Renovation Transformation
This shows some before and after pictures of my game room remodeling effort.

By: Tom Rizzo

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Renovation Transformation - Video

Fremont Housing Authority staff finally have the elbow room they need at Gifford Tower.

Workers began remodeling the entire first floor of the 12-story housing structure last August and recently finished, including new and renovated offices, and improvements to the community center.

We were running out of space, Executive Director Sue Kleider said.

Weve expanded to a resident services coordinator, which is a new position, so we have an extra office for that person. Were looking at bringing on a deputy director to train for my position, so we needed extra space for them. And once the resident support services goes full-time, then well bring on another administrative assistant, she said.

New larger offices for the director and accounting were carved out of space that had been a resident responders apartment, and also served as maintenance storage.

One thing I really like about the new addition is our IT closet. It is just so handy, Kleider said.

The hardware kept in the ventilated closet was formerly housed in a small cabinet under a counter.

It was too warm in the cabinet to have that many servers running, and it got dusty. It was hard to keep them operating efficiently, Kleider said.

The remodel included construction of a break room, an amenity Housing Authority workers didnt previously have, and extra office space for the future deputy director.

Another new feature is a workroom for copying, metering postage and other chores.

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Gifford Tower first floor undergoes major remodel

Slava Lazebnikov can set the water temperature of his shower from the living room, program a shower playlist while having dinner and lift the toilet lid while lying in bed.

After 15 years in his Rockville, Md., home, Lazebnikov said the bathrooms were outdated and needed something, well, a little splashy.

Now showering in the upstairs bathroom is a digital spa experience. "It's really like in a car wash," he said.

In the rooms where families consume their media, technology's long been commonplace. And devices now allow homeowners to program their music and TV. Kitchens have refrigerators that tell them when they're low on milk.

But ... the bathroom?

A fall 2013 survey of 7,600 homeowners by Houzz an online community focused on remodeling and design found that 60 percent of people are renovating bathrooms. Multiple shower heads, including those that simulate rain, are particularly popular, the survey said.

Lazebnikov and his wife, Margarita, live in a modest townhouse. But Lazebnikov, a software systems manager, "likes all sorts of gadgets that can be adjusted for the heck of it," he said and can install them himself.

A digital valve with five control panels is connected to both their smartphones and enables them to personalize every aspect of the shower. The devices can be pricey: The Kohler DTV system with rain head, four body sprays, fixed head and hand shower typically retails for $4,500. Add another $12,000 for the media package.

"Water comes at you from all sides and above," said Lazebnikov, pointing to various ceiling and wall water tiles from which the water flow and pressure can be regulated. You can create a drizzle, thunderstorm, waterfall, fountain or body spray.

Lazebnikov can set a rhythmic pattern of alternating water temperature. He can add steam "to surround me in warmth."

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High tech hits the showers: 5 ways to go deluxe in the bathroom

WARMC renovation

WARMC RENOVATION: Community leaders and hospital officials and employees turn out Friday afternoon for a groundbreaking ceremony at Western Arizona Regional Medical Center. Starting Monday, the facility will undergo an eight- to 10-week remodeling of its lobby, registration area and surgery waiting room. I wish we had 700 shovels for all our employees, said Alex Villa, hospital CEO, pictured third from right.

Posted: Sunday, March 30, 2014 1:35 am | Updated: 1:38 am, Sun Mar 30, 2014.

WARMC enlarging lobby to enhance services By NEIL YOUNG The Daily News MohaveDailyNews.com |

BULLHEAD CITY From its humble beginnings as an emergency room on Hancock Road to a 24-bed hospital on Silver Creek Road originally named Bullhead Community Hospital, Western Arizona Regional Medical Center now has expanded to 139 beds, and has 700 employees and 120 physicians.

As the building is about to turn 30 years old, a

$1 million renovation gets under way Monday. The registration area and surgery waiting room will be enlarged, a gift shop will be added and the coffee shop will be moved to the lobby area. This is the only part of the building that hasnt been previously remodeled, noted Alex Villa, hospital CEO, at a Friday afternoon ground-breaking ceremony.

Local contractors will be used.

Were doing everything possible to keep the money here in this community, Villa said. We support the community in many ways and the community supports us.

