Showroom Expansion
Hello everyone, we apologize for our absence. We have been busily working on our 3500 sq ft expansion of our showroom, which we are very excited about. We will post photos of our progress!
It’s been several months since Larry’s home remodel was completed, and we checked back in with Larry to see how he was doing and what his final impressions were. Here are some of his comments:
On the beauty of the home: “I never thought of my home as a ‘showpiece’ home, but that’s really what it has become. The fit and finish is just amazing. Seeing your home in your mind’s eye is one thing, and seeing it in reality is a completely different thing. But I can truly say that it turned out better than I even imagined.”
A closer view of the kitchen’s custom cabinetry
On the “other guys”: “I’ve heard horror stories about design companies overcharging or wasting time. And I’ve known people who have fired their builders in the middle of the process. Artistic Kitchen was fast, professional, and very mindful of keeping things on schedule and on budget. I’m as happy now as the day I first walked in to the finished home.”
On recommending Artistic Kitchen: “I unquestionably recommend Artistic Kitchen. I’m happy with the build, happy with Sylwia and our collaboration, and happy with all of the contractors and other professionals I worked with. Everything turned out great.”
On remodeling as a compromise: “Life is a series of compromises. This is true for marriages, and also true for a remodeling project like this one. The way I see things is different from the way my wife sees them. And I must say that neither one of us was disappointed in the slightest with the final product. Somehow Artistic Kitchen and Sylwia [the lead designer] struck just the right note to please both of our sensibilities.”
A close-up of the great room’s media center
On the use of space: “It’s like a different house. In virtually the same footprint as the old layout we have another bedroom, another bathroom, a dog room, a pantry, a laundry room, and a walk-in closet. The use of the space is brilliant. The actual square footage was only increased by about 270 square feet, but the space feels so much bigger.”
On curb appeal: “The house before was pretty much a ‘stucco blob’ from the 1960s. It had no curb appeal. And now it has a ton of curb appeal. From the outside, it’s definitely a different home.”
On a lasting relationship with Artistic Kitchen: “Even now, after the job is over, I know that I can call Greg [our owner] to ask his advice or set up any other services I might need. Say I still needed to select some lights. I could ring Greg and he would send over an electrician ASAP. There’s a dedication to service that’s important. Artistic Kitchen doesn’t abandon you once the check is signed and the build is over. If I were ever to move and needed design help or advice, Greg would be the first person I would call.”
A final shot of the beautiful new home!
Sylwia also provided her final thoughts: “The space is everything we imagined it to be. It’s a very open space where the whole family can interact. All of the expectations were met and Larry is extremely pleased with the end result.”
A very sincere thanks goes out to Larry for being so generous with his time in agreeing to be featured on our blog. We hope Larry’s story has helped to take a little bit of the fear and uncertainty out of the remodeling process for others considering an update for their home. Larry’s dream home became a reality, and we hope you’ll consider Artistic Kitchen to help realize your own dreams. Thanks for coming along on Larry’s home remodeling journey!
Here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for—Larry’s finished home in all of its cozy, updated, bright, and airy glory!
We’ll let the images do most of the talking. But remember the buzzwords here are simple and warm. The choice of woods, the lighting scheme, the natural light from the sunlights and sun tunnel, the warm tones and accents, and the more open space resulting from the additions and the creation of the large great room—all of these contribute to that cozy, cheery, warm, and inviting feeling that Larry and his wife were after.
Granite countertop in the new kitchen space. The warm cabinetry complements the warm wood floor
Bay window with custom shelving
View of the kitchen. Looks fantastic!
Foyer area. Notice the new sun tunnel, which helps to open up the space and keep it airy and bright
Walk-in closet for the master bedroom
View down the hallway
New utility room. A different cabinetry choice than the kitchen lends a more muted feel
New master bedroom
New front door and walkway. The decision was made early on to install all new windows
Another view of the kitchen, including the sun tunnel above the center island
The great room, which is now part of an open floor plan with the kitchen. A very open, free feel!
