OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
That’s a Wrap: Mt. Airy Basement Movie Theater
This week, we are putting the finishing touches on the Mt. Airy basement that we transformed into a posh movie theater and entertainment space. We are in the process of adding "soft finishes" like gorgeous custom drapes and a reupholstered chair for a reading nook, adding shiny bits like doorknobs, and installing fancy, custom, electric movie-watching recliner chairs that are being delivered via a white-glove service. After a bit of cleaning, we'll turn this room back over to the homeowners so they can kick back with some friends and enjoy their first movie-viewing party!
In the Works: Mt. Airy Whole-Home Renovation
The start of a new large-scale project is always an exciting time here at Myers Constructs, and last week was no exception. We went out to survey a new project at a lovely Mt. Airy single home situated on an extra large lot. Years ago, the homeowners had bought the house from a flipper, but no renovations have taken place since then, so they are ready to make some significant upgrades. The house has many great original oak trim details in great condition, and a third floor that features attractive wood paneling and a loft-like ceiling that follows the home's Gothic roof line. We have been tasked with developing a long-term plan for improvements that will make this a more comfortable and efficient home for the family to enjoy. Working on this project reminds us of some similar projects over the years where we have brought our expertise to plan[...]
Design Solutions: Let’s Get Creative
As design to build professionals, we are often called on to design creative solutions to work around pre-existing issues in a home. We love a great design challenge! In this recent renovation we worked on for a developer, there was a 3'x16"x16" bump in the kitchen that was hiding a basement Bilco door. While the previous owners used it as a bench, Tam created a grand bar with a microwave and storage area to fit the awkward space. As you can see from these sketches, all of the elements — including a finished panel — work together so thoughtfully that no one notices the unsightly bump. That's what we call an effective and creative design solution!
Mt. Airy Entertainment Room and Home Theater
We are entering the home stretch of our Mt. Airy basement renovation, a previously underutilized space in our clients' home that is being beautifully transformed into a theater and entertainment room. The walls have been painted in deep, rich colors, and we worked with our homeowners to select new carpet, draperies, and light fixtures to pull the entire room together. While we are waiting for some of these “soft design” materials to arrive, our A/V pros are setting up the TV and audio and tweaking the home's wireless router system to ensure that all of the elements work together seamlessly. This is all very technical stuff, and the technology changes quickly, so we are pleased that our A/V specialists could provide some money-saving, long-term solutions that are also visually beautiful. We wonder what flick will be the first to be viewed in this “new” room of the house?
Adding a Shed: The New “It” Project
Building a shed at our home has been on our “Honey Do List” for some time now, so we were happy when we were able to find some time last week to tackle this project. Sheds are all the rage right now, it seems. We're seeing them used as micro offices, creative studio spaces, children's play rooms, adult meditation areas, pool cabanas, and teen hangouts. Personally, I love the idea of a small, quiet space to remove myself to — a place where I can reflect and ponder a bit. But the purpose of our shed is to store gardening supplies and house our flock of hens. We wanted to make space in our garage, so moving the garden tools and supplies out to a shed was a good first step. And while the hens were comfortable and warm in their existing small hen house, its small size made it[...]
Shopping with the Myers Constructs Design Team
Work was recently finished on this Cape May shore cottage for a developer with which we worked, that had purchased it in foreclosure on spec and was preparing it for resale. We had some input into the design choices made. Many layers of carpets, vinyl flooring, and cheap cover ups were torn out, to reveal a really charming 1910s four-square Sears and Roebuck Arts & Crafts style kit house. The goal was to maintain and enhance the charm and comfortable character of the home. We thought you might enjoy a little “peek behind the curtain” to see the finishes and furnishings selected for this remodel. Because the rooms are modestly sized in this quaint cottage, cluttering them with large furniture or ceiling fans was to be avoided. The developer also avoided the common Victorian heavy rose-colored or floral layering décor commonly found in Cape May beach homes. The finish concept[...]
In Praise of Multi-Purpose Spaces
We find that most of our clients lead busy lives, wearing many hats and juggling multiple tasks daily — and they need their homes to fit that lifestyle. For that reason, we like to think about spaces creatively to imagine how they can serve multiple purposes. Case in point: When we remodeled our own kitchen, we created a little “cafe area” that sits off to the side. In this space, we eat lots of meals, relax with a glass of wine, and sometimes catch up on bills and correspondence. We find that it’s a nice place to pause during the day or relax together while cooking dinner at night. It could also easily work as a game area, arts and crafts space, or small office-on-the-go. It's hard to imagine, but this cafe area was once the original entryway to our house. It consisted of a 4'x16' broken concrete pad along[...]
What Happens in Vegas Won’t Stay in Vegas
Tamara visited Las Vegas last week to attend the second annual Design & Construction Week, which hosted 125,000 of the most well-respected industry professionals and members of the media, while showcasing the largest homebuilding and design industry shows, including: Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) International Builders Show (IBS) International Window Coverings Expo (IWCE): VISION International Surface Event (ISE): SURFACES Tam spent the bulk of her week with the KBIS group gathering information and ideas for our clients from companies that were introducing their newest product lines and design innovations. She also participated at many other levels, attending opening ceremonies, perusing the various trade show floors, speaking to vendors, and attending educational presentations called Voices From the Industry. Tam attends events like this to help our clients make informed decisions and provide them with the most contemporary design solutions — plus, we just love sorting through the "candy store" for[...]
That’s a Wrap! Fairmount Major Renovation – Phase 1
In the next couple of weeks, we'll be wrapping up Phase 1 of a comprehensive renovation of a 19th Century twin home in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood. As you may recall, this project started with the restoration of a storm-damaged cupola, then grew to encompass a kitchen and breakfast room remodel/addition, laundry room redesign, new windows and lighting, exterior paint, and a reconfigured outdoor patio space. We are currently completing painting, tile, and other finishes, disassembling scaffolding, and removing the wraps from the beautiful new light fixtures. The homeowners, who have been living off-site during this project, are anxious to see the finished results of Phase 1, and they're also eager to dive right into Phase 2, which will involve renovating the third floor, adding a small deck, and building a large dormer that provides access to the deck. We will also address some some window, roof, and ceiling issues in[...]
A New Year, A Changing Home-Improvement Paradigm
I recently kicked off the new year with a meeting with our stone suppliers. An important topic came up during this meeting that we often ponder: What is new in this business, and how are we adapting? The answer, we all agreed, was good service, project management, and quality control. Buyers always claim to want these attributes, and service providers always claim to supply them — but the opposite often proves to be true. Since the 2008 recession, many suppliers have cut inventory levels and expensive experienced staff in favor of cheaper, less skilled, or temporary workers. But better service providers have remained committed to their quality offerings, and they set their prices accordingly. This is true even on a small project like a modest-sized bathroom or kitchen facelift project. Thanks to a slew of "reality" home-improvement shows, the buying public has been conditioned to think of home remodeling as[...]
