ESI Builders is a subsidiary of EnergyWise Solutions, Inc. and was formed by Allan, Bob and Dave to fulfill an important need for quality home builders and remodeling services in the Sacramento region. With a strong and growing referral base, we decided to provide a convenient one-stop option for our clients and focus on combining our key services: quality custom homes and remodels, turnkey client partnering and communication, and energy efficient and environmentally sustainable measures in all we do. Through energy efficient appliances and fixtures, solar power, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, enhanced insulation and sealing, and other construction elements – we go beyond simple code compliance and give you immediate savings and greater sustainability for your new or remodeled home. All of the design work and construction tasks for our clients are done by or supervised by our highly trained, professional staff. This not only saves you money, it provides a peace of mind that all of the details are taken care of and the job is being done right – to Perfection. Our service does not stop after we clean up and drive off. We continue to provide support for any warranty issues that arise and give you administrative support as needed in order to assure you obtain any energy-related tax incentives or rebates. This ‘One call does it all’ philosophy assures that your experience in remodeling or upgrading your home is an enjoyable one. ESI Builders was formed by professionals with varying backgrounds and a common interest to provide you, our clients, with options to live more comfortably, save money, and enjoy quality homes for many years to come. As our company continues to grow and evolve, the expertise has been quickly growing to include several job foreman, tradesmen, and support staff. In response to our growth, we will continue to hire well-qualified staff and we will remain committed to maintaining a level of quality, attention to detail, and pursuit of perfection.

Photography: Julia Lynn
Inspiration for a large transitional master gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile and gray floor drop-in bathtub remodel in Charleston with white walls and a hinged shower door

This contemporary kitchen and bath renovation in Tustin celebrates the essence of modern living with clean lines, minimalist finishes, ad nature-inspired details that create a harmonious, elevated atmosphere. In the kitchen, high-gloss white cabinetry offers a crisp, seamless aesthetic that reflects light and enhances the feeling of openness. The richly grained walnut island adds warmth and a textural contrast - a perfect nod to the rising trend of organic modern design. The modern organic theme is continued throughout the home, including the primary and guest bathrooms. With slab front vanities, wood-tone vanities, clean lines and sleek fixtures, get the spa feeling right at home. Drawn to the clean lines and modern warmth of this design? Let Inspired Remodels help you bring your vision to life with thoughtful design, high-end materials, and trend-forward solutions tailored to your lifestyle!

Trent Bell
Doorless shower - small contemporary master gray tile and stone tile slate floor doorless shower idea in Portland Maine with flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an integrated sink and quartz countertops

Mid-sized transitional front door photo in Vancouver

This multifunctional room was designed to serve as an office, a game room (featuring a vintage Ms. Pacman console, not pictured), a cozy spot for TV watching, and a hangout for our kid and friends. With low ceilings, uneven flooring, and no natural room dividers, the challenges were real. Our solutions: seamless black vinyl flooring to create visual continuity, a spacious, comfortable sectional, and a dedicated office area with great views of the outdoors. Plus, we added vibrant toy storage and a plush rug to keep things playful and comfortable.

The solution: Simplify the kitchen layout into a simple U shape with a back counter on the circulation side of the kitchen. Eliminate the menu prep area, install new shaker style cabinets with easy access large drawers for storage of pots and pans, create a new eating bar and lower cabinets on the circulation side of the kitchen and rearrange the appliances for more effective use of the space for two people and eliminate the need for a hood between the dining and kitchen areas. the counter tops are a leather finished granite and the kick protection on the eating bars is polished black granite. Wall color is C-2 Earth; Ceiling Benjamin Moore Linen; Casework is C-2 Tempura semi gloss. provided new can lighting in the ceiling and continuous plug and play MaxLite LED under cabinet lighting. Appliances are Miele cooktop, Zephyr hood, Kitchenaid Double ovens, Kitchenaid Microwave, Kitchenaid Refrigerator and Miele Dishwasher.

Storage Idea For Your Small Bedroom. Bedside built-in with wardrobes and drawers. A small bedroom layout requires some ingenious storage solutions to create a functional, welcoming, well-planned attractive room. Designed and installed by Smart Closets. White finish with Transitional doors and drawers' faces. 94” tall with adjustable shelving 6 drawers and over 60" of hanging space.

