Custom Homes & Remodeling Blog
Geneva IL Design-Build Contractor to Guide Your Butterfly
Let’s be honest. Design-to-construction is a real fear for homeowners. You’ve spent months, if not years, coming up with a list of features that you need or want in your new home or remodel. So, you’re at the point ...
Geneva IL home remodeling news: Best of Houzz 2015 Winner
As a Geneva IL home remodeling design/build firm, we are happy to announce that we’ve won a Best of Houzz 2015 award in the “design” category. Our project photos include some of the most popular images on Houzz.com, ...
Qualified Remodeler Magazine Features Our Home Remodeling Project
Our top-to-bottom award-winning Chicago area home remodeling project was profiled in Qualified Remodeler magazine, one of the leading national trade publications for the remodeling industry. Take a peek inside this ...
12 Handy Kitchen Remodeling Tips – Aging in Place in Geneva IL
I have had so many people call me because they can’t deal with their existing kitchens any longer. Some of the many factors leading to a kitchen remodel include an ill-conceived layout not conducive to cooking or ...
Aging in Place: Looking at Baby Boomer Generation Homes Today
More baby boomers reach retirement age every day, even though the road to retirement is a long one full of financial ups and downs, with equity release and wills causing lots of real stress. However, fewer retirees are ...
Chicago Tribune Profiles Schaumburg IL Kitchen Remodel
Journalists and editors are often inundated with submissions of remodeling projects from designers and builders who are hoping to get their work published. In order for something to rise to the level of being ...
Kitchen Remodeling Designs and Trends for Barrington IL
Planning a kitchen remodel this year or in 2015? Take a moment to read about the top 12 kitchen design trends for Barrington IL homes and residences all throughout the Chicagoland area before your remodeling or new ...
Why Barrington IL Remodelers Need Experience With Rainscreens
In my blog post last week on August 4, 2014, I discussed how to identify a high-quality house wrap for your home because it truly is the last line of defense against moisture problems within the outside walls of your ...
Hinsdale IL Remodeling: Fundamentals of House Wrap
Today I will be talking about a subject that is critical to all new construction and remodeling projects. This topic is 10 times more important than the cabinets, counters and other finishes that are typically the main ...
12 Benefits of Synthetic Slate Roofing for Homes in Wayne IL
It’s sometimes tricky trying to tell the difference between real and costume jewelry, isn’t it? Occasionally I’ll see a necklace or ring with such brilliance and -- for a moment -- think they’re genuine diamonds or ...
Building or Remodeling? Consider Natural Stone for Glencoe IL Homes
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” -Frank Lloyd Wright That’s a simple yet powerful quote that sets the tone for my blog post today. If you’ve been reading some of my recent ...
Motorized Blinds and Shades When Home Remodeling in Barrington IL
Remember when suitcases didn’t have wheels? Now, nearly every piece of luggage or large carry-on bag has wheels so we don’t break our backs when traveling. Well, soon enough, we’ll be saying, “Remember when we had ...
Home Remodeling in Hinsdale IL: Choose Exterior Trim that Lasts
Extremely cold winters and hot, humid summers … that’s just what we get in the Chicago area. Whatever happened to those average 70-degree partly sunny days we’re supposed to get in the spring and fall? Well, if every ...
Aging in Place: A look at Remodeling Homes for Seniors
As our life expectancy increases, so must our foresight. We need to plan how we want to live in our golden years. Many of us have had the responsibility of caring for our elderly parents. If you’ve experienced this ...
How Windows and Doors Influence Home Design in Chicago
Windows and doors play a critical role in your home’s design; that’s the crux of this short-and-sweet blog post. For those of us in the Chicagoland area, this is particularly important because the style of homes found ...
Kitchen Remodel: Achieving Longevity Through Transformation
Five tips to ensure your kitchen remodel is done with top quality that stands the test of time. I recently read that the lifespan of the average house is 100 years or longer. Within this 100-year-average, there are many ...
