Planning to sleep in this weekend? Wake up naturally with Hunter Douglas's Power View Motorization system which will open your shades and let the sunlight in on a pre-determined schedule. Skip the harsh alarm this weekend!

Landmark Photography
Inspiration for a coastal gray two-story wood exterior home remodel in Minneapolis with a gambrel roof

An Arts & Crafts Bungalow is one of my favorite styles of homes. We have quite a few of them in our Stockton Mid-Town area. And when C&L called us to help them remodel their 1923 American Bungalow, I was beyond thrilled. As per usual, when we get a new inquiry, we quickly Google the project location while we are talking to you on the phone. My excitement escalated when I saw the Google Earth Image of the sweet Sage Green bungalow in Mid-Town Stockton. "Yes, we would be interested in working with you," I said trying to keep my cool. But what made it even better was meeting C&L and touring their home, because they are the nicest young couple, eager to make their home period perfect. Unfortunately, it had been slightly molested by some bad house-flippers, and we needed to bring the bathroom back to it "roots." We knew we had to banish the hideous brown tile and cheap vanity quickly. But C&L complained about the condensation problems and the constant fight with mold. This immediately told me that improper remodeling had occurred and we needed to remedy that right away. The Before: Frustrations with a Botched Remodel The bathroom needed to be brought back to period appropriate design with all the functionality of a modern bathroom. We thought of things like marble countertop, white mosaic floor tiles, white subway tile, board and batten molding, and of course a fabulous wallpaper. This small (and only) bathroom on a tight budget required a little bit of design sleuthing to figure out how we could get the proper look and feel. Our goal was to determine where to splurge and where to economize and how to complete the remodel as quickly as possible because C&L would have to move out while construction was going on. The Process: Hard Work to Remedy Design and Function During our initial design study, (which included 2 hours in the owners’ home), we noticed framed images of William Morris Arts and Crafts textile patterns and knew this would be our design inspiration. We presented C&L with three options and they quickly selected the Pimpernel Design Concept. We had originally selected the Black and Olive colors with a black vanity, mirror, and black and white floor tile. C&L liked it but weren’t quite sure about the black, We went back to the drawing board and decided the William & Co Pimpernel Wallpaper in Bayleaf and Manilla color with a softer gray painted vanity and mirror and white floor tile was more to their liking. After the Design Concept was approved, we went to work securing the building permit, procuring all the elements, and scheduling our trusted tradesmen to perform the work. We did uncover some shoddy work by the flippers such as live electrical wires hidden behind the wall, plumbing venting cut-off and buried in the walls (hence the constant dampness), the tub barely balancing on two fence boards across the floor joist, and no insulation on the exterior wall. All of the previous blunders were fixed and the bathroom put back to its previous glory. We could feel the house thanking us for making it pretty again. The After Reveal: Cohesive Design Decisions We selected a simple white subway tile for the tub/shower. This is always classic and in keeping with the style of the house. We selected a pre-fab vanity and mirror, but they look rich with the quartz countertop. There is much more storage in this small vanity than you would think. The Transformation: A Period Perfect Refresh We began the remodel just as the pandemic reared and stay-in-place orders went into effect. As C&L were already moved out and living with relatives, we got the go-ahead from city officials to get the work done (after all, how can you shelter in place without a bathroom?). All our tradesmen were scheduled to work so that only one crew was on the job site at a time. We stayed on the original schedule with only a one week delay. The end result is the sweetest little bathroom I've ever seen (and I can't wait to start work on C&L's kitchen next). Thank you for joining me in this project transformation. I hope this inspired you to think about being creative with your design projects, determining what works best in keeping with the architecture of your space, and carefully assessing how you can have the best life in your home.

Inspiration for a contemporary metal exterior home remodel in Chicago

Luxury Vinyl Planks are a great option for water areas like bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. The technology is advancing so that the product looks and feels like natural products like wood and stone.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary full sun backyard gravel retaining wall landscape in New York.

Master Bathroom with a Vantage Keypad near the door. This keypad is operating 4 different lights and 2 pre-determined scenes all in a single gang box.

Tommy Hurt
Doorless shower - small coastal gray tile mosaic tile floor doorless shower idea in Jacksonville with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, blue walls, an undermount sink and granite countertops

Inspired by gorgeous girls' bedrooms done in hot pink and turquoise, one mom was frustrated that she was unable to find the sources for her favorite pin. She was determined to give her daughter's room in their new home a sophisticated "big girl" face lift. So, she took things into her own hands and went to work tracking down the items herself. With a little resourcefulness and DIY effort, she and her husband were able to create a girlie, Pinterest-worthy tween bedroom that their daughter absolutely loves! Custom window seat cushion made by Patio Lane in (reversible) Sunbrella Bevel Smoke. SOURCES: http://patiolane.com/blog/moms-pinterest-hack-pink-aqua-tween-bedroom/

Rain-screen technology assumes that water WILL eventually penetrate through siding. So behind the finished new siding is a drainage plane so that any water that DOES get behind the siding has a pre-determined way down and out. For more information and additional photos of this project, which we both designed and built, go to http://a1builders.ws/2012/03/siding-failure-on-a-relatively-new-home-requires-an-entire-exterior-makeover/

The beautiful large format tile has a random, non-matching pattern. Careful pre-planning was required to determine where each tile was placed beforehand.

Bedroom - craftsman bedroom idea in Salt Lake City

THIS IS THE ENTIRE BATHROOM! The beautiful large format tile has a random, non-matching pattern. Careful pre-planning was required to determine where each tile was placed beforehand.

TRUFIG's revolutionary and award winning design allows for a seamless look on your walls, backsplash, kitchen islands and ceilings. Switchplates, Receptacles, HVAC grills, iPad wall mounts and data jacks literally disappear into whatever material you use. No more "wall acne" interrupting your beautiful materials!

Inspired by gorgeous girls' bedrooms done in hot pink and turquoise, one mom was frustrated that she was unable to find the sources for her favorite pin. She was determined to give her daughter's room in their new home a sophisticated "big girl" face lift. So, she took things into her own hands and went to work tracking down the items herself. With a little resourcefulness and DIY effort, she and her husband were able to create a girlie, Pinterest-worthy tween bedroom that their daughter absolutely loves! Custom window seat cushion made by Patio Lane in (reversible) Sunbrella Bevel Smoke. SOURCES: http://patiolane.com/blog/moms-pinterest-hack-pink-aqua-tween-bedroom/