During the eight- to 10-week construction period, the main entrance will be blocked off and WARMC visitors will need to enter the building through the emergency room doors.

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WARMC enlarging lobby to enhance services

HISTORY OF LEADERSHIP SAN JUAN Class is one of more than 2,000 programs

Leadership San Juan is a class offered through San Juan College. To enroll in a class, participants must first to fill out an application. Applications are currently being accepted. The deadline to apply for this year's class is 5 p.m. May 1. Applications are available online at sanjuancollege.edu.

Beginnings: Leadership San Juan began through the efforts of James Henderson, Marjorie Black and Nancy Shepherd at San Juan College.

Nearly 25 years ago: The first class of Leadership San Juan began in September 1989. The class graduated in May 1990.

Albuquerque: The program consulted Leadership Albuquerque for advice when it formed. Leadership Albuquerque started a few years before Leadership San Juan.

Goal: Each leadership program in the country focuses on the unique needs of the community it serves. Leadership San Juan focuses on increasing awareness and knowledge of local issues.

FARMINGTON When members of Leadership San Juan toured McCormick Elementary School last fall, they noticed a small room at the school with a 15-year-old washing machine and dryer.

The members learned Griselda Jaramillo, a nurse at the school, uses the machines to wash dirty uniforms some students wear to school. Because McCormick Elementary serves a number of low-income students, sometimes children arrive at the school in uniforms that need to be washed, school staff said.

And that inspired this year's Leadership San Juan class, which adopted the theme of helping children, to make one of its projects remodeling the little laundry room.

Doug Hatfield, a Leadership San Juan member, shows off a pair of shoes donated by K-Mart as Brent Jensen, the manager of Sam's Club, looks on at the school in Farmington.

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Leadership San Juan donates new laundry facilities to McCormick Elementary School

THIS IS THE house that architect Paul Thiry built, in 1929.

But its also the house that Seattle interior designer Robin Chell has nurtured for the past two generations of homeowners. The first being herself and her husband, David.

David bought the house. Thats how we met (in 1998), she says. David bought a chair from me. And then, oh! and another chair.

Chair-buying courting concluded, the couple married in the backyard in 2001. They then had their way with the Norman-style home in Madison Park, remodeling the kitchen and dining room, opening spaces, adding modern materials (using architect Chris Keyser).

Then, in 2002, the couple moved on to build their own home.

The Chells sold to newlyweds Bonnie and Rob (six hours from first viewing to offer). That couple had fallen for Thirys structural design, Robins subtle blend of modern and traditional (concrete counters, stainless-steel hardware, floors in limestone and wood) and Davids work transforming a plain old hillside out back into tiers of beckoning garden spaces.

When we walked in we knew, is how Bonnie puts it.

Then we put our furniture in, and it didnt look near as good.

Coming from a small condo on Capitol Hill, 1,700 square feet of house seemed cavernous. So Bonnie and Rob bought the Chells living-room grand piano in the deal. But it wasnt enough. They needed more of that Chell magic.

We bought this house because of Robin and David, Bonnie says. You walk in the front and its Robin. You walk out the back door, its David.

See more here:
Norman-style Thiry home evolves with respect

Room Remodeling with Drums
We were working on a room in the house, and it was just too awesome sounding to pass up.

By: Lemuel Connell

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Room Remodeling with Drums - Video

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) March 26, 2014

How do you take an historic brick warehouse and re-appropriate it for a truly modern and highly functional live-work-event space? This was the challenge faced by general building contractors Jeff King & Company in remodeling a San Francisco loft measuring 8,000 square feet (and bearing signs of past use as a commercial laundry and fashion atelier).

This was an exceptional project not only for the integrity of the historic structure, but for the homeowners vision to live, create art, and host events in the same space, says president and founder Jeff King. What we ended up with is an incredibly versatile space that straddles the line between private and communal, modern and historic, industrial and homey.

Jeff King & Company collaborated closely with Boor Bridges Architecture and Geremia Design to execute the clients vision. Downstairs, the open layout was preserved to allow for workshop-meets-art gallery functionality. Twenty-six foot high atrium ceilings invite large sculptural and lighting installations, while clean white walls are perfect for hanging art or projecting video.

