Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Berkeley Square Drive-Through Shelter

As part of the master plan of the new Berkeley Square Manor House, they are providing a covered drive-up entry. This will allow access to the new Manor House due to open early next year. Attached are pictures of the process which is a kit of parts. First are the structural steel columns that are shown being set with the crane, leveled and fastened to embedded bolts in the concrete.

Once these are set and the electric is run up the side, a decorative fiberglass base, column and cap will be add over the structural steel column, as seen laying on the ground.
Once the decorative columns are in place, the shelter, as seen on the truck and rendered in the drawing, will be unloaded and assembled in place.


This project is another good reminder of how important communication & coordination is. The shelter was shipped from out of state, the decorative columns were ordered and the columns were fabricated locally. In addition, the electrician is on-hand as well, running the conduit up the side once the columns are set. The crane can be used most efficiently when such things are in place.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Second Story Addition

Here are some progress photos of a second story addition we started about a month ago. We were at the mercy of Mother Nature for awhile, waiting for at least 4 days of no rain forecasted to begin the removal of the roof. Once that arrived, we worked hard through the weekend to make sure it was blacked in by the next rain, and fortunately we made it.Things have been progressing along well and now we are working on the interior trim. We should be all finished in about another month, allowing the homeowner to enjoy their new master bedroom, bath & laundry room. Below are before and after's from the progress thus far...






Thursday, October 20, 2011

2011 Open House

Since we had so much fun last year, we decided to welcome the change of seasons with a celebration for family & friends. It was a great afternoon where hungers were satisfied, new friends were made and old ones celebrated, while the smell of fall christened it at. Thanks to all who came and made the event such a special day. We look forward to next year!






















Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Recent Job - photos & review

BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER Interior
Project entailed an addition of a sun room & garage, remodeled existing garage to new master bedroom, kitchen remodel & extension featuring custom kitchen cabinets, not to mention numerous other house improvements.

And here is what the client had to say when it was all said & done:

Friday, August 5, 2011

Aiding the Material Selection Process

I've pulled up some of our old Google Sketch-up models and rendered them. I'm discovering and experimenting with its material palette, specifically how I can apply from a picture the actual material to a surface. For example, the first rendering below has the actual tile floor that we used, shower walls & feature strip. And if you notice the mirror has the actual reflection of the bathroom, which I obviously took after the bathroom was finished. My hope is that this can be a tool for material selection for future projects. For example, I can propose say three options to a client and apply actual wall color, granite color, faucets, tile color & texture, etc to aid in the material selection process. Pretty soon running around town to the tile shop, granite shop, plumbing showroom etc will be a thing of the past!







Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Another Satisfied Customer

This is a recent review we just received on Angie's List & I thought it was worth sharing. Nothing makes us more elated as a company than such a review:
The Meyers completely remodeled our small 32 year old kitchen. The work included gutting the kitchen down to the studs, removing an existing wall, installing new drywall, adding additional lighting and electrical wiring, providing some plumbing and HVAC changes, installing all new appliances, painting, tiling the backsplash, and designing, creating and installing custom cabinets. 
This is a family-owned business and it's evident that all of these men take pride in their work. The custom cabinets are absolutely gorgeous and more beautiful than I had expected. Their woodworking skills are top-notch. They are true professionals and are very easy to work with. All of their sub-contractors are also great.
From the initial design and planning to final touchups, it was a great experience. They were prompt, stayed on schedule, cleaned up after themselves, quickly responded to any minor issues that popped up and just are an overall great group of guys.
 
It's very obvious that all of the Meyer brothers and sons are dedicated to their craft and enjoy what they do. It's so refreshing to encounter people who consider customer satisfaction a real priority. They willingly accommodated every one of my "picky" little concerns. I just can't say enough good things about these guys and the quality and professionalism of their work. I was dreading the mess and disruption of a remodel, but they made it almost painless. Not least of all, they all have a positive attitude and a great sense of humor. 
We love our new kitchen. It's so efficient and absolutely stunning. Everything just came together perfectly. I just love every single thing about it. The space feels so much larger and I have lots of storage and counter space which was lacking on our old kitchen. It looks like something you would see on TV or in a magazine. I have my dream kitchen. I wish we had done this years ago.

Monday, June 27, 2011

A must read before remodeling

A well-researched & well-thought client of ours passed this article along to me that he found informative prior to us beginning his kitchen remodel. The article is from Money Magazine, June 2011, entitled How to Stick to Your Remodeling Budget.
"Everyone knows that the four most expensive words in remodeling are 'while we're at it...' Yet as any big project unfolds, you'll face innumerable temptations to upgrade the materials, features, and even layout you originally planned. Spending a few hundred extra for, say, pricier backsplash, tiles or a few thousand to add organizing systems to your new closets may be money well spend, but your cost will eventually soar into the stratosphere. Follow these tips for staying close to the expenses you intended.
The primary cause of busted budgets late in the game is having unrealistic cost expectations to begin with, says Eden Prairie, Minn., contractor Mark Mackmiller. You can avoid them by making as many specific product choices as possible early on. So as you plan your project, go to the tile shop, the stone yard, the plumbing supply, and the lighting store and make your selections - or at least figure out what price range they'll be in. Otherwise your contractor will give you a guesstimated 'allowance' for each item, which may not be enough.
One you've drawn up your budget, add 10% as a contingency fund. That's for surprises that are beyond your control, like termite damage or rotted framing. The good news is that those problems arise as soon as demolition is done and the contractor can see inside the walls and ceilings. Get past this phase, and the remainder of the contingency is fair game for upgrades and extras, says architect Lori Stephens of Corvallis, Ore. Just decide quickly whether you're changing the layout, because once the crew installs framing, plumbing and wiring, undoing that work would add even more cost.
Tell your contractor - or better yet, write into your contract - that you want 'written change orders.' That means you get a black-and-white description and price for any add-ons, which you sign before the work commences. (If your contractor balks at extra paperwork, have him jot the information on the back of your contract and initial it). That prevents surprises - and makes it easy to track your bottom line..."

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Latest Kitchen

Here are some pictures of our most recent kitchen renovation. I particularly like this one for it's unique door style, which is an updated take on the traditional shaker door. This is the first kitchen we have done using this door, and it was based on an existing piece of Amish made furniture she had in her dining room. And by removing the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room, we greatly increased the openness of the home which made for a dramatic change.

What is great about making cabinets from scratch is we can do whatever we want, the only limitation we have is our imagination. The owner had the idea to have a glass panel above a wood panel in the same door on either side of the range. Other cabinet companies either said they couldn't do it or had a large additional fee to do so. Since everything for us is handmade, it was not problem to meet that need of hers for minimal cost. With lights in that cabinet, it makes for a great showpiece.  Also, the corner glass cabinets were created to replace the old china cabinet & also were designed to soften the corner, creating a smoother, less harsh transition into the kitchen. The back of the peninsula was designed & built to allow access to otherwise dead space against the wall. Even though it is not a big kitchen, it is packed with unique details & features maximizing storage & aesthetic beauty.






Here is what the kitchen used to look like, highlighting the dramatic change that took place: