The holiday season is upon us. Soon our shopping bags and waistlines will bulge with the bounty of the season. The to-do lists get long, the budgets cinch tight, and the stress can run high. But the magic of this time of year is never wholly lost to these concerns. The promise of closeness with our families, the gift of time to pause and be present with one another, and the celebration of beloved traditions create their own glow. And that’s what we search most for at this time of year of frigid temperatures and 4:30 PM sunsets. We want the glow.
And what room in the house is the source of that glow?
Take a moment and recall some of your favorite holiday memories with your family. Where in your home do you gather? Where do morning pleasantries over steaming cups of coffee turn into important conversations with the sibling you don’t get to see enough? Where does the daunting task of annual holiday baking become a precious flour-covered memory when shared with your grandchildren for the first time? Why is it that no matter how overstuffed the sofa and or sharp the picture on your flat screen TV, your loved ones will inevitably gather, glass of wine in hand, to watch or help in the kitchen?
The kitchen is both the literal and metaphorical hearth of the home. If food is love, and the act of cooking an act of service, nurturing and care, then the kitchen is the source of all of that good feeling. No wonder we gravitate to that warmth.
This year, in the midst of the hustle and bustle, take a moment and look around your own hearth and those of the homes you will visit. What do you like? What do you wish you could change? What would transform your hearth into the heart of your home?
Imagine your family’s beloved secret recipe sugar cookies heaped on platters resting on a gleaming granite or quartz countertop.
Imagine the blissful absence of clamor and clang as the kids race and rummage through your soft-close (no slamming!) doors and drawers.
Picture the organization and ease of use that a new kitchen island or custom cabinetry would afford.
Picture next year, your loved ones gathered close around you, in a beautiful, updated, artfully designed kitchen.
Then come see us. We’ll help you get down to the hearth of the matter.
Happy Holidays, from all of us at Schrader and Company Construction Services.
Summer is coming, and with it the sunny skies and long days perfect for home improvement. (And popsicles, of course. Lots of popsicles.) Whether it’s the promise of barbecues with friends tempting you to finally get a quote on that patio project you’ve been fantasizing about, or the high noon sun revealing too many of the imperfections in your outdated kitchen, the hazy, crazy days of summer can be anything but lazy if you’ve got remodeling on the brain. 
Maybe it was the nostalgic atmosphere of Galway or my youthful enthusiasm but this simple and seemingly obvious pearl of wisdom has stuck with me to this day.