In The Walls

The demolition and structural reinforcement projects have been completed at our kitchen/mud room project, and now the interior framing is well underway. It's always exciting to see a warren of small, illogically used rooms open up into a well thought out space with a sensible flow. Here we can see this process happening.

I know, it looks like a bunch of two-by-fours, right? But if you were able to walk the newly defined space, you would get the feel.

Whenever possible, we like to widen door openings, and give as much new access to the exterior as possible, both visually and for traffic. This remodel affords ample opportunity for that, as you can see in these photos.

While the interior framing, plumbing and electric are going in, the exterior is simultaneously being worked on. The plywood siding has been wrapped in Tyvek, and exterior siding that matches the rest of the house is being applied.

Also, new rafter tails have been fashioned with a pattern made from the existing ones. Ultimately, the newly enclosed porch will be seamless with the rest of the house. We'll keep a close eye on this project. The clients hope to be able to move in in May, and we're all keeping our fingers crossed!

Woman on the Verge

There were a couple of delays due to product mis-ordering, and a lengthy delay due to the contractor being ill...and our client is (silently) pulling out her hair! She was hoping to have the house back to herself after today. Well, that's not going to happen, but if everything stays on schedule now, this time next week she'll be able to have a lovely soak in her new tub...in peace!

The contractor has done a great job of building a beautiful vanity, on-site. It's ready for the finishing touches by the marble installer.

And the tub surround is almost complete. Once all the plumbing is finalized, the final end panel will go on to close up the cabinet.

The WC, and sauna doors are now in place, complete with frosted glass, and the single entry door to the bathroom has been replaced with a pair of narrow doors that adds a lot of elegance to the new room.

Doors are trimmed, and the crown molding is mostly installed.

Though it seems like there is a lot left to do, the final details will happen quickly. Next time we look at this bathroom, I'll show you all the beautiful details and finishes that will make this special room well worth the wait!

Brave Heart

Almost any size of home renovation project is a major undertaking. Aside from the expense, it can be enormously stressful and time consuming. These situations can be alleviated by careful planning and a LOT of patience...

Construction has started on one of our most recent design projects, and you have the chance to be in on it from the beginning. The clients came to us to design a new kitchen and mud room from space that was previously the kitchen, pantry and side porch. Here are some before images.

And here is the side porch that is destined to become the mud room.

Here is the porch as it is being enclosed and re-roofed.

And here is what the interior space looks like after demolition.

Yikes! How would you like to come home to that? But, this is to be expected. Opening walls will often reveal structural issues, like what was found here.

This beam will be reinforced, but in the mean time the structure is braced with scaffolding.

Hard to believe that this space will turn into a gorgeous kitchen, but I promise you, it's gonna happen! Just wait and see.

The Heart of the Home

The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home. In the building project we've been following recently, this is no exception. In this home that we designed from the ground up, the kitchen is literally in the center of the house. It is an open concept, right off of the family room, with an adjoining breakfast nook. This is the first story floor plan of the home. The rose tinted area is the kitchen/breakfast room, and the pale blue area is the adjoining family room.

The next image shows the details of the kitchen and breakfast room layout.

Here are a couple of views of the family room from the new kitchen space.

As the kitchen slowly starts to comes to life, the cabinet bases are installed.

You can already hear the faintest sound of a heartbeat! We'll all see it take shape together. I promise it's another beauty!

Trims and Trappings

Let's check in on our full house project under construction. Last time we looked in, the Sheetrock was up, patched and sanded. Now, the finish details are being installed, and this is when the real personality of the home-to-be starts to emerge.

Each and every window, arch and door opening in this house receives a full trim treatment. It takes a lot of board-feet of material for a project this size.

The trim carpenter is excellent, and many hours later, all openings are covered in their several layers of trim.

The crown moldings are also in. Here you can see how beautifully the crown mold ties in to the arch trim, creating a deep, rich detail surrounding the kitchen and breakfast nook.

And here is the view the client will have from their kitchen, through the family room, all the way into the foyer and front door.

Bright, sunny and cheerful!

Paint samples are going up on the interior and exterior walls, and cabinets are being installed. It won't be long now...a lot will happen fast. Check back. You won't want to miss a detail!