Are you someone who likes to sit in the gorgeous Colorado summer sun reading all about home remodeling projects and diving into before and after pictures? Well, do we have something for you! But before you dive in, be sure to grab your outdoor blanket, pack a picnic basket complete with mimosa’s, and head on over to your local park. Ready? Let’s dive in!
This month’s featured remodel is by our Project Manager, Paul Moore. This home, located in Columbine Valley, featured an entire main level home renovation and is a project that Paul absolutely loves. The overall design of this remodel was done as a collaborative effort by the homeowners, and Maverick’s President, Adam Berlin.
Like every home remodeling project, there were challenges. Challenges often appear after demolition due to structural items our team cannot see that linger behind the drywall, under the floors, or in areas otherwise hidden to the naked eye. One of the first challenges we encountered was structural. Open-concept design has been popular for several years, and this home remodel was no different. If you’ve read any of our previous blog posts you’ll see this common trend. Check out the one where we spoke about The Perfect Entertainer’s Kitchen - you can thank us later!
The structural challenge we faced is one we see often, load-bearing walls. Fortunately, our 20-years of experience has informed our remodeling eye, and we anticipated this structural issue. In order to create the desired open-concept design, our team needed to remove a kitchen wall, which would open up the area between the kitchen and family room. This wall did in fact end up being a load-bearing wall, so a structural engineer was brought in to assess and provide an engineering report. After confirmation, a new structural beam was installed from the living room through the dining room, and into the kitchen.
One of our next challenges that we encountered, and perhaps the biggest one, had to do with the flooring. Our client desired hardwood floors throughout the entire home, something we do love. And, if you’re interested, we did an entire blog dedicated to flooring. Fortunately, the home already featured hardwood floors in the living and kitchen areas, so our first plan was simply to leave those in, refinish them, and then best match the new hardwood in the dining room and other areas. Unfortunately, we discovered that the flooring in these areas was not level. In fact, there were a total of three different floor levels throughout.
The kitchen flooring was originally linoleum, but instead of removing the linoleum, the previous owners simply put the layer of hardwood on top of the linoleum. We then discovered a ramp-like modification from the entry and hallway into the kitchen causing another level different from other areas. The living room then had hardwood placed directly on the subfloor causing another uneven area. With a total of three uneven levels that equaled, at some points, almost an inch difference, our team recommended a total reconstruction of the flooring. We felt, with the investment by our client in our company, that doing it right would truly match the value of the home, and the experience of our client. Our client agreed. We then tore out the entire main level flooring. This was a huge obstacle as we had to bring our demo team back in, install new subflooring, level out the entire main level floor, and install the new floor covering. The hardwood pricing was also a bit higher than projected. But for this project, it was essential. The flooring turned out absolutely beautiful and now flows throughout the entire home.
With some challenges, exciting changes also come! The original kitchen in this home had a dropped ceiling, which is a typical design in homes built after the 60’s. We love height in our kitchens as we feel it brings a certain luxury feel to the space. In our design collaboration with our client, we collectively decided to raise the ceiling to 8 feet in height. Doing this always has its challenges as you typically have to bring in HVAC, plumbing and electrical to relocate duct work, pipes and wiring into the joists. This was an even bigger challenge as directly above the kitchen, sits a bathroom. We successfully raised the ceiling over a foot, opening the kitchen sightlines even more.
That’s not all! We also added a pretty neat, custom-built island with extended seating into the kitchen. This addition allowed for a place for our clients' kiddos to do homework, and for the family to cook together in a space they can all comfortably be in.
One feature, which we truly loved, was the custom pendant lights our client brought from Israel. Custom items like this are always a fun benefit when our team gets to work with the homeowner on design. This is one aspect that Adam, President of Maverick Home Remodeling, Inc., loves - working with homeowners on design.
One challenge we faced in the kitchen was a necessary redesign of the cabinets due to the structural beam being added to support the open-concept design. As such, new cabinets had to be ordered leaving a few extra cabinets. With the extra cabinets our team built a buffet in the dining room with a beautiful butcher block stained to tie in with the new flooring. We then added a wine fridge to the buffet, truly tying in the dining and kitchen spaces.
In addition to the kitchen, we also renewed the family's mudroom. This mudroom, however, had different flooring than the hardwood floors throughout the rest of the main level. In this space we used LVP flooring as it is 100% waterproof, easy to clean, and a great transition from your outdoor living space to the indoors. This also allows your hardwood floors to remain clean. We talk about the different types of flooring in our previous blog, The Beginners Guide to Flooring.
Some additional projects included removing four 12x12 beams in the living room allowing for the room to feel more open and taller. We also painted, added new french doors leading into the sunroom, new LVP flooring into the sunroom and a gorgeous update to the featured staircase that you see as you enter the home through the front door. We also updated their office with fresh doors on existing cabinets, wood countertops that match the buffet butcher block, and new paint throughout.
This home remodel was an absolute blast to construct! Collaborating with the homeowners on design was truly wonderful. We loved seeing everything come together on this project and although there were some challenges, as there always are, we worked through them with transparency and solution. We are thrilled to have renewed both our client’s home and their life.
See photos of the entire project in our website’s gallery here.
Are you ready to renew your home? Our team will make sure your project is handled professionally. Get in touch with our team today to discuss your options!
