Cabinets are the heart and soul of a kitchen. They give homeowners precious storage and organizational space that keeps clutter at bay. Cabinets are also responsible for cultivating the wow factor that arises when you step into a beautifully-designed kitchen, thanks to the abundance of personal touches you can choose—whether it be a bold paint shade or a sleek handle style.
Renovating your home can be an exciting journey, and understanding the factors that impact renovation costs is essential to make the most of it. Whether you're planning a kitchen remodel, a bathroom transformation, or a complete home makeover, this guide will walk you through the main elements that influence remodeling expenses in the greater East Bay Area.
When renovating your home, both its size and location significantly impact costs. Larger spaces often require more extensive renovations, while smaller homes demand thoughtful, efficient design solutions. Location also plays a role, as each area may have unique building codes and permit requirements that add to expenses. Homes in challenging spots—like those on narrow, winding roads or with lots of stairs—can further increase costs due to added project time and complexity. By understanding how size and location affect your renovation budget, you’ll be better equipped to plan for a smooth, successful project.
The type of home remodel you choose has a major impact on overall costs, as different projects vary in complexity and scope, affecting the labor, materials, and time required. For example, large-scale renovations—such as adding a new room or changing the layout—often require detailed planning, permits, and structural modifications, all of which can significantly drive up expenses.
Even seemingly straightforward projects, like a bathroom refresh with simple like-for-like replacements and no layout changes, require careful budgeting. Management fees, subcontractor costs, and the choice of quality materials can add up quickly. Additionally, even smaller projects often need professional oversight to ensure compliance with local building codes and standards. What may start as a minor update can easily become a larger investment, underscoring the importance of budgeting thoroughly for any renovation, big or small.
Labor is one of the most significant—and often overlooked—costs in home renovations. While materials are easily quantified, labor includes skilled services essential to bringing your vision to life. From Project Managers to specialized trades like electricians, plumbers, and carpenters, quality expertise is crucial for a successful renovation. Investing in skilled labor not only completes the project but ensures it's done right, enhancing the beauty and functionality of your space for years to come.
Materials are a key factor in determining the cost of your remodeling project. The quality and type of materials you choose can have a significant impact—premium options like natural stone or solid wood typically require a higher investment than budget-friendly alternatives. Additionally, the quantity of materials needed affects costs, as larger spaces demand more resources, making accurate planning essential. Some materials also come with complex installation processes, which can increase labor costs. Though certain materials may have a higher upfront price, investing in quality often leads to long-term savings and enhances your home's overall value.
Every renovation project can come with unexpected surprises! Hidden damage, faulty wiring, or plumbing issues may reveal themselves once the work begins and the walls are opened up. To keep your project on track, it’s wise to set aside a contingency fund of about 10-15% of your total budget. This will prepare you for any unforeseen expenses that arise. By proactively addressing potential challenges, you can save both time and money!
Hiring a professional designer may increase your initial costs, but it can significantly enhance the usability and aesthetic appeal of your remodeling project. A well-planned design can help prevent costly adjustments later, making it a worthwhile investment. Consider the advantages of a design-build firm like HDR Remodeling, which seamlessly integrates design and construction for a more efficient and cohesive experience.
Collaborating with a Project Manager for your remodeling project brings numerous advantages that often far outweigh the costs. Their expertise and experience help navigate the complexities of renovations, preventing costly mistakes and ensuring a seamless process. Project managers efficiently coordinate communication between contractors, suppliers, and you, minimizing misunderstandings and keeping the project on track. By managing scheduling and logistics, they save you valuable time, allowing you to focus on other priorities. They also assist with budget management, offering transparency and identifying cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality. Additionally, project managers excel at problem-solving, proactively anticipating and addressing challenges. Ultimately, entrusting your remodeling project to a project manager can reduce stress and provide peace of mind, making the investment truly worthwhile.
Renovating your home is a significant investment, and understanding the various factors that influence costs can empower you to make informed decisions. At HDR Remodeling, we are dedicated to guiding you through every step of the process, helping to bring your vision to life while minimizing unexpected financial surprises along the way.