Another view of the great room. Notice the new custom media center as well as the lighting design
Reverse view of great room. The recessed ceiling helps to further open up the space
New master bath. Tiles, counter, and cabinets were all carefully considered at the design stage
That’s not all, however. We’ll be back with one final entry in this series to share some parting thoughts from Larry about his new and beautiful home.
All the warm and beautiful woods, tiles, fixtures and more have been chosen for Larry’s Craftsman style one-story ranch, and now it’s time to get our hands dirty and build.
The correct scheduling for all the design elements is a formidable exercise for a job this size, and Larry was grateful that Artistic Kitchen’s all-in-one approach simplified the process. “The first thing to order was cabinets,” Larry explained, “and these had to be ordered months in advance. There were no problems, and the cabinets arrived with the perfect dimensions and looking beautiful.”
Cement foundation for the addition. Obviously, you want to leave this to the professionals!
Artistic Kitchen is a direct dealer of several lines of premium cabinetry, and we put this direct relationship to work for you. Not only will you receive great prices, but you’re assured that your cabinets will arrive on schedule, on budget, and with the correct fit. Plus, because all of our services are in-house, we don’t use subcontractors, lending an overall unity and cohesion to the build stage to give you peace of mind.
The view of the foundation from inside the addition
After determining the schedule of events—everything from tile to electrical to plumbing to lighting to exterior—it was time to work. Changes were substantial, though again the basic “footprint” or layout of the house remained intact. Windows, including a bay window, were completely updated. The kitchen was significantly opened up versus the somewhat claustrophobic feeling it had before. Additions to the home provided an additional bedroom, bathroom, and pantry. The dining room Larry rarely used was combined with part of another room to make a great room, opening up the space and giving the home a better flow. A walk-in closet was created, and extensive ceiling treatments were installed, including three skylights and a sun tunnel.
The roof was completely redone; here are the ceiling beams
Because of the experience of our in-house crew and the careful planning and execution, Larry’s remodel proceeded flawlessly and according to schedule. Sylwia offered this explanation as to why: “Since we are a design and build firm, designers and contractors work very closely together and have a daily meeting on the jobsite. This eliminates any challenges and issues because we discuss each detail before it is being built. This is an aspect of Artistic Kitchen that our clients really appreciate.”
A view of the framing from outside the home
Larry, who lived elsewhere during the remodel but who visited often to check on the progress, was struck by two things: the professionalism of the crew, and the welcoming family atmosphere on the jobsite. “Everybody hustled, and everybody knew what job they had to do. It was a truly professional approach. And yet everyone was friendly, and always welcomed me when I visited. Artistic Kitchen often hires family and the same professionals over and over, and it shows. There’s a can-do attitude and an accountability that you don’t see with other builders.”
A veritable framing forest
Larry also explained the extra effort Greg, Sylwia, and the crew would often put into the home. “No matter how carefully you plan, it seems like you’ll always forget something, or maybe you’ll have a change of heart at the last minute,” Larry said. “Greg and Sylwia were always very accommodating about minor or last-minute changes. For example, I thought it might be nice to have a little niche in the shower built for shampoo, etc. Right there and then, Greg changed the framing and gave me the niche. I heard Artistic Kitchen was willing to go the distance for their clients, and I saw it first-hand in ways like this.”
Next up is the big reveal!
By the end of our last entry, Sylwia (the lead designer) transformed architectural blueprints into computer renderings so that Larry, the owner, could experience a 3D presentation of the space. This led to some trial-and-error design tweaks as Sylwia and Larry collaborated to determine just the right dimensions and placements for all the design elements.
Now let’s talk about the design elements themselves. Larry approached us with a definite preference for the Craftsman style. Taking this as the design parameter—along with the goal of using about the same square footage and basic “footprint” already existing in the home—Sylwia worked with Larry to choose the specific tiles, cabinets, color scheme, fixtures, lights, and all the other factors that go into a full home remodel.
