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Best Countertop for Kitchen
What is the best countertop material for my kitchen?
Remodeling Questions Answered
Lyla:
Hello my name is Lyla Lappin and I am here today with Grant Woodruff to answer your questions. Today's question is ... What's the best material for kitchen countertops?
Grant
That's a great question. We hear it every day from homeowners and in my opinion, the answer is quartz.
Quartz is the Best Material for Kitchen Countertops.
Lyla
Why is quartz the best material for counter tops
Grant
Quartz in man-made and is engineered to combine breathtaking beauty, outstanding durability, and stain resistance with the convenience of food safety and maintenance-free cleanups to give you perfect surfaces for life.
MAINTENANCE FREE
Quartz is Easier to Maintain & MAINTENANCE FREE.
Other surfaces like granite and marble require regular sealing and polishing.
Quartz is naturally stain resistant. Its Simple to clean. Just use warm water and a soft cloth
STRENGTH & DURABILITY
Quartz Lasts Longer
Quartz is much harder than granite or marble, making it more durable. That means Quartz is less likely to scratch or chip, for more years of flawless performance. In addition, Quartz allows for longer countertop overhangs than granite or marble.
A HEALTHY HOME
Quartz Resists Bacteria
Quartz is nonporous and nonabsorbent so it will not absorb moisture from raw or leftover food, which can have harmful bacteria. Quartz offers peace of mind with hygienic Kitchen countertop surfaces.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
Quartz is Engineered
There is no mining, cutting, or transporting with Quartz and that's environmentally friendly. There is considerable waste generated in the quarrying process, especially as many slabs crack and are not use-able. Water that is used to polish surfaces can be recycled
Lyla:
What's the best kind of quartz for countertops?
Grant
Cambria. It's the only American company in the quartz surfaces business. Cambria offers the widest range of designs, colors, edges, and slab sizes.
Cambria’s uncompromising quality is their highest priority from start to finish. They check the quality at every step of the
manufacturing and fabrication process.
And Cambria offers a Full Lifetime Warranty for peace of mind.
RENOWNED RENOVATION NAMED NARI 2019 REGIONAL CotY™ WINNER
2019 NARI Region 5 South Central Award-Winner
RENOWNED RENOVATION NAMED NARI 2019 REGIONAL CotY™ WINNER
Highland Park, Texas, February 1, 2019 —The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named Renowned Renovation in Highland Park, Texas, 2019 South Central Regional CotY winner in the "Entire House Remodel with a budget $250,000 to $500,000 Category." category of its annual awards competition.
Each year, NARI presents CotY awards to members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. This is the highest form of recognition by industry leaders and peers. The entries of this year’s competition totaled more than $97 million worth of remodeling projects.
Renowned Renovation is premium Dallas residential design, build and remodeling firm. The company offers interior design services, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, construction, custom cabinetry, countertops, and window blinds, shades, shutters, and fashions.
Renowned Renovation’s Highland Park showroom features Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, Cambria Surfaces, Du Chateau Flooring. Renowned Renovation specializes in working with condominium, townhome, single-family homeowners and investors. Call (972) 232-7122 to schedule an appointment for a free estimate at their showroom located at 4848 Lemmon Ave,
Suite 106, Highland Park, Dallas, TX 75219.
Contractors from seven regions around the country vie for CotY Awards each year. Judging is based on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, and degree of difficulty by an impartial panel of industry experts. NARI named 154 Regional CotY™ Winners from the 2019 competition plus 24 team members. Regional CotY Winners will now advance as finalists at the National level.
NARI’s Evening of ExcellenceSM reception will be held on Friday, April 12 at the Wyndham San Diego Bayside, San Diego, CA. During this event, NARI will honor all regional winners and announce who will take home the National awards. Visit https://www.nari.org/sbm19/ to register for the in-person event or for more information.
