New Twists Make it Easier
to Remodel

Despite a slow recovery in the economy, statistics show that home remodeling is on the rise here in the greater Santa Clara County area. It may be that in today's real estate market, it makes more sense to improve than move, especially given the hassle and cost of selling your home and moving all your belongings. Many homeowners tell us they haven't even considered moving – they're just tired of outdated kitchens, bathrooms, and cramped living space. Whatever the reason, remodeling is moving to the front burner, but with a few new twists.

Here's what we're seeing:

 

1. Priority-based remodeling. The "why not?" environment for high-end appliances and other expensive options is gone. The new twist is that clients are focusing less on "making a statement" with their remodeling, and focusing more on features that have a high ROI in terms of real-world functionality, energy efficiency and personal satisfaction. For example, why invest money – and floor space – in a six-burner commercial range if you don't ever cook with six burners? And yes, a whirlpool tub would be great, but will it give you as much satisfaction as spending that same amount of money elsewhere in a remodeling project?

 

2. Addition vs. interior renovation. Some of our clients initially say they want a home addition. As we develop a conversation about the idea, however, we're often able to offer a different solution by showing how they might renovate the interior space to create a new configuration that they desire. By doing the remodel within the home's existing footprint, the client may benefit from a lower budget or easier permit process (each case IS unique though). Another bonus is that renovating existing space can leave room in your yard as well. For example, instead of doing a kitchen addition, it might be possible to get the desired storage and floor plan by opening the existing kitchen and "stealing" a bit of space from adjacent rooms that are less-used than the kitchen.

 

3. Fresh – but classic. Today's up-to-the-minute colors and designs may have that "wow factor" now, but building them into your remodeling can eventually date your home. Homeowners today are more cautious than a few years ago. They don't want to risk tiring of a too-trendy look in their new kitchen, bath, or family room. Plus, if they want to move, they don't want a quirky floor plan or dated look to become an obstacle to resale.

We are all for personal style and fresh spaces, but our design team strives to translate each client's taste into classic, clean looks – whether for traditional or contemporary décor. This way, they can "re-do" the home down the road simply by changing the paint color and updating the accessories, rather than having to start over with cabinets, countertops, flooring and molding.

 

4. Find smart ways to save. A whirlpool tub may seem luxurious, but it's expensive in terms of price and the floor space it uses. That's vital if you're renovating within an existing footprint. Plus, many families find they never take the time to use them. An over-sized shower with a bench and glass walls might not only cost less, but offer greater satisfaction. In the kitchen, we can configure semi-custom cabinets that are more budget friendly, yet give you the look, function and features of "custom" cabinetry . And in the powder room, an elegant pedestal sink typically costs less than buying a sink, base cabinet and counter top. It can also make a smaller powder room feel more spacious.

The good news is that it is indeed a great time to remodel. By taking advantage of "new twists" you can not only make the very most of your budget, but you will also be able to appreciate the daily pleasure your home gives you.

 

If you'd like to start exploring your own remodeling options, let us share our experience and ideas.

Wake Up Your Master Suite

Feeling tired as you head to bed is one thing. Having your master suite feel tired is another! This is your getaway – your sanctuary. If you don't feel pampered, relaxed and refreshed, maybe it's time for an update! Here are a few little touches that can make a big difference in your bedroom, bathroom and closets.

 

Breakfast in bed. Imagine this: built-in bedroom storage plus your own private café! Cabinets that blend in with your décor can conceal a microwave, small refrigerator and even a sleek dishwasher-in-a-drawer. Enjoying a head start to busy days is easy with a single-serve coffeemaker right there as soon as you open your eyes. On lazy mornings, indulge in a luxurious breakfast without even leaving your room. For cozy evening retreats, add a wine cooler/refrigerator and stock up your own personal mini-bar!

Lighten up. Yes, you want closet lighting that lets you tell navy from black, and you sometimes want bright light in the bathroom. But you also want soft, cozy light. That's why cove lighting can be such a wonderful upgrade. We can build this lighting into ledges, recesses or valances so that the fixtures disappear and you can dim or brighten the light to give your room exactly the right glow. Chandeliers and sconces can add extra drama as well. If more natural light is desired, consider floor-to-ceiling windows or even doors that open to a patio or balcony.

            

Free your closet. Why keep beautiful cabinetry and shelving hidden? Consider opening up your closet into the bedroom. Using that open feel, we could create a visually appealing dressing area that almost makes it fun to select what to wear each morning. "His and Hers" fitted closet components keep everything from work clothes to workout wear in place.

 

Let it flow. Don't just open up the closet! One of the newest trends in master suites is to eliminate the doorway between the bedroom and bathroom. This creates an expansive sense of space. If you'd like more privacy, a separate commode room can be added, as well as pocket doors or sliding panels that can be open or closed as desired to separate the bath from the bedroom.

Entertain your options. You want your master suite to fully enhance your leisure time, so you'll want entertainment electronics at your disposal. Flat screen televisions, surround sound and even music docking stations are becoming must-have features in bedroom design. Custom cabinetry can house outlets for charging devices, control multi-media wiring, and even conceal your technology behind doors, when you want to get away from it all.

