Cross that off your list!

by the Artist

I've had a super busy week. Who hasn't you say. I have done color consults for two of our projects. One a kitchen project (Deerhills Drive- http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/recent-projects/) we completed early fall. This was my second consult. The original gray we chose was just too blue. Sometimes you just have to live with a color for awhile. We offer design assistance as part of the project. And even if the project is long finished.. if the color doesn't work, we make it right. 

The second consult was for a current project- Floral Drive. We are helping to finish a number of interior renovation projects, that were never completed.

This was my first time at the project. I met one of the homeowners. She has been living with unfinished projects for quite some time. A number of factors have contributed to the situation. I felt her frustration. She just wants it to be done. It didn't start with us.. but we need to be sensitive to the situation and do our best to move quickly and as quietly as possible. The kitchen is completely unusable, the ceilings had to be scraped, the sheetrock work finished, walls painted, wood floors installed. With sheetrock taping and mud, the house is closed up and humid, and there of course is dust. 

Remodeling is stressful. Even if you know you are getting the kitchen of your dreams. Or the bath worthy of a King and Queen. If you live in the house during the remodel you will live with mess and stress. We want to be sensitive to that. Today made me aware of that again. We are working in a private home. 

Getting back to the consult.. the homeowner had great samples for me to look at. New chair material, a new area rug, a countertop sample, even a floor plan of the project! That was so helpful. The Carpenter brought the chosen flooring with two stain samples. We were able to choose wall colors, and even talked about window treatments. I hope that helped the homeowner. She was able to cross some more decisions off her list! And that brings her that much closer to living in a beautiful completed space!

The beginning of a new era (actually continuing the journey)

by the Carpenter

Yeah, you know the journey I’m talking about. The journey I have written about so many times. Yep, the one I have said it's time to pull back and let the employees carry more of the load.

We have been fortunate to have finally hired again, what’s the saying?  Fourth ones the charm?? Or something like that. 

We have great hope that Jason is the fit we have been looking for. He seems compatible with Adam. He comes with experience yet not arrogance, and he is very eager to learn. A cool aspect of him is he is from Hayward Wisconsin, and as you know Hayward is a very favorite area of ours. He does come with one serious flaw however… he is not a coffee drinker!!! I told him he has two weeks to convert or it’s down the road! ;) Hey, I have converted five of my ten Minnesota nieces and nephews, there is a chance! Hahahaha.

Onto projects of the day..

Keep following us and hopefully we will be talking about a really cool job we are currently pricing. It started almost a year ago. The customers went through a real transformation in the process of talking to a couple of contractors, trying to decide on design, and trying to stay on a budget that worked with them. It got very overwhelming and it was put on hold for the summer.

They re-grouped and re-focused and we are one of the contractors they have called back to table. Needless to say I feel very fortunate to have the possibility to be involved again. It is an exciting prospect. One of those that I have always said I love. A project that takes a creative mind, and has the potential challenge of tackling a few unknowns (but what job doesn’t have those). When it is completed (no matter who does it) the build process will totally transform their home into a place they will be able to live in and love for a very long time. 

As Thanksgiving has passed already, I want to thank each and every one of our customers that we have had in 2015, and also those that gave us a chance to win them as a customer. It is very important that everyone knows it does not go un-noticed. Thank you.

Battery heated coat?

by the Carpenter

Another dry spell from the blog….. These months just keep flying by.

Help, we need a carpenter! That’s the main reason I have not written much, there is just too much to do.

We have been in a stretch of many months now looking for help. We have been interviewing a few; none have had what we are looking for. Sometimes I think I may be too fussy, I don’t know, maybe.

It is funny how the job search works these days. We put out an ad that asks for a carpenter with at least 5 years experience in residential remodeling. We get responses from 40 to 50 year olds looking for a career change with no carpentry experience at all, to guys with a lot of experience looking for $70,000 salaries plus a new truck. Where is that middle guy?

Needless to say we have not found the right fit yet. In the meantime we manage with our subs, and with being in tune with the jobs as we possibly can be. I’m sure the guys are tired of hearing me say….”we need to be productive today”.

As if we can be unproductive any day, hahaha.

Summer is over. The turn in the weather is just a breath away. I think this is the 36th winter I will be entering since this carpentry gig started.

I have to laugh. More years then not it seems, I am looking at a winter of outside work, coming off a summer and fall of more inside then outside work. This winter may not be different. I have been looking at a battery-heated jacket the last few years, may have to quit looking and start buying. No wait, I’m hiring a carpenter for that! 

PS from the Artist… I had to find out if a "battery heated" coat exists! Well it does. Check out this link. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=battery+heated+jacket&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=33825823795&hvpos=1s4&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15963518070457027836&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_2jll98li1h_b 

I think I know what I'm getting the Carpenter for Christmas…. 

