Planned before the build
Work in Bloor West Village is designed around how you live, and thoughtfully planned before construction begins.
Areas we serve · Bloor West Village
Custom Builds, Renovations & Additions in Bloor West Village
Edwardian homes on narrow, deep lots, with opportunities to create more living space.
Edwardian homes on narrow, deep lots between High Park and the Humber. Century construction, original detail worth keeping, and opportunities to adapt basements for modern living.
Discuss your projectFrom design to warranty
One team from your first plans to warranty support.
Fixed price, agreed upfront
Your agreed scope, allowances and exclusions clearly set out.
Custom design around your life
Designed for your family, your property and your lifestyle.
Follow your project from anywhere
See progress, schedules and updates in your client portal.
HCRA licensed and insured
View our HCRA record. Insurance details on request.
250+ completed projects
Renovations, additions and custom homes across Toronto.
What we build in Bloor West Village
Services We Offer in Bloor West Village
Edwardian home renovations, rear additions, and custom builds in Bloor West Village. Thoughtfully planned before construction begins.
01
Design & Permits
From first sketch to your building permit, we handle every step.
02
Home Renovations
Whole house and full house renovations in Toronto, with layout, structure and finishes planned together, including the basement and the exterior when the plan calls for it.
03
Home Additions
Second storey, rear and side home additions in Toronto, with design, permits and construction planned around your home and the space you need.
04
Custom Homes
Tear down and rebuild in Toronto: design, permits and construction, thoughtfully planned around your life before work begins.
05
Laneway & Garden Suites
Garden suites and laneway houses behind your home in Toronto, a secondary dwelling designed around your life and thoughtfully planned before construction begins.
06
Project Management
Project management led with precision and transparency: one point of contact from the first idea to the final inspection.
The Housing Stock
Working in Bloor West Village
The homes here were largely built between 1905 and 1925, in the early streetcar suburb wave that followed the arrival of electrification along Bloor. The architecture is recognizably Edwardian; smooth brick facades, decorative timber and stucco gables, leaded glass details, deep front porches, and interior trim work in oak and pine that was meant to last. The lots are narrow and deep, which gives the homes their characteristic linear floor plans: front room, dining room, kitchen, mud room, all strung together on the main floor.
Most renovation work in Bloor West Village runs in a few directions: opening up that linear main floor while preserving the room to room rhythm where it works, adding rear additions to extend the kitchen and family room footprint, underpinning basements for usable ceiling height, and building second storey or rear of house additions that respect the streetscape without imitating it. The work rewards builders who understand century old construction, original brick, lath and plaster walls, balloon framing, and the failure modes specific to homes this age.
Good To Know
What Bloor West Village Projects Actually Involve
Bloor West lots are narrow, the homes are close to property lines, and street parking is limited. Site staging, material delivery, dust control, and neighbour relations are all part of active site management.
Lath and plaster walls, balloon framing, original brick masonry, knob and tube wiring still in some homes, and original galvanized or cast iron plumbing. We bring trades with experience working with this housing stock.
The mature canopy that defines Bloor West Village is protected under City of Toronto bylaws. Any tree with a 30 cm trunk diameter or larger requires an arborist assessment before construction.
Bloor West homes fall under RD or RM zoning with specific setback, height, and lot coverage rules. Rear additions and second storey additions often need minor variances. We handle the full application and hearing.
Original oak trim, leaded glass, fireplaces, and decorative brickwork are the details that give Bloor West homes their value. We preserve, restore, or replicate them where the design calls for it.
Our Process
Our Process
Custom home builders in Toronto coordinate design, approvals and construction. Our six step process brings those decisions together before work begins, with the proposed scope and schedule reviewed along the way.
- Step 01In home consultation
We walk the property, talk through your vision, and review what’s possible under current zoning.
- Step 02Design and Drawings
Architectural and interior design developed in house, with the option to bring in your own architect if you’ve already engaged one.
- Step 03Scope in writing
The scope is written down before construction begins, including the materials and any extra work the house needs.
- Step 04Permits and Committee of Adjustment
We handle the full permitting process, including any minor variance work required for your project.
- Step 05Construction
Dedicated project manager, weekly meetings, portal access throughout.
- Step 06Handover
Final walkthroughs and full handover documentation.
Why Bloor West Village Clients Choose Grand Design Build
One Team, One Contract
Century home experience
We’ve worked across Toronto’s prewar housing stock. Edwardian construction has specific quirks, and we know what to expect when the walls come down.
Project documents
Review current licensing and insurance documents for your project before signing. Confirm the scope, responsibilities and applicable coverage in writing.
Considerate site management
Tight Bloor West streets and engaged neighbours mean site conduct matters. We notify neighbours before demolition, work within bylaw hours, and manage sites with consideration for the neighbourhood.
The work
Our projects
Cliffcrest A ground up custom home in Cliffcrest, where the 1950s bungalows on the Bluffs are steadily being replaced. Grey stone and limestone across the front, gabled dormers, and the garage set below the entrance so the main floor sits up off the street.
Douglas Avenue A three storey infill on a narrow lot, eleven metres from established grade to the top of the parapet. Buff veneer brick under a black clad set back top floor.
De Vere Gardens Fifteen feet of bathroom, planned as three zones: a glass shower just over five feet square, a 6'-7" freestanding tub set under the window, and the water closet behind its own door.
