Everyone loves a bay window for the obvious reasons. It punctuates the room and brings the outside in, but what a difference this bay window renovation will make.

From an ordinary bay window above that we have seen in thousands of homes, to the inspiring full height, floor to ceiling, Marvin window in this breakfast room to the right. I’ll show a photo of the finshed exterior in a couple of weeks.

Like Natelli Homes on Facebook and we will contribute 3 meals to the Capital Area Food Bank!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Natelli-Homes/361933342450

In the month of September alone, the Windows for Hunger campaign by Natelli Homes raised enough for 4,200 meals through the Capital Area Food Bank. We are so encouraged by the success, Natelli is now offering 3 meals to the CAFB for every person that “likes” Natelli Homes on FaceBook.

Please support the Capital Area Food Bank by contacting Natelli Homes if you are considering new windows or exterior doors. The results of having new quality windows and doors by Natelli Homes speaks for itself, but now you can also help others in the metropolitan area who are in significant need.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com

A new custom home built by Natelli Homes for the Darvish / Fallahi family was recently featured in Bethesda Magazine. The details and character of the home fit the client perfectly. Take note of the spectacular iron railings, the tile-work in the bathroom and the enormous kitchen with stone and marble countertops and WoodMode cabinets.

www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/September-October-2011/Dar-House/

Fee free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com

Windows are definitely one of the “glass half full / half empty” situations (pun intended). The views, the ambient light and architectual relief windows that windows provide cannot be replaced. Windows let us experience the outside elements without sensing the heat or cold – but how do yours feel?

If your windows are 5 to 10 years old you might start looking at them. Changes in technology for windows and exterior doors have been dramatic in the past decade. There are compelling reasons to consider changing older windows in your home. Consider the following examples.

The photo on the left shows a window with a broken seal. Windows are made with two panes of glass and the air between the two panes acts as an insulator and is often filled with argon gas, which is effectively a super-insulating gas. When the seal fails, the insulating gas is released and air can freely flow in and out of the space between the two panes. This invading air between the panes of glass can contain varying humidity and pressure. The result is what appears to be condensation or clouding between the two panes that cannot be cleaned. The only solution is replacing the entire window.

The photo on the right shows a door jamb with excessive rot. Old and rotten wood parts are often the primary reason to replace windows and exterior doors. Water can easily get into the home causing mold and mildew. One might consider repairing the bottom of the door jamb with a synthetic material but one should determine if any function of the door has been compromised by the rot and water intrusion first.

The most obvious evaluation is simply to feel if there is cold air coming through your windows. Clients say they could see their curtains move on a windy day before we replaced their windows. If you feel that your home is significantly more comfortable when you pull curtains or window treatments over the windows, then you really should consider replacing your doors and windows. All this plus the evident energy savings make replacing your doors and windows an easy decision.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com

I am both proud and excited about a campaign Natelli Homes has organized with the Capital Area Food Bank as our focus for the next year.

Hunger is a staggering issue in our community. This condition is an unfortunate and often overlooked result of our country’s economic status. Poverty levels have reached new levels and thousands of people in our area simply don’t have access to appropriate food sources and proper nutrition. The CAFB serves almost 500,000 people each year through its non-profit partners. Surprisingly more than half of the households assisted by their efforts have at least one employed adult and only 5% of the recipients are homeless. Hunger and food insecurity are quickly reaching into households that were previously self-sufficient. Sadly, the numbers of children affected are an increasing component of the statistics.

Natelli Homes hopes to make continuing donations to the Capital Area Food Bank through the installation of replacement windows and doors for our clients. Our “WINDOWS FOR HUNGER” campaign will provide a constant source of funding for the programs at the CAFB. We hope to introduce our clients to the successful efforts made by the Food Bank in our area. There are many ways to contribute to the CAFB, both through volunteering and donations.