For real.

by the Artist

At a recent interview the Carpenter was asked if there really was an "Artist and Carpenter". The Carpenter looked at the guy and said.. are you serious? You are looking at the "Carpenter". It made me think about that. What is obvious to us isn't ever as obvious to someone else. And in this digital age.. what you see on a screen is not necessarily real or true. 

Well I just pinched myself. I am real and as of this morning.. the Carpenter is too. I am an artist- trained in graphic design. I now work in our company doing all the marketing, and I assist with any design needs for our projects. And the Carpenter has been pounding nails and loving what he does since age 18. We are married. We work every day to make it in this digital world, to be a presence, to keep the work that we do relevant and hopefully from time to time.. fleetingly interesting to you.

This week we started a large exterior remodel. Click on this link to see the album I set up on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.924098774343969.1073741922.342655239154995&type=3 These are our favorite type of projects. We are excited to share with you. Prior to starting this project we both spent quite some time meeting with the homeowners to gather information, present design concepts– to be given the opportunity to partner with them to achieve the goals for their home. This is a huge responsibility. We are up for it!

Tuning in.

by the Artist

I love the show "Flipping Out" on Bravo. Mostly because I get to see how Jeff Lewis the owner relates to his employees, and how he manages multiple projects at the same time. I particularly love Jenni his main assistant. I admire her sass and how she handles the subcontractors and clients. The show for me is more about human interactions then the end product. 

Recently I watched an episode where Jeff and crew were updating a home's interior from the walls (remodeling) to the furniture (interior design). Towards the end of the project Jeff realized that the homeowner wasn't happy with how the project was turning out. But his wife was very happy. 

I suddenly saw behind the obvious of the episode. I couldn't believe that it had gone that far in the project. Who wasn't really listening? Did they sit down and talk prior to the project start? Or did they all just get caught up in the momentum of the process. Jeff and his crew were syncing with the wife on all the design decisions. But the husband wasn't and had checked out of the process. And it appeared that no one took the time to ask him what was going on– they knew he was unhappy but didn't deal with the elephant in the room. Yet. At least this is how it appeared from how the situation was presented. 

I thought about this. What if this happened to us? I would feel terrible. What did I miss? It made me pause. It confirmed to me that we always need to "know" our customers before any larger project begins. To have a clear understanding of what they like, don't like, what their "style" or lack thereof is, what their dreams are for their home. We do this. I do this before I offer a single suggestion, sketch or wall color.

The issue on this episode was resolved. An honest conversation ensued where Jeff and the wife admitted that they had neglected including the husband in on the decisions, and had ignored his apparent unhappiness. And the husband was honest about how he had been feeling– that he felt like a stranger in a home he no longer knew– all his favorite things gone–replaced by sleek contemporary. From that point things improved. The husband was given the voice to choose what he wanted. And ironically in being given the freedom to choose he came around to embrace the newly designed interior, along with a comfy chair for his office!

So here's to starting off right. Staying in communication and always checking in, and mostly.. listening.

Color on deck.

by the Artist

Thirsty anyone?

by the Artist

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Propose this!

by the Artist

Starting!

by the Artist

Today we start a large kitchen remodel. It's been months in the planning. Initial meetings, design decisions, kitchen cabinets ordered, floor and backsplash tile chosen. Lots of details had to be ironed out before demo can begin.

We start demo by removing all base trim, pry off the countertops, remove the cabinet bases and uppers and pull up the vinyl floor. In this situation we are only removing one small wall. And I should say.. before we start any project we block off the area being remodeled from the rest of the house with plastic. We take every precaution to keep the home as dust free as possible during the process. But some dust does still sneak out.. especially if a furnace or ac is running.

So here's to demo day! It's been a long time coming but is finally here. I know the homeowners are looking forward to eating their first meal in their brand new lovely kitchen! Here's to dreams that do come true!

Bidding on high.

by the Artist

Last week the Carpenter and I headed to a home, to take photos and measurements for a large exterior renovation project we are bidding on. We call these larger whole house exterior projects "Second Acts". http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/second-act-1/ We love this type of work for different reasons.

The photos I took will be used to layout some design ideas to show the homeowners. The Carpenter went to look more closely at all aspects of the exterior, as well as take measurements for his bid. In the photo above, I caught the Carpenter deep in thought up on the roof. I'm always surprised how relaxed he is up high. 

The Carpenter favors working with the existing conditions of an older home. Problem solving what is revealed during the project, figuring out how to fit new materials and design into "old". He says it's like working a puzzle. He makes the renovation work.

I enjoy the challenge of designing the "before" to become a beautiful "after". I watch my share of home improvement shows. Actually we started watching "This Old House" before HGTV was even a glimmer in a producers eye. I make the design work.

We've both learned a lot over the years. A lot. How to renovate to current market standards without breaking the bank, and still maintain quality craftsmanship. There is an art to that. 

And we're off to another busy week. 

Here's to hoping you have a good week too.