Basement Transformation
Before: Great Potential & Natural Light!
A wonderful family hired us to design and build a new finished basement in their 15-year-old home. The goal was to create a generous open family room, a gym, and a kid’s activity area. This unfinished basement was not entirely below grade, so it had six generous windows.
When finishing basements, we must address moisture issues in a way that ensures a durable outcome. There is nothing worse than investing in a new finished area of your home, only to have mold show up or water infiltration ruining finishes. One tactic we employed along these lines was to seal the concrete slab prior to flooring.
Radon gas is another concern that must be dealt with. If a home does not have a radon system, we test for radon before an work begins. If it is present at dangerous levels, a radon system becomes part of the scope of work.
Rigid foam against masonry foundation
Another key facet of finishing basements is comfort. If its cold, you will not want to be down there, and will be very disappointed. The temperature of the finished space must be consistent with the rest of the home. This is a challenge because the heat loss of a basement is different than that of the rest of the house and a home’s heating system might not handle the additional load. Cutting edge air-sealing and insulation greatly help in achieving a comfortable space.
It was critical to make sure that the design did not impede the natural lighting potential. Otherwise, the feel was to be casual, inviting, but still in keeping with the elegant, sophisticated style of the 1st and 2nd floor. Our designer, Bob Henry, did a GREAT job balancing all of the issues and achieving our client’s goals.
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Master Bathroom Renovation
Before: Ready For Retirement
A long time client came to us in search of a complete renovation of their master bathroom. Like many of us, they worked on their home for years; over time remodeling area by area and room by room. They put their bathroom on the back burner opting to remodel common spaces first. Well, now it was time to finally bring their bathroom into the new millennium, and to create a new elegant master bathroom in keeping with the rest of their home.
We needed to open up the space, into the large adjacent dressing area, and take advantage of the abundant natural light available there. Everything needed to be modernized; the electric, plumbing, heating, and ventilation. The plan included a low visibility 2 location Fantech recessed light-fan combo for the shower and water closet, a heated marble floor, furniture grade double vanity, heavy glass shower enclosure, and polished chrome hardware.
In order to make the most out this space and assure a beautiful outcome, we engaged a fantastic interior designer in Karen Cronin. She did a wonderful job with the design and selection of finishes. We always love working with Karen.
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Home Theater
The following image is that of a home theater we constructed. Again we worked with interior designer Karen Cronin, and the image shows just how talented she is. This was a challenging project and all the finishes were exquisite.
Notable features include: leatherized wall panels, low voltage recessed lighting, white oak pilasters and custom bar, rejuvenated antique sconces, and advanced sound attenuating methods and materials.
Family Basement Project
A young family Asked us to design and construct a finished basement in their newer home. The basement had high ceilings, plenty of space, plumbing in place for a bathroom, and four large windows at one end. This space had lots of potential!
They wanted a kids play area, living room, gym, full bathroom, and galley kitchen. The stairway right in the middle of the basement was flanked by full walls which cut off the natural light. In order to create an inviting place with natural light provided by the windows, we needed to do something about that.
We removed as much of the stair walls as possible and replace them with a beautiful balustrade which easily lets the light filter through and reach the other side of the room. The gym has a large interior window into the common area and benefits from the natural light as well.
The high wainscoting throughout the common area lends a casual feel and holds up well to the kids-at-play. The large raised panel doors and oil-rubbed bronze hardware add sophistication in keeping with the rest of the home. A heavy duty laminate floor holds up very well to the wear and tear of active children.
