Getting it Right the First Time
STORY: JODY SCULLY | PHOTOGRAPHY GORDON KING
Featured in The City of Ottawa - Fall/Holiday 2025
But that’s what happened when homeowners Martin and Patty teamed up with Mark Patterson of Patterson Homes and Susan Hodgson of Design Studio Hodgson to build what they had originally planned to be their practice home.
The idea was to build a resale home and learn as much as they could before creating their forever home on another piece of land they owned. Despite many pandemic-related shortages and delays during the building process, the finished product was just too good to part with.
The moment you step inside their Greely home, it’s clear why selling no longer felt like an option. With high ceilings, an impressive stone fireplace by Metcalfe Masonry (featuring an insert by Hubert’s Fireplace Consultation + Design) and large windows from Marlboro Windows & Doors that flood the space with natural light, the main living area manages to feel both luxurious and cosy at the same time.
The open-concept space strikes a perfect balance between rustic and traditional, bringing together rich, dark wood and natural materials such as stone, iron and leather.
A vaulted ceiling in the main living space is finished with reclaimed wood barn beams sourced from nearby The Woodsource. The beams hold special meaning for Martin, bringing back memories of growing up in a farming family. Directly across from the entry, double sliding doors at the back of the house open to a beautiful sunroom with large windows, vaulted wood ceilings and radiant flooring, which keep the room warm in cooler weather.
Martin spent almost two years looking at floor plans in preparation for the project. So, when it came time to build, he had a good idea of what he wanted. Together with Susan, the homeowners shaped a layout that perfectly suits their needs.
The floor plan focuses on flow and convenience, with a garage entrance that opens to the mudroom/laundry room, which leads directly to the kitchen pantry and main-floor powder room. The mudroom also includes a discreet sliding door that connects to the primary bedroom’s walk-through closet. This clever layout allows for convenience, whether they are coming home with groceries or arriving after work to change.
Susan’s careful planning and attention to detail helped ensure that everything in the home was tailored to Martin and Patty’s lifestyle. “There’s a lot of collaboration, a lot of questions and discussions right from the beginning,” says Susan. “Not just on how everything should look, but also how they want the home to flow, right down to the little details like how many drawers should be in the kitchen.”
Patty credits Susan’s thoroughness for meaningful improvements such as adjusting the size of the dining room to fit a table large enough for their family dinners and relocating the powder room so it wasn’t directly off the kitchen.
It was important for Martin and Patty that the home was designed with longevity in mind. By keeping the main living areas on one level and integrating features such as curbless showers, smooth flooring transitions, spacious doorways and hallways and lower light switches, they ensured the home would meet their needs for years to come. A basement entrance from the garage also provides flexibility, allowing for a separate space for family or a caregiver to stay if needed in the future.
Part of what makes this project so successful is the symbiotic working relationship between Mark and Susan. After collaborating on many projects over the past nine years, they have developed a level of trust and understanding that’s rare when working with a different team every time.
“When we’re on site and the contractors have questions, I say ‘just call Susan,’ ” says Mark. “Everybody’s time is valuable, and Susan can provide the answers quickly and keep the project running smoothly.” Susan adds, “Every single homeowner who worked with Mark was sad to see him go. And that is extremely rare in this business”.
They both believe that a good team is paramount to a successful project, and many of the trades and contractors they work with have become not just business partners but also longtime friends.
“Part of the joy of working with a team like this is knowing that we’ll work through the details together and come up with something that is really great in the end,” says Susan.
Martin agrees and credits excellent contractors like Peter Magee of Magee Electric for adding smart details like floor plugs under furniture and adjusting the placement of light switches to improve flow.
The crowning feature of this home is its backyard oasis. With a heated pool, hot tub, putting green and a pool house complete with a golf simulator, the space has everything needed for the ultimate staycation.
“We love it because we don’t have to travel to our weekend getaway and then spend time maintaining a second home. It feels like we live at a cottage every day now,” says Patty. OH