Since childhood, Richard Grenier has been multifaceted by nature. He has always enjoyed the arts, and throughout high school was proficient in architecture, shop, art and music. Still today, he draws from his many sources of influence - cultural, natural and artistic - in order to create pieces that function and inspire.
In 1999, Richard began an apprenticeship program as a member of the Carpenters Union. He specialized in finish carpentry as well as tube and clamp scaffolding, and appreciated the diverse challenges of both fine finishing work and working at heights. This complement continues to serve Richard in his career: With both an eye for design and strong technical skill, he strikes the balance between beauty and function.
Having completed his apprenticeship as well as the Advanced Carpentry course at Sir Sanford Fleming (Peterborough) by 2004, Richard remained with the Carpenters Union for eight years. During this time, he was involved in commercial finish carpentry for a number of large scale projects including the construction of the much lauded Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto; the Ryerson University extension at Bay and Dundas; the Panasonic Theatre; and Toronto City Hall at Nathan Phillips Square. His talents and skill were recognized, leading to a 30-month employment at Pickering Nuclear Station. During this time, his work consisted of erecting scaffolding for Hydro One to retrofit nuclear reactors, according to the strict standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
While he was showing great promise in his career, by 2008-09 Richard had a growing desire to offer his skills to private clients in renovation, woodwork and design. Driven by the connection to the client, he worked to maximize function while honouring his clients’ unique needs and vision. This new layer to his work offered great fulfilment, as well as the freedom to create pieces that could capture the spirit of the client’s home and lifestyle.
Over the last decade, Richard's custom design and build work has broadened his experience to include post and beam framing, additions, interior and exterior custom work as well as detailed reproductions. His exposure to diverse landscapes and traditions enriches his perspective and generates energy for his work, and he continues to find satisfaction in the envisioning and transformation of a space.
In August 2017, Richard was featured in Ottawa Life Magazine, and one of his custom projects was selected for the Best Pics category in the Fall 2017 issue. With deep respect for the earth and its potential, he continues to find passion and draw inspiration from the materials he works with. Whether in simpler repairs or fine custom woodwork, Richard takes pride in completing a job with competence and integrity.
TESTIMONIALS
Angela Caron
My husband and I were extremely fortunate to have Richard and his team conduct an extensive restoration of the exterior of our downtown century home. Richard and his team are exceedingly professional, knowledgeable, and all-around wonderful people. They are exceptionally skilled, and true masters of their craft. They are real-deal, highly experienced carpentry and construction experts. They completely transformed the facade of our home, and restored its beautiful, detailed heritage look while outfitting the house with modern-day essentials such as attic ventilation and a rainwater drainage system. Upon first meeting them, we were impressed by their scope of experience, construction acumen, and kind demeanour. Throughout the entirety of the project, we were in the hands of true professionals: they guided each step of the process with the highest level of professionalism, integrity, dedication, and eye for detail. They navigated an extensive and complex project with finesse, demonstrating their high level expertise. Beyond their skill level, Richard and his team are such kind people. They are thoughtful, conscientious, and caring - I felt so comfortable having them work on our property. Richard is the type of person one simply doesn’t come by often - he is not only a true professional, but equally caring and courteous too. We feel very fortunate to have worked with Richard and his team, and recommend them wholeheartedly.Read More
F. Outerbridge
Details for the project were discussed
With good suggestions, dates for installation were set and adhered to.
The difficult installation was completed
With great skill and care.Read More
Back deck
Richard and his team just finished our deck. Simply said wow! Richard, Dan, Steven, and Ryan, simply said thank you. It looks like a price of art.Read More
Juanita/Corrinne Shaw
First time working with Richard and it was a pleasure. He gave us some i great ideas on what would look the best for out project. He is easy to speak with. He was very reliable and punctual every day. He was done on time and under budget. His work is of the highest quality. Very honest person. He's a TRUE CRAFTSMAN and produces a quality of work that is not often seen in today's market. He's tidy, polite, accommodating and open to discussing ideas or suggestions and freely answers questions. Would highly recommend for any job. Honest person in every respect. Shows you his work at previous projects and not just references.Read More
Scott Hagerman & Marc Lachance
We were very pleased with the work that Richard accomplished in converting two single bedroom closets, to a larger efficient and easy access bedroom closet. We were frustrated with the small old style closets that both were hard to access and had wasted space. The new modernized closet allowed easy access and utilized all the available space. We also were very pleased with the custom made sliding doors. We found his work both professional & of high-quality; and would recommend him.Read More
