Here’s a home that now checks all of the boxes, inside and out. Chef’s kitchen with ample storage, an enviable mudroom, a sunroom outdoor living, not to mention new siding, windows and doors. The list goes on and on, including phase two of our project, which includes a grand master bathroom renovation.  And that’s before we even get to the brand new garage. The coup de grace. The icing on the cake. The feature that made us feel so especially lucky that we got to be the home builders who got to bring it all together.  These homeowners are really happy with their new space. But you know who else is happy—we are because this space takes our portfolio to the next level.

 Let’s start outside and then work out way in. (We’re saving the garage for last, so keep reading!) This Hyde Park home got quite the facelift, as well as a spacious new addition. It went from white to grey with siding from LP Siding, for renewed curb appeal in an instant. Our partners at Marvin provided the new windows and doors from their Marvin Essentials line. The good bones of this house really shine through with new windows and siding—all the character and none of the “old house” maintenance. A stroll around to the back of the house reveals a new, low-maintenance, IPE deck. The stone accents, provided by Semco Outdoor, and the deck railing, from EADS Fence Company, makes this outdoor space seem more like a roomy extension of the house than a run-of-the-mill deck. The steps of the deck lead to a new patio, perfect for grilling and dinner al fresco.

But be careful when you walk through the Marvin Essentials doors. You’re going to have house envy. The new deck leads to a brand, new kitchen. And it is a stunner to say the least. Custom cabinets, finished in a crisp, clean, white, reveal tons of organized storage, with pull out drawers and an appliance garage. The central island is painted with a custom Sherwin Williams grey, which makes the apron front farmhouse sink from Kohler really stand out. 

Glass-paneled upper cabinetry flanks the impressive ventilation hood, for a modern farm house look. The commercial-look range is from Thermador, as well as the paneled dishwasher, which beautifully blends into the cabinetry. The granite countertop from Ohio Valley Stone ties the grey of the center island and the white of the surrounding cabinetry together perfectly. 

A special nook in the kitchen can become a bar for entertaining—just add an ice bucket! The undercounter beverage refrigerator from Thermador is nestled in this corner next to a pull-out cabinet, which houses libations now, but could also store glass drinkware or serving pieces. The lighted cabinet above makes this corner is a great detail, making it a focal point during parties or special occasions. 

 From the kitchen, the layout of this addition flows into a cozy, light-filled sunroom. Serving as a connector to outdoor living or family space, this kitchen now truly is the heart of the home. If you can pull your eyes off the kitchen long enough, check out the room’s vaulted ceiling with exposed beams. We love adding these types of custom detail to our homes.

 People always say that a kitchen is what makes a house a home, but we all secretly know that it’s really the mudroom, right? With a spare refrigerator, washer and dryer and plenty of cabinetry that complement the kitchen, this room really keeps this house in business. The secret here is that this room used to be the kitchen. We modified the homeowner’s existing cabinetry to continue the look and feel of the kitchen. The additions of new countertops, a sink, cubbies and a built-in desk make this room a real workhorse. 

Pretty much a dream house, right? 

And we haven’t even gotten to the garage yet.

The English Contractor team built this new structure from the ground up. It’s a 3-car garage that actually can fit 6 cars. How can that be? Magic? 

It’s magic, all right. The magic of car lifts. Just when you thought the garage space couldn’t get any better, take a look at the epoxy floors, courtesy of American Sealing Experts.

The lush landscaping so beautifully accentuates the details of this home. We wish we could take credit for that, but this homeowner is a talented landscape architect—and it shows. New home amenities with real character.

 It may look finished, but we’re still working away on this home. It could be that these clients love us enough that they never want us to leave. Or it could be that this house has such a special place in our hearts that we’ll keep taking new projects. Either way, this project continues. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better.

Are you ready to turn your house into your dream home?

Remember our bathroom remodel with the beautiful blue accent tile with walls painted a serene blue to match? Our work with this homeowner went far beyond a bathroom renovation. These clients also worked with The English Contractor team to turn their existing family room into a new dining room. And then we added a completely new addition to the home to create a beautiful space for this family to spend time together.