For this client its more about participating in the existing space, reflects Boor Bridges project architect Sarah Fucinaro. He primarily uses the space to incubate creative experimentation and host events to share that with the community. But, it is a workspace that doubles as an urban living room for his collaborators and that he feels comfortable enough to call home.

Adjacent to an industrial kitchen for catering and bartending, communal bathrooms were designed to accommodate a large volume of guests in style. Powder coated fixtures and ceramic tile make for washable surfaces and a minimal, rough-around-the-edges aesthetic.

Upstairs, the renovation maintains an open, industrial aesthetic while its function shifts completely. The homeowner wanted to leave minimal fingerprints on the space while adding a few architectural elements to make it his own - and one of the greatest construction challenges of the entire project was born of this concept. In a completely custom retractable skylight, Jeff King & Company built three functions - roof access, workspace and natural light into one structure. To achieve this, Boor Bridges designed a steel stringer with wood treads that extend beyond the steps to create a desk and two shelves. The stairs make for a smooth transition from the loft to the roof, which is accessed via skylight (and one that opens and closes at the push of a button).

The client was super collaborative, and Jeff King & Company as well, mentions Fucinaro. Its important for the teams involved to be passionate about the project and have fun with it. That creative input lives in the project once its done, and that gets passed on to the people that enjoy the space once weve left.

Read more about this SOMA Loft at the Jeff King & Company blog.

About Jeff King & Company Jeff King & Company provides award winning green building and remodeling services. We combine painstaking craftsmanship, aesthetic understanding and sustainable building practices to create healthy, efficient and beautiful homes. Learn more about how Jeff King & Company is remodeling San Francisco at http://www.jeffkingandco.com

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Remodeling San Francisco: Historic SOMA Loft for Live, Work, Art Making and Entertaining

Jamison, PA (PRWEB) March 25, 2014

Earlier this month, website marketing agency FocusMX launched creoremodeling.com, a custom website that details the talents and services of Creo Remodeling, a home improvement contractor based out of the Bucks County area in Pennsylvania. The site was designed to provide users with a comprehensive overview of their home improvement services through detailed case studies and images. The new website also features a before-and-after gallery that exhibits their ability to dramatically improve the appearance and functionality of any room.

Founder and owner of Creo Remodeling, Paul Gilliland, needed a fresh and easy-to-use site that would enable him to give potential clients an overview of his services, while also providing them with a visual reference that shows the results of past projects. The site was developed with these standards in mind, and contains a gallery that can be used to display his new projects as he completes them.

Through their unique blend of contracting expertise and knowledge of design principles, Creo Remodeling works with their clients to develop customized solutions that are aesthetically pleasing and highly functional. The site describes the process that Creo undertakes with each of their clients to develop these solutions, and offers a contact form that enables homeowners to contact Creo for more information.

The customized website was designed and developed by online marketing and design agency FocusMX. FocusMX offers complete web services to provide their clients with a professional and effective website design that drives real results. To learn more about Creo Remodeling, and to see their brand new custom website design, visit them online: http://www.creoremodeling.com.

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FocusMX Launches New Custom Website for Home Improvement Contractor Creo Remodeling

Letting your house slip behind your neighbors' could lower your home value and cost you when you sell.

(Money Magazine)

"You never want to exceed the neighborhood norm, but you definitely want to stay up with it," says John Bredemeyer, an appraiser in Omaha.

Must-haves and deal breakers

Home shoppers have strong opinions about what they do -- and don't -- want in a house.

Source: National Association of Home Builders, 2013.

Bringing your home up to speed doesn't have to mean a massive, six-figure renovation. Small-scale projects that address some typical flaws of older homes can do double duty: They'll make your home more attractive when it's time to sell, and turn it into a more comfortable place for you to live.

These three upgrades all cost $5,000 or less.

Expand your closets. Homes built before the mid-1970s often share a frustrating problem: nowhere to put stuff. Small, one-rod closets are a prime offender and a big turnoff for buyers, says Rockaway, N.J., realtor Ellen Klein. Make the most of these spaces by installing an organizing system equipped with additional rods, shelves, baskets, and more, available at big-box home stores (starting at $50 per closet). For those who would prefer to use a pro, firms like California Closets handle the installation, starting at $500 or so.

Calculator: Was my home a good investment?

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It pays to keep up with the Joneses