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..."

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:

Towing the Line

It seems like every project, big or small, perpetuates the epic struggle between total project costs and client wants (less than needs). And as a human, I am in this boat, for I think it is a human condition...or maybe more specifically an American human condition: want more for less. I could go down a philosophical dirt road of the cultural reason behind that, but I'll stick to architecture here. In this same struggle is trying to figure out how far to take a project, specifically in remodeling. We often tell our clients you can spend $ x and get something close to want you want, or you can spend $ x plus say 15% and get actually what you want. The last thing we want for our clients is to spend alot of money and not get exactly what they want when they can spend a little more and get what they want (please bear in mind these are brash generalizations). Short sidedness is hard to come over, especially as money starts to flow beyond expectations. With all that said, I feel we as a company working together with our clients have, project after project, won this struggle and found a balance so that at the end of the day, our clients are thrilled with the project outcome.

The below project is an example of towing that line, trying to make something fit into the site, perform as an efficient home, meet the clients functional needs and excel at the aesthetic value. In design we try to be smart and efficient, spending money where it counts most and trying to save it where it counts least. I will be interested on how this project, like all of them, come together in the end.

In Memory of Maria, Jerry's wife...

Best remembered by the words of others:

"Thank you so much for your friendship! I love you! I will miss you!"


"We made mischief & mayhem
with "bumps, jumps, and kicks" - Love you and will miss you SO much. Thing 2"


"I will miss you my dear friend!"


"You can now see the impact you have had on so many people for God's kingdom, and will continue to get to see that develop. Thank you MARIA!"


"we miss you and love you maria!"


"Thank you so much for loving my brother so thoroughly all these years. No two people were ever truer soul mates. God bless you, Maria! He is with you always."

Hamilton's Icefest

It turns out Hamilton puts on quite the event when it comes to Icefest. It's been 3 years since the last one, but this year seemed to be bigger than ever. People from all over the country and world showed up to either carve their own ice or simply peruse the myriad of sculptures and art, including Olympic athletes (didn't know it was an event!). Props to Hamilton for putting on such an event, which included many other mediums of art displayed at the Government Services building as well.
To support this and our local community, we sponsored our own sculpture. It may not be the most appealing architectural house design we've done, but it is the only one we've ever built out of ice...

Looking back, looking forward and celebrating in-between

Another year has come and gone. 2010 was marked most significantly by our shop and office move, upgrading our paint shop, wood shop, office space and "showroom." Also a year of work diversity, starting the year off with a couple custom kitchens, then a couple garages, an addition, a few bathrooms, basement remodels and many window replacements just in time for the tax credit to expire. Our big commercial job at Berkeley Square Retirement Community ended our year strong and is beginning 2011 the same. In addition to Berkeley, we will be starting some more basements, custom cabinetry and more window replacements. Personally, 2011 will be the year of celebrations: Joey & his sister Bitsy are engaged, as well as Drew, and Rick is expecting his second child and 3rd generation of the family business.
Here are some pictures and video of the celebrations in-between:

Happy 50th Jerry!

Thanks for 27 years of loyal service to Meyer Brothers & Sons!

Here are a few pictures of the good 'ole days:

The typical lunch hour with Andy Griffith in the background

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 I'm pretty sure that is still what he looks like with his shirt off...

 Arlin, brother Ray, Jerry, Dick & Murry!

Dick, Joe & Jerry camping out