Renowned Renovation’s winning project was a Dallas high-rise condominium penthouse remodeling project located at The Travis at Katy Trail in Dallas. Remodeling 200 feet above ground is much more complex than a typical single-family home remodel and required meticulous planning, problem solving, and posed unique challenges. The project required gutting and renovating the entire interior of a two-bedroom, two bath, 15th-story penthouse.
NARI is a professional association whose members adhere to a strict code of ethics. To be considered for a CotY Award, a company must be a NARI member in good standing.
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About Renowned Renovation: Renowned Renovation is premium Dallas residential design, build and remodeling firm. The company offers interior design services, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, construction, custom cabinetry, countertops, and window blinds, shades, shutters, and fashions. their showroom is located at 4848 Lemmon Ave, Suite 106, Highland Park, Dallas, TX 75219. For more information contact Grant Woodruff at (972) 232-7122.
About NARI: The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the source for homeowners seeking to hire a professional remodeling contractor. Members are full-time, dedicated, remodeling industry professionals who follow a strict code of ethics with high standards of honesty, integrity and responsibility. Remodeling Done Right™ is NARI’s promise to consumers as well as members and the industry. For more information, contact NARI at 847-298-9200 or www.nari.org
5 LifeStyle Design Trends in Dallas
5 Life Style Design Trends in Dallas
Grant Woodruff
My name is Grant Woodruff and I am the founder of Renowned Renovation. We were recently asked to speak at the Dallas Home and Garden Show about Lifestyle Remodeling Trends. Most of our clients are homeowners who are relocating or moving back to Northeast Dallas to be closer to their work and to live in neighborhoods within walking distance of local eateries, parks and local stores.
And we are seeing that that the 5 most in-demand design ideas for today's busy lifestyle are Open Floor Plans, Quartz Countertops, Backsplashes & Waterfalls, Personal Spas, Wine cellars, and Built-in Bars.
We were invited to speak because we are members in good standing of the our local Dallas Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.
We started Renowned Renovation in 2012. Most people don't know this, but in Texas, general contractors are not required to be licensed. Literally anyone who wants to be a general contractor can be. All they have to do is fill out some paperwork.... But that doesn’t mean they have any qualifications. That's why we joined The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). Not only did we have to through a screening process that included a background check we agreed to be held accountable to a higher standard - we also pledged to uphold the Association's Code of Ethics and dedicated ourselves to upholding professionalism and integrity of the remodeling industry to our business. The Renowned Renovation team are working on becoming NARI certified project managers.
NARI remodelers are experienced, trusted, qualified, ethical and dependable business owners who will get your project done right.
To learn more about NARI
visit their website.
Must Have Design Ideas for Today’s Busy Lifestyle
Open Floor Plans
This is one of the most requested remodeling design request we receive. Here is great example of a project that convert an original condo at the Travis at Katy Trail. The homeowner was trapped away from her guests and family when preparing meals in the kitchen as she had limited access to the living room. Since the owner lives in a high-rise condo, she had a relatively small space and wanted to open it up as much as she could. So the we removed the wall separating the kitchen and the living room.
Before and After Wall Removed to Create Open Floor Plan
Quartz Countertops, Backsplashes and Waterfalls
Quartz is in high demand. There’s a lot of great quartz products out there and I’ve found Cambria to be one of the best. I particularly like it because it is made in America, is very durable, and has a lifetime warranty. We have been installing Cambria Quartz as countertops, backsplashes and waterfalls. A waterfall countertop is easily recognizable by the fact that it drops vertically down the sides instead of stopping abruptly at the edge of a cabinet or island. By doing that it creates a continuous flow and links the floor to the cabinetry in a fluid and natural manner. Really Beautiful
Waterfalls are very popular trend right now. And we bookmatched the waterfall, which means matched the veins of that countertop flowing so that two adjoining surfaces mirror each other, giving the impression of an opened book.
Craftsman Home Restoration Oak Cliff, Texas
The owners of the Oak Cliff Craftsman home wanted to restore and update the entire house while retaining design elements of the Arts and Crafts period, They saw their Craftsman home is a work of art and wanted a comfortable, functioning dwelling. A solid, beautiful, and simple house that will serve homeowners well.
