My Favorite Kitchen

This kitchen stems from a remodel that we were hired to do recently.  I am in love our recent clients that hired us to do a kitchen remodel.  They live in a farmhouse that dates back to the 1880′s.  This is a spectacular piece of property and the owners have done everything possible to keep the beauty of this house in period style.  They are collectors of everything old.  Pottery, tools, cookbooks, china, even spatulas! 
Their kitchen is a mixture of antiques, VERY nice stove, and tons of old plates, utensils, and lovely old windows and doors.  We are not replacing anything, just moving it around to fit their “stuff”  It’s a wonderful project, using your existing cabinets and refinishing is a great idea, cost saver, and a lovely idea for this project.  New cabinetry would just look out of place in this house.  These cabinets were build in place, so they have been there a very long time.  This is a perfect example of what you can do with what you have.  Hardware replacement, paint, and some re-arranging is all that we have done in order to provide them with the kitchen they love.  Please, please, please, let us be able to do more of these types of projects in the future.  It’s a shame that there aren’t as many 1880′s home out there that anyone is trying to restore to it’s original glory.  I will post pictures as soon as the project is finished.  Right now I am looking into cookbook storage that will house 50 years of the best cookbooks you can think of.  They are pieces of history, I am so excited just to read them.  Love this research!!

The Window Drama…

For those of you that know me personally, you have been involved with my window drama for about 6 months.  I won’t bore you with any details, but let’s just say I can sleep at night now.  They finally arrived a few weeks ago and this project is almost complete.  We are still waiting the arrival of the French Door, but the bulk of our materials are here and we got started right away.  The following pictures don’t do these windows any justice, but you can get an idea as to the size of them.  We did ask that the mfg. not mull all of them together due to the weight of them since they are so large, but they did it anyway and I needed to call on He-Man to help install them on the 2nd floor.  He-Man is getting up there in age, so he relied on his ingenuity instead of large muscles.  A dolly was made and supports to the 2nd floor were needed, but we managed to get them installed, no steroid usage required.  They are really beautiful and make a huge impact on energy savings.

This is an old hunting lodge built about 45 years ago.  Everything in this house is made of redwood, cedar, and pine.  To get this much redwood these days would probably cost 10 times the amount it did 45 years ago.  This place is quite the treasure and the family that resides here on their time off will retire to a very serene (and energy efficient) place in the coming years.  So glad to have worked them!

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The Treehouse

I was trying to come up with a topic for the blog today and I asked Lee what was the most fun project we ever did.  No hesitation…The Treehouse.  It’s probably the tallest playground in our area.  Topping out at 35′ tall with a zip line going to the child’s bedroom window, it’s a monster.  This took about 2 weeks to build, and about a month to get the permits.  The city of Edwardsville didn’t know exactly how to categorize this one, so we listed it as a deck.  Quite the deck, it does have 3 platforms with the first one starting at 20′ high.  We built this in 2006 and have never had the opportunity to sell another one like it.  The first thing we are asked when people see pictures is “Aren’t they afraid the kid will fall?”  My reply is always…”You won’t see my kids up there…”

We love these clients for giving us the opportunity to something so much fun and elaborate.  We have worked with them since then and their kids are older, but their taste in “over the top” design hasn’t changed.  Great people with a great imagination!

This is just the start…

And the finished project…so much fun!

Got Grass?

It’s fall whether we like it or not and it’s time to take a good look at your lawn and give it what it needs to survive the winter.  If you live in our area, it’s time to give it what it needs to recover from the summer heat and lack of rain.  You have a few options to get your lawn looking better than ever, winterize, and be ready for a lush spring lawn.

Aerate, seed, and fertilize! This is an easy process that only takes some time, basic equipment, and a little knowledge.  We do this service for many of our clients in the fall and they always get great results each year.  This is a basic diagram of how the aeration process works.  It’s simple.  More water, more grass…more grass, less weeds!  It’s a win/win for your lawn.

Another solution that is perfect for this time of year is sod.  We recommend this for the lawns that are just beyond help.  Dead grass, crabgrass invasion, or permanent damage from the heat are all issues that we see everyday.  I call sod “instagrass” because it is an immediate solution to an otherwise ugly problem.  If you are planning on selling your home or just have no patience like I do, then sod is the answer.  You can have a lush, green, beautiful lawn in 1 day if you choose sod and this is the perfect time of year to do this project.  Installation is an easy DIY project, or you can call us and we can tell you exactly how much you need, get you the best price, and you will have Instagrass in 1 day!

Whatever you choose, your lawn is the first thing people see when they come to your house.  Dead grass and weeds aren’t the most attractive things to show them.  It isn’t necessary to spend a ton of money and time on your lawn, you just need a little knowledge and a little time.  Unless you want to be doing this…then it might be a little more time-consuming.

The Grand Pergola

This is a project we constructed about 2 years ago.  I love that the wisteria is in bloom now and almost covering the top.  I made fun of Lee while building this because it was extremely large, but in the end it works with the space.

Pergolas are an easy (and sometimes inexpensive) way to create an outdoor living space that provides shade.  They can be any size or shape.  Elaborate or simple.  They can be made from all types of wood and there is even a vinyl option in stores available.  This one is made of cedar and left untreated.  I like that aged look about it.  These make perfect spots for climbing vines such as wisteria, clematis, and even grapes.

