Thornhill: Three Walls Removed for a 590 sq ft Open Living Space

The owners of this Thornhill home were living with a typical older layout: a living room, dining room and kitchen separated by walls, an original staircase and mismatched floors. Their goal: a large, bright living space where they could cook while keeping an eye on the family.

Project goals

• Remove 3 non-load-bearing walls to combine the living room, dining room and kitchen into one 590 sq ft space.
• Unify the look with 4-inch white-oiled hardwood on both levels.
• Rebuild the central staircase with steel stringers, oak treads and a frameless glass railing.

Week 1: demolition and engineering

Before touching a single wall, a structural engineer confirmed the walls were not load-bearing. This is an essential step: you can never tell from how a wall looks. The walls were then taken down, the old floor removed, the ceiling repaired and a coat of primer applied.

Week 2: electrical and lighting

Opening the space meant relocating the outlets and switches that were in the old walls. We took the opportunity to install recessed architectural lighting on both levels and multi-room audio wiring.

Week 3: floors and staircase

The white-oiled hardwood was laid on both levels, with no visual break from one room to the next. The steel stair stringers were fabricated and installed, then the oak treads laid and the tempered glass railing fixed. The once-hidden staircase became the centrepiece of the space.

Week 4: paint and finishing

Full interior paint in three coats of Benjamin Moore Simply White, coordinated baseboards and trim, post-construction cleaning and final inspection. The home was handed back to its owners on schedule.

Your open-concept project

Thinking about opening up your main floor? If a wall is load-bearing, the project is still possible: it needs a beam, often steel, and a building permit. Read our Toronto kitchen cost guide to estimate the budget, or browse our other projects.