To meet the owner’s desire for a nice open look, the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room and the wall separating the dining room from the living room where all removed. The owner wanted to keep the original wood floors, remove all the linoleum from the kitchen floor, and have us refinish the floors throughout the home.We completely gutted the kitchen and bathrooms, rewired the entire home and updated the plumbing throughout. The plumbing repair was carried out as well. Our contractor Flo-Well Drainage did their best to make the plumbing system work perfectly. To provide more room in the bathroom the hot water heater was replaced with a tank-less unit that was installed in the Attic. After the floors were completed in the bathroom and kitchen, we installed hand-crafted custom cabinets and a vanity that was designed to provide more storage functionality and add unmatched beauty and style.This Craftsman style home was built in the 1940s and was a part of a movement in American architectural design. Craftsman houses were built all over the nation between 1905 and 1940. The style is popular again, with owners restoring older homes while developers are building new replica homes. The Craftsman style home has its roots in the bungalow, a low slung, comfortable home that originated in India.
This Craftsman Home is a 1,134 square foot , 2-Bedroom, 1-Bath home’s interior was completely remodeled. The project included new wiring, plumbing, re-texturing all walls and ceilings, sanding and refinishing the all the wood flooring, designing and installing new Renowned Cabinetry in the kitchen and bathroom. The new country kitchen featured a farm sink with an apron with MSI Surfaces for all the tile and countertops. The owners chose Shaker style cabinets for the kitchen, which we was painted white. As part of the renovation we also replaced all the windows and doors with new Milgard windows and doors.
To add additional room in the homes’ only bathroom, we removed the old water-heater and replaced it with a tank-less heater installed in the attic. New renovated bathroom had a new floor plan that was designed by our in-house team.
For the backsplash we used a MSI Surfaces’ Subway Gray Glossy Inverted Ceramic Beveled Tile. The foggy gray tone that is accentuated by the unique indentation in the tile. The owners choose these tiles for classic and timeless backdrop in their kitchen.
Our designer helped the owner pick Calacatta Vicenza Quartz countertops for a realistic look of fine natural marble in easy care and maintenance free quartz. This elegant white quartz with its subtle gray veins was ideal for their county kitchen style
The homeowner choose Classique White Carrara Glossy 4X16 Bev Subway Tile from MSI Surfaces for the shower walls
The bathroom floors are MSI Surfaces’s Arabescato Cararra With Black Marble Basket Weave Mosaic tiles are backed by mesh and feature the whites and grays of class Cararra with stunning black accents
Inspiration Board: 9 Elegant Window Treatment Ideas for Your Next Home Project
Natural sunlight can benefit you in a lot of ways, including improving your sleep, warding off depression, keeping your physically healthy, and improving your mood. It can also help you Get ready to sell your house quickly without any hassle.
But we don’t always want that sunlight glaring through our living rooms.
That’s why window treatments are an important part of any household. But before you buy them you have to pick the right style, function, and color you want them to be.
Need some inspiration?
Make sure you take a look at these elegant window treatment ideas for your next home project.
1. Honeycomb Shades
Honeycomb shades, or cellular shades, are made of a soft, cloth-like material that’s pleated on both sides. These pleats face different directions, creating small, diamond-shaped cells.
The cells are filled with air, which helps the blinds insulate your window. Because of this, honeycomb shades are a good choice for homes with single pane windows or poor insulation.
These shades can also help you save money.
How?
Since they insulate your windows, you won’t lose as much energy to the outside. That means your energy bill can go down.
You can find honeycomb shades that are single cell, double cell, or even triple cell in some cases.
2. Roller Shades
Roller shades are simple, modern, and minimalistic. They can control the heat and light that gets through your windows without taking up too much space or making the window look bulky.
Here’s how they work.
