RemodelWest Blog

RemodelWest takes home THREE awards at NKBA competition!

Bill Reid — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:26:56 +0000

Designers Sarah Spiroff and Kirk Gooodere were presented three awards last night at the Northern California NKBA 2012 Awards Gala!

Here are the featured winners.

For more photos of these projects please visit our Flickr site!

Cupertino Project, completed April 2011

Saratoga Project, completed September 2011

<<1st place – Small Kitchen

2nd place – Medium Kitchen >>

3rd place Before and After Category

RemodelWest

Design – Build

Kitchens – Baths – Additions – Cabinetry

Bathroom Remodeling and the Costs

Bill Reid — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:11:34 +0000

The cost of bathroom remodeling often surprise homeowners. I believe it must stem from the size of the room and therefor the perception that it must be inexpensive. There are a few ways to tackle a bathroom remodel and it’s first a good idea to understand what the definition of a remodel is.
RemodelWest approaches a bath remodel by completely removing all existing materials within the space. This means we tear out all the cabinetry, tile, flooring, sheetrock and even the plumbing and electrical wiring. It’s common for bathrooms to have water damage at the tub/shower locations and around the toilet. So this is not a face lift approach but more about getting access to the skeleton of your home to be sure it is sound before you cover it up with thousands of dollars in finish materials. Smart homeowners obtain a building permit from the city to insure that work is completed per code. This also protects a homeowner should they decide to sell the home in the future. Along with this comes complying to current building codes. A few examples of the new codes are upgrading the electrical to allow dedicated circuits to the outlets that are built in breakers for safety. This solves the all too common problem of circuits tripping and lights dimming when the hair dryer turns on. Ventilation fans are now a requirement regardless if there is a window in the room. No only to ventilation fans improve the indoor air quality of the room it also removes moisture created from those steamy showers. Moisture can be very damaging and unhealthy to a space as mold and mildew can accumulate. When you walk into many bathrooms evidence of moisture exists on the ceiling and walls as spotted black and yellow stains.
Finish materials in a bathroom represent a large percentage of the cost of the project. These materials consist of tile and stone on the floors, in the showers, at the tub surrounds and on the counters. Cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, towel bars and accessories, and glass work represent the remainder of most bath projects. A homeowner can drive the cost of then project by making these selections but in reality all of these cost components need to be included and the budget can only be controlled so much.
So whats the cost of a bathroom? Attempting to determine the cost of the project before it is designed can be a bit scary for a homeowner but many attempt this with disappointing results. Regardless I am asked this inevitable question every day and how I answer it is based on past projects. Over the past twenty years I have amassed hundreds of projects and have a very good sense of what a successful project may cost. So here it goes.
I break bathroom remodel projects down to two types of common size and scope of work.
The Hall Bath: A hall bath typically consists of room on an average size of 5′ x 9′, the tub at the far end across the 5′ back wall, toilet and vanity cabinet. Each of the homes in the bay area may vary a bit in size and configuration but because they are so similar the costs come in very close. So keep in mind what I consider a bathroom remodel.

Complete removal of all material and gutting down to bare studs behind the sheetrock.
Replacement of all mechanical systems such as plumbing, electrical, ducting. This includes addition of electrical circuitry, lighting, ventilation fans, and new plumbing.
Tile or stone material on floors, shower/tubs, and counters.
New vanity and linen cabinetry.
New glass tub/shower enclosures and mirrors.
All labor and material to install the materials included in the contract and customer provided materials as well.

For a comprehensive and quality hall bathroom project expect to pay on average $25,000 – $30,000
The Master Bath: The Master Bath is a bit tougher to pin down because in some homes the Master is about the same size as the hall bath and in others it’s quite larger. You can be the judge of this when evaluating the project. Other factors that come into play with a Master Bath is homeowners commonly upgrade the materials above a hall bath and often desire to make bigger changes. So in addition to the typical items listed above here is what I see homeowners desiring in their Master Bath.

Relocation and/or addition of sinks.
Addition of multiple shower heads, rain heads, body sprays and hand held shower units.
Steam showers, heated tile flooring.
Skylights, Sun Tunnels and new windows.
Wall removal and re-location.
Custom closets.

For a comprehensive and quality Master bathroom project expect to pay on average $40,000 – 50,000
Some other hints when considering your remodel project.

The design can make or break a project whether it’s sticking to a budget or creating a beautiful room for you to enjoy. Visit a few of my posts realted to the Value of Design to learn more.

Before and After Gallery of RemodelWest Projects

Bill Reid — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:35:05 +0000

Kitchen Remodel in Saratoga, Ca

Over the past couple years, Remodel West has made some amazing transformations to homes in the area. These projects include kitchen remodels in Cupertino, Los Altos, Foster City, Los Gatos and Saratoga and bathroom remodels in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and San Jose.

Take a look at the before and after video and let us know what you think of these projects.

