About a Toronto home by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

“We are committed city-dwellers, and after buying a historic, 3-storey Victorian house in downtown Toronto, we looked for help in improving it. Our tastes are both modern and classic. We recognized that our home (a former rooming house) possessed great potential. It had high ceilings, great formal rooms graced by fireplaces, as well as space for a vast kitchen. We searched for someone who could realize that potential.

We had some serious structural and planning issues to resolve. After we reviewed Harry Lay’s suggestions for remedies and costs, we gave him free rein to manage the whole project. Years of neglect meant that all parts of the home had to be rejuvenated. We had problems with the heating and cooling; the lighting was terrible; we needed a new staircase, and all aspects of the interior design needed a professional touch.

Harry has struck a balance between old and new in our home. It now shows off all the best parts of its’ age, without making sacrifices to modern function. The design for our home has captured exactly the spirit that we wanted to convey. The principal rooms sparkle; our third floor is a romantic aerie.

Harry worked alongside the builder to tailor the work carefully to our needs, and shepherded our budget through to the end of construction. We are happy to suggest that any home design, be it modern or classic, would profit from Harry’s care.”

J. Black and B. Allan, Toronto, Ont.

About a Muskoka renovation by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

"Your renovation has preserved the look and feel of a cottage that has enjoyed almost 100 years of family ownership. Doing a major renovation like this required an architect we could trust to carry out our wishes and to see that the work was done well and on time. You did all this and were terrific to work with.

The beautiful cottage we now have will be enjoyed by my family for another 100 years."

Kirtland Gardner, Tuscon, Arizona

Of Harry Morison Lay's Doritty Residence in Port Hope:

"Elevated in a secluded inner hollow of the town [Port Hope], this beautifully proportioned house is a fine blend of the traditional with the modern, where nothing seems out of place."

Architectural Conservancy's Guide to Port Hope, 1997

About a Millbrook renovation by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

"We searched high and low for the Toronto Architect who could best handle the tough job of renovating our century-old farmhouse. We chose Harry Lay because of his beautiful work. We chose him for his excellent rapport with builders. We chose Harry for his wonderful feeling for Ontario architecture. And we would recommend him to anyone interested in design, be it for a home or a country place."

Mrs. H. S. Gooderham, Millbrook, Ont

About a Lake Joseph renovation by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

"You can see from our photographs how the boathouse looked before, and after. What a makeover! We have received many compliments - the deck has been put to good use. The main room in the Boathouse is very pleasing in terms of size, proportion and window placement. The compliments from neighbours abound!"

Mr. C. Marshall, Lake Joseph, Ont.

About a new Muskoka cottage by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

"It's a great feeling seeing the neighbours boat by and give the "thumbs up" sign when they see us. We are delighted with how nicely the cottage nestles in with the surrounding forest and terrain. The porch view both up and down the lake is magnificent. Pam and I think the fees paid to your company were the best investment we could have made in this project. Thanks for your professional advice, support and guidance!"

Mr. D. Blakey, Bass Lake, Ont.

About a home renovation by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

"Harry and I met at the Cottage Life Show 3 years ago ... and recently completely renovated a 25 year-old home on Rice Lake. Harry acted as both Architect and Construction Manager for the project.

Kathy and I are thoroughly pleased with our new home ... Harry transformed it from a gloomy, dark structure to a modern lakefront haven.

We are particularly pleased that the project was completed on time and on budget. He has earned our unqualified confidence and trust, and we feel that we received excellent value."

Mr. J.D. Thom, Bewdley, Ont.

About a private country house by Harry Morison Lay, Architect:

“We couldn’t have been more pleased and satisfied with the experience, skill, creativity and talent that Harry brings to bear in his work. Harry is a very good listener with a talent for translating dreams into realities. He is very careful not to impose his own views, but will work as a partner in developing solutions that align with our own style.

In our project ... Harry not only creatively but very enthusiastically met the challenges that we had struggled with for years. The end result is that they have turned out to be the signature features of our building! Harry handled our work very independently, managing the general contractor, subcontractors and all the liaisons with the government bodies for permits, with little involvement from us once the plans were agreed upon. We are especially indebted to him for his skill in this aspect of the work. We would not hesitate in any way to use Harry’s services again (and, in fact, are doing so, as we head into Phase 2 of our project).”

Glenn and Trish Jones, Port Severn, Ont.