Home Archives - Anderson Reconstruction

Making a Home Their Own

lauren nikole — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 20:04:20 +0000

Making a Home Their Own

This client’s home had always been a space for hosting friends and a growing family, but it wasn’t reflective of their own style or taste. To make the biggest impact on the home, we focused on 3 key areas – the kitchen, the bathrooms and the foyer.

Like many kitchens of the early 2000s, this space was dominated by dark cabinets, vinyl sheet flooring and warm yellow tones. These features made the kitchen feel dark, heavy and closed off. While the homeowner didn’t want to completely reconfigure the floorplan, there were a lot of minor changes we could make in order to open up this space.
One of the best parts about this kitchen is that we kept a lot of the original foundation. The cabinets were originally built with high grade plywood and solid wood fronts and side panels. Using the original boxes allowed us to expedite the reconfiguration of the kitchen. We removed part of the cabinet faces and replaced then to reflect drawers rather than doors with pull out shelving. We removed the clunky cabinets over the range – these closed off the space visually and were inconvenient in terms of storage. Next, we tackled the island – originally this was used as a seated bar. This client rarely used the island’s bar seating, so as a better use of space, we extended the counter top and installed custom shallow depth cabinets where the seating once was. To improve the flow between the formal dining room and kitchen, we widened and centered the opening between the two spaces, allowing for more light and a more open feel and relocated and deepened the pantry. Finally, we added a coffee bar area and enclosed shelving to maximize the storage and function of the space!

Something that makes this space truly unique is its use of natural stone. For the countertops, our client went with a gorgeous honed quartzite – more durable than both marble and granite, quartzite is a gorgeous natural stone that features distinct veining, ranging from solid to crystalline. We went with a beautiful honed and detailed Calacatta backsplash as a focal point under the upper glass door cabinets. As for the floor, our client introduced us to a material we had never used before – Belgian Bluestone. This is a unique limestone imported from the southern region of Belgium. What makes this stone so unique is its history – which you can actually see on the stone! Embedded in this stone are ancient fossils, coral and calcite veins, which against the stormy gray of the natural stone is visually striking. We replaced all of the doors and drawer fronts with solid wood raised panels and sprayed all finishing items creating a soft and beautiful finish

As you can see from the before photos, this bathroom is very spacious, but awkwardly shaped. To maximize this space, we completely changed the layout and reframed the room, creating straight lines and removing the odd, angular shape of the old vanity wall that limited the layout. Once reframed, we were able to use the extra space for custom recessed cabinets, using dead space behind the wall and providing the clients the storage they didn’t know existed. From there, we went from the floor up! One of our favorite features of this space is the incredible marble herringbone floors – The timelessness of the marble instantly elevates the atmosphere, providing a sense of opulence that resonates throughout. Continuing with the shower, we removed the wall that closed off the shower and created an open feel with a marble bench providing seating and a place for the new glass to sit on, bringing in even more visibility and natural light. We used honed penny marble tile for the flooring and accent feature in the niche bringing in more personality without having to change the continuity of the marble bathroom as a whole. To tie the entire space together, we introduced champagne bronze and matte black finishes along with a beautiful custom-built blue green raised panel vanity complimenting the natural hues within the marble stone throughout—small details that make a big impact

Moving on to the foyer – as this is the first space seen when entering the home, we wanted to make sure it complimented the home well while still having its own personality. To do this, we focused on the stairs. To keep the space from becoming too heavy, we went with white stairs with wooden tops. This not only brightens the space, but creates visual interest! To highlight this further, we also put in a custom handrail that lends a sense of fun to the space. Finally, we installed a gorgeous, modern chandelier to bring the whole space together!

Kitchen - Before

Bathroom - Before

Bathroom - before

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Artfully Accessible

lauren nikole — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 21:29:17 +0000

Artfully Accessible

For this bathroom makeover, accessibility was our number one goal.

Before

This client needed to make some updates to their existing bathroom to accommodate their changing accessibility needs. These projects are always very important to us – as life and needs change, your space should change too. Everyone’s home should be just that; a place where you can be truly comfortable, where all of your needs are met, and your quality of life is at its best. Accessibility is a beautiful thing, and we wanted this space to reflect that in every way!

