Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

When it comes to home remodeling, we stand by the saying: Bigger isnt always better.

We have said it before and we will say it again: Good home remodeling is about function and design, not about size. We have seen small homes with much better style and function than homes with double the square footage. For instance, adding a large room on the back of your house may make you feel like you are solving space issues in your house. However, if there are still problems with the design/function of the rest of your house, additional square footage may not resolve the core issues of your home.

Bigger is not always better has been our message since we started Renovation Design Group more than 10 years ago. Smart redesign that stays within the footprint of your house can be less expensive than a large, big box addition and can have a big impact on your lifestyle.

During the past few weeks, we have been delving into a recent Houzz.com research study, Transforming the American Home. The study shows that of the 200,000 respondents, 76 percent who remodeled stayed within the existing footprint of their home. This led the Houzz researchers to also conclude that bigger isnt always better.

One of our role models in architecture is Sarah Susanka. She developed the Not So Big book series featuring such titles as The Not So Big House and Not So Big Remodeling. These books are based on her architectural theory of keeping the scope of the project smaller with creative and smart design while taking the money saved and using it on finer finishes. This makes the space more functional and more beautiful without having to make it big. Basically, Ms. Susanka says finding the sense of home has more to do with quality than quantity.

We completely agree. It has been exciting to see more people according to the Houzz survey grasp this concept. A relatively minor remodel or small addition can result in a significantly improved house design. Often homeowners cant see past the existing walls to even imagine a different floor plan and design; they just know they need more space and that for some reason their house isnt working for them anymore. An architect with fresh eyes can present options and solutions most homeowners (and contractors) would not see.

A key issue for making an existing house function well is the circulation pattern of the home. It is always a problem when people have to cross through one room or area to access another. (These are the rooms in which we find it difficult to arrange furniture because they are functioning as a hall instead of a room.) If you can resolve the flow issues, you will have a home that will feel and function as a much larger space, even though the size has not actually changed.

Some design solutions may involve moving walls, doors, windows or even stairs. Such alterations may seem drastic to the homeowner, but one such change can be the key to all the other functions falling into place. For instance, struggling to work around a totally misplaced stairwell can be equivalent to the tail wagging the dog. No matter how you try to modernize the homes style, if the house does not circulate well, it will neither function properly nor feel comfortable.

The other syndrome to avoid is putting lipstick on the pig. This refers to replacing and upgrading finishes without dealing with the underlying issues of the home namely, the way the home flows and functions. If your kitchen is nothing more than a glorified hall with appliances in it, no amount of new cabinets or granite countertops will fix the problem. Unless your goal is to have a better-looking problem, you need to dig deeper and address the underlying issues before you focus on finishes.

Finally, if you are contemplating adding a room, make sure of two things: First, there must be a logical and sensible way to access the room. Look at the circulation in the house before you consider anything else. Second, make sure the addition is proportional to the existing house and its infrastructure.

Excerpt from:
Bigger not always better in remodeling, DIY

Beacon Partners said Tuesday that it will break ground on a five-story mixed-use office building in South End, hoping to attract companies drawing from the areas young talent pool of workers.

The new building at 1616 Camden Road, dubbed the 1616 Center, will house 10,000 square feet of retail space on the first floor with 65,000 square feet of office space on the four floors above.

Demolition of two existing buildings at the site will begin this week, with construction on the new building likely starting next week, said Mike Harrell, who oversees Beacons office development and acquisitions program. The site sits next to Prices Chicken Coop.

Harrell hopes the building taps into the areas demographics, attracting technology companies, engineering firms and other would-be tenants with a young adult workforce.

We just like the area ... and see a lot of companies wanting to move (there) to take advantage of all the young people moving to the area, he said.

Plans call for 1616 Center to open by third quarter next year when it will be part of the planned Rail Trail, a 3-mile public park connecting several Charlotte neighborhoods.

The steel building fits with the areas industrial history, said David Furman of Centro Cityworks, the architectural firm that designed the center. It will house a visitors center, public meeting areas, wide sidewalks and artwork in the lobby.

