Design-Build Insights Series
Homeowners renovating older Toronto homes almost always ask for the same thing:
“Can we open this up and get more light?”
In neighbourhoods like Leslieville, the Beaches, Riverdale, and East York, that request sounds simple — but in reality, it’s one of the most technically complex design challenges you can face.
That’s because in older homes, walls don’t just divide rooms.
They carry loads, brace floors, support neighbouring structures, and quietly dictate how light and space can move through the house.
This is where thoughtful design — paired with real structural understanding — makes all the difference.
🧱 1. Why “Open Concept” Is a Myth in Older Toronto Homes
Most pre-war Toronto houses were never designed to be open.
They were built as a series of smaller rooms because:
Structural loads were distributed through multiple bearing walls
Joists were shorter and undersized by today’s standards
Brick party walls often carried more than just one home’s load
Mechanical systems were minimal and easy to hide
Removing walls without understanding why they’re there is one of the fastest ways to create structural, budget, and permit problems.
Good design doesn’t erase structure — it works with it.
🧭 2. Load-Bearing vs Partition Walls (It’s Not Always Obvious)
In older Toronto homes, identifying load-bearing walls isn’t straightforward.
Common conditions we see:
Bearing walls stacked from basement to second floor
Balloon framing where studs run uninterrupted past floors
Brick party walls supporting shared roof loads
Previous renovations that removed or altered structure without documentation
This is why guessing is dangerous.
Before we design an open layout, we trace load paths from roof to foundation — every time.
🪵 3. How Beams Quietly Shape Your Design
Once a wall comes out, something else must take its place.
That “something” — usually a beam — affects design more than most homeowners expect.
Key design considerations:
Flush vs dropped beams (ceiling height trade-offs)
LVL vs steel (span, deflection, coordination with joists)
Beam depth (lighting, bulkheads, duct routing)
A beam sized late in the process often forces compromises:
Lower ceilings
Awkward bulkheads
Reworked lighting plans
Design-build solves this by resolving structure before finishes are chosen.
🌤️ 4. Light Isn’t Just About Windows
More light doesn’t always mean bigger windows — especially on narrow Toronto lots where side openings are limited.
We design for light by:
Creating longer sightlines through the house
Aligning doorways and openings
Using stair openings as vertical light wells
Borrowing light through interior glazing
Opening ceilings strategically where structure allows
In older homes, light is a spatial problem, not just a glazing problem.
🧱 5. The Basement–Main Floor Relationship
Many open-concept designs fail because they ignore what’s happening below.
Structural reality:
Main-floor loads transfer to basement walls and footings
Removing a main-floor wall often requires basement work
Underpinning can enable better layouts upstairs
Basement ceiling height affects beam placement above
This is why we treat basements as part of the whole-house design, not a separate project.
😬 6. Where Open-Concept Renovations Go Wrong
These are the mistakes we’re often called in to fix:
Walls removed before engineering
Beams undersized to “save ceiling height”
Structure planned after lighting layouts
Ductwork fighting joists and beams
Budget blowouts caused by late structural discoveries
Most of these issues stem from separating design from construction reality.
🧰 7. Why Design-Build Makes Open Layouts Work
Opening up an older home isn’t about removing walls — it’s about sequencing decisions properly.
Our design-build process includes:
Early structural feasibility review
Engineer involvement during design
Beam sizes resolved before drawings are final
Lighting and mechanical coordinated with structure
Pricing tied to real spans and supports
Permit-ready drawings with fewer revisions
The result: open spaces that feel intentional, not compromised.
🏠 Open Doesn’t Mean Empty
The best open layouts still feel grounded.
They respect structure, guide light, and create zones without unnecessary walls.
Older Toronto homes can absolutely feel modern — but only when design and structure are treated as one conversation.
🔄 Related Design-Build Insights
If you haven’t read it yet, last week’s post pairs perfectly with this one:
👉 The Building Code Behind Beautiful Design (East Toronto Edition)
https://woodsmith.ca/the-blueprint/design-build-insights/the-building-code-behind-beautiful-design-east-toronto-edition/
📞 Ready to Talk About Opening Up Your Home?
If you’re planning to open up an older home in Leslieville, the Beaches, Riverdale, or East York, we can help you understand what’s possible before construction starts.
👉 Contact Woodsmith Construction:
https://woodsmith.ca/contact/
