Why, you remodel of course!  Come along on this journey as a busy family of five lives through a remodel.

Let’s start by mentioning there WILL be dust.

My first suggestion to you is plan, plan and plan some more.  For best results, I suggest working with an architect.

In this case, Paul De Leeuw delivered a floorplan that was absolutely perfect for this evolving family.  The plan included adding onto the home to reconfigure the kitchen, dining, mudroom and laundry, while adding a drop center and storage that was organized to fit the family needs.  This new plan specifically has storage set aside for backpacks, gym bags, tennis equipment, hats, mittens, scarves, gloves, iPhones, iPads, cords and house keys – everything conveniently was given a space to be kept in, but not seen.

Next, you hire the right contractor to bring this plan to life.  Paul Driessen of Timber Innovations brought his many years of experience to the project, and he is a true craftsman.  Paul is an active member of NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.  Paul not only was the contractor, but he built the custom cabinetry and storage for this project.

After the addition was up and framed, the interior was zipped up for dust containment.  Did I mention dust?

The family converted the bar area in its basement to serve as a makeshift kitchen while the main floor was gutted.  Once the new framing was up, it was so exciting to see how much space there was and how the new space would flow.

Before the makeover, the kitchen was dark and the east wall was filled with cabinets.  After the makeover, the east wall is filled with windows and light pours into this kitchen, along with providing a beautiful view to the lake.

This larger, brighter kitchen has painted craftsman-style cabinets using Sherwin Williams 7052 gray area.  A new large stainless farmhouse sink was installed with gorgeous, glass pendants over the island.

The new wooden range hood was installed and dimensional arabesque tile in three colors finishes off the backsplash.  One thing you don’t see on the stove wall is outlets.  They are there, just cleverly hidden.

All of the new flooring in the makeover is LVP – a vinyl plank that looks like wood.  Not only is it a rich, handsome look, but it easily is maintained by this family of five.

This home has really evolved to fit this family’s needs.  They love their makeover, thanks to an amazing plan from Paul De Leeuw and the craftsmanship of Paul Driessen.  I provided the needed interior design, and our wonderful installers here at H.J. Martin and Son completed the look.

We look forward to assisting you with your own makeover dreams! Learn more online at www.hjmartin.com!

By Karen Siegrist, Interior Designer

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In the world of interior design, 2016 was the year of: farmhouse style, apron sinks, reclaimed and recycled furniture, chalk paint, shiny white subway tile and a TON of distressed wood looks. Whether it is actual distressed wood, wire brushed wood, wood styled porcelain tile, wood styled luxury vinyl plank or wood styled engineered vinyl plank, everyone loved incorporating wooded looks into their homes!

As we look back on the last year, I am sure we can agree on one thing… y’all know what shiplap is! This is another wooden-style material, made popular in decorating by Waco, Texas couple Chip and Joanna Gaines on Fixer Upper.

And what about all of these barn doors? All of the doors I walked through in 2016 seemed to be real or even faux barn doors!  In fact, my friend asked me to design one for her home and distress it.

To make her vision come to life, I worked alongside remodeler, builder, and cabinet maker, Paul Driessen from Timber Innovations. Paul built this door and placed five finishes on it, including clear coat, cherry stain, white paint, aqua paint and gray paint for the final color.

Using very fine sand paper and tack cloth with beeswax, I carefully removed coat after coat to give it a distressed look. Once I was done, the door was clear coated and installed. My friend couldn’t be happier! I no longer have fingerprints though; I may have sanded my skin off!

As Interior Design trends come and go, or rather reinvent themselves, we will soon be seeing what has staying power in 2017. I am one Interior Designer who can’t wait! Have a great new year of designing and DIY! -Karen

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[L-R] H.J. Martin and Son designers Karen Siegrist, Lisa Herrmann and Andria Orth

[L-R] Project Manager Bob Gmeiner and Interior Designer Andria Orth of H.J. Martin and Son, and Melodi and Bob McGuire of First Weber Realtors

A wonderful lunch was served, followed by great conversation with the group including a dynamic couple, Melodi & Bob, also known as “McGuire to the power of 2.” The H.J. Martin and Son team enjoyed the informative luncheon and looks forward to the new relationships formed!

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“We were absolutely amazed at what a talented, creative group of people work there! The end result was absolutely beautiful,” says Karen Siegrist, interior designer and assistant manager at the Neenah showroom of H.J. Martin and Son. The light fixture in the photo (below, center) with H.J. Martin interior designer Lisa Herrmann is hand made from piping and “squirrel cage” Edison bulbs.

Broken Tree Pizza of Neenah provided the food and they received rave reviews for the amazing wood-fired pizza, cooked on site.

(Photo below, left: Karen Siegrist and Project Manager Bob Gmeiner)

Our own Jeff Giordano (Photo below, right) played a mean game of oversized Jenga. New connections were made and a great time was had by all. Thank you to the Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities for bringing our community together for a wonderful event.

Additional information on the Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities:

Established in 1958, Valley Home Builders Association, dba Home Builders Association of the Fox Cities (HBA Fox Cities), proudly carries out its:

VISION: All builders and associates take pride in being active members, working together with trust to ensure members have the first opportunities to provide safe, attainable housing in the Fox Cities area.

MISSION: We lead in business development opportunities. We promote professional business and construction practices. We enhance the quality of life in the Fox Cities area.

A 501(c)(6) professional organization, HBA Fox Cities consists of more than 400 member companies which employ more than 5,000 people who live and work in the Fox Cities area.