Camden Road, Furman said, is emerging as the downtown of South End. In designing 1616 Center, he envisioned creating an urban office building for tenants with contemporary workers.

One such tenant is Adam Boatsman, founding partner of the Boatsman Gillmore Wagner accounting firm in SouthPark. The first tenant of 1616 Center, he signed a 12,000-square-foot lease.

We hire five to seven brand new college grads every year, and where do they want to live? he said. They want to live (near) uptown.

See the rest here:
Beacon Partners launching construction on South End office building

Central-city office building wins top award DAVID KILLICK

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/ Fairfax NZ

AWARD WINNER: The Stranges building in Lichfield St has be lauded for mixing new design while referencing its architectural past.

A new office building capturing elements of its historic predecessor has won the supreme award in this year's Christchurch Civic Trust Awards.

The Stranges building, on the corner of Lichfield and High streets, was designed by architect Jasper van der Lingen, of Sheppard and Rout, and replaces a historic building that occupied the site from 1899 until the Canterbury earthquakes.

Read more: Architecture awards celebrate city's urban renewal

The Civic Trust said the design "acknowledges the original character of a major corner site and gives consideration [to] inner city urban revitalisation".

"While construction utilises 21st century design in terms of its structure and the use of materials, it also makes strong and meaningful references to its architectural past," it said.

The building was among the first to be completed in the inner city's former earthquake red zone.

Trust chairman Neil Roberts said the trust, which has been in existence for nearly 50 years, was "shifting its focus slightly away from the heritage architecture emphasis it has had in the past".

Read this article:
Stranges building wins supreme award

Central-city office building wins top award DAVID KILLICK

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/ Fairfax NZ

AWARD WINNER: The Stranges building in Lichfield St has be lauded for mixing new design while referencing its architectural past.

A new office building capturing elements of its historic predecessor has won the supreme award in this year's Christchurch Civic Trust Awards.

The Stranges building, on the corner of Lichfield and High streets, was designed by architect Jasper van der Lingen, of Sheppard and Rout, and replaces a historic building that occupied the site from 1899 until the Canterbury earthquakes.

Read more: Architecture awards celebrate city's urban renewal

The Civic Trust said the design "acknowledges the original character of a major corner site and gives consideration [to] inner city urban revitalisation".

"While construction utilises 21st century design in terms of its structure and the use of materials, it also makes strong and meaningful references to its architectural past," it said.

The building was among the first to be completed in the inner city's former earthquake red zone.

Trust chairman Neil Roberts said the trust, which has been in existence for nearly 50 years, was "shifting its focus slightly away from the heritage architecture emphasis it has had in the past".

Read the original:
Corner building blending past and present wins top Civic Trust award

Rents are expected to rise in the city as white-collar employment increases.

Melbourne's city office construction cycle will take a breather in 12 months as nearly 200,000 square metres of space is completed and a year goes by before another building opens its doors and cranks up its lifts.

Real estate agents Knight Frank expects the office vacancy rate to rise to 9.2 per cent by the middle of next year before contracting through to 2017 due to the slowed development pipeline. Rents are also expected to rise as white collar employment in the city increases every year.

A string of buildings on Collins and Bourke streets, including 567 Collins Street, 699 Bourke Street and KPMG's new 55,000 square metre office at Walker Corp's Collins Square, will round out the present cycle of construction.

Knight Frank director Hamish Sutherland said this "will give the market a chance to catch up. It will be good for landlords and rents, and it gives us a chance for any oversupply to reduce".

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"But 12 months isn't a long time," Mr Sutherland warned.

CBRE director Andrew Tracey agreed.

"There's a long lead time for new projects. Smart tenants are taking advantage of the state of the market. If they do a deal now they can lock in a good lease for the next 10 years," Mr Tracey said.

Knight Frank research showed that prime net face rents increased by 5.3 per cent to an average of $486 a square metre in July, but incentives designed to encourage new leasing deals increased to 30 per cent from 26 per cent, which led to a slight decrease in effective rents.

Go here to see the original:
Office construction in Melbourne to take a break

The 11 hottest listings from New York, Connecticut and Florida.