Roller shades are mounted inside your window, rather than hanging on the wall above your window. The shades roll up around a tube at the top of the window. When you want to close the shades, you just pull the bottom down over the window.
These shades also have an internal ratchet. This allows you to lock the blinds in place at different levels.
3. Roman Shades
Roman shades are made of simple fabric (you can find them in almost any shade you prefer), but they don’t make your home look simple.
Instead, roman shades give any room they’re in a more elegant feel. The pleats that form when you open the shades make your windows look longer.
And color isn’t your only choice.
You can also pick fabrics that have different textures. This adds an extra layer of dimension to your space.
4. Soft Shades
Soft shades are like a mix between honeycomb shades and Roman shades.
The construct of the shades is the same as honeycomb shades. The shades contain empty cells of air that provide a layer of insulation to your windows.
But the outside of the shades is made with fabric. When you open them, they still have the classic folds of Roman shades.
If you don’t like the look at honeycomb shades but want the extra insulation, you can choose soft shades instead. This will also allow you to choose fabric colors and textures normal honeycomb shades wouldn’t have.
5. Woven Wood Shades
Woven wood shades have a similar appearance to Roman shades as well. However, the offer a completely different aesthetic.
These blinds are made from different types of wood, such as natural woods, grasses, reeds, or bamboo. Because of this, these blinds are made with 100% organic material.
So how do they look like Roman shades?
When you open the shades, many woven wood shades will form pleats similar to the pleats in Roman shades. But it depends on the style. Some woven wood shades roll up rather than pleat.
It’s important to remember these shades are made with thin woods and grasses. Although they will block both heat and light, they may not do it as well as fabric shades.
6. Motorized Shades
Motorized shades make a statement in any modern living space. They’re also more convenient than other types of window treatments for two main reasons.
Number one: you can close the blinds without actually touching them. That means you can close them while sitting on the couch if the sun starts glaring off your TV.
Number two: since motorized blinds don’t have any cords, they’re safer for young children and animals. You can enjoy beautiful window shades without all the baby proofing.
7. Screen Shades
Screen shades are made of a thin, often see-through material. This allows you to still look through your windows while keeping the sun and heat out of your home.
Here’s how it works.
The screen shades filter the amount of light that gets into the house. While you can still see through the material, your home isn’t glowing with natural sunlight.
Screen shades also block UV rays from getting inside. This will keep the heat down and prevent glare from reflecting off your devices.
But if privacy is a priority, these might not be the best shades for your living room, bedrooms, or kitchen. Consider hanging them in your patio or sunroom instead.
Inspirational Window Treatment Ideas for Your Next Home Project
The number one rule to remember when buying window treatments is to let in the light.
Isn’t that the opposite of what you want?
Not really. While you want your shades to block the light and provide you with privacy, you don’t want them to do this all the time. If you get bulky shades that don’t let in the natural light, you’ll be left with a gloomy home.
Still not sure what the best window treatment ideas will work for you?
Make sure you click here to take a look at some of our options. If you need some help deciding which one to choose, go ahead and give us a call!
RENOWNED RENOVATION Awarded Best Of Houzz 2019
RENOWNED RENOVATION Awarded Best Of Houzz 2019
Awarded by Community of Over 40 Million Monthly Users, Annual BOH Badge Highlights Home Remodeling & Design Professionals with Top Ratings and Most Popular Home Designs
Dallas, Texas, January 24, 2019 – Renowned Renovation of Highland Park has won “Best Of Customer Service” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. The design, build and remodeling company was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 2.1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals.
Awarded Best Of Houzz 2019
The Best Of Houzz badge is awarded annually, in three categories: Design, Customer Service and Photography. Customer Service honors are based on several factors, including a pro's overall rating on Houzz and client reviews submitted in 2018.
A “Best Of Houzz 2019” badge will appear on winners’ profiles as a sign of their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.
“Renowned Renovation is pleased to be selected for Houzz’s 2019 Best of Customer Service Award and happy to add it to our 2019 Dallas NARI Contractor of the Year Award.”
