Choose High Quality Products for Your Whole Home Remodeling Project

Everyone has heard the old adage you get what you pay for; it’s true in most situations from electronics to homes. A cheap laptop may last six months where a high quality laptop will likely still be running strong a few years down the road. The Formica-covered particle board countertop will eventually absorb water and look horrible, but the granite or marble countertop will look amazing for many years. These are the types of things we’re going to cover in today’s post.We are homeowners as well. We understand the desire to save your hard-earned money where you can. But we also wholeheartedly recommend that you do not cut corners for the sake of money during your home remodeling project. Let’s take a look at a room-by-room analysis of places you should never go cheap for your whole home remodel. Kitchen Remodeling – The kitchen is the number-one remodeled room in the home for a variety of reasons. It’s often referred to as the heart of the home because this is where meals are cooked, families share dinners, and where we entertain family and friends on special occasions. This very important room in your home deserves the absolute best we can give it. We often tell homeowners to splurge on the kitchen and cut corners somewhere else during the remodel, because it has so much to offer the entire family. Bathroom Remodeling – The master bathroom is the second-most remodeled room in the home. Many homeowners are turning their small master bathroom into a luxurious getaway that rivals some of the nicest spas throughout the Cape Cod area. Your bathroom should be designed to help you relax after a difficult day, not have you cramming yourself into a tub that’s too small without any jets to massage your tired muscles. Invest in an oversized tub with jets so you can truly relax. Bedroom Remodeling – The master bedroom is much more than just a place to sleep, it’s your sanctuary. Create an amazing master suite that includes a bedroom, sitting area, luxury walk-in closet, and amazing bathroom. Add a few extra large windows to enhance the area and make it feel much larger. Quality Workmanship – Don’t overlook the importance of high quality workmanship. Our craftsmen at @designREMODEL are dedicated to providing the absolute best in overall design and workmanship. We work hard to ensure that your remodeling experience is as pain free as possible. The quality of our workmanship has nothing to do with the quality of the materials you choose. We will provide top notch work whether we’re working with high quality woods or particle board. Quality materials will cost more initially, but they will ultimately provide a much better finish and long-lasting beauty. We invite you to call us or text us any time at 508-477-9003 to get the scoop on the latest progress on your home remodeling project or to schedule an appointment for a consultation. We will work with you to design the perfect kitchen, bathroom, or whole home remodeling project, and then build it out for you in a timely manner.

Design & Remodel Tip #1 for your Cape Cod Bathroom

Design Ideas. Marstons Mills Remodeling Tips. Best Practices. Find them here weekly on our blog.

Design & Remodel Tip 01- Tile Ideas

Cape Cod Bathroom Design Tips from @designREMODEL

Last week, I was looking for some tile ideas for an upcoming bathroom remodel in Marstons Mills. I wanted to find something unique for my client who had just purchased a new home and wanted to create a spa-like feel in her new bathroom.

I started looking on Houzz.com for pictures, particularly for either a serene backdrop or a distinctive accent tile. After scanning many pages and doing many searches, I became frustrated as I did not see what I wanted.  I took a look through some of the design books on my bookshelf and still didn't find what I was looking for.

Then  I thought...How about Pinterest.com?  I clicked over to the website and started looking at some of the boards for bathroom remodeling that I had set up several months ago.  Very quickly, I found pictures and ideas that could use for design inspiration for the upcoming bathroom remodel in Marstons Mills.

Plus, what I liked about Pinterest was that by using a few keywords like Bathroom Accent Tile,  I was able to review rapidly multiple pictures. And save the ones I liked to a board that I could return to again and again.

We are fortunate to live in a world where an abundance of ideas, tips, and photos are at our fingertips. This access to ideas is really exciting for us and for our clients, and it has enabled us to build some fun projects for Cape Cod homeowners.

If you would like to discuss some ideas for your bathroom remodeling project on Cape Cod, feel free to get in touch and we'll be happy to answer any questions or get you started in the right direction.