I encourage you to learn about the Capital Area Food Bank by visiting their website at www.capitalareafoodbank.org

Please share the attached coupon with anyone who might be interested in assisting the Food Bank when they install new windows or doors in their home. Look for similar opportunities on the Natelli Homes FaceBook page in the near future.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com

Natelli Homes is pleased to display one of its newest product lines in Arlington this weekend.  The Ashley model is designed and developed for narrow lots in areas such as Arlington and Bethesda.

The original home was demolished in the latter part of 2010 and we are already getting prepared for the Owners to move in their new home.  This hand-crafted home was constructed to the same standards as the ultra-custom homes that Natelli Homes builds throughout the Washington metropoliotan area.  With four finished levels, five full bedrooms and an expansive recreation room and den in the basement, there is a surprising amount of room for families.

Please join us this Sunday, May 15th between 1:00 – 3:00 p.m at 1909 N Quebec St in Arlington, VA.  This will be a one- time opportunity to see the most current new home design and quality from Natelli Homes.

Feel free to contact me with any questions at  Bob@Natellihomes.com

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

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

We have seen and heard this phrase for decades, perhaps centuries, and I really doubt anyone questioned its meaning because it is so obviously true.  Whether conceived by Frederick R. Barnard in the publication, Printer’s Ink, in 1921 or it truly evolved from a Chinese proverb (“a picture is worth ten thousand words”) or perhaps it should be added to the many credits of Confucius, it needs no explanation.

With that in mind, tell me what you think:

Before & After

 Feel free to e-mail me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website www.natellihomes.com where valuable coupons will be available through the month of February.

The weather this January and February has been unique to say the least.  We have had the predictable snow and windy cold days, but to have near 70 degrees this past Friday makes me think of summer.  For those who planned ahead, they will be enjoying a new pool and pool house this summer to combat the intense heat of August in metro DC. 

This project in Bethesda, MD, was planned last summer so we could coordinate the permits and begin construction in the fall.  Overall winter temperatures were pretty forgiving for construction so we made good progress.  The lot has some intense topography so retaining walls anchor the ends of the pool terrace.   At one end, the pool house masks the fact that the project is cut into an 8′ tall slope.  We used full masonry walls for the pool house to make it easy to clean and practically a maintenance-free structure.  The walls will have a stucco finish with tile and stone accents.   

A curvilinear concrete retaining wall with field-stone veneer levels the other end of the project and creates a lawn area adjacent to the pool for recreation and casual seating. You can see the stone masons taking advantage of the warm weather in the adjacent photo.  We will excavate the pool soon which fits between the pool house and the wall in the photo on the left.  The before and after images of this project will be dramatic so I’ll continue to share the progress as we get closer to completion.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.NatelliHomes.com where you can find valuable coupons for the remainder of February.

There are many reasons to replace old windows and doors in a home, but the architectural value of windows can’t be overlooked.  Window grilles in particular change and enhance the persona of a home.  Removable grilles can be provided for ease of cleaning,  grilles can be sandwiched between the panes of glass so they provide an apparent division of divided lites, but the most pronounced and historically accurate use of grilles is a permanent application on the inside and the outside of the glass.  This type of grill, also known as “Simulated Divided Lite”, produces the authentic look of a traditional window with milled wood and clad components separating the pieces of glass.  Windows with Simulated Divided Lites are significant, they have appropriate mass and are recognized by any layman as quality products that enhance the character and value of the home.

In this home in Potomac, MD, we installed new JeldWen custom sized clad windows with true divided lites.  The existing windows in the home did not have any grille divisions in the glass.  The window openings were effectively black holes in the facade – the home needed some architectural content.  Including windows with grilles immediately changed the look of the home.  The window openings took on a character;  the grilles added color and visual interest to the front elevation.

Using replacement windows with grilles is an easy but often overlooked change to the home.  We get used to how things are sometimes and need to consider options that may not have been considered before. There is a lot more about the architectural potential of windows that we will cover in a future post such as the size  and layout of the window divisions, the type of grilles to use and even the color, but for now just admire the architectural transformation of this home with the simple addition of grilles in the windows.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.natellihomes.com, where some valuable coupons for bathrooms, kitchens and windows are available for the month of February.