 

Put your feet up. Think outside the box of a typical bedroom and you can find room for an alcove or corner in your master suite to serve as your "sitting room" or study. A small upholstered chair and ottoman or a comfy chaise lounge with a side table make the perfect spot for your late night or early morning reading with your feet up and a cup of coffee or a glass of wine.

 

Relax by firelight. What could be more relaxing than curling up with a favorite book in front of the fireplace? Today, that's easier than ever because we can put a fireplace almost anywhere in your bedroom or bathroom. It doesn't even need to be on an exterior wall. In fact, today's fireplace options include glass enclosed "designer" flames that can be freestanding or inserted into the middle of a wall as a focal point. Remote controls make it so easy to enjoy gorgeous firelight whenever you like and you can shut the flames on and off instantly and safely.

 

These ideas are just the start. If you're thinking of upgrading, call us! We'd love to share many more simple little touches that can wake up your space and make you feel pampered and refreshed every day of the year!

7 Tips for What's Trending in Home Offices

 

"Working from home" is a concept that Americans have gotten used to and even enjoy. Surveys show that more and more people work at home at least a few hours a week, but what you need in a home office depends on whether you run a home-based business, bring work home regularly, telecommute a few days a week or simply need a place to put your laptop to pay household bills. A "trendy" home office is one that works for you while you're working. Here's what we mean...

 

1. Pocket office. The trend toward smaller homes means less space to devote to an office. What's trending now for many families is the "pocket" office, a workspace carved out near the high-traffic areas of the home, often in a closet with the door removed or in an alcove. It's a hub for home management activities: paying bills, coordinating the family's schedules and keeping everyone organized.

2. The writing's on the wall. If you like to "think big" when you brainstorm, you can turn a whole wall into a whiteboard or a chalkboard with special paint, like IdeaPaint Create dry erase coating or Benjamin Moore's Chalkboard Paint. Take a snapshot of your work with your smartphone, then wipe it clean and start over!

 

3. Yipes! Skypes! When you work remotely, chances are you do some video conferencing. Remember that what's behind you is what the other person will be looking at. It doesn't need to be a bare wall, but keep the view as simple and neat as possible. (You might be able to still keep the fuzzy slippers if they stay hidden under the desk!)

 

4. Cut out the bulk. Big desks with giant leather chairs are for big formal offices. A smaller scale writing desk, table, a standing or kneeling desk, or an adjustable-height work surface might be better suited to your work-at-home style. Mesh chairs, like the Herman Miller Aeron, or a desk chair in white or a bright color add a fresh and airy ambiance. Adding built-in cabinets, shelves and bookcases can be a great way to maintain a clean look and provide a place to get papers out of sight when you have a meeting or video conference.

 

5. Enjoy the view. An efficient office doesn't have to mean a bare, sterile office. Surround yourself with things you love to look at, whether it's art prints, photos, sculpture or plants (which also improve the indoor air quality) and you might even increase your productivity.

 

6. Shrinking electronics. Chances are you're not using a big desktop computer. If you're working on an iPad or tablet, extras such as a snap-on keyboard or Bluetooth speakers make work life easier and more comfortable. The more wireless devices you can include, the less you have to worry about containing cord clutter. Just make sure you've allowed for plenty of handy outlets in the room layout for plugging in everything for recharging.

 

7. Working “at” home but not “in” the home. If you don't want a commute, but still need a quiet place to think, away from the comings and goings of family life, consider a detached home office. Similar to a guest house, it's your own private work space just steps from your door. It combines the convenience of a home office with the physical (and psychological) separation between "working" and "relaxing" that is often missing when you work from home.

Whether you want to be in the middle of the action or in a quiet nook with a "Do Not Disturb" sign, we can help you create a home office that suits your style. Just give us a call.

Image of Chalkboard Paint courtesy of Benjamin Moore®

Expanding the Possibilities of Kitchen Remodeling

 

If you’re thinking about a custom kitchen renovation, maybe you should open up your thinking to the possibilities of what more you can do. Consider this:

 

Every home has a "main" kitchen. Large or small, good or bad, there has traditionally been just one. Remodeling contractors, however, are now seeing a trend toward adding secondary kitchens as well.  We're not just talking about the wet bar that you might have seen in a family room or a basement game room. Homeowners are now expanding kitchen amenities - and appliances - throughout the home, sometimes in surprising places.

 

A butler’s pantry. Many times, the need for kitchen remodeling is prompted by a desire to entertain more easily and graciously. That’s why a butler’s pantry can be such a valuable addition to a custom kitchen. With extra kitchen cabinets, counters, sink and perhaps an extra dishwasher or refrigerator, a butler’s pantry provides a perfect area for you (or caterers) to prepare foods for serving. From hors d’oeuvres platters to coffee cups, everything can be set up out of sight and that extra counter space helps with clearing dishes from the main kitchen. It’s often fairly easy to carve out room for a butler’s pantry in your existing space...and even a small one can make a big difference in the feel and functionality of your new custom kitchen.

