Classic Remodeling Celebrates Another Year

It's fall again and that means it's time for our annual Client Appreciation Oyster Roast!

Despite the torrential rains and horrible flooding across the Lowcountry a couple of weeks earlier, the skies cleared just in time for our annual gathering at the St. Johns Yacht Harbor. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed a great evening on the deck with delicious oysters from Charleston Oyster Company, food and bar service by Duvall Catering and of course the wonderful company of many of our clients - past and present.

Thanks to everyone who attended this year's event and we look forward to seeing you next year!

Top 5 Bathroom Remodeling Trends

Classic Remodeling's Kitchen and Bath Specialist, Krista Scheider, shares some of the trends she's seeing in bathroom remodels this year. 

Bathroom remodels (along with kitchens) have been one of the most requested renovation projects we’ve seen this year. These projects offer a great return on your investment (according to the 2015 Cost v. Value Report, you can generally recoup about 70% of the cost of your project). And as more and more people opt to remain in their homes for a longer period of time, they are finding that their needs for a functional and luxurious master bath have changed. Here are a few trends we have seen in master bathroom remodels this year:

1. Curbless Showers. This is one of the most popular requests from homeowners. A curbless shower 
    makes the space feel larger and gives it cleaner lines. It's also very important if you are considering
    universal design elements for aging in place (see trend #3 for more info on this).

 

2.   Free standing tubs and/or large showers.  Gone are the days of the garden tub and the tub/shower combo. Today most homeowners are opting for a large walk-in shower and free standing tub. Some are eliminating the tub altogether and going strictly with a shower. While in the past many thought this would hurt resale values, these days it's more about efficient use of space and Americans tend to take fewer baths than in past years. So don't feel bad about forgoing the tub!

3.   Aging in Place. As we go through the design phase we often think about how our clients' needs

      may change as they age and we try to plan for those needs. This may including thinking about

     installing a curbless shower, strategically placing grab bars, or installing bench seats in showers.

     With a wide range of products available, they are much easier to integrate into the design. From

     faucets and towel bars to shelving and soap dishes, these elegant fixtures provide discreet support, 

     making them both beautiful and functional. 

4.  Toilet Room.  As often as the design allows, we try to incorporate a separate toilet room or toilet

     and shower room into each space. Not only does this help eliminate the toilet as a focal point in

     the room, it also makes the master bath much more accommodating for two people to use at the

     same time. 

5.   Double Vanities. You'd be surprised how many homes in our area do not have a double vanity in

      the master bath. This has become a must-have design element and there are several ways to work

      them into a space. We've done the standard single countertop with double sinks where space 

      allows. When space is tight there are other options such as separate vanities or back-to-back 

      vanities.  As a design-build firm we can get creative and find unique ways to create the space of

      your dreams. 

Check back soon for Krista's top 5 trends in kitchen remodels!

Classic Receives Guildmaster Award for 10th Consecutive Year

We are pleased to announce that we have been awarded a 2015 Guildmaster Award for exceptional customer service. GuildQuality, an independent customer satisfaction surveying company, has powered the Guildmaster Award since 2005 to celebrate service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting, and home services professions.

Classic Remodeling was selected as one of the over 300 North American builders, remodelers, developers, and contractors recognized by GuildQuality for our superior delivery of customer care. We are one of only 6 remodelers nationwide to receive the award for 10 consecutive years.

Over the past few months, GuildQuality reviewed numerous survey responses submitted by customers of Guildmaster candidates. In granting awards, GuildQuality considers two primary metrics for each candidate: the percentage of customers who would recommend and the percentage of customers who responded. Classic Remodeling achieved a recommendation rate of greater than 90% from their customers, who were surveyed through GuildQuality.

Client satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us at Classic Remodeling. We take great pride in the fact that 98% of our clients over the last 10 years consider themselves clients for life. The GuildQuality survey process allows us to continuously evaluate and improve our service which is vital to our success.

For more on the 2015 Guildmaster Award and qualifications, visit www.guildquality.com/guildmaster/.

Celebrating a Whole House Renovation on Wadmalaw Island

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of celebrating the completion of a whole house renovation with the Kutch family. This renovation completely changed the flow and appearance of the entire home.

The original floor plan was very awkwardly "cut up" into several small rooms. We reconfigured the main living spaces and bedrooms to create a more open concept floor plan. By removing the walls to the original master bedroom, a guest bath and two bedrooms, we were able to create a more expansive master suite with large master closet and spacious master bath as well as a larger space for the kitchen, which was relocated to the back of the house and opened up to the living room. The old kitchen location was converted to a new guest bedroom/home office.

Here are a few before and after pictures of the project:

Kitchen, before:

Kitchen, after:

Master bath, before:

Master bath, after:

Guest bath, before and after:

We had such a great time celebrating the completion of this project with the homeowners and sharing the new space with their friends and family.

As always, there was a delicious spread of food, including several items prepared by the homeowner. Bob provided one of his signature dishes, pulled pork sliders with blue cheese cole slaw. No one went home hungry!

Ever the perfectionists, even when the job is finished we're still examining, analyzing and discussing techniques and materials used on a project.

Everyone agreed the project turned out beautifully, thanks in large part to the efforts of Mary Todd (l), our design associate on the project and Terry Simon (r), project craftsman.

Another successful project and a wonderful evening spent with some truly hospitable (and fun!) clients.

Don't Miss ACBA's Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil

We’re gathering our aprons to support a great organization!  Join Classic Remodeling at the Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil, a part of the Masters of the Building Arts Festival hosted by the American College of the Building Arts.

The Masters of the Building Arts Festival is a week-long event running from April 3-11 and features a series of professional workshops, hands-on demonstrations, lectures, tours and a variety of family activities.

Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil brings the festival to a close on Saturday, April 11.  Join us from 5:00 to 8:00pm and enjoy a Lowcountry Boil with all the fixins’ - prepared and served by our very own Bob Fleming - with some help from the ACBA students.  Kick back, tell stories, listen to live music, and taste our craft brews from Holy City Brewing or Tool Brewing.

Tickets are $25 ($15 for students with a valid ID) and are on sale now. Proceeds from the Craftsmen & Craft Brews Lowcountry Boil benefit the student guild organization. Contact Ginna at 843-577-6283 to purchase your tickets today!

For those who aren’t familiar with ACBA, it is the only school in the country to offer a four-year liberal arts bachelors degree where students learn traditional craftsmanship along with modern building trades. Charleston is our learning lab where students learn the “old ways’ and develop the skills needed to help preserve historic buildings not only here in Charleston, but around the world.

We hope you’ll come out and enjoy this great event, and learn all that ACBA has to offer.