And who wouldn’t want to spend time here? The kitchen now opens up to the family room, with a bar that not only provides a great space for a quick breakfast but also is the perfect serving spot for drinks and snacks when entertaining. A natural extension of the kitchen, we know this family room will be the place to be during a party.

 This addition is large enough to accommodate a comfortable seating area. New windows, from the Marvin Integrity line, offer plenty of natural light, but as evening approaches, the room is illuminated by recessed lighting. The space was completed with French doors, also from Marvin Integrity, provided, along with the windows, by Marsh Building Products

 Our carpenters outdid themselves with the beautiful fireplace surround, offering niches for family photos, books and accessories, as well as pull out drawers for some extra storage. What’s more, these built ins offer extra seating, too, with window seats that offer a cozy nook to sit with a book.

 A gas fireplace provides both atmosphere and warmth. This beautiful focal piece is accented by stone and a stained wood mantle. The English Contractor team completed this space with gorgeous wood flooring, stained to match the mantle. 

The special details our team added to the space are almost too many to count. Are you looking to add some upgrades to your home? Give us a call and let’s talk.

Did you know that The English Contractor is a Marvin Authorized Replacement Contractor? We’re proud of our relationship with Marvin and to install their windows and doors in so many of our projects—as well as in our own homes.

We’ve been installing Marvin windows and doors for years, so it’s a product line we’ve come to really know and trust. True, there are lots of contractors or builders can install your windows and doors. The English Contractor team, however, goes the extra mile to receive additional training and education about the products we really believe in. We never stop learning or getting better—and we never want to—so we can deliver meticulously well-crafted whole home renovations and new builds with the best possible products around, time after time. 

In addition to being well-built, durable and energy efficient, Marvin products are a thing of beauty. When evaluating new products to use in our clients’ home renovations and new builds, we look for a company with staying power. Marvin is a family-owned company that has been in business for over a hundred years—and counting. They stand behind their products, and so do we, from the selection through to the installation and beyond.

 Every home renovation project is unique. If your home renovation includes new windows, we’ll help guide you through what can seem like a complicated process. Marvin windows are available in both full-frame replacement and insert replacement versions. With availability in custom sizes and the Marvin guarantee of quality, leading technology and lasting dependability, we know that no matter your style or the scope of your project, Marvin has an option that will work in your home.

 Of course, if the scope of your project is just to replace your windows and doors without a full scale renovation, we’ll give you the same guidance, customer service, attention to detail as we would on a whole home renovation, taking into account your home’s esthetic, the intricacies of installation and budget. With any project, we treat your home like we would our own.

 Are you ready to renovate?

Is it time to replace your windows and doors?

Do you want to learn more about our partnership with Marvin?  

You may have fallen in love with the whimsical bathroom that we just shared, a beautiful melding of modern aesthetic with the historic bones of an older home. We loved working on this project, in part, because it was such a fun challenge. But we have a special place in our heart for these homeowners, who called us back into work on this space a year after we completed another project for them: an outdoor room.

This project began as a concrete slab. And while that makes a fine place for holding a barbeque grill and maybe a table and some chairs, at the end of the day, it’s just a concrete slab. These homeowners wanted to extend their living space and transform it into an outdoor room, complete with all of the comforts of the indoors. 

A roof both adds protection from the elements, but also makes this space look like a natural extension of the house. To us, that’s a barometer of a project well done—one that, once it is complete, you can’t imagine what the house looked like without it. 

 But it wasn’t enough to add just a roof and screens. The tile flooring is both durable and stylish. A gas fireplace with wall mounted television above it gives another taste of the indoors. 

The grill still has a place in this space, with an inviting table nearby. Add some good friends and you have an instant party, all in one space.

See more of this beautiful space and hear more about the specifics of this project from The English Contractor himself, Craig Russell. 

Do you have an outdoor space that could use some attention? Are you imagining an outdoor room all your own? Give us a call today.