Spaces that feel overworked or that fail to embody their full potential can leave dwellers feeling unexcited about their living situation. This was the case for our MLK Home Addition project. Our clients were unimpressed with an area off of the kitchen that had been designated both as a living and dining space, and were less than thrilled about their heat trap of a porch that by no means set the tone for spending time outdoors. Ideally, they needed more interior and exterior square footage that was functional but also appealed to their modern tastes.
Inside, the home had an open plan kitchen that led directly into a dining-meets-living-room area. The space was somewhat of a chameleon, morphing between a dining area, a space to hang out, and a crafting zone, among other things. Although it sounded nice in theory, it was too small of a spot to have so much going on. Dedicated portions for each of these activities were needed. Additionally, the home also had an outdoor porch area that felt crowded and overheated due to the direction it faced. The uncomfortable temperature often seeped indoors, too, proving the exposure and overall design of the space needed work.
From this overview, we compiled a handful of specific pain points we wanted to address for our clients’ renovation:
After reviewing the design challenges, it was clear an extension would be necessary as would room conversions. Our team drafted up plans and came up with the following solutions for improving both the indoor and outdoor spaces:
Our clients’ overworked dining-living area combo and their overheated porch were reimagined and materialized into a brand new layout. Their home now has a stretch of living space that completely separates out the dining and living room areas, giving them ample room to relax far from the spot where they share meals.
Replacing the sweltering porch is a breezy patio on the other side of their yard that’s outlined with a sleek wooden trellis. With the floors leveled out and ceiling height measurements taken, the two spaces now also blend seamlessly into one another, making it incredibly simple to float between their home and patio.
Aesthetically, one of the most noticeable differences was how much bigger the space felt (and was) with the expansion. This was only enhanced with the help of hidden recessed lights and wall wash lights and the hiding of electronic wires and cables. The bright white paint helps it feel modern and airy, but the warm wood tones ground the space and ensure it still feels welcoming.
The client wanted a clear view of their backyard, which was made possible through cantilever corner windows and consistent flooring that hugged both spaces. Not only would they have an unobstructed view, but the border between outdoor and indoor spaces was left less obvious. This intentional move allows our clients to embrace the great outdoors and have a better flow between spaces rather than hard barriers. Subtle colors and natural materials added to this feeling of seamlessness, helped through the pebbled concrete floor that connected the patio and living room and the wooden touches that were a nod to the nature outside.
Originally, the dining room had felt cramped and dark. It was far from the inviting room our clients envisioned. Despite the floorplan, it felt disconnected and dim. This one area was also overwhelmed with multiple purposes, from crafting to eating to lounging. After the renovation, the space was opened up and separated into two different areas. There was a spacious and modern living room with a comfy L-shaped couch that looked directly out onto the new patio. Back towards the kitchen, there was a new designated dining area. These spaces still encouraged the family to be together, but not in such close quarters.
There are other design details that were incorporated from the back dining room through to the living room and out to the new patio area. Even the smallest touches amplified the home’s interior design style. For example, our team installed “rice paper” tiles for extra texture on several walls and vertical structures around the space. Cedar wood paneling as well as wooden floors and a small staircase were implemented to infuse extra warmth in this white, open space. As mentioned, new and subtle light fixtures also helped brighten this portion of the house without drawing attention away from the best design elements.
Our biggest goal is to satisfy and exceed client expectations, so it’s always a pleasant surprise to be awarded for our designs on top of this. HDR won the 2024 Regional Contractor of the Year Award Winner for this specific addition. Outside of the more visible design elements, there are structural details that made this space stand out, including the seamless roofline.
A post and angled roof that initially stood in the outdoor porch area were integrated into the home’s interior through a new architectural element. The post would only obscure the view indoors so it was replaced with a hidden beam instead and the finished result perfectly mimicked the sloped ceiling that was already part of the home. A continuous roofline can also be found between the living room and the new patio’s trellis.
