How to Choose the Perfect Front Door for Your Home

Your front door is more than just an entrance—it sets the tone for your home’s aesthetic, security, and energy efficiency. Whether you're upgrading for curb appeal or function, here’s how to make the right choice.

The home improvement landscape in 2024 is defined by sustainability, functionality, and timeless design. Whether you're planning a major renovation or simply updating your living space, these trends are leading the way in transforming homes into modern havens in Cincinnati.

As the temperatures drop and the nights grow longer, there’s nothing quite like the warm, inviting glow of a fireplace to make your home feel cozy and welcoming. Whether you have a traditional wood-burning fireplace or a sleek gas option, proper care is essential to keep it running efficiently and safely throughout the winter months. Here’s everything you need to know about fireplaces and tips for maintaining them this winter.

A freestanding bathtub can instantly elevate the look and feel of your bathroom, transforming it into a luxurious retreat. With so many styles, materials, and finishes available, choosing the right tub can be exciting yet overwhelming. At The English Contractor, we understand that every detail matters, so here’s a guide to help you select the perfect freestanding bathtub for your bathroom remodel.

Remodeling a bathroom can transform your home, increase its value, and improve your daily living experience. However, it's a significant project that requires careful planning and consideration. Here are some expert tips from The English Contractor to guide you through a successful bathroom remodel.

But did you know that the day after Thanksgiving is a busy one in our world as well? Most of the plumbers we know don’t have time to partake in Black Friday shopping marathons. Because to them, the day has been renamed “Brown Friday.”

It’s not just your ovens and waistbands that are getting an extra workout. Turns out, your plumbing system is, too.

Cooler temps will soon be here. And while cold, wind, and snow may move you indoors for the blustery winter months, the time to start planning your outdoor project is right now! Depending on the size and scope of your project, there are a few essential team members, including your contractor, landscape designer, and maybe even an architect. We’ll walk you through some of the critical details, so you can get started.

There are people who describe themselves as outdoorsy. And those who consider themselves to be more indoorsy. But what if you like them both? We know some homeowners in who came up with the perfect solution: a screened in porch with some amazing features that beautifully bring the outdoors in and the indoors out.

Major home improvement projects are always an adventure. The pandemic, however, has made careful planning for a home remodeling or renovation project more important than ever before. Lead times are longer, materials costs are high, and crews are busier than ever before. That doesn’t mean you should shy away from a remodeling or renovation project. Planning, though, is everything.

Hey there, Joanna Gaines.

We see your style.

Farmhouse meets industrial. Modern with a vintage feel. Functional. Livable. And full of personality.

If Joanna were to visit us in Cincinnati, she’d have to meet this homeowner who was able to channel her best Magnolia-style in the major renovation of the owner’s suite bathroom.

So many of you have a love of historic homes—and we’re with you there. We were lucky enough to be called into renovate a Tutor-style home in Avondale. Several areas of the home had already been tastefully updated, adding modern detail while preserving original elements, like rich woodwork and unique window hardware. Charm, however, only goes so far when you have to live in a home every day, and kitchens and bathrooms are two important areas of the home that just work better when they’ve been renovated. The English Contractor team worked with these homeowners, who happen to have a great eye for style and design, to modernize the home’s bathrooms.

The team at The English Contractor frequently hear our founder, Craig Russell, explain that the home is likely a family’s biggest investment. Any time our crew gets involved, we’re helping a household grow their investment, with a feature that adds equity in use, or with an update that will help the house capture top dollar when it’s time to sell. We’ve tapped into a local expert, fellow member of The Scout Guide Cincinnati, Erin Satterwhite with Comey & Shepherd for some insight on the best updates to make to your home to maximize your investment.

The pandemic changed the daily routines for a lot of us. Those changes are being reflected in remodeling projects across the country and right in our own backyards in Cincinnati, Ohio. The English Contractor team has been seeing an uptick in requests for estimates and new projects in the past year and we’re seeing some trends, for sure. If you’re thinking of sprucing up your abode, you are not alone.

A few weeks ago, we shared with you Craig Russell’s check list for spring maintenance for the interior of your home. Although his list is not exhaustive, it is a thought starter and meant as a tool to help keep you on track for those home maintenance projects that will just get away from you over time. Now that you’ve had the time to tackle your list of interior maintenance, it’s time to head to the great outdoors. Don’t let the size of this list intimidate you. Instead, your first step is to merely take a nice, leisurely walk around the outside of your home, looking at the ground around your home, the structure itself, and then important elements like driveway, decks/patios and roof. Once you get into the habit of using this checklist, you’ll be come that much more familiar with your house. This way, when something is wrong, you’ll see it right away and can either take care of it or call in the appropriate professionals.

Craig Russell, founder and CEO of The English Contractor, is a custom builder and bespoke remodeler. But he’s known to dole out one piece of financial advice from time to time. He’s no E.F. Hutton, but when Craig speaks, but sure to listen. Beyond the charming accent, he has some good advice to share. Namely, your home is likely your biggest financial investment. Not only because of that mortgage payment, but also because of the continued investment you might be making in your home with remodels, renovations, and repairs. Keeping up with home maintenance helps protect both your investment and the people who live inside it.

To The English Contractor team, when we talk about an island getaway, we mean the one right in the center of your kitchen. If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the island is its lifeblood. But the pandemic has changed how we use our homes. Not everyone has the luxury of extra space to dedicate to a home office or classroom, so rooms need to have a multipurpose. Even the kitchen. According to Bill Daley, CEO of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, ““The kitchen has long been the heart of the home. But especially during the pandemic, it has emerged as the most prominent, multitasking room as well. We see this continuing with more open-space concepts, an extension into multi-season outdoor living spaces, larger kitchen island hubs and increased functionality and storage to allow homeowners to cook, eat, work, home-school and play, all in the same vicinity.”

The team at The English Contractor is proud to announce this special achievement. We have been named 2021 Contractor of the Year by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry in Greater Cincinnati. Keep reading to learn the details behind some of our very best projects this year, from kitchen and bathroom remodels to large-scale interior and exterior new builds and renovation projects right here in Cincinnati.

The back yard patio is the new living room.

Let’s discuss.

If you’ve tried to purchase an outdoor, propane heater, new grill, or even outdoor seating in the past six months, this is not news to you. We’re all doing our best to manage through the pandemic while still enjoying social connections and time with family and friends. The solution that so many of us have adopted is to spend more time outside. There’s a Norwegian saying that says, “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing.” It’s a mantra worth adopting these days. We have a lot of customers who are ready to bundle up and enjoy their back yards as much as they enjoy their living rooms. But these lucky homeowners have had that opportunity for the past six months. Reading any further may make you pretty jealous, but we hope that it inspires you for a future project in your own back yard.

It’s all about the kitchen. They aren’t just for meal prep and storage, either. They’re for families. For gathering. For entertaining. For time spent together. These homeowners were lucky enough to spend their quarantine in a kitchen constructed for that very purpose. Once tucked away into the back corner of the 100-plus year old home, the kitchen is the new centerpiece of the home, opened up to a cozy living area filled with original woodwork and details.

Temps are quickly falling. Winter weather is here in Cincinnati for sure. Is your home winter ready? If you’ve typically spent your days outside of the home, at your workplace or office and now are in work from home mode, cold drafts, drips of water, and low hanging branches around your house might be more noticeable now. The English Contractor team has complied some tips to help our homeowner friends get their houses in the best shape to keep you cozy and warm—especially if your house is now also doubling as your office or classroom!