Join us for a Family Field Day and help us raise money for a good cause! All proceeds from the event will go to the Jimmy Fund. We’ll have live music, a bounce house, selling t-shirts, raffle tickets, The Cornerstone Creative will be running a kids workshop and more!
Renovating any space can feel like a daunting task. Particularly the kitchen. It’s such an important space in every home, and there are so many decisions to make. It is a big undertaking. But like any project, it gets done one step at a time.
The first thing to do is to set goals for yourself. What do you want from this kitchen? How do you want to use the space? What elements are most important to you? The answers to these questions will set the path for your project. You can’t get what you want if you don’t know what you want.
For this home, it was about creating a space to entertain your friends and family. Building a home your kids want to come back to, and want to bring their friends and grandkids back too. Along with a classic stove hood. These elements are what set the tone for this space. And the results exceeded expectations.
The design process took a while. At one point, due to design issues, the homeowner almost conceded the hood to her stove. It can be tempting to compromise on everything. It’s so easy to bottle up your desires and disappointment for the sake of the bigger picture. You tell yourself that you don’t need anything special and that you’re happy just to be getting a new kitchen. It’s important to remember the difference between wants and needs. It’s ok to want specific things, even if you don’t need them. This is a time to go for what you want. Fortunately, this homeowner recognized she would regret not going for the style she wanted.
Renovating your kitchen is a big deal, it’s not the type of thing you plan on doing over. It’s important to know what you want and get it right the first time. We may not always get the things we want, and that’s ok. But some things are worth fighting for. Sometimes, it’s ok not to compromise.
When you walk into this home, it feels open and lively. It’s hard to imagine it any other way. The entryway to the dining room was widened to create a sense of space. On the other side, a sliding glass door replaced a double hung window and door. This helped develop clear sightlines and a sense of openness without having to tear down any walls completely. The dining room is still a separate space, but by widening the opening, the area flows more freely.
Each part of this kitchen renovation was locally sourced. This home creates a sense of community for those that live here, and that is a feeling that extends beyond property lines. Buying your products in town helps support your local economy, which keeps money in your community and helps community members support their families. It’s the cycle that keeps on giving. Sometimes the things you want most are just around the corner.
Cubitac Cabinetry, Sofia Door Style, Latte White with Pewter Highlight
Carrara Marble Backsplash by Cape Ann Tile
BY GRANDBANKSBP
Join us for a Family Field Day and help us raise money for a good cause! All proceeds from the event will go to the Jimmy Fund. We’ll be selling t-shirts, raffle tickets, and more |
Join us for a Family Field Day and help us raise money for a good cause! All proceeds from the event will go to the Jimmy Fund. We’ll be selling t-shirts, raffle tickets, and more |
Our teammate Calum, aka Calpal, is about to start his second battle with Wilms tumor – a type of kidney cancer specific to children and in particular those with a very rare syndrome, WAGR Syndrome. Calum has been a patient at the Jimmy Fund Clinic since his first battle with cancer when he was 1.5 years old – they have provided incredible support and that is why we are looking to raise funds to give back to their foundation and support further research in Wilms tumor and WAGR Syndrome.
Building a home is a challenge, and it comes with a lot of opportunity as well as obstacles to overcome. It requires vision, creativity, and a lot of hard work. At every stage there are decisions to make, whether it’s a product or design choice, that can have a huge impact on how the house will perform and how long it will last.
These are the issues Randy Rand is facing with his project. As a builder with a background in architecture and engineering, design is an important element in every part of his projects. When it came time for his parents to size down, they couldn’t find what they wanted. The homes that were available felt overpriced and didn’t offer the quality or design they were looking for. They did find an empty lot. And so Rand decided he would build something. Something that lasts.
The home is well designed and tailored to the needs of the family that will live there. The master bedroom is on the first floor, so single level living is an option for the future. The kitchen is big enough to prepare large meals, without being too overwhelming. The center of the home, with cathedral ceilings, is the great room, where everyone will gather. The staircase will be made of steel beams welded together with floating stair treads, and will stand as a piece of functional art at the core of the home. In total, the home will be 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ bath and 2000 square feet.
This project uses European Windows, and its Rand’s first build with them. European Windows are a flangeless window and are incredibly durable. They come triple glazed as the standard, which is important for cold New England winters. In addition to the extra layer, each pane of glass is thicker than US windows. With their increased insulation values and easy install, there is no going back. Each window or door is custom built for your project, so you always get the exact right size and style you’re looking for. In this project, we used a combination of pvc and aluminum to match the style and budget.
Often when we’re designing a home, we tend to want more space. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average home size in 1973 was 1,660 square feet and had increased to 2,687 square feet by 2015. That’s a lot of space. While there is no universally correct home size, there are industry trends. In the building industry, everything has gotten bigger. But bigger is not always better.
Through careful design, you can achieve the same qualities of a big home, while taking up less space, and having fewer rooms to keep clean. Over the years, we have seen a lot of creative design brought into tiny home living. Well thought out design doesn’t just have to be for tiny homes. By incorporating them into your home, you can get all the luxuries of a big house, without the foot print.
Contractor: Randy Rand, Tekton Responsible Living
When we renovated our showroom in Gloucester, our goal was to create spaces for homeowners and professionals to sit and visualize their building projects. A place where you can be inspired by the products around you, and understand how they will feel in your own space. Now, we are excited to bring that same experience to MetroWest with our new showroom in Waltham.
Swim Wild
We’ll be joined by our partners at Upstate Door for the afternoon and they are bringing their trailer full of products to showcase. Swing by for a late lunch and a drink to end your day. We are excited for the opportunity to host social gatherings again. See you there!
Building a home is a long and intense process. It’s expensive and there are a lot of choices to make, and almost infinite options for each decision. It’s almost impossible to make all of those decisions for yourself, and at least twice as hard when you are doing it with your family. But it’s possible. Your home is built with every choice. With every decision, you come closer to the finished house. When that’s done it’s time to settle in.
HYDROTHERAPY
There are few things more delightful in the summertime than a screen porch. As New Englanders, we recognize the need to make the most of the months we can spend outside. A screen porch will make that easier. Instead of dispersing to your own corners of the house, the whole family will be able to spend time together, outside, and without the bugs. This space can add value to your home and increase the amount of quality time you spend with your loved ones. Screen porches can do it all.
Grand Banks is looking for a well organized showroom coordinator to join our growing team. The right candidate will have great communication, enjoy talking to people, and is good with attention to details. Our home base is located in Gloucester, MA, but we are opening a second location in Waltham to help serve the MetroWest community. We have positions available in both locations.
The showroom coordinator will be responsible for our walk in customer traffic, and creating an inspiring atmosphere for our clients. This means welcoming guests, helping them find the right products, offering design inspiration or connecting them with the right team member. We offer a fast-paced, open work environment with great benefits for a creative, enthusiastic candidate who is willing to learn new things. This position can be either full or part time. You can meet our team here.
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