Here's a sneak peek at a recent kitchen and mudroom makeover, complete with custom wood inset Shaker cabinets, butcher block countertops, apron front farmhouse sink and subway tile. Check out that antique stove! Before and professional after pictures will be posted soon...






To see more kitchens we've done, click here to go to Kitchens under the Project Photos section.

Room Addition in Progress

Happy Thanksgiving to all!! We have so much to be thankful for this year - in spite of a continuing downward trend in construction and a future of uncertainty for all, we have been blessed with great projects, wonderful clients, and slow but steady growth.

These last few months, we've been busy wrapping up a couple of projects, one of which is a room addition to the back of our clients' home.

Here are a few sneak peeks below...check back for final pictures once the addition is completed:







To see more of our work, go to goodhomeconstruction.blogspot.com.

Good Home Construction in the Go Green Column

Allecia Vermillion, columnist for the Gatehouse News Service, has included us in her Go Green column. This column covers a few ways to be "green" when updating your kitchen.

To see how we can help you renovate your kitchen and stay "green" while doing so, please contact us to schedule an appointment. Our services include but not limited to refacing cabinets with new doors and/or frames, revarnishing with new stain and/or paint, installing energy-efficient appliances and fixtures, and working with environmentally friendly products such as recycled countertops and flooring.

Good Home Construction's Kitchen Project in Remodeling Magazine

Thanks to Senior Editor, Nina Patel, for doing a write-up on one of our kitchen projects in this month's Remodeling Magazine. If you don't subscribe to this magazine, you can read the online edition by going to: http://www.remodeling.hw.net/toc/the-magazine.aspx.

To see more pictures of the kitchen we did in the article, click here.




To see more of Good Home Construction's projects, go to http://goodhomeconstruction.blogspot.com.

Traditional Romantic Master Bathroom Makeover

This master bathroom went from a tract builder's standard issue to a beautiful, traditionally styled bathroom with classic yet romantic touches. We removed the soffit and wall separating the toilet/shower from the tub and vanity area to create a larger, more spacious feeling in the bathroom. Then we constructed a new pony wall, along with a new shower and custom glass shower panels, recessed medicine cabinets, and a custom rain-glass window panel above the new rain-glass bathroom door. The bathroom was decked out with a new clawfoot tub and wall-mount bath faucet, wood vanity with dual sinks and wall-mount faucets, mirrored wardrobe doors, comfort-height toilet, carrera marble subway tile and floor tile, marble hex tiles for the shower pan, glass mosaic pencil liners and marble dome liners as decorative accents, and a crystal chandelier. What a difference such beautiful finish materials can do for a bathroom!!

BEFORE Pictures

AFTER Pictures

To see more bathrooms we've done, click here to go to the Bathrooms section under Project Photos.

Ranch Modern Kitchen Wins Qualified Remodeler Magazine's Master Design Award

We are honored to win a Bronze Award in this year's Qualified Remodeler Magazine's National Master Design Awards competition for Kitchens Under $50,000. See our press release below.

For more pictures of the winning kitchen entry, click here.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information:

(714) 743-5053 (tel)

info@goodhomeconstruction.com

GOOD HOME CONSTRUCTION WINS MASTER DESIGN AWARD PRESENTED BY QUALIFIED REMODELER

Local family-owned and operated Southern California construction company wins a master design award

2009 (Fort Atkinson, WI) – Good Home Construction, Anaheim has been named a winner in the prestigious 31st Annual Qualified Remodeler (QR) Master Design Awards Contest. Good Home Construction won a Bronze Award in the Kitchens Under $50,000 category. Sponsored by Qualified Remodeler magazine, the Master Design Awards is the premier national contest recognizing outstanding achievement in residential remodeling projects in 22 categories. For more information visit www.qualifiedremodeler.com.

Nominees are residential remodeling companies from across the country and entries are judged on aesthetic appeal, construction techniques used, financial value of the project, functionality of space and overall impression of the project. Awards are determined by a panel of five expert judges.

This year's award in the kitchen category is for a ranch kitchen redo, incorporating a unique and highly customized modern design. "Winning this competition further confirms our abilities to design and deliveraward-winning, quality craftsmanship while meeting our clients' remodeling goals and financial objectives," said Chuck Kensicki, responsible managing officer.

Founded in 1975, Qualified Remodeler magazine was the first magazine dedicated to serving the residential remodeling market. The magazine is published by Cygnus Publishing, a division of Cygnus Business Media, and serves an audience of more than 81,000 residential remodeling firms. To contact Qualified Remodeler, call Patrick O’Toole, Publisher, at (847) 454-2712.

