REMODELS

This was a dream project- the kind where the homeowner has fabulous taste, a nice budget and really unique, cool personal artifacts and furnishings to top everything off! This owner was living in Beverly Hills at the time of the renovation so we communicated via frequent video updates and photos of the project and telephone conversations. Although we are known for our complex projects, this was a challenging project, even by our own standards. The complications of working on a high- rise multi-family property cannot be overstated and to add to that, it started at the beginning of COVID.

The owner had sold his place in Ca. and had a set move-in date that could not be renegotiated. Residents were home and the construction noise was not welcome all day long so restrictions were put on our working hours. In addition, there were material delays and labor issues due to the pandemic. Elevators had to be padded and protected. Loads could only come up and down via the elevators, which meant some things had to be broken down to fit in it. All the demolition and materials- literally everything had to go up and come down through the 8 x 10 elevator. Halls had to be protected every morning and the protection had to be pulled up at the end of the day. Parking was an issue for our trades and large vehicles, etc. etc. When all was said and done, though, we came in less than a week shy of the deadline. We put the owner and his pets up in a trendy hotel that was within walking distance while we finished up.

At the end of the day, our client was thrilled and still called us “The Dream Team” (this included the brilliant designer Steve Price from Beautiful Space Co.). We celebrated shortly after his move in with Dom Perignon and reminisced about our journey.

The designer’s attention to intricate details was amazing! Some notable elements of this project are the scorched (Shou Sugi Ban) columns, lots of cool metal features, recessed linear led ceiling lighting, the stainless steel shower curtain, upholstered walls, the matched grain black walnut doors and drawers and the Butcher block and quartz island.

This family loved their home of over 20 years but either had to move or update to accommodate their family situation and lifestyle. They loved their neighborhood and their large property so they chose to stay and do a total gut of the main part of the house, as well as adding a bit of square footage. Entertaining was a big part of their lives, yet their kitchen was small with low soffits over the cabinets and no pantry. We added a large butlers’ pantry, raised the ceiling, put in custom handmade beams, added a huge island and built in breakfast table, put in floor to ceiling sliding doors, added a kitchen pass through, updated the powder bath and laundry room, updated the fireplace, put in all new flooring, new windows, an outdoor kitchen and updated the exterior. Steve Price, from Beautiful Space Co., was responsible for re-configuring and the new space and his design vision was a perfect fit with the homeowners’ tastes. The homeowner said that when she envisioned her new space, she knew that it would not meet with her high and unreasonable expectations but that when it was done, it actually exceeded her expectations and was even better than she could have imagined! It was a pleasure to work with these awesome homeowners!

After this house flooded, the owners used it as an opportunity to re-imagine & re-invent their almost 30 yr. old kitchen (see "before pics"). Kevin and I went to work to get every penny possible for the owners; and as a result, the money paid out by insurance went a long way towards helping to update their kitchen. We expanded the kitchen's footprint by pushing into the pantry (which had a lot of wasted space) and using highly efficient built in cabinets so as to allow a new area of useable space. I made the cooktop wall the focal point and pulled all the colors in the kitchen together into the backsplash. Wanting to single out the cooktop wall, I used a different tile on the perimeter backsplash. In addition, we added a waterfall edge to the end of the sink bank of cabinets. We used neutral colors that will be easy to live with for many years to come. The gorgeous understated elegance of this kitchen is classic modern and will be relevant long into the future.

We completely gutted and remodeled this lake front and golf course property. Some very high end finishes were used; such as, mother of pearl tiles around the master bath vanity mirror and hand made glass tiles on the kitchen backsplash. Several pieces of art shown are works created by Kimberley Alexander that were commissioned by the owner. The interior design was done by award winning Amy Bubier of AB Design Elements.

This client came with a specific budget that she wanted to stay within for this home that she had purchased in order to simplify and downsize. It didn’t seem possible to give her what she wanted within that budget but the Alexanders got extra creative and figured out how to make it happen. After committing to the job, the owner’s situation changed and she had to be out of her existing home in 5 weeks. None of the finish materials had even been chosen but the Alexanders assured her that they would find a way to have her in the house but that it would not be finished, as it was a 6-8 week job. It doesn’t always happen this way but they ended up delivering a finished job in just 30 days.

The existing cabinets were in very good shape so they were kept but almost every other surface was replaced. Kimberley tracked down & choose finish materials from things that were in stock and ready to go. In the kitchen, the tops and a glass & stone backsplash pulled the cabinets and other finish materials together. In addition, the owner was able to save some money by incorporating some lighting fixtures from her previous home.

These young professional homeowners wanted to update their kitchen with as little expense as possible. To cut costs, the existing cabinets and the flooring were kept and the funds were concentrated on new tops, backsplash, sink, faucet and appliances to match the existing refrigerator. Kevin came up with a way to add 18” more to the countertop space, which made a huge difference in useable space next to the sink. This extension created space for the trash can to be enclosed and hidden behind a cabinet. The owners entertain quite a bit and love to cook so a large single compartment stainless sink was chosen to accommodate large pots and pans. Backsplashes can be pricey, so to further cut costs a travertine that matched the floor was cut in a brick pattern.

This was a really neat project for the Alexanders because it was just a few doors down from and the same floorplan of a previous home they owned.  The setting is an intimate, desirable subdivision of acre Ranchettes. The owners had owned this home for 30 years but had never lived in it.  Now they wanted to give it a total remodel, move into it and then sell in a few years.  The challenge was to update the entire house while keeping the costs in check so that they would be in a good position when they were ready to sell.  Kimberley worked with the homeowners to make sure their tastes were reflected in the design and that the home would appeal to a wide range of future homeowners.

The house was gutted and every finish material was replaced.  Kevin opened up the kitchen by taking out the low ceiling and making it a vault that tied into the existing breakfast area.   The workable areas and storage in the kitchen were greatly expanded.  The old pony wall with the spindles was replaced with a cabinet base that had storage on one side and a granite top that will work well for entertaining, etc. Kevin reconfigured every area he could to create storage; such as, making the pantry larger, adding linen cabinets in both baths and more storage and shelving in the laundry room.  Kimberley redesigned the old fireplace and it was given a ledgestone and travertine facelift and the ledgestone was used in the kitchen for continuity.  The bench was expanded from wall to wall for added seating and appeal. Distressed, chiseled edged engineered wood floors were used in the bedrooms and living room.   Kimberley designed the bath stone with clean, simple lines so as to visually expand the space.  This was a fun collaboration of builders and homeowners.

This custom home was a complete throw back to the 70’s, with much of it seemingly untouched for more than 35 years. In keeping with the 70’s, it even had a wood panel screen wall and a built-in loveseat. After much debate, a decision was made to keep and capitalize on the curved brick planter by transforming it into an entertainment island. Granite tops were used throughout and quartz tiles were used on the backsplash and entertainer’s island top.

This dated bathroom was totally gutted and everything was replaced. The owners desired a traditional look but incorporated a clean, contemporary flair with the shower design.