The new kitchen cabinets just taking shape. Note the warm and inviting honey tone
Sylwia spoke about the specifics. “The client wanted to create a very warm and cozy home,” Sylwia said, “and that’s why all the materials we chose are very warm in color with soft textures and clean, uncluttered lines.”
This focus on warmth was reflected in the choice of woods. “We chose woods that would give the home a lot of that cozy, warm feeling,” Sylwia said. “Natural cherry was chosen for the cabinets, and natural oak for the floors. We then decided to use quarter sawn oak in the master bath, and oak and maple for the other bathroom cabinets. And to complement these beautiful woods, we chose very simple tiles and countertops. Tiles were carefully considered, and we ended up choosing handmade tiles with beautiful shades and simple textures.”
The master bath, prior to design magic. Stay tuned; you’ll be amazed at the outcome!
Larry explained how Sylwia went the “extra mile” to get the design elements just right: “The master bathroom represented an especially tough set of choices for my wife and I, and we were on the fence about what to go with. Sylwia came with us to not just one but several tile stores she has relationships with, and she was not satisfied until we got the perfect tile for the master bath. For me, this example underscores the advantage Artistic Kitchen has in having its entire team in-house, including the designer. There are a million choices that go into a home remodel—for example, there were involved conversations about what light fixtures to put in the garage!—and it’s great to have a knowledgeable design partner with you every step of the way.”
The new kitchen configuration, including the center island and a more wide-open floor plan
Knowledge and experience is a key part of the package we provide to our clients. Knowledge leads to foresight, and foresight means making smart decisions so you’re not paying even more down the road. For example, Sylwia and Greg (the project manager) worked with Larry to explore all the options for major decisions like whether to re-roof the home, and whether or not to keep some of the original hardwood flooring. Having gone through the process so many times in the past, Sylwia and Greg were able to provide the kind of perspective Larry needed to make the right decisions. In the end, the decision was made to re-roof the home as well as to replace all the original flooring with new hardwood flooring. “Those kind of decisions turned out to be really correct,” Larry remarked. “All the decisions and recommendations were great.”
In the next entry, we arrive at the actual building stage, so stay tuned!
In the last entry, we spoke about the beginnings of Larry’s full home remodel in Los Altos. This entry is all about the initial collaboration between Larry and Sylwia Pichola, Artistic Kitchen’s lead designer on the project.
Larry’s remodel was somewhat unusual in that he came to us with a full set of architectural blueprints. Having owned his home for many years, Larry had been preparing for a redesign for a while, and in that spirit Larry had worked with an architect to draft plans for the home remodel. To make a long story short, the architect preferred to work with a builder that was prohibitively expensive, what Larry called a “Cadillac”-type builder. Sure, they would take care of everything in a professional manner, but Larry balked at the overall cost and eventually went with Artistic Kitchen.
There’s probably two things to take away from this scenario. One, Artistic Kitchen strives to provide extremely competitive prices, though not by sacrificing service. We’d like to think we provide Cadillac service with very un-Cadillac prices. And two, we’re versatile enough to take on an unconventional project—in this case, a homeowner with architectural plans made years before—and still get the job done right. Wherever you are in the process, we can help. Maybe you have plans already drafted, or perhaps you have a partially-finished remodel that was abandoned and needs to be picked up again. Or maybe you have no plans or preconceived design ideas and need to be guided from step one. For all of the above, Artistic Kitchen is your all-in-one design firm.
As you can see, Larry made the decision to keep the core of the house in place.
A small rear addition was built onto an existing bedroom
Even though plans existed, Sylwia still felt it was important to give Larry another perspective on the proposed changes before building began. “I took the plans and put them into a 3D perspective,” said Sylwia,” which really gave the client a feel for the new space. By allowing us to see the space in 3D, we were able to see that some of the windows and doors needed to be resized or relocated to accommodate Larry and his wife’s new furniture, which saved them a lot of extra expense that otherwise would have been necessary down the road.”
