Economies of Scale

Bigger is not always better. A weakening housing market has meant scaling back on building a new McMansion and, instead, opting to stay put and work with what you have.

Designer Shane Rennie is one of several local designers who has been ahead of the curve on this trend. His company, Rectangle Design, has always worked with small properties trying to maximize the potential of existing spaces. He says more and more Calgarians are choosing to go this route.
“Renovations are going to be the order of the day,” he says. “The construction market has gotten more competitive and people are getting more for their money now than they were a year ago.”

Rennie says clever storage that calls on custom carpentry and built-in units are important when reworking small spaces. He also says scaling back in space isn’t about sacrificing style or quality. “People would rather have better stuff than more stuff,” he says.

Michael Lorincz, a design consultant with McArthur Fine Furniture, deals with a lot of customers who have downsized and are facing the challenge of refurnishing smaller homes.

“We are dealing with older people moving into villa-style homes,” he says. “Calgary is also a condo city, so space is always an issue and anything streamlined is popular.” He points to transitional furniture lines that blend traditional and contemporary styles and emphasize practicality. These pieces work well with less square footage. Whether it is new or renewed, Calgarians are starting to think smaller.

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Economies of Scale

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