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About Good Home Construction

Founded in 2004, Good Home Construction is a small Orange County-based design-build general contractor business that specializes in the renovation, restoration and remodeling of vintage historic homes. The company’s founders and management team, husband and wife, Chuck Kensicki and Katherine Wu, have a real passion for preserving and restoring historical homes built before 1955. They have developed a stable list of clients who have benefited from the company’s hands-on approach to quality and architectural detail. Good Home Construction’s small staff of two to five full-time employees has worked diligently on a number of impressive historical residential projects, including historical Mills Act homes throughout Orange County. For more information about Good Home Construction, please call 714-743-5053 or visit www.goodhomeconstruction.com.


To see more of Good Home Construction's work, go to http://goodhomconstruction.blogspot.com.

From an Outdated Pink Bathroom to a Classic 1920's Bathroom

We recently finished this beautiful 1920's bathroom renovation with the classic black and white subway and hex tile combination. The tub enclosure was gutted to give the bathroom a much more open and larger feeling, and the shower plumbing was relocated to the other wall. The sink, toilet and fittings are from the Kohler Bancroft Suite, while the fabulous vintage tub is a salvage item. See before and after pictures below.

BEFORE Pictures








AFTER Pictures

To see more bathrooms we've done, click here to go to the Bathrooms section under Project Photos.

Danze National Homeowner Rebate Program

Danze is offering a manufacturer's direct rebate of up to $500 for bathroom products. We have used Danze's products in several of our renovation projects.

If you are thinking about renovating your bathroom, check out their products and rebate program guidelines here.

If you are in the Orange County area, the Great Indoors in Irvine carries Danze products, in case you wanted to see them in person.

Good Home Construction Wins 2009 NKBA Southern California Design Competition - Seen in October 09 Issue of Orange Coast Magazine

We just heard back that the kitchen we renovated a while back (see previous post) has won the First Place Award for Small Kitchens in the National Kitchen and Bath Association's Southern California chapter annual design competition!

You can get more info and a picture of the kitchen in this month's issue of Orange Coast Magazine.



To see more of our work, click here to go to Good Home Construction's blog site.

October 2009 Issue of Cottages & Bungalows Magazine

Check out this month's issue of Cottages & Bungalows - 3 of our renovations are pictured in this issue!

Thanks Hillary, Editor of Cottages & Bungalows! For more info on this great magazine, go to www.hillaryblack.com.






To see more of the bathroom renovation we did that was pictured in the Tile Tactics article, click here.

To see more of the kitchen renovation we did that was pictured in the Tile Tactics article, click here.

To see more of the bathroom renovation we did that was pictured in the Ham and Egger: Tile Tales page, click here.

Pro Pictures of the 1940s Bathroom

Below are a few pictures taken by a professional photographer, of the 1940s bathroom we just renovated (see previous post).

Enjoy!

To see more bathrooms we've done, click here to go to Bathrooms under the Project Photos section.

AGA Promotion

Thinking about upgrading or buying new kitchen appliances? AGA is having a promotion on their Legacy series. See below for promotion details. If you need assistance with purchasing and installing these in your upcoming kitchen renovation, please don't hesitate to give us a call!

Vintage 1940s Kitchen

Finally, here are the BEFORE and AFTER pictures of the incredibly adorable 1940s kitchen we recently renovated (see previous posts for the rest of the house and bathroom we renovated).

The cabinets were custom-built with the same layout as the original cabinetry, only now the layout subtly incorporates a baking sheet holder, a drawer dishwasher and a convection oven instead of a laundry tub and washer (which have been relocated). The new modern glass mosaic backsplash, Caesarstone countertop in Raven, white undermount sink and wall-mount faucet, and oak flooring planks (that were an exact match to the original planks in the rest of the house) rejuvenated this kitchen while complementing the vintage 1940s/1950s look and feel.

The upper cabinets were purposely left open to showcase the homeowner's eclectic glass and pottery collection, some dating over 60+ years old. Other touches such as old photographs of the house and the homeowner as a little girl, her family's spice rack and dishes, etc. not only add to the vintage flair but bring special memories of family life in this house everytime you look around.

A Few BEFORE Pictures

Old Pink and Blue Tile with Laundry Tub, Washer and Linoleum Flooring

AFTER Pictures

New Glass Mosaic Tile, Caesarstone Countertop, Custom Cabinets, Drawer Dishwasher, Convection Oven and Oak Flooring

(see photo of house in the 1940's above the sink)

(close-up of the old spice rack and weight scale)

To see more kitchens we've done, click here to go to Kitchens under the Project Photos section.

1940s Bungalow Renovation

We recently had the wonderful opportunity to work on a classic 1940's bungalow. This bungalow has been in the same family since 1946 (see Deed of Trust dated 1946 in the office picture below), and our scope of work encompassed renovating the kitchen and bathroom, restoring the original hardwood floors, updating the baseboards, installing a new front door and building custom hallway cabinet doors to match the original.

The homeowner was very instrumental in the whole renovation process, picking out the right paint colors and doing all the interior painting (what a great job!), and adding special mementos that display some of her family life and history, making this bungalow a very special place.

