Projects

Harcourt Whole House Renovation

Built in 1964, this home was completely original and ugly. The house was in a beautiful neighborhood and badly needed updating and renovating before the new homeowners could move in. The project would include: all brand new custom cabinetry , hand-built custom craftsman-style trim and crown moulding throughout the home, custom wainscot wall coverings, beautiful recessed light boxes in the ceiling, and all new engineered hardwood flooring. All new door systems would be included and to cap it off, a complete gut and renovation of the bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry area would be needed as well.

The Challenge

The custom craftsman-style design chosen by the homeowners would provide challenges sourcing materials and necessitated custom milling of all trim. A large island in the kitchen was favored by the clients, yet working within a limited space meant thoughtful design and careful layout considerations. Lack of lighting in the kitchen and family room would require an edgy, contemporary approach in an otherwise traditional design, so getting that detail right was paramount. Jobs like this take time and are difficult; sequencing and layering a whole house renovation is naturally problematic and special care must be taken to protect each stage of construction while keeping the job on-time and the construction quality excellent.

Service
Whole House Remodel

Square Footage
2,455 sq. ft.

Home Style
Large Ranch Style, Raised Floor Foundation

Year Built
1964

Location
Modesto

Before

Our Solution

Beginning from scratch, we worked with the clients to design a craftsman-style casing, baseboard, crown moulding, and wainscot that met their taste. We then purchased materials and began building every stick of the trim for the entire house by hand (and there was a lot of it!). A trusted painter was hired to prep and paint this custom trim to a smooth and fine finish, ensuring it would be enjoyed for years to come.

Alongside an interior designer, we worked through myriads of design aspects in the home to ensure that every specification could be built in an acceptable, beautiful, and functional finish. This included the laundry area design, kitchen layout, custom trim and paneling, oversized custom crown moulding and baseboard in the large living room/formal dining room, and all custom cabinetry throughout the home.

Careful planning and thought were required to ensure and protect the craftsmanship and work in each stage. Sequencing the project with forethought and care meant that deadlines would be met without any compromise in quality of work. Careful management and oversight of subcontractors allowed for a beautiful finish while protecting the overall process of the remodel.

To address the lack of lighting in the family room and kitchen, large contemporary custom light boxes were framed in and trimmed out to provide some much needed height and interest to the long family room into the kitchen while adding copious amounts of welcome ambient lighting.