A contemporary design offers the homeowner the opportunity to make their home an individual project that sets apart from the rest. “Contemporary design is like a work of art” says Nicole Michaud, Designer for Lone Star Remodeling and Renovations, “with its clean sleek lines it creates a space with minimal distraction to the eye, which also creates [a space] of tranquility.”

By following the dictum “form follows function” by Louis Sullivan, you can make a space not only clutter free and efficient, but also make it a high end project by adding a contemporary touch. Through the use of stainless steel, nickel or chrome in your fixtures, you are able to give the space a touch of elegance and sleekness. By adding frosted or clear glass in your shower, you draw the eye to all the small details and make those the main capture of attention. If trying to add some contemporary feel through the use of tile, try something besides a neutral color; example: perhaps a gray tone instead of beige. If you feel this reaches too outside of your comfort zone, once again focus on the small details, these can either kill a space or make it shine! With neutral tones, add perhaps a jade green basket weave as your trim or try something more daring such as a pattern of vertical strips with hints of metallic running down the tile.

From the smallest of steps to the more daring ones, contemporary design gives you the freedom to be an artist so take your comfort box and step outside of it.

To develop in taste, quality, and personality one is obliged to respect the past, accept the present, and look with enthusiasm toward the future.
-Eleanor Brown, The Finest Rooms by America’s Great Decorators

The entire crew of Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations will be at the 13th Annual Wrappin with Jack event Tuesday, December 13th at Northside Ford from 7pm till 9pm. This is a wonderful event, hosted by Jack Riccardi of KTSA radio, that benefits Family Services Association in wrapping gifts for the less fortunate in San Antonio.

Please consider joining us at this amazing event and if you can, bring a couple unwrapped gifts to donate to Family Services Association. Hope to see you there!

Suggested new items to donate:

Pots and pans
Blankets
Bedding
Small kitchen appliances such as toasters, blenders, coffee pots
Unwrapped toys
Radios
Alarm clocks
Children’s books, games and toys
Walmart or HEB gift cards $25 increments (for groceries)

This year Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations won awards for both Best Bathroom ($60,000+) and Best Room Addition ($100,000-). Many hours went into both the design and layout of these projects and we are very happy to be honored by the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Also Justin Bravo, owner of Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations, was honored with a President’s Award for his work within the local chapter of NARI. In 2011 he chaired several committees within the organization along with being a board member for most the year. During the Awards Gala, Justin was also installed as the 2012 President of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

Best Bathroom $60,000+

Best Room Addition $100,000-

Pay close attention to the little issues that often accompany excess traffic in your home. Two areas that typically get little use throughout the year but are fully occupied during the holidays, are guest baths and spare bedrooms. Rarely will your guests actually use the bath tub, so a common remodel for a guest bath includes a bath tub to shower conversion.

If you are the preparer of holiday meals, now is the perfect time to evaluate your kitchen. So often homeowners focus on the aesthetics and gathering aspects of their kitchen, that they don’t take the time to fully evaluate how their kitchen could be more efficient for cooking. Make sure you analyze your food preparation areas along with your food serving surfaces. When it’s time to design your new counters, you can take these into consideration so that preparing a holiday meal can be done with ease.

If you will not be at home during the holidays and instead will be visiting family or friends, take notes on what aspects of their home works well for their guests and what areas could use some work. You will be able to use these evaluations when considering new designs for your home.

Take a few moments during the holidays and your remodeling project’s design will be better for it.

After deciding to remodel your home, a common issue homeowners find when talking to contractors is that most contractors do not offer any sort of help with interior design. So this raises the question if hiring an interior designer is even necessary for the success of your remodeling project.

There are many homeowners who pride themselves on their ability to coordinate colors, furniture arrangements, artwork, rugs, drapes, and accessories. These homeowners can potentially save themselves thousands in interior designer costs by making all the remodeling product selections on their own. Furthermore, nobody truly understands a person’s sense of style like themselves. This can also make the communication of a remodeling project better because there is one less company involved.

But what if you are like the majority of people who know what looks good but not what it takes to get that great look? An interior designer can be the single greatest asset to the completion of your remodeling project. Whenever you feel dis-empowered to make a decision, or feel overwhelmed when making product selections, that is when an interior designer can make the process much easier. An interior designer is an expert in coordination, layout, and the creation of masterful spaces. The collective decorating of a home over many years can create a common obstacle when remodeling, and that is the need to integrate the old with the new. Weaving these eclectic decorative collections together is a learned skilled that an experienced interior designer can provide insight on.

When it comes down to it, hiring an interior designer for your remodeling project will increase the odds of a successful outcome. Just like with other aspects of your remodeling project, like painting, you could do yourself, but it is best to leave it to the professionals to make your new space perfect.