Below are a few pictures of the front of the house, living room, office and hallway. More pictures of the bathroom and kitchen will be forthcoming...

Front of House

Front of House with New Front Door

Homeowner Edie and Sadie in Front of House

Living Room - View Towards New Front Door

Living Room with Refinished Hardwood Floors

Office/Back Bedroom with Refinished Hardwood Floors and New Baseboards

Close Up of Desk with Deed Of Trust Dated 1946

Hallway Closet Doors - BEFORE

Hallway Closet Doors - AFTER (to match the original Shaker-style cabinets above)


To see more interior work we've done, click here to go to Interiors under the Project Photos section.

Classic 1940s-Era Cottage Bungalow Bathroom

Wow! What a difference color can make! We just finished renovating this 1940s-era bathroom, transforming it from the typical orange-y tan and maroon color combination to classic white and black. Although the previous color scheme was cute, the homeowner wanted to update it with classic colors but keeping with the same period style of the 1940s. So, we used 4" square tiles on the walls and 4" hex tiles on the floor, and updated the fixtures from the Kohler Memoirs Classic line.

Now, the homeowner has a beautifully renovated bathroom and her adorable dog Sadie has an equally "cool" place to lay down during these hot summer days!

See below for before and after pictures.

A Few BEFORE Pictures

A Few AFTER Pictures

To see more bathrooms we've done, click here to go to the Bathrooms section under the Projects Photos section.

Mint Green Vintage Bathroom Fixtures Anyone?

We couldn't resist posting this...while poking around craigslist for a white vintage tub, we came across this complete mint green bathroom set with tub, sink and toilet.

They appear to be in good shape (from the pictures). If anyone is restoring a bathroom and is located in Southern California, check out this set. It would be great to save these beauties!!


Note: Good Home Construction is not affiliated with this seller or posting on CL. Please take all proper precautions when dealing with private sellers on these transactions.

Save the Dates - October 2009

October is chock-full of historic and preservation-oriented events in the Southern California area. Save these dates to check out some of these events:

Sunday, October 11 - The Cal Heights Home and Garden Tour



Tour includes 5 Spanish-Style Bungalow Homes, 3 Gardens, and a Special Speaking Engagement by Jane Powell (author of Bungalow Kitchens and Bungalow Baths) amongst other activities and offerings.

To find out more, go to http://www.calheights.org/home_tour.htm.


Friday, October 16 - Sunday, October 18 - The Pasadena Heritage Craftsman Weekend


The weekend is filled with several bus and walking tours to choose from. To find out more, go to http://www.pasadenaheritage.org/site_info.php?siid=1&id=4.


Saturday, October 24 - Old Town Art Walk and Plein Air Contest

Featuring art showings and displays in the heart of Old Town Tustin. To find out more, call the Tustin Parks and Recreation at 714-573-3326.

Take Advantage of Local Incentives

Before you start on your home improvement, check out your city’s website to see if you can take advantage of any current incentives they may be offering to homeowners.

In this economy, every little bit counts, so don’t miss out on something that you may be able to take advantage of if you’ve been thinking about doing some home improvements.

Since we’re based in Anaheim, here’s an example of what the city is currently offering:

Artificial Turf Incentives – Incentives are available for installing artificial turf that can save you 53 gallons of water per square foot annually. Call 888-376-3314 or go to www.bewaterwise.com for more info.

Energy Efficiency Permit Fee Waiver – Waives applicable permit fees for city residential customers who retrofit their inefficient electric equipment with approved energy equipment. Call 714-765-4267 for more info.

Home Incentives – Provides incentives for purchasing and installing high-efficiency ENERGY STAR rated appliances. Call 714-939-9020 for more info.

Rehabilitation Loan and Energy Efficiency Grant – Provides grants for energy-efficiency improvements to single-family homes in combination with Neighborhood Preservation’s rehabilitation home loan program. Call 714-765-4340 x4889 for more info.

Toilet Rebate – Provides rebates for the installation of high efficiency toilets in your home. Call 800-954-4344 for more info.

FREE Trees - Provides up to 6 free shade trees or a rebate per tree. Call 714-491-TREE for more info.

For more information about these and other programs and eligibility requirements for the City of Anaheim, go to www.anaheim.net.

OC Register - AH News Edition

Thanks Sharon Hlapcich, Reporter, for writing an article about us in last week's OC Register - Anaheim Hills News Edition. To read the article online, click here.



To see more of Good Home Construction's work, click here.

For more press coverage and publications about us, go to http://goodhomeconstruction.com/press.html.

A Chance for Your Project to be on CNN?

We just received an interesting memo today from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) regarding an opportunity to be featured on CNN's iReport. iReport is looking for video submissions and before and after photos of projects that fit the topic "Design on the Cheap."


If you have something to show, whether it's a small piece of furniture to a large remodeling project, click here to submit your project.