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.

Residential Bath Under $25,000

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

We worked on this project in collaboration with the team at Evolo Design, which included taking an awkward layout and making it amazing, with a corner shower tucked in between two separate vanities. Wrap around mirrors maximized the effect of pendant lighting. Quartz countertops and backslashes highlight the wall mounted faucets. The grey vanities offer plenty of storage, but really bring out the wow factor in the chevron-patterned marble floor.

Residential Bath $75,001-$100,000

Inspired by the homeowner’s love of horses, this owner’s suite bathroom takes farmhouse chic to an entirely new level. Our in-house carpenters crafted this custom vanity complete with a long trough sink and dual faucets. The custom-designed barn door mirrors slide on tracks to give additional storage. The floor adds incredible detail with black and white pattern, but is heated to provide additional comfort.

Residential Interior Under $100,000

This room might be small, but it packs a big punch, serving as a a backdoor entryway, mudroom, laundry room and dog wash. Our carpentry team designed custom cabinetry, which included plenty of storage and easily accessible cubbies. A new dog shower adds a special element for the four-legged inhabitants of this home.

Residential Interior $100,000-$250,000

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

We loved bring the plans made by drawing dept and Jamie McMillan Design to life in this Hyde Park home. The challenge was to modify the layout and add a modern kitchen that would pay homage to this home’s historic heritage. This project included opening up the back of the home, while maintaining special detail, like original wood trim and detailed windows.

Residential Kitchen $100,001-$150,000

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

We partnered again with Evolo Design to renovate this Terrace Park kitchen, which included new Subzero Wolf appliances, upgraded cabinetry, quartz countertops, and beautiful brass and glass open shelves.

Residential Exterior $50,000 - $100,000

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

This project located in a 100+ year old home in Madeira connected the indoors to the fabulous back yard, thanks to exquisite planning from the drawing dept. We added on a large covered porch with a two-sided fire place, and extended the existing patio, giving these homeowners lots of entertaining options. We also converted an existing garage into a fun bonus room, complete with a full bathroom.

Residential Kitchen $60,001-$100,000

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

We were thrilled to be call in to work with drawing dept to bring new life to this kitchen. One of our favorite details are the chartreuse cabinets, which highlight a coffee nook adjacent to the breakfast area.

Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Under $100,000

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

Our final win for the Greater Cincinnati NARI awards was another great collaboration with drawing dept. We constructed an expansive deck, which gave these Hyde Park homeowners lots of outdoor entertaining options, including a gas-fueled fire pit.

The goal of each and every project is to totally delight our customers and show off the talent of our architect, design, and supplier partners. Awards like these are just icing on the cake. Is your home worthy of an award-winning project? We want to hear all about it. We can put together the team to make it happen.

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.

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

Architect: drawing dept

The cook now gets to be part of the action and the family gets to gather around an island so large that it seems unfair to call it an island. An island, by definition, is a piece of land surrounded by water, and is often thought to be isolated, separated from the mainland action, where space is at a premium. That’s why this structure is called The Continent.

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

Architect: drawing dept

Once you see the details of this kitchen, you’ll want to swap out your kitchen island for a continent too. The Continent is the focal point not only of the kitchen, but of the living space of the home. It’s a place to dine. A place to sit and work (especially now). A place to gather. And it offers plenty of storage, too. The countertop has enough overhang to accommodate comfortable seating and underneath is a ton of hidden storage. Can your kitchen table do that?

With a palette of black and white, this kitchen is clean and bright. Upper cabinetry was eliminated to keep everything feeling open and airy. Plus, all that wall space gives the chance for this backsplash tile to make a statement. The geometric pattern of the tile is reminiscent of a modern Art Deco stye. The metallic black and brass light fixture only adds to that motif.

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

Architect: drawing dept

We’d be remiss not to mention this open shelving, custom made for the space and mounted directly over the new black-framed window. This corner nook is the perfect place for some shelves and we love how the homeowner accessorized them with rose colored glasses. What a beautiful display of a collection that only adds to the Art Deco feel.

The countertops in this space are another element that add interest, while continuing with the neutral palette. White cabinetry is topped with a beautiful, black leathered granite. The Continent, on the other hand, has a base of grey cabinetry and is topped with a sparkly white quartz.

The Continent, however, has utility beyond seating and storage. It’s equipped with hidden outlets that appear at the touch of a button, convenient for cooking tools and charing a smart phone, but it also makes this surface turn—presto, change-o, into a conference table.

The sink, too, is worth mentioning. The elegantly-shaped brass faucet so beautifully coordinates with the lighting and cabinet hardware. The elongated, stainless steel sink is fitted with a removable cutting board, providing additional work space, and, in a pinch, to hide a stack of dirty dishes.

Photo: Ross Van Pelt

Architect: drawing dept

A kitchen that was once an after thought, hidden in the back of this older home, is now the crown jewel, adding modern style with an Art Deco aesthetic. And following the pandemic trends in home design, this room serves many purposes: meal prep, family gathering, entertaining, and work. At a time where so many of us are spending more time in our own homes, a room like this is quite the antidote for quarantine living.

Has the extra time spent in your home revealed the need for a renovation? We’re just the people to call. Projects in the works now need some extra lead time for materials to be sourced and delivered, so now’s the time to get started for mid-year projects.

Craig Russell, the founder and CEO of Cincinnati-based custom home building and contracting firm, The English Contractor and Remodeling Services, is the focus of a new home improvement show. The six-episode, unscripted show starts on Saturday, May 23rd at 7am and will air for six consecutive weeks on Destination America. Each episode features one of The English Contractor’s custom remodeling projects, in partnership with Signature Hardware.

Craig Russell made his television premiere during the production of HGTV’s Urban Oasis 2018. As the general contractor for the show’s renovation of a home in Cincinnat’s Oakley neighborhood, Russell found himself spending a fair amount of time in front of the camera, where his skill as a builder and natural teacher was captured for the small screen. Shortly thereafter, he joined forces with TGS Productions and Signature Hardware to start work on a show fully focused on Craig and his team as they manage different home renovation projects around the city.

For the past year, The English Contractor team and customers have grown accustomed to cameras in the office and on the job site. Viewers of the upcoming show will see highlights of residential building projects in Indian Hill, Hyde Park, Sycamore, Oakley, Terrace Park and downtown Cincinnati. “This show captures what we do every day,” explains Russell. “We take pride in our work and are perfectionists, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have fun along the way,” he said.

Viewers can tune in starting Saturday, May 23rd at 7am to catch glimpses of some of their favorite CIncinnati neighborhoods, home renovation ideas, and DIY-instruction, all peppered with Russell’s building expertise and quick wit. Each episode follows some of his favorite projects over the past year. Programming highlights include:

• May 23: A palace fit for the Queen. Craig and the team transform a dark and dreary kitchen into a stunning masterpiece.

• May 30: Mac’s speedy pizza delivery. The clock is ticking as the  team helps transform their local waterhole in record time.

• June 6: If these walls could talk. Hidden home issues have the potential to throw this home renovation off track. Craig and his crew pull out all the stops to finish this project on time.

• June 13: Right at home. Moving isn’t the answer as a homeowner enlists Craig to expand their family home.

• June 20: Backyard bliss. Past customers call in The English Contractor team to transform their backyard into an outdoor oasis.

• June 27: Polishing a diamond in the sky. The team takes their eyes to the skies as they work on a home with a penthouse view.