Guest Bath After

If you have an older cabinet style vanity that you want to refresh without doing a major renovation, then consider painting the cabinetry and installing a new sink and counter top.  This is exactly what we did to a guest bath using a reclaimed vessel sink and faucet from the master bath that we were remodeling for the Owner.

The old counter and sink was removed.  We then sanded the cabinet and repainted it.  Put in new knobs.  The before and after transformation is wonderful and saved this home owner money.

Guest bath vanity before

Before: Existing sofa with same color key throw pillows

This living room sofa is an espresso brown and with similar color palate of wheat, copper and muted browns for throw pillows.  With Spring here,  it was time to liven things up and add more colors, patterns and textures to the mix.

With so many choices available today, it was hard to know what would look good without actually having the physical item at hand.  So off I went to etsy.com online and searched for throw pillows.  Thankfully, I know Photoshop so the anal side of me kicked in and I downloaded the images and inserted them into photo.

By Photoshopping the images of pillows that I was considering onto a pic of the sofa, it allowed me to get a sense of color, scale and balance.  The picture to the left is the same picture as before, now with different pillow styles inserted in thru Photoshop to see if they would all work together.  I left the antler pillow in the shot because as you can see, it wouldn’t have worked.

And drum roll…the final pillows selected were basically the ones you see in the photo less the antlers…

After: Sofa now refreshed with new and colorful throw pillows

And the final results made livened up the sofa without being too much.  I started with the Greek Key Orange pillow and then played off the colors and patterns from there.  You can mix patterns and colors as long as they are in the same hue and tone.  To keep some consistency, I ordered two of the Trellis pillow covers.  Pillow height and texture can also add a different layer of interest. I kept an existing mother of pearl cream colored pillow–this added texture to the mix of vibrant patterns and colors.

Etsy is a great resource for pillow throws–the covers, that is.  They are hand-made and you can pretty much get whatever size you need.  In my mix, I used a blend of different sizes to also add height interest.

To get pillow fills, you can go to Robey’s Fabrics and get their down blend which is affordable and pretty nice.  Visit www.robeysfabrics.com and for the pillow covers, visit www.etsy.com

Greek Key Orange pillow, mother of pearl cream pillow, and trellis patterned pillow

Orange Flower pillow, Trellis pillow, and Suzani Tribal pillow

Main living room

Recently, a client of mine asked for my help to stage his home for sale.  He had consulted a professional stager and thought that their fee was very high and not commensurate with the amount of staging he needed.  He asked for my advice.  I knew his home intimately as we have remodeled almost every room in the house.  He had good pieces to work with and he needed  to position his furniture to best highlight the attributes of any given room and to imply how you would use or live in the space.

Staging is more than just moving things around, however.  Be prepared to invest in temporary storage, having painter do touch ups and/or a handyman to do some gardening and sidewalk cleaning.  My client even paid a gardener to trim back his neighbor’s Avacado tree and he was smart to do especially in San Francisco, where the homes are close to one another if not adjoining.

Guest bedroom

Downstairs guest quarters

Simple rules to staging that everyone can follow:

1. Get rid of any personal photos–you want prospective buyers to focus looking at your house and not on your vacation pictures.
2. Walk thru the rooms and get rid of clutter and even furniture pieces–less is more.  It is absolutely worthwhile to put things into storage.
3. De-clutter your closets.  No one wants to open up a closet to find it jammed packed with stuff.  Believe, home shoppers open up closets and cabinets.
4. Depending on the age of your paint job, it is also worthwhile to get all the trim and even doors re-painted.  You’d be surprised how a little paint can go a long way to freshen up your place.
5. Get some fresh flowers–always welcoming and inviting.  I like orchids because the bloom lasts a long time.
6. If you have a back yard, it is worth while to pay a gardener to clean up the yard–your yard is an extension of the living space, and that should be staged as well.

The investment was well-spent as he was able to sell his house in 2-1/2 weeks in contrast to his adjoining neighbor’s condo that sat on the market longer and did not move off the market as fast…see more photos of this property

The other alternative is to lay down plastic wrap but if it’s heavy construction, I’ve found doing the former is better because it is very hard to get a carpet clean if there was a lot of construction dust.