This custom designed master walk in closet just sparkles with light! Glass cabinetry with accent LED lighting and mirrors along with a crystal chandelier add pizazz. Ivory Melamine Laminate, Manchester raised panel and clear glass door fronts, slanted shoe storage, brushed chrome and crystal hardware along with continuous base and crown compliment this walk thru to master bath closet. Designed by Marcia Spinosa for COS and photographed by Paul Nicol

This kitchen is a perfect example of why appliance placement is so important. With the appliances stacked together in the corner of the kitchen, it created a tight and congested work triangle. The new homeowner liked the wide planked wood floor and the color of the existing cabinetry, but the quality needed upgrading. Relocating the refrigerator opened up the kitchen and added much-needed counter and storage space by the sink. The beautiful white kitchen cabinetry surrounds a stunning blue island with a 2-½” thick Blue Flower granite pitched-edge countertop.

This contemporary kitchen and bath renovation in Tustin celebrates the essence of modern living with clean lines, minimalist finishes, ad nature-inspired details that create a harmonious, elevated atmosphere. In the kitchen, high-gloss white cabinetry offers a crisp, seamless aesthetic that reflects light and enhances the feeling of openness. The richly grained walnut island adds warmth and a textural contrast - a perfect nod to the rising trend of organic modern design. The modern organic theme is continued throughout the home, including the primary and guest bathrooms. With slab front vanities, wood-tone vanities, clean lines and sleek fixtures, get the spa feeling right at home. Drawn to the clean lines and modern warmth of this design? Let Inspired Remodels help you bring your vision to life with thoughtful design, high-end materials, and trend-forward solutions tailored to your lifestyle!

We tied heritage finishes from the upper floor to the basement, bringing continuity to the overall home, and repairing items that were outstanding from a 2013 flood. We sourced period-correct doors and hardware from vintage stores and others' homes. An enclosed porch was added to make room for a larger family. Windows and skylights were added to flood the home with natural light.

Seasonal changeovers for the window boxes give a great variety of looks throughout the year. Here is the summer box full of Licorice, Coleus, Purple Million Bells, Amethyst Petunias, and New Guinea Impatiens that continued to fill out and cascade through much of fall!

Adjacent to the kitchen is the living room, where we continued the theme of light furniture. A rounded sectional was chosen to float in the space, softening the room and serving as a focal point. A large, asymmetrical wooden coffee table was placed in the center to add warmth, paired with a rustic traditional rug that introduces vintage elements and a pop of red and magenta. A camel-toned leather accent chair further enhances the warmth and ties the space together.

Looking back at entry there is a shared office with sliding barn doors. The shared office also has a separate entrance. The living room has large nano wall. Living room also features a nice, clean, long linear cosmo fireplace surrounded by beautiful stone. Space saving design carries through to the living room. The entire wall has built-ins and storage. Within this wall is a continuous opening window which creates a great nook area to just kind of sit back and relax and maybe read a book.

