Custom Residential Design & Renovation

This stately 1850’s farmhouse in New York’s Hudson Valley was fully restored and updated in 2021. ERA worked closely with the owners to design a contemporary addition to the historic house, while ensuring that the architectural prominence of the original was preserved. The addition is connected by a glazed link, allowing views to penetrate through...

Built in 1858, Captain G.E. Morden House is an example of an original residential estate built during the time of settlement in the Town of Oakville. The building’s historical value is rooted in its past as the home to Oakville’s Morden family from 1900-1947. Captain George Handy Morden owned and operated several Lake Schooners and...

This vast lakefront site with an ensemble of historic log buildings was reconstituted as a family compound after an intervening period as a children’s camp. ERA refurbished the interior of the main lodge to highlight its expressive log construction details. The staircase’s intricately detailed log work gives the cottage a rustic, ranch-like feel, and complements...

This early historic Pointe au Baril cottage was a quintessential cottage type, later expanded to include a tower belvedere and outbuildings scattered over the island’s rock outcroppings. ERA’s design work overhauled the main cottage by reorganizing the living and sleeping spaces through the elimination of an underused second entrance and the addition of a new...

Comfortably nestled among this island’s trees, the existing 1950’s family cottage was sprawling and in need of a significant overhaul to improve its comfort and appearance. ERA redesigned the space to bring in more lake light and in so doing flaunt the massive stone fireplace and expose the previously hidden, beautiful, soaring wooden roof. A...

On a large farm surrounded by forest, horse trails and fields, this site was chosen for its stunning views of both Osler Mountain and Georgian Bay. To capture the views east toward the water, ERA designed an inverted contemporary spit-level residence: living spaces on the upper floor with the bedrooms below. Rational volumes and carefully...

This family had summered at Pointe au Baril for decades, enjoying much of this Georgian Bay island. On a ruggedly beautiful site with expansive lake views, ERA designed a simple set of airy spaces that responded to the landscape, while leaving a light ecological footprint in this new, off-the-grid cottage. Living spaces are cool and...

This historic Prince Edward County house was stripped of its original interior details. Luckily, significant elements were salvaged and made available to the new owners. In close collaboration with the client, ERA restored the residence’s formal layout and re-incorporated the salvaged woodwork back to its historic locations while the newly-designed staircase incorporated the original newel...

Built between 1906-1912, Silver Birches is a well-loved landmark on the remote north shore of Mackinac Island in Michigan. The Lodge is a rare example of an Adirondack-style Arts & Crafts log hotel and is included on the State Register of Historic Sites. After withstanding a century of extreme Lake Huron weather, Silver Birches and its...

The designated Thomas G. Elgie House, is the oldest of three residential buildings in Leaside that predate its incorporation as a town in 1913. Although altered in the 20th century, the original building remains, however the south elevation’s red brick walls and 19th century detailing were concealed by an addition. As part of a conservation...

This project involved the extensive interior renovation and façade restoration of a historic John Wilson Siddall house in Toronto. ERA worked with Croma Design to improve the performance of the building’s envelope, redesign the house’s floor plan and interiors, and preserve select elements such as the original living room and staircase hall. The scope of work...

This off-grid historic cottage burned down during a spring opening. The owners wanted to rebuild it as closely as possible to the original, and a master plan had to be written for the insurance company overseeing the project. The stone fireplace was rebuilt using a Rumford typology, the building was reconstructed with alterations to improve...