How Sound Travels

Sound travels in waves and when sound waves hit rigid structures as drywall, it will vibrate and transmit through the framework and radiate throughout.  There is nothing to isolate or to absorb sound waves, in fact, if there is ductwork in between the ceiling joists, those too will transmit the sound.

Two options are out there today that are popular–RC (Resilient Channel) ceiling and QuietRock sound proof panels.  The latter is gaining in popularity but is very costly.  Thus we did the research on both so that an educated Client can make a decision on which type of soundproofing investment they want to make.   My research is a blend of information from the Internet, talking to drywall installers, store vendors and eventually to Serious Materials, the makers of QuietRock™

Option #1: In this corner…RC Channel plus Sheetrock

RC Channel stands for Resilient Channel and its use with sheetrock has been around longer.  The RC system will dampen the sound but not totally soundproof the rooms.  RC channel are inserted between the drywall and the studwork, leaving a small air gap acting as a shock absorber.  This greatly reduces the vibrations from being passed from one material to another.  You can also use an absorbent mat to cushion the channel and drywall to have an extra layer of absorbency.  It is also recommended to put insulation between the studs to do the same.

Cost-wise, there is more labor than traditional installation of drywall.  The RC Channel itself cost is not bad.  It’s best to use someone who has installed this properly before.  Most drywall installers prefer this system because they can easily cut the drywall.  Read more about soundproofing with RC Channels

Option #2: In the Other Corner…QuietRock™

QuietRock panels are made by a company called Serious Materials out of Sunnyvale, CA. and has gained alot of traction for use in home theater systems, commercial spaces, et al and the rub is that it is very expensive.  Here, in SF, a 4×8′ panel of QuietRock 525 costs about $65/panel…ouch.

The QuietRock technology is impressive, and they claim it can muffle up to 90% of the noise with normal insulation accompaniment.  The panels are made of a tough silicate board with a layer of polymer between the board and the gypsum.  It comes in various thickness, depending on the application.  For acoustical barrier between wood studs on ceiling/floor, they recommend the 525 panel.  On their website, they offer a Hear the Difference page–check it out.

Cost-wise, it costs about $65/panel in SF just for material alone.  Additionally, they recommend using QuietSeal which is a soundproof sealant for all joints and QuietPutty to go around junction boxes, etc.  The various sealant and putties costs about $20 and $10 respectively.

Labor-wise, although QuietRock says it is cheaper to install than RC channel, my drywall guy said it is harder to cut because of the thickness of the board.  So, I think it may be a wash on the labor.  But on the material, definitely more expensive and it all depends on what type of investment you want to make towards soundproofing.

The Situation

We recently met a potential client who is in escrow on a purchase of a four-unit building.  It is obvious that the building was always four-units, ie, nothing funky as to how it was subdivided and there are clear separate unit entries, each separated by the stairwell.

The public records, however, tells a different story–showing that the property is a two-unit building and further confirmed by the water department with two water meters.   What must have happened is that given the age of the building and probably how it the entire lot was originally subdivided, that the recording did not mirror the reality and nothing matched.  Additionally, the zoning and square footage allocation with today’s rules allows for three-units not four.  Clearly, it is in the best interest of the new Owner to rectify the records so that they can maximize its use and re-sale.  But who is going to do the research?

Finding the right path and person to help

Our architect associate, IMC Architectural Design is skilled at doing the research with city records–and there are several sources, not just with the city building department–it includes: water department, Sanborn fire insurance maps and more–all on microfilm.  To find out more about researching your home or building’s history in San Francisco, the SF Library provides a good resource. The other, of course, is the SF Building & Inspections Department, they have a records management division.  But again, the various departments started record keeping at different times…to find out more go here.

What this all means is that someone has to dig through it and assemble the necessary road map to the City when presenting the case on your behalf.  You can do some of the initial research but I think it is well worth the money to have a professional do it because they know what to look for and more importantly, understand what the City will require to accommodate the Owner’s request.