Stock and Custom Kitchen Cabinetry Options to Consider
Selections are one of the areas over which homeowners have the most control when it comes to their budget. For example, as a contractor, there’s not much wiggle room I can provide when it comes to pouring the foundation ...
Remodeling with Kids? Five areas that need a professional organizer
(Part two of a two-part series) In my blog post earlier this week (May 5, 2014) titled “Home Remodeling with Kids? Include a Professional Organizer!”, I told you what a professional organizer is, what services they ...
Home Remodeling with Kids? Include a Professional Organizer!
(Part one of a two-part series) It makes no difference if you have a brilliant mind, are successful in business, or run a super-tight ship at home: from time to time, we all struggle with staying organized. It’s not ...
Transitional Design – Tips from a Hinsdale IL Interior Designer
Guest blog post written by Hinsdale IL interior designer Donna Hall, ASID, NCIDQ, founder and principal designer of Savvy Interior Design, Inc. (more…)
Home automation in Highland Park IL: Lighting Control Systems
If you had the ability to control your home’s lighting functions with a touch of a button or voice command, would you? Of course you would. Does the thought of monitoring your home through your smartphone when you’re ...
Adding Different Types of Fire Elements to Your Outdoor Living Space
Guest blog post written by Dan Wanzung, licensed landscape architect and partner, American Gardens, Inc. (more…)
7 Different Trends for Outdoor Living Spaces in Burr Ridge
Back in June 2013 when I posted my first blog titled “8 Leading Home Remodeling Trends of 2013”, I told you about covered outdoor rooms gaining popularity. That trend is spilling over into 2014, too. It got me thinking ...
Designing a Custom French Country Home in Barrington, IL
Guest blog post written by Mary Susan Bicicchi, ASID, owner/principal of Interiors by Mary Susan (more…)
What’s the Difference between Architects and Interior Designers?
I field several questions from clients about the difference between architects and interior designers. When I’m in a discussion about plans to build their new custom home or renovate their existing home, this topic ...
15 Interview Questions You Should Ask a General Contractor
If you’re at the point where you’ve definitely decided it’s time to start that home remodeling project this year or perhaps build a new custom home, congratulations! You’ve taken the first step toward living in a space ...
Best ways to Design Your Custom Master Suites in Oakbrook IL
Forbes magazine rates Chicago the third most-stressful city in America, second only to Los Angeles and New York. That’s not a list in which you want to be in the top three, right? We share the title of the worst traffic ...
Remodeling Homes in Wheaton IL? Ask Questions about lead.
I love the charm, beauty and picturesque landscaping of towns like Wheaton, IL. It has a small-town feel with top-rated amenities, schools, parks, businesses, shopping, recreation and more. If you’re not familiar with ...
Do Home Remodeling Contractors in Hinsdale IL Need Staff Designers?
Do Home Remodeling Contractors in Hinsdale IL Need Staff Designers? The short answer to this question is no, and the reason is that homeowners (clients) are always better served this way. Let me explain why home ...
Helpful Tips on how to Pass Your Home Inspection in Barrington IL
Homeowners are occasionally apprehensive about their village’s building department. No matter if it’s a small remodeling project or new construction, they get anxious about everything from village fees to passing home ...
Can you stay in your home during a home remodel? YES.
When clients make a decision to remodel their home, the next question naturally is, “Can I stay in my home during a home remodel?” The answer is yes, most often you can. Of course if it’s an extensive whole-house ...
How to Plan for a Realistic Kitchen Remodeling Timeline
When planning a kitchen remodeling timeline, most homeowners need to know the best time to start in order to be completed before a certain key date (a holiday, a graduation, an upcoming wedding, a new baby on the way, ...
Communications Between you and your General Contractor
As Albert Einstein famously said, the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Well, nothing has changed more over the last 60 years than communication ...
How Much Do You Think it Costs to Build a New Custom Home?
Naturally, this is always one of the first questions prospective homeowners want to know when beginning their research on costs to build a new custom home. A home purchase is not similar to a commodity purchase such as ...