New Kitchen Remodel Completed in Saratoga, Ca

Bill Reid — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 22:20:42 +0000

Remodel West first visited this home in July of 2010 to take initial measurements and assess existing conditions of the house. Homeowners, Jim and Nancy were referred to us by a friend of theirs who had a kitchen remodeled by Remodel West. Jim and Nancy wanted to remodel their kitchen mainly to update the outdated materials and appliances they had in their home. For example, the typical oak flooring, light tile with brown grout, and white appliances. A dropped ceiling with recessed center to accommodate the fluorescent light box also needed an update. Over the next few months, these homeowners would meet with the RemodelWest design team to walk through each step of the design process. Designers Kirk and Sarah met with Jim and Nancy on a few occasions during the schematic level of design until a floor plan was decided on. As progress was made on layout and material selection, a construction estimate and project schedule was provided to the homeowner and it was time to prepare for the construction start date.

At this turning point in the process where RemodelWest Design employees turn their hard work over to RemodelWest Construction employees; this is where you see the team go to work for you. Kirk and Sarah finalize the plans and submit for permit to the city, Sarah locks in material decisions down to the exact color of the outlet covers. Lead Carpenter, Jim would go to work for these homeowners. Bill sets up a meeting with the homeowner, himself and Jim to set expectations during the construction process and walk Jim through the design of the project. Jessica prepares all the details for the field from a copy of the cabinet order down to the specifications of each owner provided plumbing fixture and appliance.

RemodelWest is best known for their comprehensive approach to remodeling. When the time is taken to nail down all the decisions during the design process, it allows for a smooth and headache free experience during the construction process. The end result is a beautifully designed kitchen completed on time and within the expected budget.

The spacious layout of this kitchen in the Saratoga hills allowed for plenty of working space. These Red Birch cabinets were a special order through Crystal Cabinets. RemodelWest designed a special application for the dishwasher in this kitchen; with raised counter space, a dishwasher a little higher off the ground allows for a more comfortable loading and unloading experience. A custom design was created for the corner workspace area of the kitchen; lift up doors increase the functionality of these cabinets. Custom, integrated panels were used on the refrigerator, dishwasher and wine refrigerator to maintain the design. This Red Birch material was also used for a special detail to the ceiling that really creates a finished feel to the kitchen.

Live wood edge

Cambria quartz material was used for the work area and regular height kitchen countertop while a concrete material was used for the raised countertop by Mark Concrete. The back splash tile is used to offer complimentary color and texture. Notice how the backsplash tile was brought over to the island. Flooring is always chosen very strategically. This family considered their big and furry family member when selecting a floor material. The homeowner decided on an EcoTimber product; an amber colored woven bamboo floor for the kitchen. It has been over 90 days since the flooring was installed and it has held up beautifully. One of the favorite parts of this kitchen is the live edge wood top designed as the island counter. This material was purchased by the homeowner from California Urban Lumber. This feature piece brings a lot of character to the kitchen and really completes the look and feel RemodelWest’s designers and the homeowners were aiming for.

Jim & Nancy shared their experience working with RemodelWest!

Click here to see the before and after gallery of this project

To see more photos of this project, visit our Flickr site

Photos by: Scott DuBose Photography

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel in Cupertino

Bill Reid — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 23:47:34 +0000

RemodelWest recently completed a home improvement project in Cupertino. The project consisted of a full kitchen and two bathroom remodels. When searching for a company for a remodel, homeowners must first decide how they want to plan and design the project. At Remodel West, we see your project from the beginning to the end. Our comprehensive approach to remodeling is what encouraged this Cupertino family to hire RemodelWest for their design and construction project.

Early during the design process a possible burden was brought to our attention. There was a beam running through the middle of the kitchen that really limited the flexibility of design. While assessing the existing conditions of the property during a Site Inspection meeting – it was found that a previous contractor had performed substandard work when an addition was done to the home. Consequently, the beam needed to be replaced. The RemodelWest team was able to raise the beam up; this made a significant change to the look and feel of the kitchen. Take a look at the before and after shots to really see the difference.

Remodel West designed a very functional yet aesthetically pleasing new kitchen for this home, with dark mahogany DeWils cabinets, a dark Caeserstone quartz countertop and a very modern tile. The linear pattern of the backsplash tile catches your eye while the neutral tones put you at ease. The purples in the tile accent the purple hue of the glorious EcoTimber walnut floor.

Before

After

This bathroom was designed with a goal to be comfortable and convenient for wheel chair access. A low sink with open space underneath was installed along with a seat and grab rails in the shower to reach this goal. The mahogany cabinets were brought into the bathroom; a cork dot décor tile was used in the shower and around the custom mirror frame. Porcelain tiles were used for the bathroom floor, shower floor and shower walls. Many of the same materials were used in the master bathroom with an owner supplied vanity and light fixtures.

At Remodel West we realize every homeowner has an investment goal and a good understanding of what they want to invest in their home. During the design process with this Cupertino family we discussed phases and alternatives to stay conscious that the cost of the project remained comfortable. In this particular case, Remodel West analyzed the cost of each room being remodeled and weighed the pros and cons of executing the project all at once or in phases. It turned out to be more cost effective to complete the kitchen and both bathrooms simultaneously.

To view the full picture library of this project, visit our Flickr site!

Click here to learn more about our Remodeling Services