Bright, Airy Top Floor Modern Open Concept Renovation Transforming a Dated Home into a Bright, Modern Living Space Every home has potential—it simply takes the right vision, thoughtful design, and expert craftsmanship to bring it to life. For this top-floor renovation, our clients wanted more than an updated kitchen—they wanted an entirely new way of living in their home. Their goal was to create a bright, open-concept space that felt welcoming, functional, and designed for everyday family life while also being perfect for entertaining. At Sasen Homes, we believe exceptional renovations begin long before construction starts. Every successful project is built on careful planning, honest communication, and a commitment to quality that carries through every stage of the build. Led by owner Matthew Senf alongside Peter, our team works closely with every homeowner to create spaces that are not only beautiful but thoughtfully designed to improve everyday life. This renovation is a reflection of that philosophy—a complete transformation that combines structural expertise, timeless design, and meticulous craftsmanship to create a home that feels brighter, more spacious, and built for the future. Building More Than Beautiful Homes For Sasen Homes, every renovation tells a story. We understand that a home is much more than walls and finishes. It’s where families gather, children grow up, holidays are celebrated, and everyday moments become lifelong memories. That understanding shapes every decision we make throughout the renovation process. Matthew Senf founded Sasen Homes with a simple belief: homeowners deserve a renovation experience built on integrity, transparency, and exceptional workmanship. Rather than treating projects as transactions, Matthew and Peter approach every renovation as a true partnership, taking the time to understand how each family lives before designing solutions that fit their lifestyle. From the initial consultation to the final walkthrough, clients work directly with experienced professionals who are invested in every detail of the finished product. The Vision When we first stepped into this home, the potential was immediately clear. Although the structure itself was solid, the existing layout no longer reflected how the homeowners wanted to live. Separate rooms limited natural light, interrupted the flow between spaces, and made the main floor feel smaller than it truly was. The homeowners envisioned a complete transformation that would create: A bright, open-concept kitchen and living area Better flow between every room Increased natural light throughout the home Modern finishes with timeless appeal Improved storage and functionality A welcoming environment for entertaining family and friends Rather than simply updating finishes, this renovation focused on completely reimagining how the home functioned. Careful Planning Before Construction Begins One of the qualities that distinguishes Sasen Homes is the emphasis placed on planning before demolition ever begins. Major renovations often involve complex structural considerations, careful scheduling, and coordination between numerous trades. Matthew and Peter work closely with homeowners, consultants, engineers, and skilled trades to ensure every stage of construction is carefully organized before work begins. This thoughtful planning minimizes surprises, keeps projects moving efficiently, and allows homeowners to feel confident throughout the renovation process. Because every home presents unique challenges, no two renovations are approached exactly the same. Every solution is tailored specifically to the home, the family, and their long-term goals. Opening Up the Home One of the defining elements of this renovation was transforming a series of disconnected rooms into one cohesive living environment. Through strategic structural modifications and thoughtful design, the kitchen, dining room, and living room were opened into one continuous space that feels dramatically larger and brighter than before. Removing walls wasn’t simply about creating more square footage—it was about creating better sightlines, improving circulation, and allowing...

