issues you a quotation for construction, I find that to be hard to want to emulate and follow that process. For me, it would not even hit the…
Kerr Design Build last year completed an alteration and an addition to an existing single-family dwelling on a beautiful property in North Vancouver. The home, although trendy when first built in the 1950s, had fallen behind the times, and the owners decided it needed some tender loving care to improve their quality of life and…
Our years of experience at Kerr Design Build have taught us that there is a natural law at work in home renovation costs. We call it the “1-10-100 rule.” This little rule makes or breaks a client’s budget. Violations of it can destroy a client’s peace of mind. How the law works The rule goes…
by Elton Donald, Senior Project Consultant Almost every day I go to meet someone and they ask me, “Can I do this addition?” or “Can I add this square footage?” or “Can I put on this window on this section of my house?” All these types of questions I get asked all the time. Another…
On July 18, the staff of Kerr Design Build enjoyed a day out on the polo grounds at the Vancouver Polo Club in Ladner. Along with the staff of sister company, Absolute Roof Solutions, they got on their polo ponies and made a valiant attempt to learn the “sport of Kings.” They met with varying…
This past weekend Doug Kerr, founder of Kerr Design Build, participated in the 2021 West Coast Classic Polo Tournament at the Vancouver Polo Club as a member of the winning Domino Ryan team. Doug, who has been getting proficient at polo the last few years, donated his $500 share of the $2,000 winnings along with…
BUILD Magazine, a prestigious monthly publication based in the UK that covers the global construction and property industries, has recognized Kerr Design Build as one of the top design-build firms worldwide. For the last seven years, BUILD has acknowledged premier construction, design and architectural firms around the world with their annual awards. This year’s awards…
by Elton Donald, Senior Project Consultant Developing in Vancouver is a tough gig. But for clients who have homes that can qualify under the Heritage Action Plan, I do believe that there are opportunities for those owners to realize some development in the area of multi-unit conversions on homes deemed to have character merit. I think there are…
So, you’ve decided to renovate your kitchen. The first thing you may wonder is how much it will cost. If you’re new to renovations, like many homeowners, the idea of investing thousands of dollars in your home is probably quite scary. What can be even scarier is if you call around to get pricing and…
No matter how much storage we have, we always need more, right? But what happens when you think your home has no room for anymore? Forget renting an external facility. Get creative by having shelving and storage solutions built into the structural features of your home. You’d be surprised at how incredible design ideas can…
Kerr Design Build has received the 2021 Guildmaster with Highest Distinction Award for demonstrating exceptional customer service within the residential construction industry in North America. Reviews companies from around North America The award came from GuildQuality, a US-based customer satisfaction surveying company, which recognizes and celebrates home building, remodelling, and contracting professionals demonstrating the highest…
Kerr Design Build is proud of its continued partnership with the Ducks Volleyball Club, which was established in 1996, especially after the 2020 volleyball season. Kerr is a silver-level partner and looks forward to 2021. Ducks Volleyball has the purpose to grow the sport of volleyball, and provide our athletes a family culture and elite…
At one time or another, most homeowners have to deal with the challenges of inadequate space around the house. Whether it’s about storage in general or simply a better way to set up the frequently used bathroom or kitchen areas, space often seems to be an issue. Even a fabulous, newly renovated kitchen can still…
If you’ve been looking for a house but haven’t found one that suits your needs, consider the advantages of a custom home. There are huge benefits in being able to make a home your own in every way, beginning with the selection and customization of a unique plan with the help of professional designers who…
by Nisha MacNeil, Design Manager We live in a region with mountains and hillsides so building a custom home on a hill isn’t out of the question. Building our homes on those hills gives us an unparalleled view to look out from, often with beautiful vistas. Not the first, but the most famous house on…
When planning to build a new home or undertake a renovation, there are two schools of thought about how to approach it. One is the design-bid-build approach, where you appoint an architect or professional designer to design your home and then put it out to construction contractors for tender.You then select the contractor with the…
When you are looking at redoing your staircase in a modern style, use these 6 tips below to get the right look. 1. Treads and risersTo create a simple and clean look you typically see these done in the same material for tread and riser. You can also remove the nosing, built-up edge detail, and…
On August 23, Elton Donald, senior project consultant and partner at Kerr Design Build, was a guest on the BC Real Estate Review podcast hosted by Jordan Kofsky of City Wide Mortgage Services. The 29-minute interview answers many questions that homeowners usually think about in creating their dream home. Consequently, we have transcribed and edited…
Here are my ideas on how you can create a traditional, fresh farmhouse look to your space. There are six vital elements to making a warm, homey, comfortable and unpretentious look that is lived in and loved. 1. White on white palette A white on white palette allows all the furnishings and artwork to sing. In the…
We are pleased to announce that Nisha MacNeil, design manager of Kerr Design Build, is now the home design expert for the Neighbours of Dundarave magazine that serves the Dundarave, Ambleside, Altamont, Westmount, West Bay and Bayridge communities of West Vancouver. This means she will be publishing a column four times a year sharing her…
An “influencer” is someone who because of their experience and knowledge becomes recognized as setting the modern trend in an industry or profession. Because of this, their words and advice are broadly sought and create an almost magnetic effect on the views of others to uplift them to think along similar creative lines. “The Influencers,”…
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