Parris McKenna Design

One of the things we think about often when designing a home is how far its living space can extend beyond the walls.

Before, this was deck that was too small to be enjoyed.

Today, it’s an outdoor room.

A place to cook, gather, linger over dinner, and move seamlessly between inside and out.

The pass-through window became part of the experience. The outdoor kitchen became part of the architecture. And every detail was considered with the same care as the rooms inside the home.

Because some of the most memorable spaces aren’t additional square footage at all.

They’re just make you want to stay a little longer.

Photography by
Styling by

The beauty of marble is never about one thing alone.

It’s about the way every element works together, and the most interesting pieces aren’t always the most dramatic.

They’re the ones with balance:

Brecciated marble: Defined by fragmented mineral compositions and layered movement. Often higher contrast, more expressive, and heavily detailed.

Quartzites with tectonic movement: Large-scale ribboning and directional flow that creates a more architectural feeling across the slab.

Onyx + translucent stone: Known for depth, softness, and the way the material responds to light throughout the day.

Classic Italian white marble: Warmer and more dimensional than people often expect, with stronger veining, mineral variation, and movement throughout the slab.

Vein-cut and textured stone: More linear in composition, with rhythm, repetition, and surface finish becoming part of the overall experience of the material.

The final feeling of a stone isn’t about colour alone.

It’s about movement.

Depth.
Scale.
Texture.

And how the stone changes the atmosphere around it.

Jake leads our Muskoka projects with a clear sense of vision and a strong understanding of how a home needs to function.

He has a natural instinct for layout and flow - often spotting the small adjustments that make a space feel easier, more considered, and better to live in.

He brings so much personality and energy to the team, which carries through into both the work and the experience of working with him.

It’s his thoughtful, steady approach that makes your project feel calm and clear from beginning to end.

Selkirk, in progress.

One of the things we love most about renovation projects is watching a home slowly come back to life through the layers.

The framing.
The light.
The proportions.

The details that start to change how a space feels before it’s fully complete.

This project has been full of those moments.

Rooms that once felt unfinished or disconnected now feel warm, intentional, and ready to hold real life inside them.

And while there’s still more to share, these before and afters felt too good not to post now.