Neil Judges Qualified Remodeler Master Design Awards

Neil recently spent two days in downtown Chicago where he was one of five judges from around the US to judge the 2010 Master Design Awards from Qualified Remodeler magazine. While helicopters and movie cameras whirled outside the hotel filming the new Transformers 3 movie the panel slaved over 300+ entries in 22 categories.

It is quite an honor to be selected as a judge for this competition.  Neil took the job very seriously and did his best to give each entry the respect it deserved.  Projects entered in the competition ranged from construction details such as a floating stairway to a $28 million whole house renovation of a 40,000 square foot home!  Some of the highlights included a 75 foot curved pergola to a complete restoration of a Greene and Greene home in California.

It wasn’t easy, but in the end they had to pick one project as best in show.  The results will be revealed in the October issue of Qualified Remodeler.

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.

What’s So Hard About Picking A Brick?

I recently had a conversation with someone that was getting ready to remodel their home.  They knew exactly what they wanted to do but at the same time, they didn’t.  They knew the general concept of what they wanted to accomplish – remove the Dryvit stucco from the exterior of their house and replace it with brick.  What they lacked were specific details of what that would look like.  That’s why they called on us.

There is an almost infinite supply of exterior stone and brick to use on a house.  There are also a multitude of siding materials to choose from.  Now put all those combinations together and you have some serious information overload!

You can see how a project as simple as replacing your stucco with stone can quickly become complicated.  That’s when the services of an architect/designer are valuable.  We have been busy gathering feedback and information from the client to help select materials that fit their needs/lifestyle.  We are considering colors, value, sustainability, maintenance, style of the home, neighborhood style, size, and pattern.  All of these decisions will affect the finished look and life of the home.  I am amazed that often times these decisions are made with the brick mason or salesman.  So many pieces of the puzzle are never even considered!

But even more important, might be the need to visualize these changes.  Seeing the samples is one thing, but seeing it on your house is something different.  Using software that will allow you to see your house in three dimensions with different materials and colors is a great way to see your completed project before you commit to any particular selection.  Below are some photos of an existing house and a computer-generated design that will allow the client to envision the finished product in the early stages.

What a great way to make decisions for your project!  Don’t make a purchase this large without seeing what you are buying.  If you want to ’see’ your project before you start – please give us a call.

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Landscaping Increases Curb Appeal and Value

Is your home’s curb-appeal starting to look a bit drab or dated? The first impression of your home is a critical component to its appeal and value. When considering a landscape project, improving the front yard has the biggest impact in the perception of a home.

In any economy, but especially in the current economy, landscape improvements have a big impact on a home’s value. A study done by theUniversity of Clemson and theUniversity of Michigan found that consumers value a nicely landscaped home up to 11.3 percent higher than a home with basic landscaping.

When creating a new look for a home it is important to consider removing overgrown plantings, adding new plantings, reworking walkways, and adding lighting. All elements have a great impact individually. Together they completely transform the look and character of a home.

Plantings provide scale to the front of a home. Plantings also are important for vertical elements to frame views to a home or providing screening. Front plantings used in larger masses create more impact from a distance. Usually people view a front landscape from the street, or along the public walkway, so having fewer varieties and larger groupings looks much nicer. Seasonal interest is another important element in the front yard. A balance of plantings with interest in all seasons will make the front of the home much more appealing.

It is also important to think about what the front landscape will look like from inside the home.

Often the landscape is pressed up against the foundation of the home and doesn’t take advantage of views from front rooms looking out into the front landscape. Capitalizing on such opportunities can make the front yard equally enjoyable from inside the home.

A new walkway can dramatically improve the appearance of any home.Extending the walkway out into the yard away from the home can make for a nice design element and create a more interesting entry.New paver and stone materials used in walkways or even driveways add a lot of interest to a home and can compliment the architecture.

Along with new plantings and stone work, landscape lighting is another element to consider adding to your landscape. The finishing touch of lighting makes a dramatic difference in the curb appeal of a home and extends the interest of the landscape into the evening.

According to The Wall Street Journal’s Smart Money Magazine a well designed, installed, and maintained landscape can add up to 15% to your home’s value. Feel free to contact Western DuPage Landscaping, Inc at 630-416-0072 for a free consultation to see how they can increase the value of your home by improving your landscape. In the meanwhile you can view photos of their projects at www.westerndupagelandscaping.com. Crimson and WDL can also work together on any remodeling/landscape project to make your life easier.

Enjoy,

Matt Haber, Western DuPage Landscaping

Don’t Forget Window Treatments When Planning Your Project

Often times window treatments are overlooked, yet updating your window treatments will protect your remodeling investment. They will both complete and enhance your room by adding the perfect finishing touch. You can add softness to a room with fabric window treatments or add a warm ambiance with wood blinds or shutters.

Window treatments add beauty, decoration and mood to a room, but they are also practical and eco-friendly as well. Window treatments provide privacy and protect your interior finishes by blocking damaging UV rays that will cause fading and deterioration. Conserving energy is another great benefit to window treatments. For instance, you might want to block the sun out of the bedroom, while taking advantage of the sunlight in the family room. Also, there are thermal insulating treatments available that allow your home to increase energy efficiency according to the outside temperature.

One of today’s hottest trends in window fashions is vertical panels (pictured). The vertical panels offer clean lines and a sleek contemporary look. This new product offers the perfect solution to dress your floor-to-ceiling windows, and can also be used as a stylish room divider system. There are also several cordless options that are stylish and safe for a child-friendly home.

Crimson Design & Construction is happy to announce that we now offer window treatments as part of our service. In keeping with Crimson’s business model, our window treatments are 100% custom made to suit your needs, style and personality. Our in-house designers will work with you to select the perfect style and colors to fit your new space. We stand behind our products and offer a complete warranty.

Naperville Basement Finish With A New Twist

We just finished a basement in Naperville where we did something new for us. We left the ceiling alone and painted it flat black. All the joists, ductwork, and pipes are still visible but the flat black paint makes it all disappear. It really is quite amazing!

By leaving the ceiling exposed the client gained valuable ceiling height in a house built before a 9′ basement was more common. Not only did they get an extra 4″ of ceiling height but it feels like even more because you can see up into the spaces between the joists.

The painted ceiling costs less than a traditional drop ceiling and quite a bit less than a drywall ceiling. On the other side, you have to be comfortable with the urban/industrial look of the black. No other color would work as well. The flat black hides all the pipework exceptionally well.

Update on Oswego Kitchen Renovation

As part of the ongoing kitchen remodel in Oswego we are building a curved wall to serve as an eat-in seating area. I thought I would take some time to show how a curved wall is built and how it turned out.

The first step is to construct curved top and bottom plates from plywood. We used the dimensions from the plans to layout the arcs on a full size template and traced that onto sheets of plywood. Next, studs are cut and spaced every couple of inches on the tight curves and further apart as the shape changes. Now we apply a layer of thin flexible plywood over the frame using glue and staples.

Becuase this plywood is so thin (1/8″) we add a second layer using contact cement to give the wall more strength and rigidity. Lastly, we cover everything with the final layer of cherry veneer shown here. As you can see it is extremely flexible. Again it is attached using contact cement.
Now the wall is set in place where it flows smoothly from one cabinet to another. Later the painters will stain and varnish the cherry veneer to match the Fieldstone Cabinetry.

Now that the granite counters are installed you can see that the curved wall follows the curve of the counter. Also note how the counter flows right into the window. All together a lot of nice details that will make this kitchen very special and perfect for the needs of the family that live here.