Decisions like the exact dimensions of this sliding glass door really benefit from 3D renderings
Larry echoed the importance of having the 3D computer renderings: “For one example, the architect’s plans called for a 16 foot sliding door panel. When Sylwia showed us the 3D renderings of the plans, this panel turned out to be overly big. One of the great things with the modern software Artistic Kitchen employs is that it gives you the power of an iterative design process. By this I mean that I can sit with Sylwia, look at the 16 foot panel, and mutually decide it’s too big. Sylwia can then effortlessly create a 10 foot panel, or a 12 foot panel, so we can visually determine the best size with some trial and error.”
Bay windows are another design element brought to life in the conceptual 3D renderings
Trial and error is important—and I think we can all agree, it’s much better (and much less expensive!) to error in the computer program than in real life. That’s why 3D renderings are so essential to the modern design process. You can experiment with different ideas and sizes in the 3D program and just delete anything that doesn’t work, rather than commit time, manpower, and materials to a real-life design element that simply doesn’t fit or look right.
In the next entry, we’ll discuss the actual design itself, and how Larry and Sylwia combined forces to help make Larry’s house a home.
In this blog series, we’re delighted to share with you the story of a full house remodel in Los Altos. The owner is Larry, a retiree who has owned the home—a one-story ranch built in 1967—for about thirty years. Larry, who recently married, wanted to update the home with his wife in order to transform his house into their home.
“Before” view of Larry’s ranch home
The couple felt that the house offered them a nice foundation to build from, and that they would be satisfied doing a full home remodel rather than either tearing down the home completely, or buying a new home and having to hassle with all the new home headaches. And that’s where Artistic Kitchen comes in!
“Before” view of Larry’s home, from the backyard
We asked Larry why he chose Artistic Kitchen for his home remodeling needs. “I got an estimate from another builder,” Larry said. “They do good work, but the price tag was frightfully expensive, so I definitely had my reservations. Then one day, I was out walking my dog, and I met with neighbors who were having their own home remodeled with Artistic Kitchen. To say my neighbors were satisfied would be an understatement. It was actually the second time they were using Artistic Kitchen. I met with Greg [owner of Artistic Kitchen, and project manager], and we discussed my plans right there and then.”
Larry also told us why he believes Artistic Kitchen has an advantage over other builders: “When you work with Artistic Kitchen, you’re assigned an in-house designer as part of the package. In any home remodel, there are a million choices that need to be made, and it can quickly become overwhelming. With other builders, they might advise you to go to this tile place or that cabinet place, but they don’t have someone with an overall vision who is shepherding the process. Any builder can build, but who’s going to help you make the tough choices and guide you step-by-step? Artistic Kitchen has that person, and my collaboration with Sylwia [Pichola, one of Artistic Kitchen's in-house designers] was fantastic. She was really as helpful as she could be, causing my wife and me way less stress in the process.”
“Before” view of the kitchen
Larry’s situation was somewhat unusual, in that he had previously worked with an architect to make plans for the home—but more on that in the next entry. Suffice to say, Larry had a definite feel for what he wanted, and it was our job to translate what he had on paper and make the design a reality.
Reverse view of the kitchen. Note how the walls cut the kitchen off from
the rest of the home, making for a somewhat claustrophobic feel
“This was a full house remodel with multiple additions,” remarked Sylwia, the designer. “It required a redesign of the façade and all of the interior spaces, including a new roof and new windows. Also required was a removal of major structural walls to create great living, dining, and kitchen areas.”
View down the hallway
And what was Sylwia’s impression of the space when she first visited? “The house was in its original condition since the 1960′s, and it really needed improvement,” Sylwia said. “The kitchen—which should be the heart of the home—was tiny, and placed in the back corner of the house. And the family room was separated, not allowing the family to interact. We needed to free up this home, and make the space airier and more livable.”
The master bedroom
The master bathroom
So, that’s the “before” part of this home remodel project. How will we get started? What decisions will need to be made? And how will Artistic Kitchen turn a cramped one-story ranch into a free-flowing, spacious, and downright amazing home that Larry and his wife will enjoy for many years to come? Visit us again soon to find out! In the meantime, please check out our Facebook album for more “before” pictures of Larry’s home.