It’s All in the Timing…

The team at Schrader and Company is here to assist our clients with a wide array of home renovation and construction  needs—ranging from extensive remodels, additions and custom homes, to interior modifications or custom cabinetry. No matter what kind of improvement you have in mind for your home, our goal is to help you realize your vision.

To that end, one of the most important things we can do for all of our clients and potential clients is provide you with a clear sense of our process, so you know what to expect the first time you give us a call or visit our showroom.

A primary consideration when undertaking a home improvement project is timing. You have a busy life to lead, and planning out the most convenient time for a project is a crucial first step.

If you reach out to Schrader and Company for a smaller home improvement project, such as a small bathroom, door or window replacement or other minor modifications, any time is the ideal time to call. Depending on our schedule, we generally experience shorter lead times to get these kinds of projects underway.

Our more extensive renovation and construction projects, which involve collaboration with architects, the creation of a design/build agreement, and many design and selection decisions, generally can take several months to plan. Those months are put to efficient and critical use, as we formulate an intricate and finely-honed plan. We do this so that once work commences on your project, it is full-steam ahead, with minimal lulls, delays, or wait times to further inconvenience the homeowner.

Additionally, as all of us living in the northeast know, weather also presents its own factors which must be negotiated. Spring, summer and early fall are great times for exterior projects like porches and decks. Winter is the ideal time for interior work.

The most important first step in the journey to a home you love is making that initial call to the most trusted experts in construction and renovation. For over 47 years, Schrader and Company has been proud to serve our community and bring our clients’ visions for their dream homes to life. 

We hope you’ll give us a call to start the conversation about your project as soon as possible!

 

Uncovering Hidden Potential

In this Project Spotlight, we go behind the scenes of a kitchen renovation that benefited from a change in perspective—both literally and figuratively.

Our clients came to us with a goal for their lovely, open floor plan home, which unfortunately suffered from a small kitchen. The clients wanted their kitchen to reflect the airy, open feel of the rest of their house, and be connected to their dining room for ease in entertaining. With tall ceilings and plenty of potential, the existing layout was just not doing the home justice. The current layout also failed to make the most of a beautiful lake view.

In order to accomplish the homeowner’s goals of a more spacious room, improved flow, and upgraded aesthetics, project planner John Hudson and interior designer Brooke Weinert collaborated over best placement of the room’s features, and ultimately re-oriented a new custom kitchen island to take advantage of the lake view.

Knocking down part of the wall adjoining the kitchen and dining room, creating a large island with seating to face the lake, and removing an existing closet to install a larger, built-in pantry were high on the list of to-do’s for this renovation. 

The new white cabinetry and dark grey contrasting island offer a contemporary twist to this transitional kitchen that is the perfect space for entertaining. With ample counter space, a conveniently located beverage refrigerator, and decorative stacked cabinetry, the beauty of the home and function of the space were brought to a new level.

The room also features innovative storage solutions, like flip/slide or pivot/slide pantry doors. These doors allow for their designated coffee nook to either be left open and the doors to be tucked away out of the traffic path, or to be entirely closed away to hide any small appliances.

“We are so proud of all of our projects, but this one was a special transformation,” says Brooke. “Their new kitchen is now a space perfect for big crowds. Everyone can mingle in this space and still feel connected, even if they’re moving through the living room, kitchen, or dining room. It’s really great to be able to bring new meaning to the spaces in peoples homes.”

 

Fall In Love With Your Home Again

Now that the Valentine’s Day roses have wilted and the chocolates have all been eaten, it’s time to cast your attention elsewhere and ask yourself about that other important relationship in your life–your relationship with your home.

What would it take for you to fall in love with your home again? Or maybe truly love it for the first time at all?

March is a great time to start planning for future projects. Maybe you’d like 2018 to be the year you finally cook in your dream kitchen. Maybe this cold weather has you daydreaming about summer entertaining on a new deck or three season addition. Or maybe your growing family needs bigger and better bathrooms, mudrooms, or laundry spaces.

Whatever the goal, Schrader and Company has the team, talent and tools to take your home from barely working to working for you. We want you to love your space, not just live in it.

So give us a call and let us help you redefine your relationship with your house.

It can and should be a love that lasts a lifetime.

