M.J.L. WOODWORKING

We were looking for a company to trust with our project; replace the disintegrating gazebo installed by the previous owners, build a deck off the ground-floor master bedroom, and connect the deck with a walkway to the patio area off the kitchen that we had put in about five years earlier.

We had gotten rid of the gazebo ourselves in the fall, and this had left the rotting hexagon floor footprint in an odd placement within the brick pavers in the pool area.

The original gazebo was a hexagon wedged in against the metal pool fencing leaving a lot of wasted and unusable space.

I reached out to Michael and was immediately impressed with his knowledge and willingness to consider a custom design that I had roughed out that also included a pergola.

Our love of traditonal timber design meant a lot of extra work to make the design work and Michael worked with me to bring my vision for the space to life. His keen attention to detail and pride in his work was evident throughout our entire project.

His solution to address the hexagon-shaped hole left by the old gazebo meant that the two distinct patio areas had a cohesive element because he incorporated the large pavers that we had installed years ago into the new area under the pavilion.

The new structure is a contemporary and a visual centrepiece. But most importantly, it is the place where we spend the majority of our time in the summer months (and fall and spring with blankets). The structure is substantial and provides a shaded and breezy place to sit and enjoy the garden. It is beautifully built and the quality of workmanship is evident.

In addition to the new pavilion and outdoor living area, we also wanted a medium-sized deck built off the main floor bedroom. We needed something that was low maintenance but still looked natural and fit into the surroundings. Michael worked with us to select colours and a style that was complimentary to our home. As a result, we ended up with another outside space that we enjoy, especially for those early morning coffees.

Communication was prompt and crews showed up on time on the days they were scheduled. They did a great job cleaning up each each day.

We have recommended M.J.L. Woodworking to a number of friends looking for a contractor. In fact, we were so pleased with our project that we recommended Michael and his crew to my sister who had them rebuild a significant outdoor structure and patio that another contractor had made a mess of.