HBA Fox Cities serves its members and the public through:

• Business development opportunities – member businesses gain exposure to fellow members and consumers through advertising and sponsorships as well as public events such as Parades of Homes, which include new homes and remodeling projects.
• Housing advocacy – with grassroots efforts, HBA Fox Cities, in partnership with the Realtors Association of Northeast Wisconsin, works to defeat excessive regulations and to defend safe and attainable housing at all levels of government.
• Critical news & information – HBA Fox Cities provides industry information to members and the public through its website, publications, e-newsletters and more.
• Educational programming – HBA Fox Cities’ educational programs can help businesses thrive and improve the overall professionalism of the home-building industry. Course offerings help members stay current on new building ideas and technology, learn new business strategies and stay on the cutting edge of sales and marketing techniques.
• Community involvement – through the HBA Fox Cities Fund of the WBA Foundation, HBA Fox Cities proudly offers grants to local housing-related charities and provides scholarships and tool grants to students pursuing careers in the construction industry. HBA Fox Cities also serves as the local coordinating organization for the Toys for Tots program of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves. And, in June 2016 HBA Fox Cities partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build a house in one week during the Habitat for Humanity International Blitz Build.
• Membership services – exclusive discount programs, dispute resolution services, template construction documents, networking events and more add to the benefits of membership in HBA Fox Cities.

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While admiring the new carpets, and custom area rug I did for their master bedroom, Barb mentioned she was not happy with the current bathroom layout and said something along the lines of “Oh well, I am sure nothing can be done about that.”

I asked to see her master bathroom and then I told her we could have the shower module removed to open up the space, enlarge the shower making it bigger and brighter and ultimately let in more light. Barb couldn’t see what I was talking about so I did the below drawings for her and then she was hooked for the look! I suggested removing the existing flooring as well, which was a dark blue slate look.

With Barb’s love for Tuscan style, we did a Versailles pattern floor in warm neutrals, on a diagonal. We complimented the floor with beautiful tile for the shower walls. We surrounded the large custom niche with deep bronze accents. Inside the niche, Barb fell in love with a Versailles pattern stone called Picasso travertine. So the bathroom floor and the niche both had the Versailles pattern and they really complimented each other! I even assisted Barb in selecting her shower glass surround with handle and robe hook in deep bronze.

The happy ending to this story is that Barb and Ed love their new bathroom layout and new custom shower with glass enclosure. They just needed a little visual to help them see the possibility, which I’m always happy to provide!

Product Information:

Flooring is Armstrong Verostone Big Horn Valley; color: sand dune; Versailles pattern luxury vinyl tile installed on a diagonal
Shower is Mohawk Via Pave; color: Nova Beige; porcelain tile installed straight
Back of Niche is Anatolia Picasso stone; mini Versailles mosaic
Frame of Niche is Anatolia Antique Rust Metal Liner
Grout is Mapei; color: Pale Umber

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At H.J. Martin and Son, usually we’re seeing change on the interior, but here I’d like to highlight a beautiful exterior change on my own home in the Valley. Last year I bought my 5th ‘fixer upper’ and got started right away on changing the curb appeal. The house was built in 1956 and the 60-year old boxwood shrubs looked tired and needed to go! And the front door was extremely out of date.

I started with removing the shrubs and the black iron railing. Next I changed out the light fixture. I needed to start adding some character to the house, so I purchased an inexpensive light fixture at a local hardware store. It was time to give this house a bit of a Craftsman feel and the Craftsman style has always been my favorite!

I purchased a larger mail box and installed it on the house rather than on the door trim, as it was prior. Then came my favorite part of a home…selection of the front door.  I absolutely love front doors! There are so many styles and endless color options. For this house I already knew I was going to do a Craftsman look and chose a 6 light over 2 panel door from Thermatru. I chose Classic Blue as the color and had it finished at the factory.

I then hired my friend and remodeler, Joe Keesler, to install the door and help me choose the right door trim. I was more than ready to change out the aluminum wrap that was currently there. Joe suggested to trim out the door with a composite that looked like cedar and then paint it white. It has a deep texture and I absolutely love it!

The final steps were so important to pull everything together. It was time to go shopping for new house numbers, which is like shopping for jewelry for an outfit. It needs to fit the style of the home! I purchased new metal house numbers in black and installed them. The final touch was hanging my American flag. Now every day when I pull into my driveway I smile. I love my new curb appeal and so do my neighbors!

If your home needs a little refresher, take a look at your curb appeal. With just a few changes, you can bring new life to your home. And if you’re looking for help on the inside, stop in to our Fox Valley showroom…we’d love to talk through your next project.

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Eric Demaree of Carpet One opened this year’s Summer Carpet One convention and talked about the need to “look through the lense of our customer,” how to impact the customer’s experience, along with creating moments of WOW for the customer.

This year’s conference band, The Shaggs (we love the name), was put together by Carpet One’s very own, Jim Aaron, vice president of merchandising. The keyboard player is also a Carpet One employee at the corporate office in New Hampshire. The other members are employees of Carpet One, store owners and salespeople. They entertained the crowd and absolutely rocked it!

We had the opportunity to listen to Jack Oehm, the retired Battalion Chief of the New York fire department during the attacks on 9/11. His speech brought everyone to tears, as it was so moving! Frank Siller, the father of firefighter Steven Siller who rescued many, but died in the trade tower collapse, joined Jack on stage. Frank started the Steven Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

Erik Wahl amazed us with his painting and lecture and reminded us of how important right-brained people are! He is the author and artist of the book Unthink: Rediscover Your Creative Genius.

Our trip ended with an appearance on a 185′ jumbotron, as we walked through a screen of white smoke. We were on top of the world–what a great end to a great conference!

I am so proud to work for H.J. Martin and Son, alongside a truly amazing partnership with Carpet One, both who care tremendously for others and get involved in making a difference in our communities! I’m looking forward to what this year holds and am already looking forward to next year’s conference!

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