See your renovation in 3D before we build it

What a 3D rendering shows you

A floor plan tells you where things go. It does not tell you how the room will feel when you walk in, whether the island crowds the doorway, or whether the tile you loved in a showroom overwhelms a small bathroom.

A rendering does. It is built from the real measurements of your space and the real design, so you can see:

• the layout from the angles you will actually stand in,
• cabinet style, colour, and hardware,
• countertops, backsplash, tile, and flooring together,
• lighting, and how the room reads with it, and
• how the new room connects to the ones beside it.

The rendering is included in the price of your project, with no separate charge.

One of our past clients describes seeing their kitchen in virtual reality before construction. You can read the reviews on our HomeStars profile.

TODO: sample design concepts will be added here when the owner supplies three or four renderings. Each will be labelled as a rendering.

Who it’s for

Anyone who has trouble picturing a finished room from drawings and samples, which is most people. It matters most when:

• the layout is changing,
• two people need to agree on the design,
• you are choosing between two or three options, or
• the project is large enough that a mistake would be expensive.

Signs you should ask for one

• You keep changing your mind between cabinet colours or tile.
• You cannot tell whether an island will fit.
• You are removing a wall and want to see the open space first.
• You have been burned before by a result that did not match what you imagined.
• You are comparing quotes and want to be sure everyone is pricing the same design.

Why design first changes the whole project

Most renovation overruns come from decisions made, or changed, after construction has started. A wall is framed, and the homeowner realises the opening should be wider. Cabinets arrive, and the colour is wrong against the floor.

Approving a rendering first moves those decisions to the stage where they are free to change. It also makes pricing firmer, because the design being priced is complete.

For kitchens it does one more thing. Because the design is finished and approved before anything is removed, your old kitchen stays usable through the whole design stage. We don’t demolish at contract signing. Demolition and preparation start 7 to 9 days after you approve the design, cabinets are installed in one day, and countertops and everything else follow the next day. See kitchen renovation and how long a kitchen renovation takes.

How the design stage works

1. Phone conversation. You describe the project and your budget.
2. Free site visit. We measure the space and look at what the structure and services allow.
3. Budget. We agree on a number that is realistic for the room. The design is drawn to that budget, not to a wish list that gets cut down later.
4. Design. We work from your mood board and inspiration photos.
5. Rendering. On request, we produce the full 3D rendering.
6. Revisions. You tell us what to change.
7. Approval. You sign off, and only then do we schedule the build.

The complete sequence, including construction, is on our renovation process page.

What design-build means for you

With a separate designer and contractor, the designer draws without knowing what the builder will charge, and the builder prices drawings they had no say in. Gaps between the two become your problem.

Design-build puts both under one roof. Calico Designs and Renovations designs the project, prices it, and builds it. The budget shapes the design from the first sketch, and there is one company accountable for the result.

Which projects can be rendered

Any of them. Renderings are most often requested for:

• Kitchen renovations
• Bathroom renovations
• Basement renovations and legal basement apartments
• Full home renovations and home additions
• Condo renovations
• Commercial renovations, where the rendering also helps with landlord approval

Timelines

The design stage runs at your pace: it depends mostly on how quickly decisions are made and how many revisions you want. Nothing is demolished while it happens.

TODO: owner to confirm how long a rendering typically takes to produce.

Permits

Where a project needs a building permit, the permit drawings are prepared from the approved design. See our guide to renovation permits in Ontario for what needs one.

Start with a conversation

Tell us about the room and what you want to spend. The first consultation and site visit are free, and if you are comparing contractors, our guide on how to choose a renovation contractor lists what to ask.