In early February, we talked about a kitchen in progress in our blog.  See, “New Bethesda Kitchen & Family Room”.  The room was drywalled and primed, but hardwood was not installed, tile flooring was still in the warehouse, kitchen cabinets were not set, appliances were nowhere to be seen and final paint colors has not even been selected.

In just 45 days, Natelli staff and crews quickly completed the project sooner than the client expected.  Everything behind the scenes was planned and organized and the job moved efficiently and with ease to full and proper completion.  Our clients are happy, the project looks great and we have already toured the kitchen with another client. 

You might hear a lot of stories about the remodeling project that never ended, the one where the contractor never showed up or the subcontractors did not perform.  The Washington DC metro area is full of competent and professional renovation contractors (and unfortunately many from which these bad stories eminate), and I am proud that Natelli Homes is one of those remodeling firms that out-performs our clients expectations.  The key is staffing.  Our Supervisors and Project Managers know how and when to help clients with the myriad decisions that go into a project and ensure that decisions don’t delay the project.  This is not an easy endeavor and the skill comes with experience and industry intelligence.

When you consider your next renovation project, kitchen or bathroom make sure you find a professional contractor with decades of experience who can give you examples of their success like this one.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.NatelliHomes.com

Next in our series of possible bathroom design options we look at adding a couple of feet to the back of the room and creating a shed dormer.  We want to manage costs so the expansion will be minimal but still develop the necessary space.  The sketch on the right is the same starting point we have for our other design options.  Now let’s see what happens with a few extra square feet positioned in the right place.

We will incorporate a tub, full shower, two vanities and a toilet compartment in this expansion.  The tub is generously sized with ample room on the deck for towel storage and decorations.  The shower has a large seat and potential for multiple heads and there is room for a private area for the water closet. Having his and her vanities makes sense for many couples.  The complement of quality cabinets on either side of the room, such as the WoodMode cabinets we feature, not only allows symmetry in the space but creates a focal point to the tub and window above.  The added window could be the most valuable component.  Large amounts of natural light flowing in the bathroom through a round or elliptical transom makes the room feel more connected to the outside.  The ambient light in a room often negates the need for illuminated lights.  Finally, look at the closets.  They have more than doubled – something every family could use!

So now you have three functional options to the standard bathroom in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.  Each one has different priorities but none come at significant expense because they are designed and constructed in a logical and practical manner.  With these designs you can bring your home from the 1940’s quickly into optimum design standards for your lifestyle today.

Feel free to contact me by e-mail at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website, www.NatelliHomes.com

In our first bathroom design evaluation, we looked at the design potential of a typical bathroom in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area assuming we wanted the primary components to include a vanity, shower, toilet and tub.  If you look back at that post, you will see that we actually increased the usable and functional space within the confines of the existing room.  The original bathroom is shown in the image to the right.

For the current option, we are going to be honest with ourselves about the need for a tub.  Natelli Homes has installed hundreds of tubs in Master Suites over the years.  Upon reflection the vast majority of our clients admit that they might use a tub a few times a year.  So let’s see what one gains if we allocate the space taken up by the tub for more vital funtions in a bathroom. 

The first thing that strikes me is an expansive double bowl vanity with lots of surface area and potential for ample storage below.  One can image a wood framed mirror over the vanity with attractive sconces complimented by some recessed pin lights in the ceiling.  The toilet is within a room with a door for complete privacy.  The shower is still ample allowing for a bench, multiple spray heads and a rain-shower above.

A small recess into the sloped roof area behind the vanity expands the room slightly, but this comes at a minimal cost with huge benefits.  The hallway is aligned with the entrance so the closets have expanded nearly 150% of their prior size.  All these benefits come within the boundaries of the existing space with the exception of the small expansion behind the vanities.

Good design supported by practical evaluation makes for a successul bathroom renovation.  In our next evaluation we will see how the potential grows when a small dormer is set into the rear roof. 

Feel free to e-mail me your questions and comments to Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website  www.NatelliHomes.com

Homes and designs constructed in the 50’s and 60’s often don’t work very well for our current needs.  In particular, bathrooms were seemingly tertiary spaces, whereas they are vital and one of the primary priorities for homeowners today.  People expect more in a bathroom now, especially when it comes to the master bathroom.  The challenge comes when the client does not want to expand the room due to structural issues, the effects on other rooms or simply budget limitations.

We have done a 4 part study of design options for a typical bathroom built in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.  The existing bathroom is shown in a sketch on the right.  You can see a long dressing vanity, a compacted bathroom area and two modest closets.   As you can see, there is a lot of wasted space in the hallway and open area in front of the dressing vanity.

For the 1st option, below, we kept the bathroom to the same general limitations of the existing space.  We did not allow the design to expand into other rooms, except a small portion of an adjacent attic. In this version, we maintained a tub and a separate shower.  Clients often debate whether to incorporate a tub or not; some people use the tub, many do not – every client is different so we will show you alternatives without tubs in subsequent posts. We have one long vanity with two bowls, a compartment for the toilet and even a linen closet dedicated to the Master bath.  The closets have been expanded into the attic space.  The entrance incorporates a vestibule to delineate the privacy desired for the Master Suite.

This example shows the potential of working within the structure of the existing home.  The bathroom is vastly improved with a large shower, good counter space and expanded closets.  Next we will show you what we can do if we eliminate the tub.  After that, in Options 3 & 4, we will show you what happens when we add a window.  Stay tuned!

We appreciate your comments and questions.  Please e-mail me directly at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.NatelliHomes.com.