Custom Kitchen Remodeling Questions You Should Be Asking
This week, countless American families are celebrating Thanksgiving. Perhaps there’s no other holiday that revolves around food as much as this one! I’m guessing that wherever you are this week, you’re spending a lot of ...
Going Green When You Are Building or Remodeling in Chicago
“Going green” is obviously a buzz phrase these days when remodeling in Chicago. People want to go green to save the environment, and to save money, too. (more…)
Are Heat Recovery Ventilators Necessary in Chicago?
The answer to that question is “yes.” In this day and age, we all try to be conscious of how much energy we use and how much money leaves our wallets each month. Whenever I can share helpful information that saves you ...
Types of Home Insulation Options for the Chicagoland Area
Was your final summer A/C bill higher than what you expected? Conversely, are you ready for the winter heating bills coming up? Are you already feeling a draft by your windows and walls? Now is a good time to talk about ...
Should I Hire an Award- Winning Remodeling Contractor or Home Builder?
If you have done any research online or even looked at some magazine ads, you will quickly realize that most remodeling contractors and new home builders will claim that they are an “award-winning firm” in the first few ...
What You Need to Know About Building a Safe Room in Your Home
One thing Chicagoans and suburbanites can agree on is that we definitely have weather extremes. While we’re thankful for the fact that we don’t live in high-risk parts of the country such as tornado alley in Oklahoma, ...
10 Features That Every Mudroom Should Have Included in Your Home
The kids have been in school for a few weeks and their fall sports and extra-curricular activities have resumed. You’re back in the full “swing of things” now that fall is officially here. Are you finding it an easy or ...
Learn About Buying and Remodeling Your Home in Clarendon Hills IL
When heading home to the western suburbs from downtown Chicago on any given day riding Metra’s Burlington Northern Santa Fe line, you’re reminded how different each of the suburbs are from one another. Just 18 miles ...
An Introduction of the Importance of Home Automation
In some of my recent blogs, I’ve touched on various aspects of home automation. The topic doesn’t always start out as my focus but ends up being so, mainly because home automation is one of those tangibles that my ...
7 Amazing Benefits of Remodeling Your Home in Burr Ridge IL
When searching for communities in which to plant your roots, you don’t have to look much farther than Burr Ridge. Nestled in-between two major expressways (I-55 and the Tri-State Tollway / I-294), its location is ...
Learn About Popular Home Building Trends for Millennials Today
With generational gaps, we often wonder if older and younger Americans are on the same “wave length.” It was refreshing for me to learn that the majority of Generation Y or Millennials, represented by 18 to ...
What to Expect When You Are Building Your Home in Barrington IL
The Chicagoland area has a lot of great suburban towns. One that stands out to me is Barrington. We’ve done many Barrington remodeling projects over the last few years, including an exterior facelift of another general ...
Some of the Best Outdoor Decking Materials for Remodeling
There’s something about sipping a cup of coffee or dining outdoors that immediately gives me a relaxed feeling. If you’re like me, I suspect your daily and weekly schedules are pretty jam-packed, too. Because so many of ...
Beautiful Modern Home Lighting Plans to Consider Using
“Back in the day” as they say, a home’s lighting needs consisted of making sure bulbs were bright enough and centered in every room so our eyes wouldn’t strain as we entered a space. And if you had a few extra bucks, ...
Different Kitchen Countertop Options to Consider Using in Your Home
If you stop to think about all of the activity that goes on in the kitchen on daily basis, it’s really staggering. And what’s the anchor of any kitchen? The countertops. Whether it’s you prepping food or the kids doing ...
Things to Know About Custom Home Building in Hinsdale, IL
We all know that Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. At a certain point in our lives, we want that excitement of living in Lincoln Park, Lake View, Wrigleyville, Bucktown, The Loop and any number of other vibrant ...
8 Phenomenal Leading Home Building and Remodeling Trends
Every so often, associations for home builders, architects and interior designers issue interesting lists outlining which home remodeling trends are the most popular in the industry. In fact, a recent Builder magazine ...