As you can see from the before pictures, this bathroom has always been truly unique! From the custom wallpaper to the gorgeous terrarium along the back wall, the homeowner has always taken pride in this space. However, with their changing accessibility needs, it was time for an update! The biggest issue in this space was the toilet and shower areas. For the shower, the tub made it very difficult, requiring the client to take a huge step to get in and out which was neither safe nor doable for them. Next, the toilet area was tucked between the shower and the wall – this limited space made it difficult to impossible to fit a walker or any other aides. Another issue was the wrap around vanity. While it wasn’t a huge problem, it still limited valuable floor space, and therefore limiting accessibility with the use of mobility aids. After identifying the main issues, we got to work reconfiguring the space. For the shower, we decided to take out the tub completely – having span the majority of the back wall. This client loved their terrarium (and so did we!) so we wanted to leave that as is.

We needed to create a walk-in shower which required us to lower the subfloor several inches. By having the shower floor flush with the rest of the space, it is now much easier to get in and out of the shower using any aides necessary, while also leaving space for a chair. We also relocated the shower valve and handheld to a feature tower making them much easier to reach and use from a sitting position along with create a feature point along the terrarium wall. Next, we moved the toilet so it was no longer in a tight space, allowing easier access. Finally, we reduced the size of the vanity, allowing for more usable floor space.

While accessibility was our number one goal for this space, this bathroom turned out to be a truly beautiful space. There were a lot of very important layout and design details and every inch mattered when it came down to the tiles, custom glass door, lighting and finishing stain and paints. Overall, we were able to hit every mark of function and design!

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Turning a House Into a Forever Home

lauren nikole — Tue, 16 May 2023 16:30:34 +0000

Turning a House Into a Forever Home

You wouldn’t know it from the gorgeous results, but this project hit almost every bump in the road! Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you plan, double check, or even research, if things can go wrong, they will.

Let’s start with the good stuff – this project was one of our favorite kitchen remodels to date! We love the contrast between the rift cut white oak island and dark perimeter cabinets (Benjamin Moore – Navy Masterpiece). We opened the space by removing the existing wall between the kitchen and formal dining room, extended the wall cabinets to wrap around the existing space for the kitchen table, relocated all of the appliances for better floor plan flow, closed off the beam ceiling with a smooth drywall finish. We decided on a beautiful limestone fireplace and replaced the interior with a herringbone brick pattern.

Finishing touches – the homeowner wanted to marry traditional pieces with modern aesthetic and to be honest, we think it is one of the best ways to update your space while still making it feel grounded and warm. The entire dining room set was thrifted and refinished while the entryway chandelier was found at a yard sale. You may notice a bookcase next to the fireplace that was also found on Facebook marketplace. We also went with natural components – quartzite countertops, oak for the island, limestone for the fireplace. It takes a little bit of extra effort finding these special pieces but once you locate them, they become a forever gem for your space and project.

Now, for the not-so-good stuff. While no one ever wants to hear that their project isn’t going as planned, we think it’s important to shed light on the realities of construction and remodeling. It’s vital that clients are mentally prepared for what can happen once work starts, and that they trust their contractor’s knowledge, experience and dedication to their project.

Right off the bat, the architectural plans didn’t map in real life how they did on paper. While this was far from ideal, our team was able to shift the layout in a way that kept the homeowner happy without compromising the integrity of the structure. Aside from structural issues, we took this project on during the peak of the appliance shortage, meaning the homeowner had to wait 9 months for her appliances. This was an entire 4 months past their quoted delivery date. Finally, we ran into issues with the beautiful quartzite countertop and the cabinet dimensions for the fridge cabinet. While we did not do the plumbing or cabinet build for this project that ultimately lead to these issues, we were involved in every aspect of finding solutions and remedies to the issues that arose. While we can’t control everything or mitigate every extenuating circumstance, we pride ourselves on finding the best solutions for our clients.

A big part of any remodel project is being flexible, excited and imaginative. It can be tough when you’re in the thick of it, but we promise it will all pay off in the end. The homeowners absolutely love their new space and have no doubt this will be their forever home. We’re grateful to be a part of such special shifts in clients’ homes and lives!

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Making the Best of It

brandon@loyalty-agency.com — Thu, 11 May 2023 17:46:35 +0000

Making the Best of It

This project started out as a minor flood that turned into a beautiful home remodel. The homeowners had been wanting to update their home for quite some time and although this wasn’t planned for, it turned out even better than they had hoped!

