SUNSET MAGAZINE HOME SHOW THIS WEEKEND

Today Steve is constructing an Entry Arbor to display at the Sunset Magazine Celebration Weekend in San Jose the weekend of June 4-5.  It was designed by Architect Steve Hinderberger.  We worked with Steve Hinderberger on a delightful kitchen remodel in Oakland and got along so well, we decided to stay in touch and help each other promote our associated services.

Steve H. will be "manning the booth" this weekend, and will have a display rack of literature for On The Beam Remodeling.   Business cards, photo postcards and magazines featuring our company will be available.  If you're down in San Jose, don't miss it.

Here are details of the event:  It's called "Celebration Weekend", takes place at Sunset Mag Headquarters, 80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, and tickets cost $16.  There are sections to the event, and our display will be at the Home And Garden Exhibit.  You can find more information at www.sunset.com; click on "Events".  It looks like it'll be a lot of fun.

CALCULATE YOUR OWN PROJECT!

You can calculate your own remodeling project. We have this pretty fantastic tool on our website to assist our clients and potential clients in getting an idea of what their project will cost. This information is basic and important to everybody who owns a home that needs work done on it. Simply visit our website at www.onthebeamremodeling.com. On the Home Page you will see a button at the bottom right labeled "What Will It Cost?" Click on that block and you will arrive at the estimate calculating tool: a series of charts with construction choices that you can sift through and click on at the appropriate level for the work you have in mind.

Be your own estimator! One caveat though: these estimates are rough and preliminary. Please contact us through the website so that we can provide a more accurate cost to construct.

We would love to have your email address so that we can stay in touch with you from time to time. Your email address is kept private and we respect your need to not be flooded with advertising.

The Value For My Money Question

Time and again Steve and I run up against the same consumer attitude: What value can I get for my money? We would like to address that question in a roundabout way with another question: What is your budgetary upper limit for any given expense? For example, how much are you willing to spend for a relaxing, beautiful vacation in Hawaii? What's your top price for a car? These are very personal evaluations and we are well aware that there is great variation from individual to individual or from family to family.

Now we come to the question that is so very pertinent and close to our hearts: What is your upper limit for that remodel you've been dying to get started but keep delaying because of the economy? Rarely do people want to confide that upper limit to us, and we can only guess that this is due to lack of trust and fear of being exploited.

The fact is, we want to give you the best value for your budget. However, nine times out of ten we don't know that budget, and it remains a mystery as we struggle to arrive at a reasonable estimate to build the new kitchen of your dreams or that fabulous new bathroom.

We are not a "pricey" company, something we've heard others mumble about as they pick their way through numerous contractors and bids. We are reasonably priced and stand by our estimates. They are extremely accurate through years and years (25 to be exact) of estimate experience and up-to-date knowledge of the materials and subcontractors.

Will you get the same job for a lower price? Doubtless, no. A remodeling project is complex and detailed. We make sure the details are perfect and the complexity is our headache, not yours.

IT STARTS WITH AN IMAGE

As a Design/Build firm, on occasion we have heard surprised reactions from homeowners who don't know why we would need a drawing or plans to execute the remodel project they are dreaming about. The dream starts with an image in your mind, and the next step is to get that image down in concrete terms. This means both words and drawings. Without these tools, the project could go badly awry.

FIRST STEP: DRAW WHAT'S THERE

Verbal communication can be tricky, and describing what you envision for your home can be challenging. So how do we tease out the details and arrive at a whole integrated picture? Steve starts with the existing structure, taking measurements and drawing accurately what is there with correct dimensions. How can you transform something until you know exactly what you have and how it relates to the surrounding environment? Together with the homeowner, we identify the precise areas that they are unhappy with and want to see changed.

SECOND STEP: PLANS AND ELEVATIONS

Steve draws the proposed changes in a new plan, including reconfigured space, dimensions and suggested finishes. He bases this on many things: the homeowner's desires and needs; the basic purpose and function of the room; the need for light, shade, privacy, and other external factors; and Steve's own design ideas. He executes the drawings in two versions: as a plan, which means that you are looking down on it as if the roof were removed from your house and you're in a helicopter hovering above; and as an elevation, which is from the perspective of standing in the room and looking at the opposite wall.

THIRD STEP: DESIGN BEAUTIFICATION

But that's not the end of it. I colorize the drawings by hand (I must admit, the most exciting and fun of my job duties). I use colored pencils and periodically add a charming new color like "jade", "celadon" or "burnt ochre" to my collection to aid in capturing the hues of chosen finishes. I also replicate the texture of marble, granite, patterned tile, wood grain, chrome and steel in the coloring. I base my colors on what the homeowner has told us s/he wants. If they aren't certain about colors or finishes, I usually stick to earth tones. The addition of color and textures - and sometimes trees and bushes - to the drawing makes it easier for the homeowner to read what is on the paper. Looking down from above on lines that represent walls, windows, doorways and stairs can be daunting to the untrained eye. Elevations are easier to read.

THE FINAL BOUNCE

Then we present the illustration to the homeowner and discuss all the design ideas, finishes and colors represented. This is the 'bouncing off' period where we exchange ideas with clients to arrive at the perfect solutions to address their remodel project. With drawings to scale, details and finishes, we have a map to steer by.

Warrine Shares More of Her Story

Here is the third installment of Warrine Coffey's remodeling journal. As a guest blogger, she has much to offer from the homeowner's point of view and experience going through a large renovation.

APPLIANCES AND WORKERS

"Another six weeks have passed since my last epistle on our project. We are now 75% through and it's looking good. We've had our ups and downs.