Photo: EVAN JOSEPH IMAGES

Agents: Daniel Hedaya and Cash Bernard, Platinum Properties, 212-825-0050: 6615 and 516-317-8279

Right-brainers need the right digs. Ideal for a designer, photographer, architect, painter or anyone who appreciates authentic loft living, this full-floor residence is actually two apartments in one, totaling 4,800 square feet. South-facing Apartment A has a darkroom, custom bookcases, one bedroom and two full bathrooms. Apartment B, looking north, is an open painters loft: windowed chefs kitchen, an office, more storage and walk-in closets, stacked washer/dryer, and two full bathrooms. No need to Sophies choice both are beautifully renovated, both have 50-foot walls of windows and both come with the asking price to live in or rent out as you please.

Agents: Maria A. Ryan and Cynthia Lane Fazio, Brown Harris Stevens, 718-399-4127 and 718-399-4153

Youve done something right in your career when your Westchester homes half-bathrooms outnumber most city dwellers total rooms. At this whopping 47-acre estate fun fact: thats the size of the Missouri State Penitentiary! there are four of them to go along with its seven full bathrooms and nine bedrooms. The prison similarities stop there, however, give the 1928 stone-and-shingle manors [meticulous craftwork] and amazing details throughout. Outside those stone walls lies gated and serene, park-like landscaping with walking/riding trails (horse stables, check), paddocks, a beautiful pool, guest and staff quarters (youll need them in droves) and multiple garages for those multiple cars of yours.

Agents: Stacey Sporn and Neal Sroka, Douglas Elliman, 914-273-1001 and 212-319-5845

Photo: VHT Studios

Agents: Denise LaChance and Betsey Margolies, Urban Compass, 917-834-6126 and 917-882-3182

Brokers arent hurting this UES townhouses feelings when they call it extraordinarily wide its quite comfortable in its 10,000-square-foot skin. Its got five levels to feed your fat fetish: On the garden floor, theres a 30-foot gallery leading to a sophisticated floor-to-ceiling windowed reception room (where the staff and security are squirreled away). On the 36-foot-wide parlor floor, slinky thyself up and down the impressive glass staircase to find the dining room and kitchen. The third floor has two bedrooms with an option for a third (a kiddie-friendly 300-square-foot terrace with hopscotch board). Floor No. 4 is home to the master suite, designed with spa-like luxury and serenity. And capping the joint, up on five, is a sunroom, three more bedrooms and a fully equipped gym.

Go here to read the rest:
Luxe listings: New York, Connecticut and Florida

Under threat of strike, South Burlington cancels school Under threat of strike, South Burlington cancels school

South Burlington classes are cancelled indefinitely and it appears school won't be able to resume until Friday at the earliest.

South Burlington classes are cancelled indefinitely and it appears school won't be able to resume until Friday at the earliest.

Updated: Monday, October 13 2014 11:20 PM EDT2014-10-14 03:20:44 GMT

The countdown to election day is continuing, and in New Hampshire that even means calling on Vermont politicians to hit the campaign trail.

The countdown to election day is continuing, and in New Hampshire that even means calling on Vermont politicians to hit the campaign trail.

Updated: Monday, October 13 2014 10:39 PM EDT2014-10-14 02:39:31 GMT

New estimates in the counterfeit ticket trouble that hit the Addison County Fair and Field Days this summer.

New estimates in the counterfeit ticket trouble that hit the Addison County Fair and Field Days this summer.

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Redesigning with Ruxana: adding pops of color to a room

The most dangerous time for a house is just before its 50th birthday.

"At 50 years, it's considered to be historic but, before that, it's not that new and it's not that old, so nobody cares about it," says Dave Seeburger.

In 2012, Seeburger quit his job in the oil and gas industry and started renovating old houses, mostly bungalows in the Heights. But when he saw a crumbling midcentury ranch house in Woodshire with some unusual architectural lines and a low pitched roof, he knew it was different. At 62 years old, the house had aged out of the danger zone, but its worn condition still made it a tear-down target.