"Best of Houzz is a true badge of honor as it is awarded by our community of homeowners, those who are hiring design, remodeling and other home improvement professionals for their projects,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of Industry Marketing for Houzz. “We are excited to celebrate the 2019 winners chosen by our community as their favorites for home design and customer experience, and to highlight those winners on the Houzz website and app."
Follow Renowned Renovation on Houzz Houzz.com/pro/renownedrenovation
About Renowned Renovation2019 Dallas NARI Contractor of the Year Award for Entire House Remodeling with a budget between $250,000 - $500,000. The company is renowned for premium Dallas residential interior design, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, construction, custom cabinets, countertops, and window fashions. Renowned Renovation’s Highland Park showroom features Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, Cambria Surfaces, DuChateau Flooring. Renowned Renovation specializes in working with condominium, townhome, single-family homeowners and investors. Call(972) 232-7122 to schedule an appointment for a free estimate at their showroom located at 4848 Lemmon Ave,Suite 106, Highland Park, Dallas, TX 75219
About Houzz
Houzz is the leading platform for home remodeling and design, providing people with everything they need to improve their homes from start to finish – online or from a mobile device. From decorating a small room to building a custom home and everything in between, Houzz connects millions of homeowners, home design enthusiasts and home improvement professionals across the country and around the world. With the largest residential design database in the world and a vibrant community empowered by technology, Houzz is the easiest way for people to find inspiration, get advice, buy products and hire the professionals they need to help turn their ideas into reality. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., Houzz also has international offices in London, Berlin, Sydney, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. Houzz is a registered trademark of Houzz Inc. worldwide. For more information, visit houzz.com.
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5-Star Oak Lawn Townhome Master Bath
The new owner purchased this 3 story town home because he loved the layout and the construction, but he disliked the bathrooms, color selections and the loft-like industrial accents the builder installed , and so he started shopping for new a new look. He contacted Renowned Renovation based on a recommendation they received from the staff at the Ferguson Showroom in Dallas.
The master bath had an awkward tub in the corner, 2 separate vanities, a small shower, and the toilet closed off in a small closet.
With the aid of our interior design team we straightened out the bathroom, providing a simple, clean, and functional layout. And the 3 guest bathrooms got new vanities, faucets, lighting, countertops, tile floor, and new tile tub surrounds.
Master Bathroom Plan-Oak-
The existing stairs had a steel post & rail system, giving the home an industrial contemporary look.
We added new wood post, maple railings matched to floor, and installed painted wood balusters that restored the arts & crafts, traditional vibe of rest of the home.
Oak Lawn Town Home Renovation
I hired Renowned Renovations to renovate my townhome in West Village – this is the first home I have ever owned as well as my first renovation project. When I purchased the home, I knew that I loved the layout but hated the finishings, so as soon as I closed, I immediately started looking for a contractor.
Right away, I was impressed by Grant’s professionalism. After a few minutes of standard pleasantries, he got right down to business. We spent about a half hour walking through each room in my home, talking through what I wanted to do. Based on the walkthrough, Grant quickly turned around a detailed bid, and we started the project shortly thereafter using the bid as our project plan.
In addition to the initial walk-through, I worked with Melissa on a number of aesthetic selections. One area where Melissa played a crucial role was the layout for the master bathroom. I knew the existing layout utilized the space very poorly, but I had no idea how exactly to rearrange everything. Melissa came back with 3 options (one of which we moved forward with), and I know I would never have ended up with the design we landed on without her help.
Due to my short timeframe, we started the project without drawings or precise plans (other than what was prepared for the initial bid). Tyler was incredibly adept at reacting quickly during the project, especially when last minute changes were needed. Overall, we finished within the agreed upon timeframe, and only exceeded the original budget for items I added during the project. All the subs they brought in were great, especially the painters and tile guys. When we did the final walkthrough, there were a few minor issues, but they were fixed in an expeditious manner at no extra charge
Evan C.