We ordered the appliances and had them all delivered except for the cooktop which we picked up ourselves so our contractor could get the exact measurements. The dishwasher and ovens went directly into the kitchen to await a later installation. The new refrigerator is in the dining room so we are very crowded with two refrigerators and everything else we need in there for our temporary kitchen. It's just for a few weeks, so we just live with it.

One day we had 2-3 of our contractor's men here in the kitchen AND the burglar alarm folks (2 people) working throughout the house AND several exterior painters. Talk about chaos! The new alarm failed that same evening. The next day the alarm guy was back and the appliances were delivered and work continued in the kitchen.

A few weeks ago they removed the plywood barriers between the kitchen and the rest of the house. Now when we want to see the kitchen we don't have to go out the front door and around to the back. We just walk through the interior door.

A 'HOT' DISAGREEMENT ON OVENS

We had a major argument - I mean difference of opinion - on ovens. Bill felt stronger about it so he got his way. The contractor was agreeable to the changes and now all is well. I thought the hardest part of this remodel was the hundreds of decisions that have to be made, often without adequate knowledge about what is being decided. I was wrong. That is the second hardest part. The hardest part of a major project is the other person...Now I know why people ask if we're still married after several months of construction. I tell them we are, indeed.

OUTDOOR AND INDOOR LIVING

Our little temporary balcony off the dining room continues to be a blessing through all this. It has its problems, though. There were the ants that appeared the first week, so we learned to be very careful about leaving any dirty dishes out there. Now there is a tree in the front yard with pollen that attracts bees, so the bees have found our balcony...I learned that ants like dog food and bees like tuna.

As of last week we have lights on in the kitchen and the doorbell works after four months of doing without. Most of the cabinets are in. The crown molding around the ceiling is lovely. The stone countertops are in. The bathroom floor tile and backsplash are in. Today most of the plumbing fixtures were installed and we have water in the new kitchen - with hot water! We no longer have to haul hot water from upstairs. That means we can wash dishes inside like other folks.

PERSONAL GROWTH

An unexpected side effect of doing this major construction project is the personal growth that occurs during it. Choosing to do something truly difficult and actually doing it without too much bellyaching is a real accomplishment. It's so much easier to let things be the way they were. I'm so glad we didn't. We are stronger for the effort we have put in, plus we're going to get a lovely new kitchen when it's all over.

Onward Remodeling Soldiers!

My Blogger Guest, Warrine Coffey, continues with her saga of home remodeling. She is talking at first here about her dog, who was a canine warrior and a noble beast:

DOG ON THE PREMISES

"Nigel was very agitated when we brought him home after vacation. He doesn't like being boarded and when he got home, his bed and food dish had moved and the house was in disarray and noisy. We gave the necessary TLC to calm him down. He quickly adjusted and is just fine. We take him into the back area with us so he can see what's happening. He likes the additional attention from the workers.

SUBS MOVE IN

After about three weeks of this, I realized we could cook, eat well, have clean clothes, and find things. So I began to relax somewhat. So it was back to planning and making decisions for the project. The foundation for the extension was poured May 19. Framing is pretty much done. The rough plumbing is in. The electrician starts Monday. One interesting aside is this: When the plumber started, one of the first things he did was to install a water shut-off valve in the basement for the area in back of the house. That involves the kitchen, laundry, powder room and master bath. When he worked he would shut off those areas. That left us the upstairs hall bathroom and the sink on the balcony. We had a toilet and hot and cold running water almost all the time. Life is easier than it would be without that valve.

DOWN THE CONSTRUCTION ROAD

I think our contractor has been wonderful. He plans things out carefully, keeps us informed and keeps things moving. When one works on an 80-year-old house, there are going to be some glitches. He is very experienced and will help us get through the glitches. I am still amazed at the temporary kitchen setup. I had envisioned washing dishes in the bathtub, scrubbing vegetables in the bathroom sink, etc. Those are the stories I have heard from other people. I think we are very fortunate to have the setup we have. Most people who see it are amazed. We haven't even gone out together for dinner because we always have prepared food here. I do not focus on what we don't have. I just focus on what we do have which is plenty more than millions of people in the world today have. And I never forget the prize: a new kitchen down the road.

Contribute Your Own Artistic Touch

Some years ago we did a lovely kitchen remodel for Jan and Carol of Berkeley. They chose a striking dark green granite slab for their countertops, but for the backsplash they chose ceramic tiles. 'Backsplash' is the term for the area just above the counter, against the wall, that will get splashed by you when you cook or run water. Frequently the choice of finish there is a continuation of the counter surface, be it tile, granite, marble, Corian, Silestone, etc.

However, Jan and Carol desired a contrasting lighter surface. The tiles were a pretty cream color and performed excellently for their task. Every so often a different-looking tile would appear in that backsplash, because Jan had handcrafted it and illustrated it with a color image of an animal. Some were pets they had owned, others were not: a Labrador retriever, a Siamese cat, a colorful parrot, a lizard, and so on.

Jan let us know before the work had even started that she wanted to make her own tiles. We allowed a little extra time in the schedule for her to accomplish her creative goal. We placed the special tiles randomly in the backsplash throughout the kitchen. The animal tiles brought a magical look to the kitchen that made the final result even more endearing to Jan and Carol.

You can also contribute to your own home remodel. If you have a special skill like Jan, who is a graphic artist and professional potter, let us know. We'll examine ways for you to create something that will enhance your home remodel, making it even more personal and intimate.