"The home was just so unique and impressive for the area. Inside it was all fairly original, which I like because that means there's less of a chance that someone else went in and messed things up," says Seeburger, who is the president of real estate investment/development company P&G Homes. "We wanted to maintain everything that we could while making it livable."

Outside, Seeburger and Houston interior designer Jamie House added onto the front facade wall so that the edge of the roof didn't extend so far past the body of the house. The exterior brick has seen better days, so after repairing them as needed Seeburger painted the house white to keep everything consistent. The original front door was restored and painted a bold turquoise, with House adding a vintage Schlage starburst knob backplate she found on eBay. To play up the mod sensibilities, House scoured the Internet for '50s-style exterior globe lights, eventually hanging a trio from Austin's Hip Haven in the entry.

Inside, the floorplan offered challenges but lots of space - 3,300 square feet - to work with. The living area was divided by a wall and two different floor levels, so Seeburger opened it up as a single room to give the house more flow.

Rather than dictate the placement of furnishings, House removed the original pendant lights that were in the former dining room and installed them in the large master closet, which had previously been an office. Seeburger also added a pair of doors on each end of the kitchen - one in the former pantry to transform it into a combination storage space and mud room, and another facing the front of the house, where the newly extended exterior wall created a small courtyard.

For the flooring, House was inspired by the architecture school at Texas Tech, where she studied, which was built in the same time period and still had its original cork floors.

"Cork is a little different, but it's more in line with what might have been in the house originally, plus it's renewable and affordable," says House.

The kitchens and bathrooms were gutted then updated with contemporary fixtures, using clean lines to connect the look with the midcentury vibe.

Go here to read the rest:
Before and after: The revival of a midcentury home in Houston

Bonita Springs, Fla. (PRWEB) October 14, 2014

Best Home Services, a leading Southwest Florida HVAC, electrical, and plumbing service and repair company, is proud to announce an upcoming expansion to an all-new headquarters. The new 40,000 square foot building, located in Naples, Florida, is one of the largest in the industry and should be fully operational spring 2015.

Were very excited to move our Best Home Services team to an all-new, and much needed, facility, said Keegan Hodges, co-owner of Best Home Services. With substantially more space, an all-new training facility for our technicians, and much better parking, our new building will result in happier employees which translates to even better service for our customers.

Compared to Best Home Services current 8,000 square foot location, the new facility is five times larger and will house all-new divisions to provide even better customer service. Currently in the demolition stage, renovations to the new facility will take place until the grand opening in the spring of 2015. When complete, a 2,500 square foot in-house training facility will be included for all technician training and refreshes. A 4,000 square foot in-house parts supply house will contain hundreds of thousands of parts and supplies within Best Home Services own headquarters. With this, the company eliminates the need for any outside parts vendors which will ultimately speed up customer repair and replacement times. Additionally, an expanded parking area will also be included in the rebuild.

Our staff is more than just a workforce, theyre family and keeping their interest in mind was a top priority when hunting for a new building, said Hodges. As our business continues to grow, parking becomes a continual issue and we struggled to find a large enough facility that would accommodate our fleet and workforce properly. But soon, well have more than 100 spaces to ensure our family is taken care of so they can take care of the customer.

Since 1980, Best Home Services has been dedicated to providing Lee, Collier, and Charlotte county residents with exceptional heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, and plumbing service and repair. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, service areas also include Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero, as well as Cape Coral and will not change from the move. Currently owned by brothers Keegan and Chadd Hodges, the family owned and operated business employs more than 50 staff members with plans to double in size over the next three years.

To learn more about Best Home Services, visit http://www.getbest.com or call 239-284-1474

About Best Home Services

Best Home Services is a Southwest Florida HVAC, electrical, and plumbing company servicing Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Marco Island, Estero, Cape Coral and Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. The company provides 24/7 service and repairs and is family owned and operated. Best Home Services provide services such as air conditioning and heating, indoor air quality, unit repairs and replacements, duct cleaning, sealing and replacements as well as general service and maintenance agreements. Each repair is covered by a 1 year parts & labor warranty with lifetime guarantees available and A/C replacement parts are offered with a 10 year warranty.

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Best Home Services Breaks Ground on All-New Headquarters

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