We love to talk through pros and cons of pocket doors with clients because we often find that pocket door interest begins with an extreme. Some clients come to us with the idea of using pocket doors at every opportunity and others overlook the possibility entirely. More to the point, a floor plan redesign will work best if a design process is followed. When working in smaller spaces, as we often do in Philadelphia, an efficient layout and workspace planning is paramount. Thoughtful placement of pocket doors can be the perfect solution to a tight movement area or busy corridor (as above)..

There are so many questions homeowners want to ask when they are contemplating a remodel. Sometimes it can feel like an overload even before you pick out your faucets. Often, we meet our clients just as they are struggling with the decision between moving their family and changing their current home so that it works. “How do I find the right contractor?” is a common question that we can address here. Another question arises for new home buyers who need to know if they will be able to afford the improvements needed or wanted in order to update a house for sale and make it their own.

One of our projects was featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article this weekend about laundry rooms. Stephanie Hoffmeier, our lead designer, offered her insights: “You can have fun in your laundry room,” Hoffmeier said. “If you have money left over to splurge [on your project], I say go for the ceramic tile floor with a crazy pattern, install a fun backsplash, and even get crazy with a fun paint color…If it was more of an aesthetically pleasing space, I bet it would feel a little less daunting to do the laundry!” 

A lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) threatens the safety of hospital and health care workers as the Covid-19 outbreak nears its peak later this month. Basic items such as gowns and masks have become scarce, especially the coveted N-95 respirator mask.

Local construction businesses have been particularly hard hit by Governor Wolf’s “stay-at-home” order issued in response to the Covid-19 public health crisis. Pennsylvania is one of only a few states that has ordered a stop to all active construction (with a few exceptions). Will Giesey, owner of Bellweather Design-Build, who also serves as President of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry for Chester and Delaware Counties, offered his insights on the shut down in a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article. “It’s a balance of managing the risk of

Whether to move or to remodel is a common conundrum for young families in Philadelphia. They’ve outgrown their home, yet they don’t want to leave the neighborhood they call home. Our clients loved where they live in the Graduate Hospital area, but the kitchen was small and outdated and lacked a connection to the rest of their 1st floor. They needed more bedroom space with two young children, and the first-floor powder room of their 1915 row-home was poorly laid out and needed updates.

No matter where you live around Philadelphia, remodeling your home is likely something that you’ll undertake at least once in your lifetime. Maybe you want to add some space to accommodate your new lifestyle, or you want to add value to your home before putting it on the market. Or perhaps your home is aging and needs some work to keep it safe and functional.

Regardless of where you call home, my goal is to improve your remodeling success story by sharing information to help you make a better decision. I believe that everyone benefits when more educated consumers demand higher performance from home improvement contractors. In the Philadelphia and Main Line suburbs where we work, there are contractors who provide only construction and other builders who offer combination one-stop shops that can handle design, planning, and production (Design-Build firm). Other contractors fall somewhere in between. How will you know if a remodeling outfit can..

The Fishtown neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia boasts a proud working-class history, it’s name derived from the shad fishing industry that developed along its border on the Delaware River. There’s even an annual festival – Shad Fest – to celebrate its seafaring tradition. 

“It’s a very open, inviting, and comfortable space, where most of the family tends to congregate. We took the most unpleasant and uncomfortable space in the house and converted it into what’s often the very best place to be.” A client’s vision for an in-home studio was complicated by the lack of usable space in his attic. The attic was without natural light, electricity, or insulation and the space felt “closed-in.” Through an exciting collaboration, we transformed the attic from a cramped storage space into a unique in-home artist’s studio.