The home had a lot of red oak accents and we really wanted to get away from the warm, yellow and red color pallet, opting for more light, bright and neutral color tones. White shaker cabinets, Bedrosian Cloe subway tiles, natural light oak LVP floors and a tall flat profile base moved this home from the late 80’s into the 21st century. For the paint, we used the same color on the walls, ceilings and trim. A good way of bring dimension when using the same color on walls and trim is by using different sheens to bring definition to the different variables while keeping the same color. It elevates the space without having to choose different paint colors – a process that can be overwhelming in itself!

For the stairs we updated things by using a square modern null post, cylinder iron balusters and a tall flat profile stair skirt. Going with white risers and a rift cut white oak wall cap really transformed the stairs and made them a focal point in the entryway. We also went with a black slate for the entryway flooring giving us a deep contrast between the light walls and LVP flooring throughout the rest of the space

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Full Mid Century Modern Remodel

brandon@loyalty-agency.com — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 17:34:28 +0000

Full Mid Century Modern Remodel

One of our biggest projects to date - a full flip of this neglected space turns this house into a mid century dream!

Wow, where do we begin! This was a really fun (and really big) full mid century modern remodel project. This home was in pretty bad shape and needed a total over-hall. First off, we tore out all of the old electrical and rewired the whole house along with upgrading the electrical panel, we closed in all of the open beam ceilings (minus the master bedroom) and added recess lighting and central heating and air along with putting a new roof on. We upgraded and reconfigured the windows throughout which brought in a lot more natural light making the home feel brighter and larger. Adding a laundry room and pushing out one of the walls in the master bath gave us more convenience along with more utilized space.

The kitchen cabinets were constructed of birch plywood interiors, shaker style doors, self-closing door hinges and drawer guides and were painted a beautiful “greige”. Quartz countertops, a beautiful white glass backsplash and open shelving gives this kitchen a clean and contemporary feel. We wanted to bring in some contrast so we went with oil-bronzed accents found on the pendants and dining area light fixture along with the cabinet handles. Our hall bath features a custom vanity, quartz countertop and a curved tub/glass enclosure. We wanted to keep things symmetrical on all of the wall tile throughout the home which you will notice in the tub/shower area but we also wanted to bring in some personality with the floor tile; we achieved this in the hall bath by going with a marble hexagon flooring. The niche on the back of the tub wall has the hexagon flooring tile which ties the wall and flooring tile together nicely.

All of the bedrooms received new and very large windows which makes them feel incredibly open and larger than the are. Laminate flooring was used throughout the home minus the bathrooms along with shaker style interior doors and sleek chrome door handles. The master bathroom features a cement tile flooring, a large custom walk-in shower, wall-to-wall custom vanity, quartz countertop and chrome accents. A high-end sleek rain-head and shower set makes this bathroom feel luxurious! Even though the inside was looking fresh we still had to address the exterior; replacing damaged facia boards, stucco patching and fresh paint were just the beginning. We also added a privacy wall along with all new landscaping in the front yard. We tore out the old asphalt driveway and poured new concrete along with getting a new garage door. Overall, this was an amazing experience with lots of bumps along the way but nothing our amazing crew couldn’t handle! We’re so proud of the finished house that can now officially be called a home.

Before

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From the Ashes

lauren nikole — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 17:28:48 +0000

From the Ashes

After a laundry room fire, this family was ready to rebuild

The before and after of this home is almost unrecognizable! After a laundry room fire, 90% of the house was burned, soaked, or affected by heavy smoke damage. With the extent of the damage, we had no choice but to rebuild it from the ground up. Beyond the damage caused by the fire, this craftsman-style home, located in La Verne’s historical district, had barely been altered since 1909! Because of this, the home’s framing, electrical, plumbing, and almost every aspect of construction, needed to be brought up-to-code. After all of the technical issues were resolved, the fun began.

This homeowner wanted to hold onto the original homes’ aesthetic roots while incorporating a clean, open flow. To do this, we completely opened up the floor plan on the lower level. The new floor plan allowed this family to finally get the kitchen they had always dreamed of! This newly adjusted space allowed for more counter space, increased storage and the incorporation of a large, custom island. These additions, along with beautiful white shaker cabinets, a farm house sink and the reconfiguring of windows allowed for this space to be much more breathable while still honoring the heritage of the home. This family loves having guests over so we removed the bulky laundry room and office on the lower floor, and in its place created a spacious bar and sitting area. Upstairs, the bathroom got a completely new layout which allows for a much more functional space.

