The Globe and Mail

It's a good time to think about renovating in suburbia. A half-century has passed since former farmland around Toronto was carpeted with myriad houses, including many with good bones that merit recycling. Staying put and redoing an existing home is also wise from the standpoint of sustainability. And an overhaul can be considerably less expensive than putting up a new house, making it possible to fit an architect into the budget. I recently saw a residential renovation in the comfortable suburb of York Mills that had it all: a solid house to start with, clients who knew what they wanted, and an architect -- Jillian Aimis -- with the skill and aesthetic sense needed to transform a dowdy old box into a sensible work of art.