Design & planning notes / Toronto & GTA

Better questions. Clearer decisions.

Explore commercial design, fabrication, documentation and budget decisions for restaurant, retail, hospitality and office projects.

Complimentary planning guide / PDF

Before you build.
Know what to consider.

A practical checklist for designing and building a restaurant, retail store or office—from the first questions to the final handover.

The brief & the site

The budget & the programme

The layout & the experience

The details & the documentation

The contractors & the procurement

The build & the opening

Get the checklist.

36 considerations · 3 printable pages

Download here after submitting. No email app or account needed.

Restaurant / café

Restaurant renovation costs: what to budget for

Understand restaurant construction allowances, kitchen scope, exclusions and the decisions to make before requesting contractor quotes in Toronto and the GTA.

Office / retail

Commercial renovation costs: scope before square footage

Plan an office or retail fit-out budget in Toronto and the GTA, understand construction versus additional costs, and prepare a scope contractors can price.

Hospitality / design

Custom hospitality design

Custom hospitality design consulting in Toronto and the GTA: connect guest experience, materials, millwork and contractor coordination with Consultony.

Restaurant / café

Custom restaurant interiors

Custom restaurant interior design consulting for Toronto and GTA cafés, bars and dining spaces, with practical layouts, material choices and fabrication coordination.

Retail / office

Bespoke commercial interiors

Bespoke commercial interior design consulting in Toronto and the GTA for retail stores and offices, connecting brand, layout, custom fixtures and practical detailing.

Design / fabrication

Fabrication-informed design

What fabrication-informed design means for commercial interiors: connect material choices, assembly, detailing and installation with Consultony’s consulting approach.

Details / coordination

Design detailing for commercial interiors

Understand commercial interior design detailing: material junctions, edge conditions, hardware and interfaces that help communicate design intent to contractors and fabricators.

Documentation / scope

Construction documentation for commercial interiors

What commercial interior construction documentation does, how it differs from concept presentations and shop drawings, and how to define professional responsibilities.

Millwork / fabrication

Shop drawings: from design intent to fabrication

What shop drawings are, how they differ from construction drawings, and what to discuss when reviewing commercial millwork and custom fixtures with a consultant.

Budget / design decisions

Value engineering for commercial interiors

Value engineering explained for commercial interiors: compare materials, assemblies and scope alternatives while protecting function and design intent—not just cutting costs.

Explore the cost calculator