Our firm deeply enjoys projects such as these—they’re the heart and soul of what we do. Although they present challenges, there is no better feeling seeing the solutions come to fruition and our clients’ reactions to their homes. See more photos from this home addition.
If you’re interested in remodeling your home, contact our team below.
Fireclay Tile is renowned for its artisan-crafted tiles made with sustainable practices, which makes them a popular choice among Bay Area homeowners. They blend seamlessly into organic, earthy, wabi-sabi-inspired homes, but equally feel right at home in modern kitchens and bathrooms. Here's a look at six stunning kitchen remodels that feature these tiles and why our clients are so captivated by this local tile company.
There are a handful of kitchen layouts that have cemented themselves as favorites among contractors and homeowners alike thanks to the efficiency they contribute to a well-functioning space. We’ve broken down six of the most commonly used kitchen design layouts, discussing what they consist of and their pros and cons.
Our clients fell in love with this 1916 Craftsman-style home, but over time they realized they were not fully utilizing the space in their home – space that would create more function and better fit their lifestyle with a redesign and remodel. Given the home’s rich history, it was important for them to uphold the home’s historical integrity. HDR Remodeling was the right partner for this job. Specializing in remodeling Bay Area homes imbued with historical significance, we’ve perfected the art of honoring a home’s past, while marrying it with the modern needs of today, and most importantly, with our client’s style of living.
To preserve the home’s architectural footprint, we avoided an addition to the home and instead designed the space using the existing footprint. This required us to evaluate and address the issue of unused space in the home to redesign and repurpose it for better use for the family. HDR Remodeling designed a plan to join two bedrooms to expand on the space, making room for a larger closet, a laundry room, a new full bathroom addition, and a private home office with a view. On the other side of the home, we shifted the hallway space to build a true primary suite–a bedroom with a sizable bathroom and a large walk-in closet.
The guest bathroom addition upstairs allowed us to reduce the footprint of the guest bathroom on the first floor. We remodeled the full bath into a charming half bathroom. In the bathroom remodel, we simply replaced the window glass with double-paned tempered glass for energy efficiency but kept the original windows, blending old with new.
Downsizing the bathroom lended us space to expand the kitchen. While demo is typical in construction and can be chaotic but fun (as seen in many home makeover shows), we approached demolition a little more intentionally, by breaking down parts of the wall to widen the opening between the kitchen and dining room while still preserving some of the original architecture as an homage to its original design.
We added a touch of modernity by designing the kitchen remodel as an open concept, melding it with the backyard to allow full visibility from the front door, through the kitchen, and into the spacious greenery of the backyard. A beautiful La Cantina bifold door was installed, opening up the space between the kitchen and backyard, to create a true indoor outdoor living space.
The open concept sounds simple enough, but as with old homes, the entire kitchen and dining space was not level and sloped several inches. To preserve the beautiful original hardwood floors, we took each piece of hardwood paneling and picture rail trim out piece by piece and rebuilt the floor joist to level the ground. We restored the hardwood to its former glory and added mahogany wood in lace, refinishing it so that the new is indistinguishable from the old.
From an original Craftsman home styled in the 1900s to a modern Craftsman infused with historical charm, the newly remodeled home pays homage to its vintage roots while breathing new life into the space, and creating a home that our clients can grow into and create their own history in.
HDR Remodeling specializes in preserving the history of Bay Area homes, while seamlessly integrating modern designs to suit those who call it home today.
Take a deeper dive into this home remodel with more images of the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room makeover.
Don’t let your home keep you in the past. Contact us today.
Blue is as good an option as any for the bathroom! From royal blue to turquoise blue, there are endless shades and various application methods that can work together to create an atmosphere that's right for you. Blue can create a fresh and calming environment, or a funky and fun one! With many of our clients gravitating towards blue to bring life to their bathroom remodel, we are sharing a few ways to incorporate this versatile color into your bathroom:
Bathroom vanities are the statement piece and focal point of most bathroom remodels. The design of the bathroom vanity sets the tone for the entire room. For a bold statement, consider blue vanity and cabinets or shelving units. They can be an eye catching focal point in the bathroom when paired with brass fixtures to create interest and contrast.
