A Little Exterior Pick Me Up

This is a personal house that we bought two years ago. We loved the location but the house needed a little updating. At first, we focused solely on the interior and then we worked our way outside. 

 

The house was originally constructed in the 1950’s. It’s a simple brick ranch style home that was well built and has “good bones.” However, with very little updating over the years, we decided it was time to give the home's exterior a fresh look and initiate what we endearingly call “Project Curb Appeal.”

We started our exterior work when we replaced the front door with a custom mahogany door that lets in a lot of natural light with 6 glass panes. Then we closed in the carport and bricked up the exterior walls to match the rest of the home.

We love natural brick but for this project we decided to go with painted brick to really give the outside a little character. Next we removed the old iron railings and built a dormer over the front steps to provide protection from the elements and to add visual interest.  The roof was at least 20 years old, so to prevent any future issues we replaced the roof next and went with architectural style shingles in charcoal. We custom made our shutters out of Hardie Board panels and trim and then finished them with a couple coats of Benjamin Moore Onyx paint.

During the next phase, we brought in Blair with Element Outdoor Living to help with landscaping. We took out the old asphalt driveway and replaced it with a new circle driveway.  We also created two new pathways to the front door: one made of sea shells and the other out of brick laid in a combination of basket weave and stretcher bond.

 
We are really happy with the end result and it’s a wonderful place to come home to!

 

Fireplace Renovation Makes Fall Transition Easy!

Fall is just around the corner with Labor Day already upon us. Everyone always hates to say goodbye to the summertime months but there are a few things about the fall that make it a little easier such as Sunday football in front of a cozy fireplace . . . which is exactly what two of our lovely clients can look forward to this upcoming season!

 Check out these before pictures. Our clients live in a cool historic bungalow and they noticed the wall around their chimney had some damage.

 It turned out the chimney cap was loose, as well as other roofing details, which allowed water to get in the wall behind the fireplace. We corrected the water damage issues and repaired the wall. 

Then we designed a new custom mantle as well as installed a new Heat ‘n Glo gas fireplace insert.

 The final product is a beauty, if we do say so ourselves!

Although it’s always hard to say goodbye to the summer, we have a feeling it may be a little easier for these clients this fall . . . :)

Update! Images of a Ranch Re-Do

Several months ago, we shared before images of a project we were working on that involved taking down walls in a traditional ranch to give the house a more open and contemporary floor plan. To see the before pictures, please check out this link:  http://baldingbrothers.blogspot.com/2012/04/project-update-traditional-1950s-ranch.html

Now for the big reveal . . . here are pictures of this remodel post construction. You’ll see we took down the walls separating the living room, dining room and kitchen. We removed some old cabinets and rearranged the kitchen set up by adding an island with a concrete counter top made by Blue Water Surfaces.  The main countertop surrounding the rest of the kitchen is made out of a cherry butcher block.

In the dining room, we removed the old, dark knotty pine paneling and a small window that used to provide the only light source for the room. We added a custom wainscoting to the bottom half of the  walls and installed a mahogany French Door with large glass panes.

We also replaced an old, hollow front door with a coordinating custom mahogany front door with six glass panes and oil rubbed bronzed latch. These doors really help keep the space bright and makes the area feel larger.

The new space is very comfortable and great for entertaining. Please let us know if you have any questions about other aspects of this remodel or if you’re looking for ideas about a project of your own.

When Function Meets Style

 

We recently remodeled a kitchen for two wonderful clients who will enjoy their new space for many years to come. It was very important that we created a functional kitchen that also fit their lifestyle.  When we started to lay out the kitchen with our design software, we made sure to include a peninsula where the owners could sit and enjoy each other’s company while they cooked. We also decided to replace small store-bought book cases with custom built bookshelves. The bookshelves can hold a variety of decorative items but most importantly they keep your cook books and recipe boxes at an arm’s length distance where you’ll need them the most.

 

In addition to function, this kitchen also has an appealing and timeless style. The clients chose white cabinets with clean lines and slab front doors. We included a few glass cabinet doors with glass shelves to add extra interest and detail to the space. For the flooring, we installed engineered wood floors in the kitchen so that they would seamlessly blend with the floors throughout the rest of the home.

 We went on to replace the old laminate countertops with beautiful white Caesarstone quartz purchased from Sapona Green Building. Caeserstone quartz is a high quality material mined exclusively in Israel. The company employs sustainable methods to extract, process, manufacture, and ship the quartz to the United States. The picture really doesn’t do these countertops justice – they’re stunning to see firsthand.

The end result is a stylish kitchen that didn’t sacrifice an ounce of function. If you have any questions about this project or if you would like to discuss your own kitchen remodel, please e-mail us at Catherine@baldingbrothers.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Outdoor Living is the Life for Me

Creating comfortable outdoor living spaces has been a common trend in several of our most recent projects. Wilmington’s weather is one of the many benefits of living in beautiful southeastern North Carolina and what better way to take advantage of it then with a beautiful new deck or porch. Below are pictures and information on some of our current projects that have done exactly that.

