Before and After: How a $350,000 reno turned this everyday Burlington side-split into a sleek urban home

The place

A three-plus-one-bedroom, three-bathroom side-split in Burlington’s Shoreacres neighbourhood. 

The history

Realtor Christina Wasley and her builder husband, Kim, had already flipped six homes in the south Burlington area when they came upon this property in the summer of 2022. It hadn’t been upgraded in decades: old carpeting, tired colourways and a dearth of natural light. But the house had good bones and was located in a coveted part of town, so they purchased it for just over $1 million. Working with a $350,000 budget, they started renovations immediately.

The Wasleys opted for an airy, contemporary look—think wood beams, designer pieces and black cabinets—inspired by the Netflix interior design show Dream Home Makeover. After work was completed this past April, the home sold for $1.7 million, about $100,000 over asking. “We got so lucky,” says Christina. “The market rebounded at just the right time.” 

Related: How a $360,000 renovation transformed a Junction shack into a sparkling family home

The tour

The Wasleys painted the garage and added black trim across the façade as well as new windows and that cedar accent on the garage.

Ten-inch wood posts frame the revitalized front porch, which also got a cedar ceiling, black soffits, a new door and recessed lighting.

The foyer used to be clad in pink striped wallpaper and closed off from the rest of the house. Christine and Kim tore down the walls to open up the space. They also raised the ceilings by two feet, added wood beams, and replaced the old closet and mirror with a sharp black cabinet and floating bench set against a shiplap wall.

Here’s a look at the former living and dining area—now open to the foyer and the kitchen. They swapped the hardwood, porcelain tile, carpeting and dated chandelier for engineered hardwood, oak stairs with metal railings and striking light fixtures.

This reverse view of the living area showcases the lighting and beams as well as the matching furniture.

The dining area, now an extension of the kitchen, has shiplap and vaulted ceilings.

Now a closer look at the kitchen. Gone are the peninsula and the open wood railing leading to the den. They’ve been replaced by a seven-foot quartz island with a camouflaged dishwasher and garbage pull-out as well as a stainless steel fridge and open shelving.

There used to be a side entrance to the house, but Christina and Kim thought it would be more convenient to close it off and relocate the basement powder room and laundry room here. That herringbone vanity in the background contrasts nicely with the black-and-white diamond flooring. 

“The den was dark and uninviting,” Christina says. So they traded the musty carpet for engineered hardwood, then added an electric fireplace feature wall with a Venetian plaster surround.

There are three bedrooms on the second floor. This is the main one, now equipped with an accent wall. The Wasleys stole some space from the hallway to add an ensuite bathroom and walk-in closet.

This bedroom down the hall overlooks the neighbourhood. Its footprint stayed pretty much the same post-renovation, but it’s now set up as a nursery.

The upstairs bathroom desperately needed a facelift. In place of its drab palette, old cabinets and Hollywood vanity mirror: a sleek black-and-white colour scheme, a subway-tile shower and a floating oak vanity.

The place’s greatest transformation happened in the basement. Previously more 1970s high school than home, the space now feels clean, breezy and serene.

And the adjacent, formerly unfinished space is now a bedroom with a closet.

In the backyard, they added a deck, replacing the old concrete slabs.

Stoked about your staging? Recently finished a renovation? Send your story to realestate@torontolife.com.