Add blue accents through elements like decorative tiles or mosaic patterns, and add it to the shower, as a backsplash, or even on the floor to draw emphasis to the space. Tiles come in many shapes like the ever popular traditional subway tiles for clean lines, to hexagon tile patterns for an edgier but still classic look. You can also play with textures, finishes, or materials to create anything from a high gloss to matte surface. Tile shapes and patterns can truly make a design statement and make your room look like a work of art. Just make sure, with a color as bold as blue, to use colors and tiles for other areas of the space that compliment rather than compete with the statement piece.
Shower tiles promise to be eye-grabbing and the trick comes with balancing it out with complementary hardware. And beyond the shape itself, you can also play with orientation, pattern, and material.
Introduce blue tiles for the bathroom floor. This can create a beautiful and durable impact on your space. The continuity and flow of blue tiles from the floor to wall draws your eyes up to create a sense of spaciousness as well. And to note, the more grout lines, the more grip you have.
Tile is a tried and true backsplash material and for good reason. It’s clear that a well-executed backsplash can change the look of any room. A backsplash can go anywhere from behind the vanity, on an accent wall, to shower niches and tubs.
With the right shade, blue can create a serene and coastal feel. Paint the bathroom walls in shades of blue for a beachy feel or deep navy for a more dramatic look. Use a waterproof and mildew-resistant paint to ensure longevity.
And lastly, for those who favor the bold, turquoise is a shade of blue too! This can be a bold design choice that anchors the room's color scheme and creates a fun and funky space for those who don’t want to take life too seriously!
For more design ideas and consultation, reach out to HDR Remodeling's team of Architects and Designers to create a space that embodies your styles and aesthetics.
East Bay homes are far from the cookie-cutter houses we often see in the movies. From neighbor to neighbor, homes in our area differ from each other in all the best ways possible! It’s no wonder that many homeowners approach us wanting to protect the vintage bones of their homes. Having worked in the local area for over 30 years, we carry a deep understanding of older, East Bay residences and take pride in our ability to maintain the unique character of the home our client’s fell in love with.
Is your home full of history that you want to preserve, but also in need of a refresh?
Here are some examples of how our design and production teams bring in updated amenities while honoring a home’s history and working within the parameters of the existing space:
This classic clawfoot tub was originally tucked into the tiny bathroom of a Victorian home. It stood apart from a hodgepodge of DIY improvements seen through the years and our clients envisioned a new life for it as a centerpiece in their bright, eclectic, Boho-inspired primary bathroom. The tub was shifted to a new location in the expanded bathroom, refinished, and outfitted with a brand new matte black faucet.
Informed by wood built-ins and original light fixtures found in other areas of our clients’ Craftsman period home, we kept the unique stained glass transom window in this bathroom remodel and added handcrafted built-in shelving and a picture trim rail that echo design elements throughout the rest of the home. A new vanity and industrial, oil rubbed bronze sconces reflect the original Craftsman aesthetic.
Though this bathroom is in sync with current trends, the rounded cast iron tub is an antique dating back to the Roaring ‘20s when the house was built. In the spirit of environmental friendliness, and to pay homage to the home’s roots, the tub was salvaged from a first floor bathroom and relocated to the second story in this bathroom remodel.
Glass blocks were an original element in this custom 1940s home in Kensington. Keeping them in this bathroom remodel was a choice that not only preserved the home’s history and its place as part of the character of the local community, but also simplified the permit process as significant changes to the exterior would have prompted a more rigorous permit review.
With clerestory windows and a vaulted, white shiplap ceiling, there’s no mistaking this home’s mid-century origins. Taking cues from these features, which also overlap with a coastal design aesthetic, our team removed a wall in this kitchen remodel to open up the space and brought in brand new kitchen cabinetry in a driftwood finish to brighten and enhance this home’s modern, beachy vibe.
Remodels don’t have to completely wipe the slate clean! We’d love to learn more about the historic features of your unique home that made you fall in love in the first place. Reach out to us today to schedule a complimentary in-home consultation and we’ll help preserve the integrity of your home while bringing new life to your space!
Have you ever gone to put Tupperware away and suddenly realized you’ve begun an unwanted game of Tetris? Or perhaps you’ve struggled with closing a drawer only to find out a pair of tongs have opened and are denying your entry? If your drawers are overflowing with kitchen gadgets and pots and pans are crammed haphazardly into a corner cabinet, organizing your space can feel daunting, but we want to encourage you to tackle it in 2023!
We’ve gathered some of our favorite kitchen cabinet design ideas from past kitchen remodels in hopes that they’ll inspire you to cross kitchen organization off your list of resolutions.
The lazy Susan is a classic option for a blind corner kitchen cabinet and has come quite far since its days of simply rotating. There are now shelving options which smoothly glide out from the corner location for easy access to all stored items.
This storage rack tucks neatly into the corner shelf. When ready to use, the left rack pulls out and the entire rack can be shifted to the left for easy access to all pots, pans, and stored appliances.
This pull-out magic corner has to be one of our most memorable. A favorite among our clients, when the cloud shaped shelf pulls out, it follows the rounded edges creating a pathway in the shape of an “S” and providing a surprisingly generous amount of storage—think tall appliances, flower vases, or even a pull-out coffee station.
The thyme has come to talk about your current spice storage, it’s our bay leaf that it’s one of the most cluttered areas within the kitchen and typically is better off organized in a way that can easily showcase all seasoning options. Here are a few ways we’ve worked a spice rack into our kitchen designs.
A pull-out spice cabinet next to the range keeps spices and essential condiments within reach for the home cook.
We can confidently say we’ve never had a client state that they have too much cabinet storage. There’s nothing better than having a designated—and hidden—home for everything. Having a place to stow tools and appliances, from cutting boards, to the KitchenAid mixer, which keeps countertops uncluttered and creates abundant prep space, ultimately, is the greatest benefit of a thoughtfully organized kitchen. With that said, in the end, the key to optimal organization within the kitchen is the amount of cabinetry you have and what you do with it.
Your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. It really is a refrigerator hidden behind these cabinets! Consider panel-ready appliances to create a more classic or homey feel in your kitchen. And under cabinet appliance lifts help to improve ease of use and opens up countertop space. Not to mention, this pop-up stand for a mixer saves avid bakers from lifting heavy appliances.
Whether housing your blender or your coffee station, an appliance garage hides the clutter for a streamlined kitchen. A “hidden” closet in the kitchen can also give more storage in an open kitchen floorplan.
Ready to organize your kitchen this year? We sure are!
A new year is on the horizon and, if you’re like us, once the presents have been unwrapped and decorations have been packed away, your attention will probably turn to goals and resolutions.
If the above scenario sounds familiar, you know something has to change.
But how do you know if you should make do just a little longer, if it makes more sense to sell your home and start over, or if you are ready to take the leap and remodel?
From decades of working with Bay Area homeowners, we have found that there are three strong signs you are ready to undertake a home remodeling project with HDR Remodeling:
Do you love your home’s location? The memories you’ve made there? The neighbors? The fruit tree in the backyard? If you’d prefer to stay put for 5 years or more, this is usually an indication that it’s worth the investment to upgrade your current home.
Planning to live in a space longer term allows you to recoup remodeling costs over time and future-proof your home for your needs later on with design features like zero threshold transitions and roll in showers, because when it comes to aging-in-place, you can’t beat home sweet home!
You’ve lived in the space long enough to know that you need more counter space in your kitchen for baking, more storage for hiding presents, or a second bathroom to accommodate houseguests. The better you know your home’s idiosyncrasies and what’s working for you, or not, the more prepared you’ll be to make impactful decisions during the design process.
In the East Bay, historic dwellings are on every street and around every corner. It may not always be obvious from the exterior, but hiding behind the walls of these charming and character-filled homes we often see issues related to the age of the home or inherited from a past owner’s deferred maintenance.
Continuing to put off important repairs or improvements often leads to a more costly renovation in the future. We’re often asked if it’s possible to remodel in a way that pays homage to a home’s historic architectural style. Our answer is yes! We are well-versed in the older homes in and around Berkeley and have updated many homes while maintaining their original character.
As the curtain closes on another year completed, 365 new days will stand before us. If you’ve realized you found your forever home, if you have space that could be used in a more efficient way, or if your home is showing signs of damage then we challenge you to reach out in the new year and see the possibilities that a remodel could bring to you and your family.
Make this year, your year by giving yourself the gift of a remodel!
P.S. We know resolutions can be hard to begin, that’s why we make the first step easy, when the time is right for you, this intake form is the first step to accomplishing your dream home.
Before we jump in, let’s get one thing straight, it’s pronounced “hyoo-ga.”
In recent years, you’ve probably heard this buzzword once the temperature cools and the leaves start to turn. Well, what exactly is it?
Hygge, a Danish concept that has worked its way into vocabularies worldwide, is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable.” Imagine walking into a room and instantly feeling at ease. There are ways you can build this coziness into your kitchen remodel.
Here are 5 ways our Design team can help you find that hygge feeling in your kitchen:
1. Functionality of Layout
The first, and most impactful, step in planning your remodel is to decide on a layout. To make a space feel welcoming you must find a way to encourage people to stay a while. An island or peninsula with seating promotes gathering and invites one to grab a hot drink and take a seat. You may think your kitchen can’t accommodate an island, but don’t worry, we have found ways to incorporate islands and peninsulas into even the quirkiest of East Bay homes.
2. Color Palette
When you think of coziness, what comes to mind? Bundling up in a blanket with a cup of tea? Relaxing by a fire with a favorite book in hand? Color is a powerful tool and the palette you choose for flooring, shelving, cabinetry, paint colors, and more can encapsulate those feelings. Whether you gravitate towards deep hues or lean neutral, think warm!
3. Lighting
Task lighting to illuminate kitchen workspaces is a must, but ambient lighting is just as important if you’re aiming for a cozy kitchen. To add that warm, homey glow, think about dimmable sconces and recessed lighting. And don’t forget about the bulbs! A yellowish bulb, such as warm or soft white, will work in harmony with your color palette. Avoid bright white or bluish light as that would be like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket then standing in front of a box fan at full speed!
4. Appliances
Ever-popular stainless steel appliances look sleek, but their cool, utilitarian aesthetic can read more commercial kitchen than cozy.
Might we suggest a panel-ready refrigerator that blends in with your kitchen cabinetry? Or consider a black range with classic details, evoking the timeless feeling of a wood stove.
5. Texture
Incorporate materials with an organic form such as natural wood shelving, textured glass, and handmade tiles to add depth and dimension in the kitchen. Just like you’d wrap yourself in a scarf before stepping out on a chilly day, create warmth by adding a layer of texture throughout your kitchen.
Kitchens are usually a hub of the home and primarily thought of as a workspace, but they can be so much more. As a place where we spend a large majority of our time, from homework to hosting, and of course, cooking, we believe it can be recast as the coziest room in your house.
Ready to say hello to hygge? Reach out to us about a complimentary kitchen consultation!
Anyone who’s switched jobs, moved states—or yes—even moved a couch from one side of the living room to the other, knows how difficult and unsettling change can be. There are, however, some occasions when change is necessary and boldly facing the unknown can be exciting.
HDR Remodeling believes some of the best possibilities exist in the unknown. Just because you didn’t build your home doesn’t mean you have to settle for anything less than your dream space. With a little imagination we believe a home that fits YOUR needs can be achieved. Let’s get creative!
Picture this: The kids have spent all day at Grandma’s house baking and eating cookies. Grandma knows what she has done and drops them off at home just as the sugar rush kicks in. You know outside is the best place for them to expend their energy for the sake of your sanity. However, you're midway through cooking dinner and there’s no way you can avoid burning it while also making sure that your son doesn’t really think he can fly…right?
In 2015 our clients, who knew this scene all too well, approached us with two goals in mind:
Connect the kitchen to the backyard, giving them the freedom to keep an eye on their children from inside the house.
Update the overall style to match their aesthetic.
Flip, flop, kitchen swap! Having previously worked together on four other remodeling projects, our clients embraced our out-of-the-box ideas and were on board with major changes to the home’s layout. Swapping the kitchen with the dining room gave the house an entirely new feel,
providing an open concept where the rooms flowed into one another. This allowed the dining room to feel more casual and personal while being spacious enough to host a family meal. (Once Grandma was forgiven, of course.)
HDR is no stranger to these types of remodeling projects.
In 2020 we had another client reach out with a similar issue. This family has a love for the outdoors and a knack for entertaining. If given the option to eat indoors or outdoors on a cold day, chances are we’d find them huddled together on their back patio.
With that said, they weren’t happy with the flow of their home.
They needed a more functional layout that suited how they lived and entertained. The living room sat on the lower level of their home with exterior doors to the backyard. It was a large space that felt disconnected from the rest of the home and unfortunately separated the kitchen from the backyard. The kitchen was small and lacked the space to host guests and house a proper dining room table. With various wood trims and mismatched finishes, the kitchen felt crowded and in-cohesive.
As our Design team examined all the possible ways to improve both spaces, they came to the conclusion that a swap would be the best course of action. Moving the living room to the upper level and the kitchen to the lower level allowed for a more natural flow from the house to the backyard. Not to mention, by moving the kitchen to the lower level there was now room for a proper dining area. While the kitchen became open and inviting, the living room became a multi-use space for game nights, relaxing, or hopping on a work call.
Our clients loved the outcome so much that we are working on a remodel in their second home. (No swaps…yet!)
We know that change can feel daunting but we have also seen how transformative a remodel can be not only to the physical space, but to our clients lives. Our goal is to help you see what’s possible and make every step of the process as seamless as these remodels turned out.
Your earthquake kit is packed, you’ve secured furniture to the walls, and your family has agreed on an emergency meeting place. Those of us living in tremor-prone areas know how important it is to be ready for the next big quake, but do you know how well your house itself would fare? If the answer is “no,” continue on to find out why we encourage all Bay Area homeowners to consider the benefits of a seismic retrofit.
What is a seismic retrofit?
Seismic retrofitting is like wearing a cast on your leg when you have a broken bone. The cast keeps the broken bone in place and prevents the area around it from moving. In the same way, when you seismically retrofit your house, you are modifying your existing structure so that it will stay in place when faced with seismic activities such as earthquakes.
Above, a home in Napa, damaged by a 6.0 earthquake in 2014. (Alvin Jornada / EPA)
Here’s another way to think about it:
If you have a deck of cards handy, play along! Imagine three playing cards, one lying flat on the table in front of you, the second card standing vertically in the center of the first card, its thin edge facing you. Now, lay a third card flat on top of the second parallel to the first card. What you should have in front of you is three cards forming an uppercase serif “I.” If you were to shake the top card you can see how unsteady the foundation is, and your house of cards may even collapse!
Let’s try this experiment again, this time add a fourth card vertically along the side of the middle card, face pointing towards you. Now shake away! This fourth card is the difference between a livable structure or a sturdy home that could save your life. In other words, earthquake reinforcement will limit the amount of damage and ensure that at the end of the chaos, those dishes will STILL be waiting for you to clean.
In the grand scheme of things, we never truly know when seismic activity will occur and home is where we should feel safest!
In short, a seismic retrofit increases your home’s safety factor, keeps your largest investment safe (Protect the Batcave!), and minimizes any damage during the next quake. It’s a lot more cost effective to retrofit now than to repair later.
What does a typical seismic retrofit project look like? We recently had a client come to us for a seismic retrofit because they were acutely aware that their home sat on the Hayward Fault line. Historically, we’ve seen five earthquakes occur along this fault line every 150 years.
Is a seismic retrofit worth it?
Well, if a seismic retrofit is like wearing a cast on your broken leg then we’d have to say yes. Ha! In all seriousness, earthquakes can happen when we least expect them and their aftershocks can be catastrophic. Take the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, located on the San Andreas Fault line, for example. The 6.9 magnitude quake lasted 20 seconds. The aftershocks? Over 1,000 were reported ranging from 2.5 to 5.2 in magnitude. 18,306 homes were damaged and 963 were completely destroyed.
Strengthening California’s structures to withstand earthquakes is so important that programs incentivizing property owners to seismically retrofit their homes and businesses have popped up throughout the state. For example, Oakland has a New Homeowner Voluntary Seismic Strengthening Incentive Program and the California Earthquake Authority offers the Earthquake Brace and Bolt grant program.
When it comes down to it, the safety of your home and the lives of your loved ones is always worth it.
We completed our client’s seismic retrofit in two main stages:
1. The first stage consisted of securing the house to the concrete foundation, which is what anchors the structure to the ground. We did this by using heavy duty hardware to bolt the house down to the concrete. That’s right, there will be no chance of our clients waking up in the Land of Oz with a Wicked Witch under their house!
2. The second stage focused on reinforcing the wood structure. In order to strengthen the studs, we attached a sheet of plywood to them. This is a key component in ensuring that the home undergoes less shake and damage when faced with an earthquake.
The goal of retrofitting is to allow homeowners to shelter in place and survive a major earthquake. The difference between sheltering in a reinforced structure compared to a non-reinforced structure is monumental.
2016. 2018. 2019. 2020. 2021. Five years. Five home remodeling projects. Maybe it’s our quality work, their trust in our process, our competitive pricing and ability to execute, or maybe because our number was already saved in their phone… Regardless, we at HDR Remodeling like to think our client has come back to us time and time again because we’re clearly best friends.
So how did this rapport begin? Well, it all began with a kitchen (like ALL great friendships). Then, we moved to the living room, remodeled the guest bathroom and laundry room, before digging out a basement and adding a deck; all this, leading to the epic culmination of the master bathroom that you see before you.
Now, in my humble opinion, I strongly believe that the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in a home. Hear me out! Or I suppose in this case read me out. Unless you’re Beyoncé and literally wake up like that then your very first stop in the morning is your bathroom.
Whether it’s to brush your teeth, wash your face, change or shower - chances are, this is where you begin and end your day. I’ve also been told the bathroom has “magical powers” that acts as a sort of “forcefield” for parents needing a moment to replenish and “power-up.”
Our client understood this. We converted their basement into a game room and they came to the conclusion, after watching their littles have their own space, that they too needed an oasis to escape to. Cue the master bathroom remodel! Dear best friends, it’s been a year since we’ve heard from you… Is it safe to assume you’ve replaced us with your new bathroom?
According to the Dictionary, Oasis is defined as “a pleasant or peaceful area.”
In my book, the meaning of Oasis is “wherever you find happiness.” With this in mind, it wasn’t the walk-in shower, soaking tub, or even the heated floors that made our client’s happiest (although it was definitely a contributing factor). If you take a look at this gorgeous bathroom, you’ll notice that bordering the wall of the bathtub is a design you can’t help but fall in love with.
MADE YOU LOOK! The entirety of our bathroom design was built around these custom tiles. Imported from India, every detail was handmade and every tile was hand cut by our amazing team of talented carpenters. Disclaimer: No human hand can cut through tile, we used tools! From trimming these tiles down to match the surrounding Carrara Marble tiles, to repainting the original vanity to fit the current design, and getting creative when we found a hidden structural support beam (yes, that’s as important as it sounds), our team, scratch that, our family truly outdid themselves.
In fact, I’d argue that our team outdoes themselves just as many times as we’ve worked with this amazing family - time and time again!
So my fellow reader, I’ll leave you with these last remarks:
Even Beyoncé herself uses the bathroom.
If you think a bathroom isn’t important, have you tried going without one?
Everyone needs a personal Oasis! Where’s yours?
POSTED BY KENDALL CHAPMAN
hmm i guess not