The building that we are working on has three stories.  Labor is the labor and after you’ve factored in the scaffolding cost, my recommendation would be to go with the best possible grade paint because you want it to last.

A Rainbow of Color Choices

The best advice I can give you is to look at the period of the house.  If it is a Victorian then there are color guides that let’s you know the types of colors that were used that is appropriate. The next consideration is whether you are drawn to a combination of light colors or dark colors–but here’s the rub–unless your house is standalone and with acreage around it, you’ll want to pay attention to what your neighbors are doing.  There is something to be said about communities that require aesthetic guidelines, and there is nothing worse when a neighbor does an atrocious color without consideration of how it would blend in with the block.

The more color combination you have for the project, the more the cost, so don’t go crazy with the choices.  There are color consultants that you can hire that do recommendations and make color charts for painters to follow–their fees ranges anywhere from $150 to $400.  If you trust us, then we do it as part of the job.

What brand of paint is best?

There are many brands…from Kelly Moore, Sherwin Williams, ICI (now Glidden), Pratt & Lambert, etc. and a dizzying array of colors and paint grades offered.  On this particular project, the front gets a southern exposure and non-stop sunlight.  So, we initially looked into oil based primer and paint thinking that it would withstand the sun better.  But after talking to several professional painters and paint stores, we elected to go with a high quality latex paint because the lead has been legislated out of oil paint and although better for the environment, it made the quality of oil based paints less effective.

After doing some web research, painters and contractors alike seem to rave about Sherwin Williams Duration paint which runs about $50/gallon.  Luckily, Sherwin Williams just had a 25% sale which saved us a bundle.  We also opted for a better grade latex primer.

Russian Hill Paint Project

This is a three-story building that is part Victorian meets art deco.  The top part of the building has nice architectural elements–from dental moldings to rosettes.  The lower part of the building had a more deco vibe.  The goal is to tie the two styles in better.

Architectural elements.

The bottom half of the building had a stair-stepped stucco corbel of sorts so I found a corbel that was more classic and cut into part of the old one.  We decided to cut the old stack rather than removing it because the nature of stucco is that it would be impossible to patch once it is cut away.  Luckily, we were able to find a corbel that was the correct width.  The new look is more in keeping with the period of the house.

An old light fixture for the entrance way was removed and relocated out towards the steps by a foot.  The new fixture is black with amber glass.  The house numbers were also removed and replaced by glass decals that adhere to the transom windows above the door to complete the transformation.

Next, the old address numbers were taken down and we designed window decals with period appropriate fonts and had them made.  These were placed onto the transom above the door.  The result of this work is a new, stunning Victorian…view the gallery

Sometimes in the course of a project, it is surprising what you find behind the walls.  The project pics featured on this blog’s banner was just that.  What we thought would be a standard bathroom remodel turned up more than a few surprises and cost for the Owner. 

The work done by the previous Owner were done without permits and left to their own devices, several things were done incorrectly which we had to fix, including:

• Wall studs had been cut and not properly blocked.  When you cut a stud along its span, you must put another 2×4 at the top and bottom of where you cut it, so that the integrity of the wall is not compromised.  The work that was done here, where studs were cut to accommodate the medicine cabinet or change out of a window were not properly reinforced with blocking.
• Window that was changed out from large to small, was not sealed properly.  So, not only was there no blocking, there was just a piece of plywood barely nailed and not to correct size, so that you were able to see thru the wall.  Water barrier was not put in place, and the house was subject to water getting into the walls.  Luckily, for the Owner, this window as in a protected light well and limited the amount of water exposure.
• Pipes were not vented.  The plumbing for the vanity was not properly vented, so we were surprised that there weren’t drainage problems.  We fixed it.
• Electrical was not up to code…fixed.

All of the above were part of ‘unforeseen’ construction costs that made for change orders because they have to properly fixed.  This is why when you undergo a major remodel, I advise Owners to do it with permits.  The permit process protects you the Owner and a piece of mind knowing that things were constructed to code.