Planning a major renovation? Here’s what homeowners in Burnaby, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, North Vancouver, and across Metro Vancouver should know before starting their renovation journey. Renovating your home is one of the biggest investments you’ll ever make.  Whether you’re updating an older family home, expanding your living space, or transforming an entire property, understanding renovation costs is one of the first—and most important—steps in the planning process. At Sasen Homes, we believe informed homeowners make better decisions. Every renovation is unique, and we have in the past thought, we shouldn’t post numbers but the reality is in today’s economy, people need to get information that would be helpful especially when you are investing in your home transformation. Understanding the factors that influence pricing can help you create realistic expectations before construction begins. Here are what we want to share. What Influences the Cost of a Renovation? Every project is different, but several key factors affect the overall investment: Size of the home Scope of work Structural modifications Age of the home Electrical and plumbing upgrades Permit requirements Material selections Custom cabinetry and millwork Energy efficiency improvements Landscaping and exterior work Typical Investment Ranges Although every project is unique, many homeowners in Burnaby, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam (Metro Vancouver), and beyond can expect investment ranges such as: Kitchen Renovation Starting around $75,000+ you can complete an IKEA or Home Depot DIY kitchen renovation for approximately $8,000–$25,000, but there are many hidden costs, including electrical, plumbing, permits, installation, and finishing work We can’t give away the cost for this amazing kitchen and dining groom renovation in Burnaby, but we can say custom builds and renovations like this require the expertise of our team of designers and project managers. Main Floor Renovation – Typically $100,000–$200,000+ Whether you’re creating an open-concept layout or renovating an entire floor—including a basement or upper level—it’s important to consider temporary living arrangements. Living through a major renovation can be stressful and may even slow construction as crews work throughout your home.  Check out this top floor renovations. Whole Home Renovation- Often $200,000–$600,000+ We’ve worked with homeowners who renovate in stages over several years, as well as clients who complete full-home transformations all at once for every room, office, and nook and cranny like our Eagle Island, West Vancouver project. The cost included travel, demolition, transportation, and cleanup by boat. It was a pleasure working with amazing clients and you can imagine the investment they made to create the home of their dreams. Major Custom Renovations with Additions – Can exceed $700,000 depending on scope. Home additions can expand outward or upward. In recent years, we’ve completed several projects in Burnaby where homeowners added an entirely new upper floor to an existing home, creating significantly more living space while remaining in the neighbourhood they love. Rather than focusing on the lowest possible price, we encourage homeowners to consider long-term value, craftsmanship, durability, and how the renovation will improve everyday life. Is Renovating Worth It? For many homeowners, the answer is yes. A thoughtfully planned renovation can: Improve daily living Increase functionality Add significant home value Delay the need to move Create a home tailored to your family’s lifestyle Start with a Conversation Every successful renovation begins with understanding your goals—not just your budget.” If you’re considering a major renovation, we’d love to hear your ideas and help you explore what’s possible. Schedule a consultation with Matthew or one of our team members today. info@sasenhomes.com What We Specialize In: Large Scale Renovations Entire House Gut and Remodel Additions House Raising Complete Kitchen Renovation Heritage Renovations Design Permit & Engineering Process...

Sasen Renovations is excited to be amongst the ranks of our most skilled peers as one of the Ovation Award finalists. We thought we would share some of the story about how this project came to be: Purpose of the project: To turn a tiny spare room that became a haven for junk storage into a usable and magical study land for two sisters. The room is located in the basement of the home and so it was important to make the room cozy and warm in order to make the most use out of it. The Scope of work (redacted): Install custom day bed with one off valence and coffered barrel vaulted canopy Install two custom desks Fabricate and install one hanging barn door Panel and refinish walls Install wall covering and heritage trim Install ornamental additions including pulls, handles, cover plates etc. and theme specific lighting The Key Features of the job: The door: Our past blog post covers this door and how it was created. The door was salvaged from 100% recycled 2X6 Douglas Fir. This came from a renovation project of a colleague on the North Shore. Originally, this wood was part of the framing in a 70 year old home. The material was then hand crafted by Matthew Senf and finished by our designer, Lucy Tartaglia. For a video, visit our blog post How to Reclaim Wood Barn Door. The Walls: The base of the walls are trimmed out with an overheight baseboard and a thin profile, beaded wainscoting topped with a heritage cap rail. All the wood panel and trim have been finished with a three-part antiquing process comprised of base coat, distressed top coat and pigmented glaze finish to give the whole room a patina of well lived in warmth. A heavily patterned and theme specific wall paper makes up the balance of the field of wall topped off by a 4″ roman Ogee crown moulding painted and antiqued to match the millwork. The Desks: These desks, and their accompanying chairs, were rescued from being thrown away. The chairs had some appliqué details added and were recovered to match the day bed. The desks, once appliqué, moulding and routered details were added, were antiqued and finished with the same patina and technique as the wall panelling, trim and millwork. We want to thank Lucy for her hard work on this project and congratulate her as well. Thank you also to all of our subtrades who worked with us on this room to create a masterpiece out of a small space. What do the kids think? “The room is very warm and cozy…it’s fun to do our homework there now and to hang out with our friends.” Mission accomplished! Ovation Awards Finalists Before Image: After Photos of the Cinderella Study: