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When you spend years in your home you start to accept some of its quirks, like poorly arranged rooms or cramped bathrooms. Such was the case with these clients who longed for a nice master bathroom but figured it wasn’t in the cards for them. We are so glad that they reached out to the Thompson Remodeling team to help! We specialize in transforming spaces from weird to wow and have seen our share of strange configurations.

Which design element in your home plays an essential part in setting the stylistic tone for the main levels? Have you guessed what it is? It’s your staircase. Whether it’s a classic wooden staircase with traditional wood spindles and balusters or an open, modern stair with metal handrails, the stage is being set for the design aesthetic in a particular room or space. Sometimes, your staircase doesn't quite match with the rest of your home and when you are getting ready to remodel, it's important to give it the attention it deserves.

Who doesn’t love the beauty and richness of hardwood flooring? We work with clients every day who envision their renovated spaces with a gorgeous new wood floor, but for households with children and pets, it sometimes isn’t the most practical option. They need something that can withstand high foot traffic, spills, and pet accidents, but don’t want to sacrifice style and beauty for something durable. Well, here’s the good news!

The Thompson Remodeling team is pleased to announce that we have won a 2018 Regional Contractor of the Year (COTY) Award for a front porch remodel we recently completed on a historic home. The COTY Awards are like the Oscars of the remodeling industry and this is our first win in an Exterior Remodel category. What’s even more exciting is that our project will compete against the other Regional winners in the category for the coveted National COTY Award.

Wow we have to say we were surprised when we checked out Remodeling Magazine’s Cost Vs. Value Report for 2018. Every year when the report is released, we study it to see which projects have the top recoup value in the Grand Rapids area and this year there are two curb appeal renovations that have a return above the initial investment amount! For as many years as we’ve been blogging about this report, we’ve never seen values at 100% or more.

Every year, Houzz surveys homeowners who are completing renovations on their home to learn about trends and preferences in a variety of project types. This year, their kitchen survey revealed shifts in design styles and confirmed selections that continue to gain and maintain their popularity.

It’s true that the kitchen is the heart of the home, but there are two other areas in a home that are the true workhorses – mudrooms and laundry rooms! Mudrooms have become “must-haves” in new homes and folks who have decided to stay in their current homes are requesting them as part of their overall renovation plans. They keep the household organized and make comings and goings a whole lot easier. A mudroom can be completely customized to suit your individual family and all of the “stuff” you want and need to have handy – from coats and shoes to sports equipment and backpacks.

Not every kitchen remodel requires reconfiguration by removing walls or changing the layout. Many can have a dramatic transformation by updating the cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliances, and lighting. We call this type of remodel a kitchen finish upgrade.

The owners of this beautiful historic farmhouse had been painstakingly restoring it bit by bit. One of the last items on their list was to create a wrap-around front porch to create a more distinct and obvious entrance to the front of their home.

This desperately dark kitchen was suffering from a lack of light, storage and a poor layout. The main source of light was provided by a decades old ceiling fan, the refrigerator blocked the main traffic path to and from the living room, and a sliding door was taking up prime real estate that could be used for storage.

Have you seen a no-threshold shower? It's a shower that has no curb or surrounding edge to it, making it flush with the bathroom floor. You may have also heard the terms barrier-free, curbless walk-in-shower or zero threshold, but they are all the same thing. I know what you may be thinking. Where is all the water going to go? Won't I have a flood on my hands after every shower? No! The secret to containing the water is in the drainage system. This type of shower will have either a trench drain, which is a long and narrow drain placed where the shower door would be placed, or a center drain with the floor just slightly pitched towards it.

Folks, we are heading into the holiday season and you know what that means? Friends, family, and neighbors gathering in your home to celebrate, share meals, and socialize. If you are like me, you can’t wait for the fun to start! And for all the planners and party host and hostesses out there, the holiday season means your living room, dining spaces and kitchens are about to get some heavy use.