The House That Waited

How a Five Year Pause Led Joan + Company Interiors to Reconsider the Pace of Residential

There are some homes that come together quickly. And there are others that ask to be understood first.

For interior designer Joan MacAlpine of Joan + Company Interiors, the renovation of her own family home became an unexpected reflection on the growing acceleration of the residential design industry and the value of allowing creativity the time and space to evolve thoughtfully.

Purchased in 2020, the property was originally intended to undergo an immediate transformation. Plans were developed quickly and submitted just as the realities of the pandemic era construction market began to take hold. Permit timelines stretched to nearly ten months. Material and labour costs climbed dramatically. Structural issues hidden within the home, including a cracked foundation and ongoing water infiltration, pushed the project even further beyond reach.

“We had every intention of moving forward right away,” says Joan. “But the reality was that the house, and the industry, had other plans for us.”

For nearly four years, the family lived cautiously within the partially repaired home while saving, reassessing, and quietly reworking what the project could become. Roof leaks were patched.

Plumbing repairs were made. Basement flooding was managed during heavy rains. Behind the scenes, however, the design itself continued evolving.

“At the time, much of the residential design industry was operating under enormous pressure,” Joan reflects. “Lead times were stretching dramatically, costs were climbing constantly, and projects were being rushed toward specification and purchasing deadlines simply to secure products in time.”

As timelines compressed across the industry, the creative process itself increasingly risked becoming transactional. Decisions that would traditionally evolve through exploration and reflection were often being accelerated by manufacturing schedules, shipping windows, and construction timelines.

For Joan, the unexpected pause created an opportunity to step outside that cycle. “Good design should never feel commoditized,” she says. “It’s a thoughtful and explorative process. The strongest homes are not created through urgency. They emerge through reflection, creativity, and a deep understanding of how people truly want to live.”

Drafted in 2020, the project evolved significantly over the following years. Rather than responding to a specific design moment, the home gradually shifted toward a more timeless and deeply personal expression of layered warmth, natural texture, and enduring functionality.

“The house I would have designed in 2020 is very different from the one we live in today,” Joan says. “The pause allowed us to step back from immediacy and focus instead on what would feel meaningful and lasting over time.”

During a complete redesign of the floor plan in 2023, the kitchen was relocated entirely to the opposite side of the home, allowing space for a much more functional mudroom and powder room while dramatically improving the overall flow of the house. The final design reflects a quieter and more enduring approach to family living, shaped less by urgency and more by permanence.

The completed residence reflects the studio’s broader philosophy that homes should support real life first while maintaining a strong emotional connection to the people living within them.

Sometimes we need to slow down long enough to really think about how we live,” Joan reflects. “This project reminded us that thoughtful design is stunted by urgency. Really, we need to be focused on creating something that continues to feel right years from now.”

Nearly five years after purchasing the property, the family finally moved into what Joan now describes as their forever home.

And in hindsight, she would not change the timing at all.

About Joan and Company Interiors

Joan and Company Interiors is a design studio based in Toronto’s west end, specializing in residential renovations and custom home builds. Founded and led by Joan MacAlpine, the studio is recognized for its thoughtful approach to design and its commitment to creating homes that balance beauty, function, and longevity.

At Joan and Company, design is built on collaboration and trust. Every project reflects a clear understanding of how people live, resulting in interiors that are timeless, grounded, and unmistakably personal.

Follow Joan + Company Interiors:
Website www.joanandco.ca
Instagram @joanandcompany https://www.instagram.com/joanandcompany/
Pinterest https://ca.pinterest.com/joanandco/
Project Photography: Lauren Miller Photography

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