  Download our free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Lakefront property in the northwest suburbs of Chicago is hard to come by, so when we were hired by this young family with exactly that, we were immediately inspired by not just the unusually large footprint of this 1950’s colonial revival but also the lovely views of the manmade lake it was sited on. The large 5-bedroom home was solidly stuck in the 1980’s, but we saw tons of potential. We started out by updating the existing staircase with a fresh coat of paint and adding new herringbone slate to the entry hall. The powder room off the entryway also got a refresh - new flooring, new cabinets and fixtures. We ran the new slate right through into this space for some consistency. A fun wallpaper and shiplap trim add a welcoming feel and set the tone for the home. Next, we tackled the kitchen. Located away from the rest of the first floor, the kitchen felt a little isolated, so we immediately began planning for how to better connect it to the rest of the first floor. We landed on removing the wall between the kitchen and dining room and designed a modified galley style space with separate cooking and clean up zones. The cooking zone consists of the refrigerator, prep sink and cooktop, along with a nice long run of prep space at the island. The cleanup side of the kitchen consists of the main sink and dishwasher. Both areas are situated so that the user can view the lake during prep work and cleanup! One of the home’s main puzzles was how to incorporate the mudroom and area in front of the patio doors at the back of the house. We already had a breakfast table area, so the space by the patio doors was a bit of a no man’s land. We decided to separate the kitchen proper from what became the new mudroom with a large set of barn doors. That way you can quickly hide any mudroom messes but have easy access to the light coming in through the patio doors as well as the outdoor grilling station. We also love the impact the barn doors add to the overall space. The homeowners’ first words to us were “it’s time to ditch the brown,” so we did! We chose a lovely blue pallet that reflects the home’s location on the lake which is also vibrant yet easy on the eye. Countertops are white quartz, and the natural oak floor works well with the other honey accents. The breakfast table was given a refresh with new chairs, chandelier and window treatments that frame the gorgeous views of the lake out the back. We coordinated the slate mudroom flooring with that used in the home’s main entrance for a consistent feel. The storage area consists of open and closed storage to allow for some clutter control as needed. Next on our “to do” list was revamping the dated brown bar area in the neighboring dining room. We eliminated the clutter by adding some closed cabinets and did some easy updates to help the space feel more current. One snag we ran into here was the discovery of a beam above the existing open shelving that had to be modified with a smaller structural beam to allow for our new design to work. This was an unexpected surprise, but in the end we think it was well worth it! We kept the colors here a bit more muted to blend with the homeowner’s existing furnishings. Open shelving and polished nickel hardware add some simple detail to the new entertainment zone which also looks out onto the lake! Next we tackled the upstairs starting with the homeowner’s son’s bath. The bath originally had both a tub shower and a separate shower, so we decided to swap out the shower for a new laundry area. This freed up some space downstairs in what used to be the mudroom/laundry room and is much more convenient for daily laundry needs. We continued the blue palette here with navy cabinetry and the navy tile in the shower. Porcelain floor tile and chrome fixtures keep maintenance to a minimum while matte black mirrors and lighting add some depth the design. A low maintenance runner adds some warmth underfoot and ties the whole space together. We added a pocket door to the bathroom to minimize interference with the door swings. The left door of the laundry closet is on a 180 degree hinge to allow for easy full access to the machines. Next we tackled the master bath which is an en suite arrangement. The original was typical of the 1980’s with the vanity outside of the bathroom, situated near the master closet. And the brown theme continued here with multiple shades of brown. Our first move was to segment off the bath and the closet from the master bedroom. We created a short hall from the bedroom to the bathroom with his and hers walk-in closets on the left and right as well as a separate toilet closet outside of the main bathroom for privacy and flexibility. The original bathroom had a giant soaking tub with steps (dangerous!) as well as a small shower that did not work well for our homeowner who is 6’3”. With other bathtubs in the home, they decided to eliminate the tub and create an oversized shower which takes up the space where the old tub was located. The double vanity is on the opposite wall and a bench is located under the window for morning conversations and a place to set a couple of towels. The pallet in here is light and airy with a mix of blond wood, creamy porcelain and marble tile, and brass accents. A simple roman shade adds some texture and it’s top-down mechanism allows for light and privacy. This large whole house remodel gave our homeowners not only the ability to maximize the potential of their home but also created a lovely new frame from which to view their fabulous lake views. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Bud Kane has remodeled nearly every room in his own home over many years. Now reaching his 70’s, he contemplated heading up a major kitchen and laundry room renovation himself, planning on doing the carpentry work with his own hands. “I was not convinced I would ever meet anyone who could do it as well as I could do it myself”, said Bud. Ruth and Bud spent 5 years visiting kitchen firms and interviewing designers. They couldn’t however bring themselves to pull the trigger on the project, until they met Advance Design Studio in 2015. “No one understood what I wanted”, said Ruth. She was continually frustrated by experiences with designers who weren’t hearing what was important to her. “Everyone kept designing my kitchen with what they thought it should look like; I couldn’t find anyone who would listen to me”! When they met designer Scott Christensen from Advance Design Studio, they liked him right away. He listened to Ruth and designed a kitchen that she loved, all the while interjecting years of wisdom and design expertise that Ruth appreciated. “The finished product is better than I expected”, says Ruth. “I respected Scott’s opinions and together we created the perfect place for me to bake with my grandkids and truly enjoy the kitchen and laundry room I’ve been dreaming of for many years!” The kitchen transformation began with removing the home’s soffits, and extending new painted maple cabinetry to the ceiling with the addition of an elegant crown molding. Ruth’s new Vita Mix holds a coveted place on her counter, and adjustments were planned to size the cabinets in conjunction with the under cabinet decorative light molding to fit this appliance just right. “This one small detail was really important to me”, says Ruth smiling. An elegant new island replaced the original island, complete with room for 3 stools where her grandchildren will sit to make home-made pasta every Thanksgiving, and cookies at Christmas time. “Traditions are very important in my family, and making my kitchen work to suit cherished activities with my family was the number one reason this renovation was so desired”, replied Ruth when asked about the island. A picture perfect new tea station replaced a cluttered unused desk area, creating a wonderful place to prepare hot drinks for sipping any season of the year while overlooking the couple’s wonderfully manicured gardens from the lovely 3 season’s room just off the kitchen. The soft sage island bead panel detail was repeated on the backsplash, replicating the feel of a fine old piece of furniture. The biggest problem with the laundry room was 3 doors, one from the garage, one from the closet, and one to the hallway. “Scott designed a pocket door, and oh what a dream it is now to bring groceries in from the garage!” exclaims Bud who grew to disdain this task! Doing laundry is now a breeze in this attractive new space that doubles as a wonderful pantry for the kitchen with room to store food items that didn’t have a home in the poorly designed original space. New Hickory distressed wood flooring was laid both in the kitchen and leading to the hall foyer. Soft gray wood-replicating porcelain was placed in the laundry area, making for an easily cleanable surface for what doubles as a mud room from the garage. Creamy tumbled marble graces an unobtrusive backsplash spilling onto shiny granite counter tops in a rich earthy pattern of fall colors that mimic colors throughout the home. Advance is known details that included custom crafted furniture toe kicks, luxurious crown moldings, and beaded under cabinet moldings. The kitchen is complete with a glass display cabinet showing Ruth’s treasured china tea collection. Early on, it was initially only their intention of purchasing cabinets for the new design. They were so impressed however with Advance Design’s complete program for budgeting, design, installation and management that it became clear to them both that they wanted Advance to handle the entire project from start to finish. “After seeing the quality work they did, coupled with the in-house team completely dedicated to our satisfaction, it became apparent there was no other choice but to hire them to handle everything. And we’re so glad we did, we have not one regret”, says Bud. “The attention to detail by the carpentry crew more than satisfied my perfectionist expectations of the finished carpentry,” exclaimed Bud. “Every one of Advance Design’s people we encountered from design through construction was wonderful. We’ve never met a group of people so dedicated to making sure we were happy with every single detail, and every single part of this experience”, said Ruth and Bud. Designer: Scott Christensen Photographer: Joe Nowak