Despite amazing advances in breast cancer prevention and treatment, it remains the most common form of cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer death among U.S. women. Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations supports breast cancer research, awareness, and education through our partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and through our Remodeling for the Cure™ program.

Breast cancer has impacted many of our associates, friends, and loved ones. We are proud to be united with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, an incredible cause dedicated to combat this disease, to educate, and to provide comfort to those who have been affected.

Working Together for the Cause

Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations will contribute *5% of all design and decorating fees to breast cancer awareness, education, and research through our Remodeling for the Cure™ program benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

*For the rest of 2011, we will double the contribution to 10% of all design and decorating fees!

Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations is passionate about supporting this cause and proud to be associated with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.

Builders are excellent at building houses, it’s what they do. However, building is their profession, not remodeling. Both the builder and their crews are not used to working in a home that is already lived in. They are used to working with the radio on and leaving a trail of debris from the constructed house to the street. Typically, builders work at job sites and not homes. They don’t have the processes in place or are properly trained on how to keep your home clean while protecting your family and belongings.

Another issue we have noticed with builders in the remodeling industry is their inability to price projects correctly. Remember that they typically do not have to deal with impact areas of a remodel. They might not understand that remodeling a kitchen could effect several other spaces in your home and not price accordingly. This could result in numerous change orders which will ultimately drive up the cost for the homeowner.

At some point the new home construction market will swing back and these builders will be back to doing their full-time jobs, building houses, while forgetting their remodeling customers. Choose a full-time remodeling firm thats focus is on this industry and will be there for you for years to come.

Imagine the benefits of making a single phone call to a team that can handle your entire construction project.

From initial conceptual drawings, budgets, permits, feasibility studies and working drawings to the actual construction and final walk-through, we employ experts in their field to complete each step.

Developing the design in-house eliminates time-consuming and costly errors.

Detail and investigative work are completed up front, all but eliminating surprises during construction.

The timeframe from design to completion is significantly reduced.

Most important of all—design-build gives you a single source of accountability.

Congratulations to all the 2011 Star Award Winners! See a full list of winners here: 2011 Star Award Winners

About the Texas Star Awards:

In 1992, the Texas Association of Builders launched the Texas Star Awards — the only statewide tribute to excellence in the home building industry. In 2005, this remarkable awards program expanded to include projects throughout the Southwest. The 2011 Star Awards will continue to showcase the outstanding work of builders, remodelers, architects, designers, sales professionals, marketing professionals, construction professionals and industry leaders in Texas and the Southwest!

The Star Awards is held in conjunction with the Sunbelt Builders Show™ and is heavily marketed to the Sunbelt region: Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

The tour is presented by members of the San Antonio Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. The tour will take place October 15th & 16th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Tickets are a click away at remodelsanantonio.org or stop in at participating Home Depot Locations.

Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations is honored to have two projects featured on the 2011 Tour of Remodeled Homes. The first is a lovely room addition that brings the feeling of an outdoor living space in to the home. The second project featured is a contemporary kitchen with new cabinets, countertops, lighting, and flooring. Check out our two projects below and come see them in person on the 2011 Tour of Remodeled Homes!

Room Addition – 20003 Encino Cabin, San Antonio, TX 78259

With this home addition, Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations has created a unique space that is truly versatile. The vaulted ceilings, multiple wood windows, and an extended bar create the feeling of an outdoor living space with the added comforts of a luxury family room. spanning 410 square feet, the addition enables the homeowner to have a sunken den with large windows that emphasize the neighboring wildlife and scenery. Outside, the addition has a brick exterior and hardi siding to match the home. Inside, an existing fireplace is replaced with a small stairway that leads into the home addition, while hand scraped hardwood flooring is utilized for the stairs and for a walk-way to the patio door. finally, luxury carpeting drapes the den area. By removing a fireplace that was rarely used, the homeowners expanded the view of their lovely property and enhanced the value of their home.

 
Kitchen Remodel – 1107 Belclaire, San Antonio, TX 78258

Lone Star Remodeling And Renovations transformed an outdated kitchen using a modern, spacious design. The result was more storage, additional countertop space, and better lighting. An existing pantry was removed to allow the cabinetry to be extended around the entire perimeter of the kitchen. To create a contemporary look, Euro-style kitchen cabinets were fabricated and three full slabs of lapitus granite were utilized for the counters. Numerous pendant lighting was added around the bar area of the kitchen, while LED lighting under the cabinets accentuates the smoky glass tile backsplash. This kitchen is a must see because Lone Star embraced the challenge of an unconventional plan and met their clients’ needs without compromising their vision and the functionality of the kitchen. The homeowners are pleased that they now have more storage, plentiful counter space, and a great contemporary look.