Crimson’s Design Team Tours Kohler Facilities

For the majority of our projects, Crimson specifies Kohler plumbing products. They are a company known for their high quality plumbing fixtures, and they stand by their products with a lifetime warranty. We’ve had a great history using Kohler’s fixtures and never hesitate to recommend them for all of our projects where Kohler’s products are applicable. For this reason, we jumped at the opportunity to tour Kohler’s factory when we were invited by Ferguson Enterprises, our plumbing and lighting dealer.

Kohler fixtures used in a Crimson bathroom project

Joel and Carolyn joined Ferguson with a group of about 20 other design professionals recently on a day trip to Kohler, WI where their factory has resided since its conception in the late 1800s. While there, they were able to tour all of their factories, view their extensive showroom, and hear about Kohler’s newest products and offerings for 2013.

 While walking through the facilities, they were able to witness first-hand the craftsmanship put into each and every tub, sink, toilet, and faucet. They saw the molten cast iron being poured into the molds and the enamel being sprayed on each piece. They witnessed artisans carefully smoothing out the edges of a vanity sink and the large ovens where each porcelain piece is fired. They marveled at the machinery lifting cast iron bathtubs as if they were paper weights.

 Finally, Joel and Carolyn were able to tour the Kohler Design Center with 3 floors of Kohler’s latest and greatest products for your kitchen and bath. Along with the countless fixtures in every color and finish imaginable, one of the most impressive features of the design center showroom was the designer galleries. The designer galleries were an entire floor devoted to displaying vignettes designed by famous designers from all over the world using, of course, Kohler products.

The Kohler Showroom in Kohler, WI

What a valuable day of education and inspiration for Crimson’s design team!

Crimson Introduces the ‘I LOVE IT’ Guarantee

Be The Envy Of Your Neighborhood

-WE GUARANTEE IT-

Introducing The ‘I LOVE IT’ Guarantee

Crimson Design & Construction is so sure you’re going to love our new Architectural Elite Design Service that we are offering a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Here’s how it works -

If Crimson design and constructs your project using our Architectural Elite Design Service and you don’t have AT  LEAST TWO friends, neighbors or relatives tell you that they “LOVE IT!” we will refund 100% of your Elite Design Service fees.

We know we can make this offer because we have seen it happen over and over and over again. In fact, on many projects COMPLETE STRANGERS will stop and rave about their neighbor’s new addition! Recently our client, Marge of Naperville, had this experience.

“I loved working with Crimson Design [& Construction] from beginning to end. [They] really listened to what we said we wanted and worked closely and creatively with us to produce a design that met our needs and desires. [They] oversaw a complicated project with skill and patience and never hesitated to respond to our “just one more thing…….”. [Crimson has] guided us through a project that has yielded unsolicited compliments from friends, neighbors and total strangers passing by!”  - Marge (Retired COO), Naperville

You should expect to hear compliments like this:

+ I LOVE the colors!

+ I LOVE your new countertops!

+ I LOVE what you have done with your shower!

+ I LOVE your new kitchen – I’m soooo jealous!

Contact Crimson to learn more about the ‘I LOVE IT’ Guarantee and to set up your complimentary consultation.

Download the full details here. i_love_it.pdf

Bringing Back ‘Comfort’ Living Through Remodeling

One of the most common questions we get as designers is how to make a space more enjoyable, livable and comfortable. It’s amazing how many people don’t feel comfortable in their home. How can this happen?

Comfort is the mission for today’s remodeling client. Their home has lost the feeling of hominess. For some, it never had that feeling in the first place.

When homeowners initially purchase their home, maybe they don’t have the money to renovate and make the home everything they want it to be. At the time they are just happy to find a home with the right number of bedrooms and a kitchen that is workable.

Fast forward ten years and now they are fed up. The bathroom is dated. The tile is in disrepair and the shower lacks a modern showerhead. The kitchen is still cramped and missing specialty storage.

This is exactly how our clients on Wilshire Lane felt. Two years ago we worked with them to add a second-story addition over their garage with a bedroom, laundry and bathroom.

Recently they asked us back to remodel their original master bathroom. When they first moved in the bathroom was fine.  But, after fifteen years in the home, they realized that their bathroom needed an infusion of ‘comfort.’

Initially, Joel worked with them to explore alternate layouts of the existing bath, closet and bedroom. Ultimately, they decided against it and decided to keep the layout the same.

