Friday, November 2, 2012

Open House 2012

It was a little chilly, but ended up sunny for our 3rd annual Meyer Brothers & Sons Open House. We are very thankful to all our family, friends, subcontractors, previous & potential clients that came out to make this the biggest one yet! Here are some images that captured the day:




 Dick & Joey's father-in-law
 Rick with his mom
 Vern & Family
 Drew, Jess & Andy
 Bri, Luke, Felicia & Barb

 Great food, thanks Alex!
 Our heating contractor, Joe Sackenheim with his daughter, Greg in the background
 Marty the plumber with his son
 The pregnant wives! Growing the company one baby at a time.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Interior Transformation

As our architect, I am involved on the front end of each project with the design, material selections, etc., and I usually don't see the job until it is completed. This one, even though I was involved with all the details throughout and created 3D drawings depicting the final outcome, my jaw dropped when I saw the finished product. And the beauty of this project, like many others, is the combination of the clients style & vision with our experience & expertise. I was reminded how much of a difference removing walls makes, even partial ones, and how using 1 floor material throughout the space really opens things up. Below are some before & after pictures, featuring our custom cabinets in both the kitchen & family room: (scroll to bottom to see clients review on Angie's List)








Here is an excerpt from the review we received from this client, who found us originally using Angie's List:
"Meyer Bros performed a large remodel on our home.  They did everything from drawing up the initial plans to demoing all rooms, floors, walls to removing and moving appliances.  They do most work themselves but sub out plumbing, drywall, floors, HVAC, and tile (their subs have worked with Meyer Bros for 10-20 years -- top notch folks).

Top notch organization -- from start to finish!  They are a family owned business and aside from the subs, everyone is family.  They are extremely easy to work with and make you feel like you're part of the family as well.  Their prices aren't the cheapest in the biz but their work is some of the best.  They are extremely trustworthy and we had no issues with them being in our house for the 2 months it took to do the renovation.  They got their start in carpentry and wood working and it shows.  Their ability to make cabinets and fine trim is absolutely amazing.  They were able to work with us right from the start.  We didn't know exactly what we wanted but their architect was able to work with us and change the drawings several times as we changed our minds.  As the work progressed we reviewed with them every morning what had been done and what was to be done that day.  They were always prompt arriving at 730 sharp every day and working until 5.  If, during the course of the day they had questions, they would call and talk things over with us first.  
Simply put, they are the best contractor we've ever worked with and we will be using them again in the near future (we have several more projects for them).  You absolutely cannot go wrong by employing their services.  They are a wonderful group of folks and their work is outstanding!!"

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Remodeling your kitchen?

Here is an article I came across and thought it was good advice for people remodeling their kitchen. When we remodel a kitchen, which typically takes 4 weeks, we do all we can to set people up for continued use of some kind of kitchen, for we know what it is like to live without the "heart" of your home, especially for families:
http://kitchens.com/planning/surviving-a-remodel/temporary-kitchen.aspx

Setting Up a Temporary Kitchen

When good-enough is as good as it gets

Temporary Kitchen

It might be a shell of your actual kitchen, but a temporary kitchen is a must during a remodel.



















If you frequently prepare meals in your kitchen, a kitchen remodel will pose you with many culinary conundrums. It will be imperative for you to set up a temporary kitchen, which may not provide you the ability to prepare Thanksgiving dinner for 30 guests, but will at least help you cook an edible meal instead of eating out every day of the week. Here are a few tips for setting up your temporary kitchen:
  • Keep essential items handy: microwave meals and non-perishables like soup; condiments; cereal; microwave-safe dishes and utensils; dishcloths; dishwasher soap; paper plates and cups; coffee; coffee pot and sugar/creamer; paper towels; napkins; and garbage bags.

  • You’ll be without water in the kitchen for a time, so plan to do the dishes in another sink or the bathtub. Or stock up on disposable plates and cups, paper towels and a disinfectant cleanser.

  • Move your old refrigerator or a small mini-fridge to a convenient space close to a water source. Add a table with a microwave above and a trash can below.

Obviously, small appliances such as microwaves, toasters or toaster ovens, hot plates, and small electric grills will be immensely helpful in preparing home-cooked meals. Just remember, the area where you set up your temporary kitchen might not be able to support multiple appliances running at the same time, not to mention any other electronic items typically used in that room. You might need to have only one thing plugged in at a time to prevent blown fuses.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Master Bath Designs

I've recently been designing master bathrooms. Two in the same week and they happen to be within a stones throw of each other. They have different needs, sets of constraints and client wants which is evidenced in the unique designs.
Master Bathroom A

Master Bathroom B




Wednesday, August 1, 2012

34 Years Ago Today...

2 young men, with a small but solid foundation of carpentry skills and entrepreneurial spirits...
 decided to leave their current employer and go out on their own.
There skills and spirit have paid off and here is the current company...
which employees a total of 3 brothers, 1 brother-in-law, 5 sons and 2 others that are close enough to being family. Thanks Dick & Joe and may we continue to add to the solid foundation you built in the generations to come.

Monday, July 30, 2012

A Little Press

We were interviewed by Angie's List a couple weeks back and it just ran in last Saturday's Home & Garden section in the Cincinnati Enquirer. It gives some good insight into how our industry has evolved with these recent economic times.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Modern Bathroom

It is always a pleasure working with creative people on a project to push the envelope of design and develop fresh ideas. This project is a perfect example. The client also works in the design industry so she came to us with most of the bathroom designed, model in hand, materials listed out and ready to go. From there we built products she couldn't find, designed & built her cabinetry and massaged the design in order to allow her theoretical ideas come to practical life.

 it was easy to fit more modern fixtures into this clean lined, contemporary home
 Our custom cabinetry
 We maintained the existing redwood on the walls and added new
 The client had trouble finding mirrors she wanted, so we used her existing redwood scraps from the demolition of the bathroom and built these one-of-a-kind chrome mounted, swivel mirrors
 View from the tub deck back to the shower/commode area
 Custom cabinetry
 Custom niche
Shower features linear drain, granite seat with stainless steel tubing for support, which matches her cabinet legs & mirror supports