Don Mills A rear addition on a Don Mills home. Painted brick, full height windows across the back, and an elevated deck sitting over a paved terrace.
Blackthorn A two storey garden suite clad in black vertical seam metal, with sliding doors opening onto a paved path and a cedar fence run alongside it.
Haig Avenue Two custom homes built side by side on one street, one in pale brick and one in dark, with black window frames carried across both.
Glengarry Red brick over a limestone base, steep gables, and a limestone surround to the entrance with a black bay window set beside it.
Homeowner reviews
What homeowners say
Grand Design Build did a rear addition, second storey, and all our bathrooms on a house in the Beaches. March to September 2025. We were told end of September and moved back in the second week, so a bit ahead of schedule. Fixed price contract, and the final cost was exactly the contract number. That mattered a lot to us. We decided to change few items for bathrooms and kitchen halfway and there were no issues with the change orders, and the pricing was really fair even though a fixed contract was signed. There were no pushback. The office project coordinators and the site supervisor were really helpful the entire way through. They also kept the site tidy for six months straight and our neighbours never once complained. Respectful crew. Recommend them.
Allen and his team were a dream to work with. Truly an amazing experience and an incredible condo full renovation. The work was top notch and Allen was excellent to work with, respecting our ideas and desires and making our renovation dream a reality.
I had a really good experience working with Grand Design Build on my home renovation and rear addition project. Their team was professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with throughout the process. They took the time to understand our needs, offered helpful suggestions along the way, and also provided complimentary interior design support, which was a great added value. They were responsive and attentive to questions as they came up, and the project stayed on track from start to finish. I would recommend Grand Design Build to anyone looking for a reliable custom build and design company in Toronto.
Grand Design Build did a great job on our renovation. Their team was organized, kept us informed through each step, and also delivered quality work. They were reliable with timelines and very clear about costs and materials. Overall, we had a very smooth experience with them. Highly recommended!
Grand Design Build exceeded every expectation we had. From the very first consultation, they were professional, transparent, and truly passionate about their work. If you’re considering custom home building in Toronto, you won’t find a more reliable and talented team. Our new home is stunning, and the attention to detail is second to none. We are so grateful for their dedication and highly recommend them.
Grand design build are a master in custom home building in Toronto for sure. They designed and built our place just exactly how we wanted it. They are very reliable when it comes to communication and planning.
Areas we serve
We also build nearby.
- Bloor West Village
- Bayview Village
- The Beaches
- Cliffcrest
- Danforth
- Forest Hill
- Leaside
- Ledbury Park
- North York
- Rosedale
- Willowdale
We build throughout Toronto and the GTA. These are the neighbourhoods we work in most.
Can't find your neighbourhood?
We build across Toronto and the GTA. These are the ones we work in most, not the only ones we work in.
Frequently asked questions
Bloor West Village questions, answered
If the answer you need is not here, ask us on the call.
Can I open up the main floor of my Bloor West Edwardian home?
In most cases, yes. The linear front to back layout typical of Bloor West Edwardian homes can usually be opened up between the front room, dining room, and kitchen by removing non load bearing walls or, where the walls are load bearing, installing engineered beams to carry the structural load. We assess each home individually because original construction varies, some homes have masonry walls between rooms that need different structural solutions than stud walls.
Is my home protected by heritage rules?
Bloor West Village is not a formally designated Heritage Conservation District, so most homes here don’t face the exterior alteration restrictions that apply in Rosedale or parts of the Annex. Some individual homes in the area carry heritage listings on the City’s Heritage Register, which can affect demolition or major exterior work. We check the Heritage Register as part of every consultation, so you know upfront whether your specific property carries any heritage status.
Can I underpin my basement to get usable ceiling height?
Yes, and it’s one of the most common Bloor West Village projects. Most Edwardian basements were built with ceilings around six feet, which doesn’t meet modern living standards or building code minimums for habitable space. Underpinning involves lowering the basement floor by excavating below the existing footings, pouring new footings deeper, and rebuilding the foundation walls down to the new depth. It’s significant structural work but produces a basement that can legitimately function as living space, often 1,000 to 1,500 square feet of additional usable area.
Will a rear addition fit my Bloor West Village lot?
Most Bloor West lots are deep enough to accommodate a rear addition, but the size of what you can build depends on lot coverage limits, rear yard setback requirements, and how the addition affects neighbouring properties. Single storey additions of 200 to 400 square feet are often achievable within standard zoning. Larger additions or two storey rear extensions typically require Committee of Adjustment approval for minor variances. We assess feasibility during the consultation to guide the design.
How do you handle the tight lots and limited street parking during a build?
Logistics get planned before demolition starts. We coordinate material delivery windows, stage where possible on site rather than on the street, arrange dumpster placement that doesn’t block neighbours, and pull City permits for any required street occupation. Neighbour notification goes out before demolition with a single phone number any neighbour can call directly with concerns. The City’s noise bylaw governs working hours, and we hold the site to those.
Start here
Start with what your home needs
Tell us what you want to change and what you want to keep at your property in Bloor West Village. We can discuss the proposed work and the next step towards a feasibility study.
- Discuss your goals and the existing property.
- Review the proposed scope and next steps.
- Confirm the study scope and any fees before proceeding.
Contact us (416) 920-6066