through the years

Our family of two parents and 3 sons, has been travelling to the Canadian Laurentians for over 30 years. What started out as winter ski vacations to Tremblant, Quebec and Sommet Saint-Sauveur, have turned into summer hiking, biking and water adventures as adults.

Simply, the Tremblant region and French culture is magic. The people are jovial, love life differently than the rest, and are welcoming.

Our fond memories of Quebec are of tiny villages and towns, relatively undiscovered communities to others, ringed with water-side cottages and smokey chimneys.

Our time in « La Belle Province » has left a fingerprint on our souls. So much so that as brothers, we built a luxury Scandinavian chalet on the north side of Tremblant, at the end of 2017.

To this day, you’ll see us there, living the tradition of quality time spent with family, and admiring the richness and simplicity of french culture.

In August of this year, Front Street became the first property as brothers, we owned together. The home was built in 1909 and over the years, has had only a handful of owners.

We call it Twin Pines.

This home is special to us as we purchased it from the Betty and Don Lee, who are close friends of the family. As young children, we essentially grew up in this house on weekends and throughout summers, enjoying a beautiful friendship with their daughter, Jen.

As youngsters, the Lee home was filled with wonderful art, colourful stained glass, and furnished comfortably with deep corduroy, tuxedo-armed sofas, and plush carpet.

Over this years, while we have moved to update the interiors, the comfort and contemporary vibe of this Edwardian gem remains.

View our Design Projects.

In the fall of 2010, we received a call from an editor at Canadian House and Home that we had been chosen as having the Best Kitchen, in the magazine’s annual contest seeking most interesting clever, crafty and style-savvy young entrepreneurial designers.

Our design starting point was a darker, 170-sq.-ft. kitchen with unfinished walls, 50’s built cabinets and a Formica backsplash. Our goal was to modernize the kitchen while maintaining the warmth and charm of the 1909 house.

We swapped out the old cabinets for charcoal-painted cupboards, and replaced a plaster ceiling with square-channel select-grade wood pine slats.

What H&H loved was, “how all the elements of a classic hardworking kitchen are integrated with stylish details, showcased against on-trend dark cabinetry and a wood ceiling.

Our first urban purchase was a 550 sq.-ft. condo in the Victory Lofts of Toronto’s King Street West, located between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street.

Featured in NOW magazine for its stylish interior design and as an example of ideal condo living in the city’s bustling entertainment and financial district, this rare gem was a beautiful and bright, third level pied-à-terre tucked behind the historic Patagonia building. 

At the time, Shawn had moved to Toronto for work. Prior to the purchase, we viewed only a handful of potential properties. This one spoke to us as it had a wide open floor plan, spanning a twenty-foot wide stretch with floor-to-ceiling windows, and an additional 400 sq.-ft. outdoor terrace with a cantilevered, shaded area and privacy screens. 

View 478 King Street West Toronto.

In August of this year, we started on a journey to create what’s become, the first development project we, as brothers, ever worked on together from new design to development.

That summer, I picked Shawn up from his condo in Toronto, bikes strapped to the back of our white VW Beetle and we were off to a place called Lac-Superieur in Quebec (with a quick stop in Montréal). At the time, our only intention was to vacation in a new spot, off the beaten path of the pedestrian village at Tremblant, where we had stayed and skied in the winter as children.

One of the mornings, while out on the lake, a development in the mountains adjacent to the condo where we stayed caught our eye. Scandinavian chalets nestled in the forest.

To our fortune, a few undeveloped lots remained in what was to finish as a 21-chalet development. From what I can recall, we quickly bought, choosing lot number 7, with the vision to short-term rent our home, and vacation ourselves in the open spots.

Explore our Vacation Rentals.

The month of June kicked off the development of our Scandinavian chalet . We were keen to create French-Scandinavian-inspired interiors that seamlessly paired with the original cabin concept by Montreal’s YH2 Architecture. Fortunately for us, we had a builder who was like-minded to leave as much of the forest and land undisturbed.

The design build phase was completed over a 6-month period into late 2017, with great attention paid to every detail. Our goal was to create a 1,300 sq.-ft. chalet that was simplistic, minimalist and highly functional. With over 44 amenities inside, each design choice was made with great intention and purpose.

The project finished in December of that year, and our short-term vacation rental business launched shortly thereafter.

Rent Spahaus 7 Lac-Supérieur/Mont Tremblant.

As the construction of our Scandinavian chalet, Spahaus 7, moved forward in 2017, we quickly moved to develop our short-term rental listing, writing, re-writing and describing every amenity and detail we wanted guests to know they would experience when hosted by us. Our mission was to offer a memorable experience that was an extension of who we are as brothers, and one that would allow the guest to connect with what was passionately curated for them.

Hosted stays and experiences are dear to our hearts. Not only are we able to share our vacation home with others we’ve really only met virtually, but a whole new world of professional opportunities have opened for us.

We learned to be expert storytellers, experienced stagers and listing content creators, and we are now sharing our mastered a 7-step approach to mentor others who wish to list a hosted stay experience.

Rent Spahaus 7 Lac-Supérieur/Mont Tremblant.

Midway through 2020 into 2021, Shawn lived in Montréal, in an area called Little Burgundy-Griffintown West. Here you’ll find the calming banks of the Lachine Canal, kilometres of pedestrian walking and bike paths, and quick connections to Montréal’s Old Port. 

On a spring day, Shawn happened upon the sales office of lux condo developers Prével. About to be constructed was Quartier Général, a lively condo project bisected by a pedestrian lane, green alleys and friendly shops.

Knowing he’d want to return to Montréal when on periodic tour breaks from Cirque du Soleil, Shawn inquired about the purchase of a 2-bedroom unit.

Bordered by industrial red-brick buildings and newly-built residential flats, we moved to develop a fully furnished 2 bedroom, corner suite corner on the 7th floor of Quartier General.

With 270 degree views of the cityscape and Lachine canal, the condo’s bright and open floor plan has become our residential headquarters in Montréal.

Learn more about Quartier Général 727.