Category Archives: Interior

This Mudroom isn’t very muddy

Interior, ,

Turning a Garage Stall into a mudroom

If you have a boys or a quad runner, you may noticed that your garage stall may have become a mudroom, but this mudroom sure isn’t very muddy right now.

We were approached by an active family with two small boys to turn an inside extension of their garage into a mudroom and laundry space. The garage door was only for two cars, but the space inside was big enough for three. This gave us a great space to turn a collection area into a very functional conditioned space.

We built walls on top of a joist system that was one step down from the existing floor. Because the garage floor was a couple of steps lower than the house, we didn’t lose headroom for the mudroom area.  We insulated all around, cut through the foundation to run all the mechanicals to the space, and then drywalled. The homeowners supplied some sweat equity by installing the tile. We ordered some cabinets, built some lockers, got things painted and stained, installed oversized countertops over the washer and dryer, and badda bing badda boom, the family has some great space to come in to drop some books, coats and gear. AND if it is muddy, it can be thrown directly into the laundry space instead of having to track all the way through the rest of the house.

A couple of features that I love are:

  • The pocket door between the laundry and locker space,
  • The lockers with the double shelf up top and the movable shelf for extra shoe and boot space,
  • The extra depth counter space that flowed to the sink, and
  • The pantry cabinets with hanging space between for hang drying special clothes.

Take a look at a few of the pictures below.

mudroom a

mudroom c

mudroom d

 

 

 

Organized – Add an addition or be creative

Interior,

Getting Organized sometimes takes creativity!

We build new houses, remodel existing houses, and add wonderful custom features to make your life easier. But what if something that big isn’t in your budget? Getting organized sometimes is more about using tools and gadgets to make your space more functional.scarves organized

Recently, I was inspired by a project we have underway. The family is turning a bedroom into a master closet. Personally, I don’t have that luxury as our master is on the first floor. I don’t want to have to climb the stairs every time I want to search for that “special piece” to go with an outfit, so I thought of something different.

This idea may not be new and that different, but it sparked the thought that sometimes what you purchase for one use can be re-purposed for something different.

Take this shoe organizer. I use one for shoes. I have also seen one used on the back of a bathroom door for brushes, hair accessories and other things that two teens sharing a bathroom might need. I used it in my space for all of the long scarves that are fashionable these days. What other uses can you thing of for a shoe organizer?

garage organizedDo you have taller garage ceilings? Try adding shelves above the front end of your vehicles or along the side of your garage door rails. Sometimes you have to close the garage door to gain access. Take a look at this option. This did require some tools, sawing, and muscle, so, a project like this might not be a DIY. Give us a call if you need help.

Now if you have room in your budget to add on a room addition, or remodel a bedroom into a closet, give us a call. We will be happy to look at your project!

Bring down the ceiling

Interior, ,

Why would you want to bring down the ceiling?

Volume ceilings always make a space look very grand, as long as the volume is used in the right way. Two story great rooms were the rage for many years and are still a major design feature used by many architects.

One of our clients had a peak volume ceiling across their kitchen, breakfast and family room area, creating one large space. They wanted to create a “break” and bring down the volume of the ceiling. Here is the before image –

Volume ceiling

As you can see, there is just a large space with limited definition between the rooms. The homeowners wanted to create the appearance of exposed trusses to break the space.

After doing some research on barn boards, we discovered another option that created a great rustic look and filled the space nicely. Plus, the limited length sizing on the barn boards meant we couldn’t bridge the distance between the walls without seams.

We used raw cedar, stained with a vinegar and steel wool mixture. We created a screw paddle that we used to add “worm holes” to the boards. The overall effect provided a very rustic appearance. The homeowner was pleased with the final effect.After the installation Great color and texture

 

Take a look at other interior trim projects that we have finished. Give us a call if you would like to discuss an idea for your home.

Carpeted Bathroom floors had to go!

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This homeowner took very good care of their home, but after 25 years some changes are due.Blue carpet, blue sink, tub & shower had to go!

The home is a modern design with tall angled ceilings.  By adding soffits, we were able to add character and make the room feel less open without losing all of the ceiling height.

The most interesting feature we found was the toilet sitting out in the open, just inside the door to the bathroom.  We were able to use all of the existing plumbing in the remodel, enclosed the toilet in its own compartment and gave the homeowners moreUpdate after 25 years storage space with updated features and looks.

We gutted the bathroom, replaced the original shower with a toilet compartment, added a linen cabinet, replaced the over-sized blue bathtub with a smaller jetted tub and a large walk-in shower with multiple shower heads and a seat.  Of course, the carpet was replaced with a field tile.  We added more cabinetry and you can see that we used one color for the base and another for the upper accent cabinet.  All of the trim was painted to match the upper cabinet.

Because of the soffit over the sink area and enclosing the shower with a ceiling, the room doesn’t feel soooo tall and expansive.

The homeowners love their rain shower head, and the kids don’t want to use their own bathroom, even though it was recently remodeled as well!

To see more pictures, visit the album on our Facebook page, and give us a “like” if you haven’t already!

Let us know if we can help you update your outdated kitchen or bath!

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