Learn the Lingo – Cerused Wood

Cerused Wood

There is a design trend showing up in those “Top 10 Trends for 2017” posts – Cerused Wood. Today we’re talking about what it is and it’s history.

A variety of colored waxes are available to consumers today.

Cerused wood isn’t a type of wood, it is a treatment applied to wood. Starting with the french in the 1500’s, the ceruse finishing technique was originally implemented to prevent wooden beams from rotting. Wood would be treated with a paste derived from lead; this paste would be used to fill in the grain in wooden beams and paneling, protecting the wood and contrasting the wood grain against the rest of the surface of the wood.

The ceruse finish is often applied to oak because characteristically oak has an open grain. Other hardwoods, such as ash, can make good options when looking for lumber to be treated.
Today lead based paint is no longer used to achieve cerused wood’s distinct appearance. Instead consumers can choose from nontoxic waxes that come in a variety of colors. If you love the look of cerused wood, but don’t want to use wood, large format tiles are available that will capture the the appearance you are looking for – a great option for bathrooms.

Learn the Lingo – Porch vs. Deck

deck
porch
A simple porch

Let’s start this installment of “Learn the Lingo” off by diving right into the primary difference between a porch and a deck.

 A porch is found at the entrance of a building, allowing people to be sheltered while waiting to gain access home or building. A deck on the other is a floored structure that adjoins to the house, decks may have a sheltered or enclosed area depending on whatever your preferences might be

In addition to location, height is another characteristic that differs between porches and decks. A porch is typically only a few feet above street level, whereas a deck can be up to a story tall and can consist of multiple levels.

 

A wraparound porch
A wraparound porch

A porch serves the utilitarian function of providing a covered space for people to wait for access to the home. Porches however do not have to be strictly utilitarian, for example the wraparound porch not only gives guests a place to wait outside your home, it can be used for entertaining or for leisurely purposes.   

 

 

Both porches and decks can be enclosed for further protection from the elements, allowing you to enjoy your outdoor space even when the weather isn’t so great.

A deck with partial enclosure
A deck with partial enclosure

Two Modern Luxury Bathrooms for a Historic Home

Bathroom before and after

A wise person once said,

“The key to a happy marriage is separate bathrooms.”

Add every conceivable luxury and convenience to the equation, and you’ve got the makings of a very joyful union.

Historic homes are undoubtedly appealing. They offer abundant charm, and tell their own special stories with every squeaky floorboard and slanted door. But even the most devoted lover of historic preservation can agree that there are certain rooms in our homes where we most appreciate all the advances that modern technology has brought to our lives. Namely, the bathroom.

For this project, the homeowners wanted to update two bathrooms in their early 1800s colonial home with the very latest in modern conveniences and technologies. The stunning result did not come about without careful consideration to the unique challenges of renovating an older home.

Project Planner Brian Taber knew that to attain the modern look desired by his clients for each of their respective “His” and Hers” bathrooms, much work would need to be done “behind the scenes”. The beautiful large format tiles in the “His” bathroom required perfectly straight walls, which few older homes have. The skilled crew of Schrader craftsmen carefully shimmed the walls to achieve the required correct angles. The same needed to be done in the “Her” bathroom to allow for the new tub and tile. Underneath the layers of horsehair plaster, wood lath, and brick behind the walls, everything needed to be replumbed and reframed.

Bathroom before
Bathroom before
Bathroom After

From that new squared straight foundation, the coolest of modern conveniences could be added. Hot water radiant heat was installed under the tile flooring of both bathrooms, and a round dome Sun Tunnel skylight was added, which allows for natural light while taking up less space than a typical skylight. The “His” bathroom features a hinged tempered glass panel that can alter the size of the shower or toilet space as needed. The curbless shower floor has a linear drain. And both bathrooms feature safety and convenience features like benches and grab bars, which will help the homeowners age in place.

Looking back on the project, Brian says he’s most pleased with the way Schrader and Company was able to meet the client’s’ vision for their space. “We worked closely with the owners to tailor both bathrooms to their specific needs and wants. The collaborative result is clean, modern, sophisticated, and luxurious.”

The bathroom is a room for comfort, even in the quaintest of older homes. This renovation shows what’s possible when history and technology come together in one cohesive design.

Bathroom After - shower