We could go on-and-on with the building process and design choices, but we’ll let the photos speak for themselves. We absolutely love the way this home turned out and we’re especially proud of our team for making this custom home gorgeous and perfectly suited for this family. Look out for some of our favorite details in the home: custom kitty door, cement tiles, the beautiful blue island and Greg’s favorite, the mixing of the old and new styles!

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Full Transitional Rebuild

brandon@loyalty-agency.com — Thu, 23 Mar 2023 17:24:22 +0000

Full Transitional Rebuild

This family unfortunately went through the difficult experience of having a fire take place in their home. It was a long journey to bring things back to life but in the end the home not only got a full upgrade but we also increased the square footage by adding a room, we reconfigured the stairway giving it a more modern appearance, created a custom-stain for all of the cabinetry throughout, installed beautiful quartzite countertops, stacked stone accents, the list goes on and on! Shout out to our amazing team that made this family’s home a new and improved resting place for them to enjoy for years to come

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Hallway Storage Conversion – La Verne

brandon@loyalty-agency.com — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 20:01:00 +0000

Hallway Storage Conversion – La Verne

I think most of us can agree that we need more storage and if we don’t need more storage, we’d love for our storage areas to look polished and presentable! This hallway conversion is the perfect example of not only creating more functional storage but also a really great focal point for this upstairs hallway. Prior to this remodel, the hallway provided the homeowner with very basic upper and lower cabinets. No problem with functionality but also just didn’t say much for the homes aesthetic. We came in and created a great storage space while also adding a ton of personality to this basic hallway. Now, the homeowners have linen storage, open shelving to hold their book and photo collections, drawers for “all that random stuff” and lower cabinets to hold other odds and ends. Everything in this project was custom made for the space including the cabinetry and open shelving. The backsplash is a faux brick which also brings in more texture and personality!

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Claremont Remodel

brandon@loyalty-agency.com — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:59:19 +0000

Claremont Remodel

This project consisted of many different components, we’ve chosen to only highlight our favorites! To start, we fully remodeled the upstairs hall bathroom. First, we removed the wall and door that separated the vanity and tub areas, this allowed the bathroom to feel a lot more spacious. We also tiled from floor to ceiling on the majority of the bathroom walls giving it even more visual height and depth. Porcelain subway tiles, a custom vanity and sliding glass enclosure brought this bathroom into a fully new and calming space. We also built a new vanity for one of the downstairs bathrooms, this vanity matched the other cabinetry that we did in the home all of which consisted of a custom-made stain on high-grade maple wood. The most challenging and rewarding part of this project was the incredibly large built-in cabinet. This cabinet consisted of a wine rack, lower storage and all adjustable shelving for top portion. Everything had to be meticulously measured and constructed in order for it to work and our incredibly talented in-house cabinet crew was able to make it happen

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Glendora Family Room Remodel

brandon@loyalty-agency.com — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 19:57:36 +0000

Glendora Family Room Remodel

Wow! Talk about a transformation! This room literally went from night-to-day and was such a fun project to work on with our clients. It may seems like all this room had was a change in flooring, paint and furnishing but there much more than meets the eye. To start off this couple was not on the same page when it came to this remodel. The wife was set on brightening the room and bringing a new whimsical feel to their living space. The husband on the other hand was not trying to give up his dark and traditional den. In the end, the wife ended up winning this battle and by looking at the photos you can see what a great victory that was! Anyways, it was a good thing we decided to pull up the floor because when we did we realize that there was mold developing below the plastic lining in the subfloor. This was not due to water damage. We concluded that it was in fact due to the subfloor originally having moisture in it prior to being installed. With the plastic lining acting as a barrier the moisture had no way of getting out, which caused the mold to develop. We, along with the home owners couldn’t believe what we were seeing! Moving forward, we removed all of the subfloor and had to do mold abatement. Once this was all complete, we continued by filling all of the knots within the wood paneling. This took over a week even with several crew members working together on it. In the meantime, we helped our clients pick out the paint, sheen’s and the porcelain tile. We suggested adding chandeliers over the pool table area and we are so happy they took our advice; they really add something special to this room. Overall, this was a big project but with anything that requires dedication, the outcome greatly out-weighed the bumps along the way.

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