 

A custom kitchen in the...bedroom? Yes! A small kitchen “bar” in the bedroom is absolutely great for late night snacks and morning coffee. And it doesn’t have to look at all like a kitchen! Cabinets can blend with the look of your bedroom and conceal an efficient – and elegant – mini custom kitchen with a small sink, fridge, counter and shelving.

 

An outdoor kitchen. As a kitchen remodeling contractor, we find that many kitchen renovations involve opening the kitchen up more to adjacent outdoor living spaces. This can mean anything from creating a garden courtyard for growing herbs and vegetables to a patio area with more than just a grill. A complete outdoor kitchen can also include an icemaker, mini-fridge, counter space for food prep and serving, storage cabinets, and a fireplace or fire pit. Remodeling can include adding patio windows and doors that practically "disappear" when they're open, integrating the interior with the outdoors. Whether you’re doing outside grilling or indoor baking, the spaces can flow seamlessly so you enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

Even if updating one kitchen is enough for you, we have ideas that can pack your custom kitchen with new design, storage, functionality and fun!  Items such as larger commercial appliances, additional counter space, multiple sinks & dishwashers and additional seating can all help to make your kitchen space better equipped for either entertaining or family meals.  Take a look at some examples of our work in our photo gallery. Then let's talk!

Build It Green 20/20 Presentation

"Pecha Kucha" is a presentation style that was born in 2003 in Japan by design students looking to share their work in a new and fun way. Each presentation consists of 20 slides that are each explained for 20 seconds. The presenter therefore has 6 minutes and 40 seconds to talk about their subject. Strict adherence to the rules makes the presentations challenging and condenses the subject to its essence.

Build It Green, a non-profit based in Berkeley that promotes green building and education, thought this presentation style (renamed "20/20") would be a fun way to share information between members. Build It Green sponsors "guilds" of building industry professionals in each major area of the bay, hosting monthly discussions regarding green building related topics. Chris Donatelli values his membership to Build It Green and has enjoyed attending the South Bay guild. On Tuesday May 3rd, Chris took the opportunity to do his own 20/20 slideshow. He focused on a specific project that our company completed in the Spring of 2009.

The all new home featured a structure made of SIPs (structural insulated panels). These consist of 2 sheets of plywood with 5 inches of foam btween. This creates a very strong and efficient home. The heat is provided by radiant floor heating and a super efficient water heater with solar input. Interior finishes that are low VOC (volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde) and heat recovering fans that exchange interior air with fresh outside air. These are just a few of the features that helped us achieve a Green Rated score of 140. All in all it is a very comfortable and efficient home that the owners are very proud of and happy with.

Chris was glad to share what he learned in the process of building this home and what it was like to have clients that were so excited about green building and driven to make a very green home a reality.

"One Job for America"

Chris Donatelli Builders participated in a national project that was started right here in the bay area. Carla Emil, a advertising executive working with art and education related non-profits, came up with an idea meant to inspire growth and hope for our slumping economy. One Job for America asks companies across America, regardless of size, to pledge that they will add one person to their ranks. One new hire in a company (especially a larger one) may not seem like much, but by multiplying this around the country the plan is to create a significant impact to the economy. Ms. Emil does not claim to be an economist, a politician or a academic. The inspiration was to use a "grassroots" campaign to succeed where big government and various advisers had failed.

Chris Donatelli was interested in this approach and hopeful in signs that the residential building industry in the bay area was starting to pick up again. He decided to pledge one job and take part in support for this idea. Shortly thereafter, a sales/estimating associate was added to the office staff of Chris Donatelli Builders. Chris' participation, along with a other local companies, was picked up on by a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle in the article One Job for America: 1 Marinite's Idea for the Economy

Showerheads and Faucets Go with the Flow

Showers and faucets combined, use about 1/3 of household water. A large portion of this is heated using either electricity of gas. Therefore, new technologies are not only saving you water, but are also helping out with the rest of the utility bill.

Federal Standard for a showerhead flow is set at 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). The WaterSense program goes better with a 2.o GPM requirement, while also requiring testing protocols for reliable pressure and even spray. In order to keep good spray pattern and coverage, manufacturers are using new technology to provide the same shower experience.

Showerheads come in two types: aerating and non-aerating. Aerated means that air is injected into the water as it goes through the showerhead. This creates larger drops, but can cause water to cool faster (since air cools more quickly than water). Your lower legs and feet might notice the difference. Non-aerated showerheads use a pressure-balancing flow restrictor. The shower can be stronger, but the force of the water may be too sharp. It basically comes down to personal preference.

Federal Standards for faucet flow is 2.2 GPM, while WaterSense is at 1.5 GPM. New low-flow faucets are seen as more a part of a remodel, rather than a stand alone upgrade. They can help qualify for points when appealing for green building certification as well. Flow can be easily adjusted during use on any faucet. Low-flow aerators are an easy modification if you want to keep your existing fixture. "On-demand" controls can help to save water and energy by making it easier to turn the water on and off. Electronic faucets use infrared beams, foot controls can operate while you hands are full and simple aerator bars put control right where the water is.

Water fixture technology now provides performance with efficiency. Styles and finish choices are numerous and options for control layout are available. Click here to search for products with the WaterSense label. Your design requirements and water needs can be met in a variety of efficient ways!