This contemporary kitchen and bath renovation in Tustin celebrates the essence of modern living with clean lines, minimalist finishes, ad nature-inspired details that create a harmonious, elevated atmosphere. In the kitchen, high-gloss white cabinetry offers a crisp, seamless aesthetic that reflects light and enhances the feeling of openness. The richly grained walnut island adds warmth and a textural contrast - a perfect nod to the rising trend of organic modern design. The modern organic theme is continued throughout the home, including the primary and guest bathrooms. With slab front vanities, wood-tone vanities, clean lines and sleek fixtures, get the spa feeling right at home. Drawn to the clean lines and modern warmth of this design? Let Inspired Remodels help you bring your vision to life with thoughtful design, high-end materials, and trend-forward solutions tailored to your lifestyle!

Martin King Photography -- The Project: To take a dated and dysfunctional bathroom and transform it into a grand and stylish Master Bathroom complete with Tudor elements of design. The Challenge: The original ceiling height was not consistent with the rest of the Master Suite and made the space feel extremely closed in. The layout did not allow for a sense of luxury and spaciousness. The Solution: Raising the ceiling and continuing the exposed beam element from the bedroom area visually expanded the space and connected the room to the rest of the Master Suite. Custom designed and crafted cabinetry increased the beauty of the space along with much needed storage. A new layout created the space needed to give the room both volume and function. The Result: A beautiful Master Bathroom that provides every opportunity to relax and enjoy the pleasures of a sophisticated well thought out bathroom.