When a client with an attached ADU asked me to remodel the tired 1990s bathroom, I looked to her love of nature and sparkle to create what I call “The Birds and the Bees Bathroom.” She wanted the tub-shower combo removed in favor of a curbless walk-in shower so I took advantage of this change to use a focal point as an anchor for the now-barrier free shower at the end of the room. I chose a large porcelain mural reminiscent of lyrical botanical illustrations from the early 1900s, complete with birds perched on colorful flowering branches. My client fell in love with a dimensional glass tile in the shape of a honeycomb in an equally honey-colored hue—a reference to life-giving bees—which I used to frame the mural and line the shower niche. The shower walls are clad with porcelain tiles that mimic the look of Cloud Onyx without the tedious maintenance such a fragile stone requires. The easy-care porcelain tiles on the floor look like plank wood and lend an organic sense, and are complimented by the rich wood vanity. The end result is like showering in a bright, fresh garden! Photo: Bernardo Grijalva

We constructed dry stacked retaining walls with Silioam stone, which is native to southern Colorado. We culled through the material to find the best pieces to fit, and hand sized and faced each piece of stone for a finished fit. Four men spent over a month setting the walls at the proper elevations. While this process was tedious and time consuming, we are happy with the even, flowing appearance of the walls that resulted.

Times have changed and so has the kitchen. Some houses just demand a style and a presence, and this home is certainly one of those houses. It had an old out of date kitchen from the 1970’s misplaced in a grand stone house from the 1920s. There was a traditional servant’s kitchen with back entrance that did not look grand, as was the case in those days. We recreated the front entry’s cased opening with leaded stained glass, matched ribbon Mahogany on the cabinets and trim just like the original dining room, and tied in leaded stained glass at the cabinets. The backsplash was designed to keep that servant’s kitchen feel, but with grandeur, reclaiming marble pavers from the property. Coupling a tedious unrelenting effort and a painstaking design with the convenience of modern appliances and functionality of new cabinets give us a timeless kitchen. It is hard to discern what is old and what is new. It is a seamless integration of style from another era into the practical functionality from today’s ever-changing environment. The final result from this incredible kitchen renovation is a spacious and modern kitchen that looks like it could have been designed and built by the original team from 1920.

An alternate view of the master bedroom, this shows the entrance to the master bath and the walk-in closet. Just outside the door you can see the easy access utility room, which makes doing laundry significantly less tedious!

Times have changed and so has the kitchen. Some houses just demand a style and a presence, and this home is certainly one of those houses. It had an old out of date kitchen from the 1970’s misplaced in a grand stone house from the 1920s. There was a traditional servant’s kitchen with back entrance that did not look grand, as was the case in those days. We recreated the front entry’s cased opening with leaded stained glass, matched ribbon Mahogany on the cabinets and trim just like the original dining room, and tied in leaded stained glass at the cabinets. The backsplash was designed to keep that servant’s kitchen feel, but with grandeur, reclaiming marble pavers from the property. Coupling a tedious unrelenting effort and a painstaking design with the convenience of modern appliances and functionality of new cabinets give us a timeless kitchen. It is hard to discern what is old and what is new. It is a seamless integration of style from another era into the practical functionality from today’s ever-changing environment. The final result from this incredible kitchen renovation is a spacious and modern kitchen that looks like it could have been designed and built by the original team from 1920.

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

We constructed dry stacked retaining walls with Silioam stone, which is native to southern Colorado. We culled through the material to find the best pieces to fit, and hand sized and faced each piece of stone for a finished fit. Four men spent over a month setting the walls at the proper elevations. While this process was tedious and time consuming, we are happy with the even, flowing appearance of the walls that resulted.

Having a nice place to clean up after meals makes chores feel a little less tedious.
Example of a mid-sized transitional l-shaped light wood floor eat-in kitchen design in Denver with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, blue cabinets, quartzite countertops, beige backsplash, quartz backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and beige countertops

A spectacular outdoor retreat area was created after much painstaking & tedious teamwork with the homeowner, his design skills combined with our building abilities created quite an extraordinary space. An open wall patio area (complete with bi-fold doors, a fireplace and flat screen TV) can be found on the ground floor leading into the back yard. Upstairs, the master bedroom has another set of bi-fold doors opening to a deck revealing the gorgeous hilltop view of Orange County. In keeping with the overarching design of the home, all of the angles and other architectural details were matched, making the 'addition' almost undetectable. Enjoy the view from above!

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

A spectacular outdoor retreat area was created after much painstaking & tedious teamwork with the homeowner, his design skills combined with our building abilities created quite an extraordinary space. An open wall patio area (complete with bi-fold doors, a fireplace and flat screen TV) can be found on the ground floor leading into the back yard. Upstairs, the master bedroom has another set of bi-fold doors opening to a deck revealing the gorgeous hilltop view of Orange County. In keeping with the overarching design of the home, all of the angles and other architectural details were matched, making the 'addition' almost undetectable. Enjoy the view from above!

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

Paula Truchon of Reico Kitchen and Bath in Frederick, MD designed a primary bathroom featuring Ultracraft Cabinetry’s Plantation door style with 5-piece drawer front in Red Birch with a Natural Low Sheen finish. Selections for bathroom include MSI Q Calacatta Valentin with Polished finish vanity countertops, Jeffery Alexander hardware, Kohler sink, Moen faucet and Kichler lighting. The client expressed their immense satisfaction. “From the initial planning stage, Paula's insights on cabinetry, lighting, and overall design resonated perfectly with my taste in furnishings. Walking through my home to the bathroom, she was able to pick up my style. The project was painless. Everything was well orchestrated and the pieces just fell into place. The crew in charge of demo and installation worked quickly and fastidiously, protecting floors and leaving the site clean and neat each day. Scott's consistent oversight and collaboration with Paula made the project progress smoothly. Despite my initial concerns of a prolonged demo and tedious installation, Reico's team delivered a quick and flawless job.” Added the client, “This space is truly gorgeous and has exceeded my expectations. It was a pleasure to deal with Reico and their team. Paula, Lisa, Scott and all the technicians charged with demo and installation. Thank you for allowing me to share this beautiful bathroom!” Photo courtesy of BTW Images.

A spectacular outdoor retreat area was created after much painstaking & tedious teamwork with the homeowner, his design skills combined with our building abilities created quite an extraordinary space. An open wall patio area (complete with bi-fold doors, a fireplace and flat screen TV) can be found on the ground floor leading into the back yard. Upstairs, the master bedroom has another set of bi-fold doors opening to a deck revealing the gorgeous hilltop view of Orange County. In keeping with the overarching design of the home, all of the angles and other architectural details were matched, making the 'addition' almost undetectable. Enjoy the view from above!

A spectacular outdoor retreat area was created after much painstaking & tedious teamwork with the homeowner, his design skills combined with our building abilities created quite an extraordinary space. An open wall patio area (complete with bi-fold doors, a fireplace and flat screen TV) can be found on the ground floor leading into the back yard. Upstairs, the master bedroom has another set of bi-fold doors opening to a deck revealing the gorgeous hilltop view of Orange County. In keeping with the overarching design of the home, all of the angles and other architectural details were matched, making the 'addition' almost undetectable. Enjoy the view from above!