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For more than 35 years , Michal J . Cerny has been helping families find their dream home , as the owner of Ambassador Fine Custom Homes , a renowned , multi-award winning design and build firm . An honors graduate in Construction Project Management , Michal is gold certified by the Canadian Construction Association and earned a P . GSC ( Professional , Gold Seal Certified ) designation for excellence in the industry in 2011 making him one of only 6,000 people in Canada to hold this designation . As a design build firm , Ambassador Fine Custom Homes has designed roughly 65 % of the homes they have built , winning numerous awards for their designs including the Best Custom Home in Canada Award ! Michal personally oversees the entire construction process to make sure everything is being done to the highest standards to ensure the best quality for all of his clients .
CANADIAN HOME TRENDS Is there a big difference between a luxury home builder and other home builders ?
MICHAL J CERNY The main difference is what they specialize in . As a Toronto luxury home builder , I specialize in luxury homes and will often carry fewer projects but with a much larger scale than those of a typical home builder . An important difference , no matter what type of home you are building , is the difference between an experienced home builder and someone who just calls themselves a builder . You can have a very experienced home builder who doesn ’ t focus on luxury homes , and regrettably you will find inexperienced home builders who specialize in luxury homes .
CHT What are some key things that homeowners should consider when designing a luxury home ?
MJC Room for the family to grow ! Most families who are in the renovation / addition / new build phase of their lives are middle aged to a bit older . They may have some kids at various ages and don ’ t plan on having anymore , but their children have friends . One of their own parents may need to move in . Planning for growth ensures the home can grow with you ! - Ambassador Fine Custom Homes Inc , www . ambassadorfinecustomhomesinc . com
Shortly after graduating high school , Sarah Dougall stumbled across a Jewelery Arts Program at George Brown College and was immediately intrigued by the idea of making a career out of jewelry design ! Sarah opened Made You Look in 2001 with the goal to create a space to showcase local designers . The majority of the pieces you ’ ll find at Made You Look are one-ofa-kind , handmade with love by one of over 100 local designers . In addition to a stunning gallery of jewelry , Made You Look also houses a jewelry manufacturing studio where 20 self-employed jewelers create their pieces right on-site . Sarah believes that pieces that have been handmade feel better on your body . There is a lot of thought and intention that goes into this work and you can feel good knowing that you ’ ve supported local talent and encouraged them to keep shining .
CANADIAN HOME TRENDS If you could have lunch with any one person in the world , who would you pick and why ?
SARAH DOUGALL My son Simon is 20 now and I love hearing about the world through his eyes . It is amazing to celebrate how we are different from our children and to be excited and intrigued by all of the different paths that their lives can take .
CHT If you could go back 20 years , what advice would you give your younger self ?
SD Before you speak T . H . I . N . K - T is it true ? H is it helpful ? I is it inspiring ? N is it necessary ? K is it kind ? Bringing this approach into my workspace has insured that the vibration stays high and that we all bring the best of ourselves to the table each day .
CHT Name one thing on your bucket list .
SD I would like to visit New Zealand . I was born there but moved to Canada as an infant . - Made You Look , www . madeyoulook . ca