Client
The kitchen cabinets were purchased at Lowe's and the countertops that we installed were selected from the stone collection by IMC - Dallas.
We also installed a new fireplace working with Glen at Trinity Hearth & Home, Inc for help replacing it.
The entire house was painted and new Tuftex Carpeting was installed through-out the home.
Concrete Finish Condo Kitchen
This Condo at The Renaissance on Turtle Creek had not been updated since 1998. The new owners wanted a modern look with concrete walls and large stone tile.
Concrete-Stained-Floors-Skimmed-Walls-Turtle-Creek-Condo-After-Remodeling__1
For an industrial look and to add more character to the space the flooring was stained a dark gray and the structural concrete walls are exposed to accent the floors. The walls were skim coated and then were sealed with a natural coating.
Concrete-Stained-Floors-Skimmed-Walls-Turtle-Creek-Condo-After-Remodeling__1
The kitchen countertops are simple yet stunning featuring Statuary Classique Quartz from MSI Surfaces which is elegant, durable, and requires no maintenance. This marble-look quartz is has a soothing white background and delicate veins make for great countertops with waterfalls.
Custom Cabinets Designed with built-in wine coolers and docking stations
The Backsplash wall tile is a Bergamo Herringbone Mosaic by MSI Surfaces which is an elegant natural beautiful white marble tile that features soft gray tones in the veins. The herringbone design reflects a modern take on a traditional pattern. As seen on Vimeo.
Bergamo Herringbone Mosaic Backsplash
Dallas Urban Condo Master Spa-Bathroom
This 2 Bedroom - 2 Bath condo at The Renaissance on Turtle Creek had not been updated and had the same finish dating back to original to the building’s construction in 1998. This traditional palette was not at all what the new owners had in mind for their living space. Their last home was very modern with concrete walls, large stone tile and they wanted to do something similar in the new place.
Renowned Renovation removed the existing flooring, master bathroom cabinets, trim, and the master bathroom tub. The existing master bathroom had a door allowing guest access from the hallway, which was closed to create a private master bathroom suite with a personal spa. This was accomplished by converting the existing tub into a steam shower. Storage space was maximized in the master bathroom by installing a large custom double vanity with a storage tower.
Master Bathroom - Contemporary master bathroom gray tile gray floor and concrete wall, split-pebble shower floor, steam spa bathroom idea with overlay-panel gray cabinets, porcelain white countertop,
The Bathroom features the next generation of Mirror and Lighting integration from Paris Mirror. This 70x32 inch backlit rectangle mirror eliminates the need for wall lighting usually found above traditional mirrors. The LED mirror creates a clean - modern look in this condo’s bathroom.
The owners chose the Uptown™ Glazed Porcelain Series by Emser Tile because it features subtle textures and color variation giving their master bathroom a timeless, urban feel
We installed a Invigoration™ Series Steam Generators with Controls from Kohler that turns the shower into a spa-like experience with steam. This private steam bath is ready in just 60 seconds. With the press of a button, this 5-kilowatt steam generator delivers the purifying benefits of steam, including respiratory relief and cleansing the body of toxins and impurities, to the shower stall.
The Botany Bay Sliced Pebble shower floor adds an extra flair to this condo’s master bathroom
As seen on Houzz.
Turtle Creek High-Rise Condo Remodel
High-rise Dallas Condo Kitchen and Bathroom remodeling project in the Renaissance at Turtle Creek. Budget $45,000. Renowned designed and installed new custom cabinetry to maximize aesthetics, storage, and versatility. New Hunter Douglas Window Fashions and LED lighting were added to feature the floors and furnishings. This project was managed by the 2019 NARI award-winning contractor of the Year remodeling team for whole house remodeling project with budgets between $250000 - $50000. Renowned Renovation specializes in high-quality Kitchen and Bathrooms renovations, Cabinetry and Hunter Douglas Window Fashions. Please call (972) 232- 7122 to schedule a free in-home estimate or an appointment at our Highland Park showroom.