The Dudley-Chadbourn House was recently featured on Historic Wilmington Foundation’s Home Tour and for good reason! The house was originally built in 1843 by Christopher Haywood Dudley in a Greek revival style.  We recently added a screened-in porch for the current homeowners that is designed to mimic the appearance and details of the portion of the house that was historically used as slave quarters. Tongue and groove porch boards were used to match the original details of the house as well. This porch is both screened in and temperature regulated by outdoor fans, which adds extra protection from hot summer days and mosquitoes alike. We are certain that this new addition will get a lot of use and will add additional value to this charming historic home.

 We are also in the process of completing a deck that will become a great outdoor space for entertaining guests, as well as relaxing while gazing out on to a Tom Fazio designed golf course.  This deck is extremely durable and will be able to stand up to everyday weather elements. The deck is constructed with Ipe deck boards (which is a Brazilian hardwood) and blind fasteners which will keep the surface smooth and splinter free. The deck is covered by a pergola that will soon house two exterior fans and additional outdoor lighting. Another nice feature of this deck is that it will have a flush mounted gas line to the barbeque so that the homeowners never have to replace the propane tanks. When the deck is complete, it will be painted to match the color of the trim on the main house for a seamless and stunning transition to their outdoor living space.  

We invite you to you to call or e-mail us today for more information on how to create an outdoor living space that is best suited for your needs and style.

Project: Update a Traditional 1950’s Ranch

We are currently in the process of updating a traditional 1950’s ranch with a contemporary open floor plan. Open floor plans are nice for several reasons but, primarily, they allow for a small space to appear larger and make entertaining a cinch!

The image above has been rendered using a 3D modeling program that will act as an aid in visualizing the final space. We typically create images like this for all of our projects, as it not only helps us during the construction phase but it also helps our clients get a better idea of how the final project will turn out.

Below are some pictures of the what the space looks like currently. The three main entertaining areas of this home (the living room, dining room and kitchen) are all next to each other but separated by walls with narrow doors. As you walk in the front door, you walk directly into the largest room of the house - the living room.



To get to the kitchen, you can either walk through a door in the dining room or through a pocket door in the living room (the dining room has knotty pine walls and is located to the left in this picture).

The image below is mid construction and illustrates how the kitchen looks sans the surrounding walls. An island with additional cabinetry will be added to the space, as well as new appliances.


Stay tuned for images of the final product soon. We should have them posted within the next several weeks!

Tile Me Pretty

Tile is one of the most versatile and durable options for home renovations. When choosing a tile for your remodel it is important to be aware of your options so that you can make an informed decision. Tile options vary significantly in color, material and price but, essentially, everyone can find the ideal tile for their home. Below we’ve listed a few of our favorite options, as well as, some new tile options that just might be perfect for your next project!

The Classic Subway Tile
The classic subway style is a 6” x 3” white ceramic tile. The benefit of using subway tile in your bathroom or kitchen is that it is fairly cost effective and you don’t have to worry about it becoming passé next year. The style has been around for a long time and most people find it simple yet pleasing. Subway tiles come in a variety of colors and can be found in different types of materials (porcelain, glass, stainless steel, etc). One of our favorite subway tile looks is shown here – we love the way the chair rail breaks up the subway and mosaic tile for a finished and polished look that you’ll never get tired of.

Penny Round Mosaic Tile
Penny round tiles come in a variety of colors and materials, but one of our favorite uses for penny tiles is as the backsplash in a kitchen. This tile has a modern look and is very sleek when paired with the right cabinets, countertops and appliances. Personally, we like to use this type of tile in a soft gray or cream color and pair it with stainless steel appliances.

Modono Glass Tile
The Modono Glass Tile Collection was introduced in 2008 and is famous for it's use of dichroic thin-film technology which affects the way the tile transmits, reflects and absorbs varying wavelengths of light. This special technology creates a color changing effect that will add an attractive and interesting depth to your project when installed with the right light fixtures.

Wooden Tile Mosaics
Fortis Arbor Wood Mosaics come in bamboo, teak or rosewood and are available in two different sizes: 1” x 1” or 1” x 2.” These tiles are made from furniture making scraps and will add beautiful detail to a living room or office, as they are primarily intended for rooms with limited water exposure.

Recycled Glass Tile
Fireclay Tile is based in San Jose California and offers a 100% recycled glass tile option. Their tile is made from raw waste glass that has been crushed, reprocessed, and fired. This glass tile is very versatile and suitable for indoors or out, horizontal or vertical surfaces and comes in 40 colors and 17 different sizes. This tile makes being green easy and stylish all at the same time!