OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
Irene’s Local Effects
By all accounts most of us in and around Philadelphia dodged the very serious potential effects of Irene. Our hearts go out to those who were not as lucky as we were. Here are some snaps of what I saw the day after in my own neighborhood; Local streams and rivers were 5-10 feet above normal causing low-lying areas to flood. Some people even had to be evacuated by boat. Because the storm threw weather at us from unusual directions, new leaks were discovered; At our house, some water came behind the brick screen wall and into the house via the window below. Crawl spaces got wet because the ground outside was so saturated. Tenants at our rental house let us know the old chimney let some moisture in and it stained the plaster ceiling. A customer called to let us know she too got some rain in[...]
Q and A: Checking in With Myers Constructs
As the busy fall home-renovation season kicks off, Myers Constructs co-owner Diane Menke sits down for a chat about breaking traditional design build paradigms, finding paths for growth in a difficult economy, and the surprising places where her team finds design inspiration. Q: Tell us about your design to build philosophy. DM: Generally speaking, design build is a model in which the design and construction phases of a renovation project are done in a streamlined fashion — often by having design and construction professionals team up in order to save time and money. Our approach is a different take on this concept. We do both design and construction in house, using a very tight system of steps we have developed over the years. We call it Design to Build™ because we only design projects to build them. We don’t spend a client’s financial resources on exploration of ideas that won’t[...]
Finding the Magic in Your Home
We often talk to new clients who come to the table with ideas about all kinds of “stuff” they want to buy and install in their homes. While this is a perfectly natural place for most people to start their renovation process, our job is to get them to back up a little and talk to us about their lives. What we really want to know is how they want to live, and how their home fits into that picture. Many times, we have to ask them to stretch a little, imagine a little magic in their everyday lives … and explain what that magic would be. Typical questions we ask in the initial consultation include: What works and doesn't work in your home? What do you love and what do you hate in your home? When you travel or visit the homes of friends and family, what do you[...]
A Visual Breakdown of Kitchen Renovation Costs
I asked Dana, who is very good with the computers, to give us a simple pie chart of one of our recent kitchen projects. Here you go: I wanted this tool because many homeowners think the most expensive stuff in their kitchen is the cabinetry and counter tops. You can see from the graph that this is not the case at all. In this case its less than 18% of our typical kitchen project. "How come?" you ask. Let me explain; The only way your biggest cost would be in cabinets and counters would be if you were swapping out the exact kitchen you have now; same layout, with new cabinets and a new counter top, or re-facing the kitchen you have and adding a new counter top. Most of the people who call us want a completely new kitchen space with the room stripped to the subfloors and studs.[...]
Luxe Details Make Even a Small Project Sing
This small master bath renovation that we've been working on is coming to a close, and the final “shiny bits ” are now going in. Along with the sleek chrome lighting and plumbing fixtures, we selected two small custom granite pieces for the shower bench and the doorway threshold. We selected Absolute Black granite in 1.25-inch thickness with an “eased edge” to complement the minimal modern bathroom we designed for this 1957 split-level home. The wall tile is a 12×24″ porcelain that looks like travertine, and the floor tile is a 6×12″ porcelain that looks like black slate. We think the granite is a nice, crisp addition to the scheme, and, while it is a very deep black, you can see from the lefthand photo how its crystals sparkle. Tell us what you think.
Late Summer Trip to the Stone Yard
Last week, I made a trip to the stone yard to pick up a couple of small, deluxe custom pieces for a bathroom we’re remodeling. One was a bathroom threshold and the other was a shower bench, both in 1.25 inch Absolute Black! Items like these make a finished tiled bathroom sing! Here are some snapshots from my trip. Things were very quiet the Monday morning I was there. The fabrication room was slow with summer vacation season — so slow, in fact, that the floors were dry. You might not know that all of this stone work is done with diamond-coated tools, which require running water to keep them cool. During busier times, these rooms are typically very noisy and very wet. […]
New on the Design Front
Here at Myers Constructs, we believe that an eager mind will always find fresh solutions. In order to promote continued learning and to broaden our horizons, we stay up to date with industry trends and advances, and we seek out new technology and products to offer as options for our clients. For example, last week, we sent our design team to Princeton, NJ, to meet with the folks at Design Within Reach, a furniture showroom that offers many of the modern iconic pieces from 20th century designers. We were thrilled to learn the new software they are utilizing to assist in space planning and selecting furnishings. When used in conjunction with the other software programs that we already use on a daily basis, this program will help produce nearly photo-realistic renderings of the furnishings within the spaces we design, kind of like a window into the future. […]
Taking the Pain Out of Home Improvement
Embarking on a big home-improvement project can be daunting, especially if you’ve never done one before. The key to reducing the “pain” associated with major renovations is to get prepared and find a professional who will work with you to design and manage the project to your budget, tastes and desired time frame. Here’s how. Establish a Circle of Trust – It’s common to have lots of questions going into your project: Can I afford the results I want? Am I getting appropriate prices and good value? Am I over- or under-investing in my home? When you find a contractor who will walk you through the process and explain your choices along the way, you will feel much more comfortable. Find an experienced professional whose communication style matches yours and who will listen to what you have to say. Talk Amongst Yourselves – Couples undergoing a home renovation will often[...]
Holidays, Home Construction and False Alarms
At our home, we are renovating the master bedroom bathroom suite. Demolition and roughing in were completed on Friday, just before the long July 4th weekend. My weekend project task was to varnish the new, solid-core birch doors. I'd prepped for the final coating to be applied on Monday morning, so they would be dry for work to resume on Tuesday. We're not sure whether is was the CO from left over varnish fumes, in combination with lighting the cooktop to make morning coffee, or a puff of dust that may have blown over the CO sensor, but something triggered our smoke/CO detector alarm. This is a very exciting thing to happen at 7 AM on a vacation day morning when you are relaxing in bed with your coffee! We deactivated the alarm after it went off, but we missed the incoming phone call from the alarm service. So[...]
New Space for Outdoor Enthusiasts: Adventure Rooms
Do you love spending time in the great outdoors? Are you more likely to hit the trails than the malls on the weekends? If so, then you probably understand the logistical challenges that come along with your favorite hobbies: trying to store gear such as bikes, helmets, skis, poles, golf clubs, kayaks, surfboards, fishing poles, and so on. Lacking a better option, most people tend to force these items into closets, front porches, and already overstuffed garages -- creating stress and chaos in their homes in the process. A fun and logical solution? Create an "adventure room" that is dedicated to your enjoyment of these activities. This can be done in any underutilized area of your home that has easy access to the outside: a large mudroom, basement storage area, or a double garage that can be partitioned off for this use. And the finished space can offer more than[...]
