OUR BLOG
OUR BLOG
Check out what’s happening with Myers Constructs as well as the latest news and trends in home renovation.
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[...]
Big Reveal: The Crown Jewel of Our Fairmount Project
Looking upward at the ceiling of the cupola. This week, the gorgeous historic reproduction stained glass clerestory windows were installed in the cupola of this 19th Century twin home in Philadelphia's Fairmount neighborhood, and we couldn't be more pleased with the results. The view you see here is the interior of what is essentially a "folly" that is original to the building, and cantilevers out from the side of the house over the side yard. On the exterior, these new windows are surrounded by a new copper tile roof, and they look like little jewels against the wonderful sage green paint color chosen for the outside of the structure. Stay tuned for updates as this room gets interior paint and a fancy new light fixture, and we bring closure to the large-scale renovation of this beautiful historic home.
Experience: The Best Solution for Unexpected Renovation Issues
We recently began a full-scale renovation of this Flourtown kitchen. At the outset of the project, the homeowner explained to us that the existing space had been renovated about 10 years earlier, but it didn't retain its value and hadn't worn well during that time. What began as a relatively straightforward kitchen replacement project, however, soon became complicated by some unforeseen issues that we found once we opened up the walls. Luckily, our experience has equipped us with a few solutions to most problems we come across, so we were able to identify and correct the issues to bring them into compliance while keeping costs under control. What's more, this customer is very knowledgeable about the systems in her home, so she understood that these were important fixes, and she could visualize how the multiple steps would come together. What we found: Problem #1 - The second-story bathroom drain pipe[...]
Tamara Myers on The Value of Adaptive Reuse
Concrete Windows! This past week, I was honored to visit The Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA, to present a speech on Adaptive Reuse to the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the National Kitchen and Bath Association. The museum, which houses an enormous collection of tools and products from pre-Industrial Revolution American artisans, provided the perfect venue for this event. Henry Mercer — a true "maker" — was an early pioneer of sustainable practices who conceived of and built that museum for the LONG term! Unusual for its time, the building is made entirely of concrete, including not only the foundation and walls, but also the roof and windows. As a window expert, I just had to smile when I saw those concrete windows again. Myers Constructs was founded upon the philosophy that renovating existing structures helps folks raise the quality of their lives in their homes, businesses, or institutions. Over[...]
Announcing Our New Private-Label Cabinetry Line: Myers Made™
Here at Myers Constructs, we have been designing, selling, and installing cabinetry for almost 30 years. Last year, we decided we could improve upon the options currently on the market by creating our own custom line of cabinetry. Our priority was finding a great quality product that was built regionally to our specifications and standards. We couldn't be more pleased to announce that, after a lot of research and negotiations, we found a manufacturer with great systems and talented, hard-working people who will create them for us. The name of our new private label line of cabinetry is Myers Made™, in honor of our company co-founder, head designer, kitchen and bath design expert, Tamara Myers. The Back Story Tamara spent at least a decade designing, building, and selling kitchens and bath cabinets before co-founding Myers Constructs, Inc., in 1998. Before that, she worked as a carpenter in the field during[...]
In the Works: Penny Tile Bathroom
We're in the final stages of the "Penny Tile Bathroom" makeover in our Fairmont whole-house project. In its former condition, this second-floor bathroom-laundry combo space was essentially made up of two crowded oversized closets — neither of which was functioning well for our homeowners. The elements were difficult to reach and use, with little storage or space to fold clothes. Unacceptable for such a crucial room of the house! Our solution? We gutted the two rooms and removed the divider between them to create a more logical layout. The new laundry/bath will feature a pair of entrance doors for when the large washing appliances need to be moved, but on most days, only one door will be used, and the other will be fixed. The tub niches are on two heights to enable showering and bathing for both children and adults, and there will be a nice stone-topped bench for[...]
In the Works: A Cottage by the Sea
We occasionally work with developers on a variety of residential or small commercial renovations. Recently, we were asked to help with this speculative house project that one of our developers has lined up in Cape May, NJ. At just under 1500 sf, the house is a quaint "four square" with off-street parking and a nice yard on a quiet residential street, within walking distance to town and the beach. You can see from the photos that the house has good bones and some nice original features. However, it currently has no heating system, A/C, or hot water, and it needs a lot of cosmetic work, including a good paint job inside and out, a new roof, a new kitchen and main bath, a powder room tune up, and some landscaping. The developer's goal is to provide overall enhancements and to impart more of a shore-style feel to the home. More[...]
Fighting the Big Chill: Radiant Floor Heating
One of the most effective ways to make a cold space more comfortable during the Fall and Winter months is to install radiant floor heating. We have done this in many projects, including our current Fairmount whole-house renovation and this Flourtown rancher, where we converted a former breezeway into a warm, welcoming entryway. The wiring is installed on top of the subfloor, then covered over with floor leveler before the finished flooring is installed. The heat is controlled via a wall switch — requiring only about as much energy as an incandescent lightbulb. A very efficient way to warm cold feet! Image: Damon Landry