Complete Bathroom Remodel in North Falmouth

How To Spot A Poorly Constructed Bathroom

Often times I can walk into a bathroom of any age or style and immediately spot the small things that tell me if the bathroom was remodeled the right way or not. The giveaways...

Tile abuts fixtures, casings and baseboard.  Talk about looking like crap. The grout usually looks messy and when the wood shrinks from seasonal changes, cracks will start to show. Not to mention that the baseboard looks even smaller due to the reduced height.  And don't get me started on tiling in a vanity bottom instead of going under.  If someone wanted to change the vanity at a later date due to a style change, or if it was damaged, they would be stuck trying to match the exact footprint of the old vanity.

Beadboard paneling installed over the drywall.  This is another save-a-buck detail that drives me crazy. The paneling is usually so thin that it the bead detail is minimal and yet applying it over the drywall flattens any window or door casing profiles.  The proven way to install beadboard wainscot in a bathroom is to remove the drywall from the wall and apply the beadboard directly to the studs. This allows you to install a true beadboard and also keep the profiles/shadow lines of the window and door trim intact.

Tub or shower base is spongy. Just about every tub or shower installed over the last 40 years has been installed without regard to proper support under the base. I can step into and immediately feel if the base is properly supported or not.  It has give and feels bouncy. The correct way to install the base or tub is as follows:

1. Replace or upgrade the subfloor with new and or additional plywood. 2. Nail down wire mesh under the base or tub foot print. This is to help keep the mortar in place. 3. Mix and pile mounds of structural mortar over the mesh. 4. Bed the base down into the mortar and confirm that it is level. 5. Install temporary blocking around the rim or top to keep it from moving as the mortar cures.

Doing the above ensures that when anyone steps into the tub or shower, there is an absolute feeling of solidness. Yes, doing this while installing the tub or base is a pain and takes more time and money and it's worth it.

Cheesy soap dishes or alcoves. This detail absolutely drives me crazy. Here is a picture of a tiled bathtub surround with a molded soap dish just slapped into the wall. Not only does it stick out like a large pimple on your forehead, they placed it right in the middle of the accent tile row.  Down. Right. Ugly.

Shower Doors.  Framed shower doors should be banned period. Not only do they look cheap and feel flimsy, the frame provides the perfect landing spot for soap residue which provide a breeding ground for mold.  Frameless doors are easy to keep clean and really take the overall look of your bathroom up a couple of notches.

Over reliance on caulking.  Caulking when used right has it's place in the bathroom. It keeps joints closed when a house moves due to seasonal changes. It directs water where you want it such as around the outer jambs of a shower door. However, I've walked into bathrooms where the caulking looks as if it were troweled on by the gallon and there is usually black mold growing by the minute.

These are some of the things to  spot in a poorly constructed bathroom.  In my next post, I will write about the details that make a difference in building a bathroom that looks fabulous for years to come.

Trend in Cape Cod Bathroom Remodels: Open Storage

Small bathrooms are not an uncommon occurrence in older Cape Cod homes and cottages.  And the trend to open shelving in a bathroom, if done right, can make those small Cape baths look more spacious.  But bathrooms often have a lot of clutter; think cotton balls, towels, lotions, makeup, medicine, how do you contain all that so your bathroom actually functions well?

Use containers!  Traditional baskets work well for open shelving, they contain your clutter and look great in a Cape Cod style bathroom.   Wire baskets have that old time charm that many Cape Codders love and come in a variety of sizes.  See these for sale on Etsy:  http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_query=wire+baskets&search_type=vintage

Bath towels can be rolled spa style or learn how to fold towels in various ways so they take up less space. http://www.homemadesimple.com/en-us/cleaning/pages/towel-folding-techniques.aspx

Many Cape Cod bathroom remodels are now using the open shelf concept for some storage.  It really adds to a spacious feel and allows you to add tons of Cape Cod charm to your bath.

Check out these links for some open shelving ideas:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/491219/list/Bathroom-Trends--Open-Vanity-Storage

http://www.freshhomeideas.com/Room-Ideas/Bathrooms/Bathroom-Storage/open-bathroom-storage