Using the original floor plan we updated all the fixtures and finishes. The result is a new bath with a feeling of serene comfort. The bathtub was converted to a stand up shower and made dramatically larger. The new vanity cabinets are taller with a stacked storage cabinet on the vanity counter. This eliminates the clutter of bottles and makes for a very clean-looking vanity area.

We chose oil-rubbed bronze plumbing fixtures with medium color stain on the cabinets and custom-framed mirrors. The shower tile is a mixture of neutral porcelain and slate natural stone. We added storage shelves in the shower with a new oil-rubbed sliding shower door.

The warm colors and natural materials create a sense of balance. The feeling of comfort has been restored.  Mission accomplished!

Naperville Ranch Home Completed

You may remember the whole house renovation of the ranch home in Naperville.  Well, the transformation is finally complete! The family is moved back in and ecstatic with the results!

The exterior has received a dramatic makeover complete with the addition of a porch, new siding, architectural gables, and a new driveway.

The interior has gained an updated kitchen, a powder room, a new fireplace with built-in shelving, and a brand new master suite.

The focus of the kitchen design, besides the obvious aesthetics, was to increase storage and efficiency for everyday use.  By tastefully adding more cabinetry and installing organization systems in them, the kitchen is now much easier to cook in with everything in its place.

We also increased the efficiency of the space upstairs by turning two small bedrooms and a bathroom into a spacious master suite.  By moving a few walls and rethinking the space, Crimson was able to give the homeowners a bigger master bedroom, a walk-in closet, a master bathroom, and a home office.  Talk about efficiency!

Crimson is happy to welcome yet another family back to their new and improved home, custom designed for their specific needs, wants, and tastes.

Crimson Loves Repeat Clients!

Back in 2008, Crimson completed a kitchen remodel for a couple in Naperville.  Now, three years later, they’re coming back for more.  This time, we’ve moved upstairs to update the master bathroom and the hall bathroom.

In the master bath, new Fieldstone stained cabinets with granite countertops have been installed.  The cramped corner shower unit has been replaced with a custom shower surrounded by frameless glass giving it a much more open feel.  It is dressed up by a combination of ceramic and natural stone tile.  The design also includes brand new plumbing and lighting fixtures and brushed nickel accessories.

The hall bath is also undergoing some changes.  New ceramic tile flooring has been installed along with ivory painted cabinets and granite countertops.  The existing tub has been replaced with a more up-to-date tub and decorative ceramic tile adorns the walls surrounding it.

In the next week, the rest of the plumbing fixtures will be installed, the walls will be painted, and the bathroom will be ready for the family to use once again.

Before

After

Huge Transformation of Naperville Ranch Home

An old ranch home in the downtown area of Naperville is undergoing a huge transformation. The plans for this 1950s house include a completely updated kitchen with a built-in office area featuring Fieldstone Cabinetry’s custom painted and stained cabinetry.

The existing cramped office space adjacent to the kitchen is being repurposed into a much needed powder room, while the living room is receiving a custom fireplace surround and expansive shelving to store and showcase the family’s book collection.

On the next level, what used to be two small bedrooms and a modest bathroom is now reconstructed into a spacious master suite including a luxurious master bath, a walk-in closet, and a home office.

On the exterior, an inviting front porch has been added featuring gables to add more architectural detail to its otherwise simple facade. The home will also have new siding installed in some areas to act as an accent while the remainder will receive a fresh coat of paint.

It is exciting for us and the homeowners to see the transformation take place. Soon, they’ll have a home that reflects their personal style and better suits their needs for daily living.

Converting A Finished Basement To A Bedroom Suite

We have just started work on a basement bedroom suite in Naperville.  The existing basement was one giant finished room.  We are splitting it in half and using half for the new bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet.

One of the challenges in fitting a bedroom in a basement is having the code required window.  In this case we had to dig in a new window well and install a four foot square window.  This will allow for some natural light in the basement as well as allow for someone to escape if there is a fire or emergency.

The window well was dug out by hand (8 feet deep!) because there was not room to get a piece of excavation equipment around the side of the house.  This is very common for these situations and we usually end up hand digging the windows.

So far on this project the room has been stripped of old paneling, we have dug in the new window well, and we have cut up the floor and installed the new underground plumbing required for the bathroom.  Overall this project will take about 8 weeks.  Stay tuned for more updates.

