While we don't often post reviews online about personal projects or providers we work with, we're…read moremaking an exception here as we believe that more people need to hear about the incredible work done by Oakwood, Design Candy and their related teams. I cannot possibly stress how much of a difference having the right partner to work with for a renovation can make an impact. First off, when Steph and I bought our first home together it was a stressful process as I believe it is true for any first-time home buyers. There is so much going on between mortgages, moving, inspections, work and balancing all of it, just that process alone can be a nightmare. Add to that the rather ambitious idea that we wanted to renovate some key elements of the house /before/ we moved in so that we didn't have to try and balance living and renovations at the same time. Enter: Oakwood. We've had a great relationship with them for a long time (They previously renovated Iversoft's newest office) and we have always visited their design centre just off of trim road in Orléans with envy. When we bought a place down the street from their design centre, they were a natural choice for a partner. We were working with a close friend on the design and inspiration for our planned renovation and Oakwood's team was absolutely amazing at working with us. They were able to provide their own recommendations and design insight while working within the vision Design Candy had presented and, unbelievably were willing to work with the insane timeline we'd set for ourselves (a little over 4 weeks!) Start to finish. Let me also say right now, EVERY single person we spoke to going into this renovation told us that renovations run over time and over budget and no amount of praise for Oakwood or belief in their process and teams was going to change that. (Spoilers: They NAILED the timeline!) The Job: Completely demo and renovate Kitchen Upgrade home electrical service from 100A to 200A Sand and refinish ALL hardwood in the house Disassemble, sand, refinish the main staircase and replace all wood spindles with new metal ones Update most major lighting fixtures Repaint the entire house Timeline: 4.5 Weeks until we moved in (Start to finish) Conclusion Since the renovation work was completed and as we've settled into our new home I have not yet missed an opportunity to talk about how great an experience working with Candace, Sharon, John, Marc and the entire Oakwood and Design Candy teams were. When you're dealing with a world of chaos in a renovation where every timeline is dependant on another, suppliers and work can so easily be tripped up by simple mistakes or oversights, Oakwood stands head and shoulders above any other company we've ever spoken to. They have detailed reporting and processes to keep owners involved in every step of the process while also giving a ton of confidence that everything is happening just the way it is supposed to. They easily adapt when the unexpected happens and were proactive in helping manage our expectations and mitigate our stress throughout. This was easily the largest personal project either of us has ever taken on and overseen as customers and we cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism, results, and efficiency in which everything was delivered. We're looking forward to our next project with the Oakwood team and are happy to act as a reference so others can avoid the renovations headaches and nightmares we've heard so much about from other companies and contractors! ~Graeme & Steph https://medium.com/@graemebarlow/our-oakwood-design-candy-experience-49ee04206eb4

My husband and I met with Oakwood's President/CEO, John Liptak, to explore the possibility of…read moreacquiring Oakwood's services to build our new home. Not only is John friendly and professional, but he is extremely knowledgeable in every step and detail required to build a high quality custom home. He gave us a tour of the facility and introduced us to team members. His confidence in the quality of Oakwood homes and his team is evident and his honesty about pricing and add-ons was also much appreciated.