For more information or for more pictures, please call us.

Home Field Advantage

In today’s economy people are finding it more and more difficult to find suitable housing for their elderly parents or for people with disabilities.  Many times these people are not completely disabled, but just need some extra help with everyday living.  There are many ways to stay in your house and be able to have a wheelchair, walker, or assistance in the bathroom and you don’t need to knock down every wall and start from scratch.  We are currently helping a couple make their home accessible  for these things on a limited budget.  You can certainly spend tens of thousands of dollars and have a complete remodel done, but it isn’t always necessary.

The bathroom is the most important room to evaluate first when dealing with a remodel.  Walk-In Showers, Grab Bars, Toilets, and Sinks can all be replaced for a reasonable cost and make the bathroom very accessible to someone in a wheelchair or walker.  Widening doors and installing shelving that keeps things within reach are also good choices.  Kitchens can also easily be renovated to accommodate most disability situations.  Ramps, door openers, and call buttons are very important.  The idea is to keep the client comfortable in their own home and make life easier for them.

These type of remodels don’t have to resemble a hospital either.  The styles and designs we can provide can make your home handicap accessible and attractive at the same time.

Lee’s Services provides free estimates for these projects.  I can offer countless options with product availability.  If the option is there to stay in your home verses going into care that is expensive and might not be needed yet, don’t you want to explore the home field advantage?  Call us today, we can help.

Design Work

Landscape designs are one of the most popular things we are providing right now.  People are quite anxious to get outside and enjoy the weather and hopefully a nice view of their home and yard.  We provide designs for our landscape work that is included in the free estimate.  This gives our clients the ability to see the finished project before a shovel hits the ground.  These are just a few examples of things we have done recently.  Large or small projects welcome!  Want a design?  Call and schedule an appointment to see what your landscape can be.

Before

Design

Before

Design

Get Some Color!

It’s that time of year when most people are starting to get outside more to enjoy the weather.  I couldn’t ask for a better forecast where we live, it is just wonderful!  When you are outside looking at the perennials coming back to life, or your trees starting to flower, why not consider looking to your home for some color?  There are a variety of different paints and stains on the market right now for every type of siding including vinyl and aluminum.  The color choice is off the charts.  I was recently searching the web for color choices and came across a great website.  www.colorjive.com.  This website will allow you to upload a photo of your home and try out millions of different colors with a simple click of the mouse.  This will ultimately save you a ton of money buying samples, or starting with the wrong color and making 10 trips to the paint store.  I think it’s very simple to use and gives you the results you are looking for right away.  I am a huge fan of instant gratification and this is perfect for choosing color.  It’s the entire house, so you want to get it right.  We can give you a free estimate on the cost of painting or staining the exterior of your home, but the choice of paint is all up to you.  I don’t have to live there, you do…so choose wisely.

Happy Painting!

It’s Alive!

Spring is here and things are finally starting to come back to life.  This is the perfect time to take a stroll around your yard (or the grounds as I like to say) and see what surprises winter has left for you.  Check on the roof, the gutters, and your bulbs and perennials that are coming back to life.  As much as I hate to admit it, the weather report says that we can still get some snow this coming weekend, so don’t disturb the plants yet.  They need whatever shelter they can get to survive any cold/frosty spell that we might have.  Let them do their thing.

You can also check to make sure that your outdoor valves are still in working order, however don’t hook up the hoses just yet.  If you happen to come across a leaky valve or a stem that is broken, simply turn the water off and call a repair man (we do this too) to come and replace.  Damage can occur in your basement or crawl space walls if you leave this problem unattended.  Better to fix a simple problem now, then to fix that problem along with some drywall and flooring repairs that could occur if left damaged. 

Spring is our favorite time of year because we get so many new clients and get to see the old ones again.  People are anxious to get seasonal projects done and we are so grateful to be able to help them.  Call us today to get the planning started.  It’s better to plan now for your deck than to wait until you want to be grilling and chillin on the deck when the weather breaks.  Why Wait?

Watch for our next post Lee’s Top 5 for Spring.  A list of “must do’s” in the spring for your yard and gardens.

Happy Spring!!!

Tax Return Time!

Everyone is waiting for the refund of the year.  Tax refunds.  I have quite a few clients call and get estimates for projects lately and are waiting for tax refunds to come in and then get started.  Some of the more popular projects this year are money-saving projects.  With the rising energy costs and the goal to become more “green” people have been inquiring about new doors and windows.  This is exactly the place to start.  New doors and windows will increase your home’s value and decrease your energy costs saving you money and the material will actually pay for itself in the long run.  If you are planning on staying in your home for a while, and right now most homeowners are, this is the project for you.  Tax refund time is the perfect time for these projects.  It’s spring, the weather is right, fresh new start of the year, and most of all…you have extra money that doesn’t need to be put on a credit card or borrowed from the bank.  NO INTEREST!!!

These are just a few suggestions for spending your tax refund this year to beautify, “green up”, and save money in 2010.  You will love the end result.  For those of you who either don’t need new windows and doors, or who are looking at a more elaborate way of spending your money…we would love to put this in your bathroom.  Just call me.