Joel Is Mentioned In A Daily Herald Article

Joel got a nice mention in a recent article from the Daily Herald.  The story chronicles a charity project that the Chicago chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) took on earlier this year for a family in Elk Grove Village.  Find the complete article here.  Thanks to all of those at NARI that allowed us to be a part of this important project.

NARI To The Rescue Project

Crimson Design & Construction is a proud member of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, specifically the Greater Chicagoland Chapter, which headquarters is in Des Plaines, IL.

Crimson Design & Construction is a proud member of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, specifically the Greater Chicagoland Chapter, which headquarters is in Des Plaines, IL.

Recently Joel Kristianson, A.I.A., and co-owner of Crimson Design and Construction, was asked to participate in a community service project led by Tony Tripp, of Tripp Builders, and his committee NARI to the Rescue.

NARIGC is active in a wide array of community service activities to help families in need of remodeling assistance for any number of reasons.  Contractors are asked to donate time, services and/or materials on a project.

Tony found a family in need of assistance remodeling their outdated 1960s home, a small 3 bedroom ranch in Elk Grove Village. With its narrow doorways and hallways, 2 very small bathrooms and a small kitchen area, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were looking to update their home to better accommodate their special needs children.

NARI to the Rescue wanted to help the Evans’ family by making their home more accessible for their 16-year-old handicapped daughter who was diagnosed with a severe form of Cerebral Palsy.  The family’s most important need was for a handicap accessible bathroom in order to give Ms. Evans the privacy and independence a teenage girl needs at this time and in the future.  Currently Mr. and Mrs. Evans have to physically lift their daughter in and out of the bathtub to bathe her because the small bathroom has a traditional step-in bathtub/shower.  A proper toilet support system also must be installed as well as opening the narrow hallways and doorways to allow Ms. Evans wheelchair to easily move from room-to-room.

Joel was asked to volunteer his time and expertise to this project by designing architectural drawings for a fully accessible bathroom, complete with a handicap accessible shower which would allow Ms. Evans to roll her wheelchair in and out of the shower base without assistance.  Joel enlarged the new bathroom space by approximately two feet by taking two feet from the rarely used dining room.  The hallways and doorways were enlarged to allow Ms. Evans wheelchair to fit through, giving her the freedom to move about the house on her own.  The plumbing system also needed to be updated to maintain the handicap accessible toilet system.

“I chose to participate in this project because I believe that NARI to the Rescue is a good way to give back to the community.  This story especially touched me, and then, after visiting with the family, I was thrilled to have been a part of such a worthwhile cause.  The Evans family is a very kind and special family,” Joel said.

Joel started by first meeting with the Evans family to discuss their needs and wants.  He then came up with a concept that would best incorporate their goals for the project while keeping within the allotted building codes and housing limitations.  Joel then created the drawings and met with the client and the committee to discuss the changes.  Lastly, the permit drawings were turned over to the Village of Elk Grove for final approval.  Once the drawings were approved by the Village, the materials were ordered and the subcontractors began demolition on this exciting project.

The Greater Chicagoland Chapter of NARI is a not-for-profit trade association committed exclusively to the service of the professional remodeling industry; representing professional remodeling contractors, product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, trade and consumer publications, utilities and lending institutions. NARI represents the spokesgroup of the industry and an ally to the nation’s homeowners .

Crimson Design and Construction is proud to be a supporter of community service projects and other national philanthropic organizations.

Oswego Bathroom Renovation

We just recently wrapped up a bathroom remodel in Oswego.  The picture to the right is a before shot I took on the day we started.  The bathroom is very small (only 4′ x 10′) but it still has a full shower, vanity and toilet.  We also managed to find space for a utility cabinet next to the toilet when it was done.  The new shower is a combination of slate and porcelain tiles.  The shelves in the shower are made of solid slate – really cool.  The shower has a custom base to best use the space available.   The shower door is a frame-less glass door using glue chip glass to give some privacy to the shower.  The new vanity is from Fieldstone Cabinetry and is made of cherry.  It was customized to make it shallower than a standard vanity to increase the floor space of the room.  The countertop and the shower threshold are a variety of granite that closely resembles soapstone.  The sink is stainless steel.  All the plumbing fixtures are from Kohler.

Overall, we were able to pack a lot of function into a very small room.

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