Sometimes all it takes to lift a home from drab to fab is some imagination — and the right professionals. Each year the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) honors top projects in Central Virginia with its Contractor of the Year awards. In this year’s awards, over $2.2 million in home improvements are represented by the winning projects. Here, we offer an insider’s look at some of the industry’s best work.
Photo by John Magor
Residential Kitchen Under $100K
Winner: Custom Kitchens Inc.
Designer: Douglas Leake
The homeowner — an avid cook and extreme whitewater rafter who also happens to be in a wheelchair — needed a kitchen to function for all abilities. “We tried to go out of the box to make everything functional for her,” says Custom Kitchens’ Doug Leake. What was previously a U-shaped space blocked off from the family room with an awkward peninsula is now an open, highly functional L-shaped space that is easy to navigate. A moveable work station tucks under a desk when not in use, and additional universal design features include a side-hinged wall oven and upper cabinets with pull-down shelving. New luxury vinyl tile flooring is durable and smooth, enhancing wheelchair mobility and providing zero threshold against the hardwood in the adjoining living room.
Runner-up: Leo Lantz Construction Inc. with trade partners Herman W. Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling; Morris Tile; Pella Windows & Doors
Photo by John Magor
Residential Kitchen Over $100K
Winner: Custom Kitchens Inc.
Designer: Jennifer Duncan
A retired couple wanted not only to modernize a dated kitchen but also to enjoy the river view from the White Stone home to which they had moved full time. “If you had been blindfolded [when entering the house] … then walked into the kitchen, you wouldn’t have known you were on the river,” says designer Jennifer Duncan. Custom Kitchens has since transformed the space into one of the most used and beloved rooms in the home. Widening the kitchen window and the doorway to the sitting room allows even more light and opportunity to take in the view. An existing peninsula was swapped for a generous island and a built-in hutch to improve traffic flow, add focal points, and provide additional areas for seating and serving. Warm white custom cabinets with quartz countertops designed to look like marble provide durability and easy maintenance; a black walnut island countertop provides warmth and contrast, while the refrigerator and dishwasher are paneled to blend with the cabinetry. “The clients never really loved their house until now; the impact the renovation had on their everyday life was significant,” says Duncan.
Runner-up: HomeMasons Inc. with trade partners Costen Floors Inc., Ferguson Enterprises Inc., and Siewers Lumber & Millwork
Photo courtesy Leo Lantz Construction Inc.
Residential Bath Under $50K
Winner: Leo Lantz Construction Inc. with trade partners Herman Allen Plumbing, Heating & Cooling; Morris Tile; Pella Windows and Doors; RVA Shower Door; and Ferguson Enterprises Inc.
Leo Lantz Construction’s use of universal design in this master bath renovation helped these homeowners achieve a space that will allow them to live independently well into the future. “More and more, people want to stay in their homes as long as they can and ‘age in place,’ ” Leo Lantz says. Replacing an oversized glass-block window with a smaller casement window and removing a whirlpool tub made way for a vanity with expanded counter space and storage and a zero-entry shower. A shower bench, grab bars, and lever-handled faucets and easy-pull knobs throughout are a few more design elements that help homeowners age in place. Concerns about visual acuity decline are addressed with LED lighting and a bold wall color for contrast to other elements in the room.
Photo courtesy Lane Homes & Remodeling Inc.
Residential Bathroom Over $50K
Winner: Lane Homes & Remodeling Inc.
Designer: Alex Van Nuys Muller
What started with a leaky shower prompted a full-scale upgrade to the “bathroom of [the clients’] dreams,” says designer Alex Muller. “We’re seeing this across the board; people want a luxurious shower and more storage.” To this end, they removed the seldom-used tub in favor of a private water closet with a space-saving pocket door. The extra space allowed for a longer vanity crafted from semi-custom cabinets and quartz countertops to provide additional counterspace and storage. Porcelain tile and a light color palette throughout lend the feel of a spa, and iridescent glass bands in the shower bring color and whimsy to the space.
Photo by Jay Paul courtesy Sound & Image Design
Home Theater/Home Automation
Winner: Sound & Image Design with trade partner Cabinetry & Construction Inc.
A rarely used third floor — home to a simple den and guest suite — has been transformed into a multipurpose oasis for adults and children alike with a focus on family entertainment. In addition to a high-end Dolby Atmos surround system and 85-inch TV, updates include custom bookcases, a wet bar, new carpet, a mini kitchen for cooking light fare, and customized lighting that can be controlled via mobile devices. “The clients wanted a space that, once they are up there, there’s no reason to leave,” says Sound & Image Design’s Tim Stinson. “It went from a space that caused frustration … to the coolest space in the house.” Sound-absorbing panels and strategically hung surround-sound speakers provide great acoustics, while a custom AV rack installed in the back closet further improves flow and hides all electronic components for the massive entertainment system.
Photo by Quentin Penn-Hollar
Outdoor Living
Winner: BK Martin Construction Inc. with trade partners Siewers Lumber & Millwork and C.L. Shade Drafting
Designer: C.L. Shade Drafting
These homeowners, parents of grown children, wanted to be able to enjoy their backyard in comfort. Their new screened-in porch off of a previous addition features a daybed swing and seating, with additional seating outside on a previously existing patio. The space features open rafters, tongue-and-groove wood flooring, and a painted standing-seam metal roof. “We wanted to bring traditional Southern charm back into play,” says Suzzie Dodson of BK Martin Construction. “We wanted a warm, inviting look.” Using hemp rope to suspend the daybed adds to the casual, comfortable feel of the space, she says.
Runner-up: Josh Goff, Commonwealth Curb Appeal
Photo by Don Mears
Residential Interior Remodel
Winner: James River Construction
Designer: Mark White
A family with young children wanted to increase living and bedroom spaces, altering the floor plan to better accommodate their busy lives, without expanding the footprint of their home. Adam Cunningham of James River Construction explains how the firm converted an attached garage into an activity room with custom built-in desks, an entertainment center, and a bedroom upstairs with custom built-in beds and a full bath. The new space offers parents clear sight lines from the main gathering area in the house so they can keep an eye on their children when not in the same space. Also part of the project was a complete kitchen overhaul with semi-custom cabinetry, integrated appliances and “a whole back hallway that didn’t exist, says Cunningham. “Getting that hallway structurally sound was definitely key.”
Photo by John Magor
Entire House
Winner: Edward Lane, Lane Homes & Remodeling Inc.
Designer: Alex Van Nuys Muller
Homeowners who loved their location but wanted more room and better flow called on Lane Homes & Remodeling to reimagine a home they could live in for years to come. First-floor updates include a new kitchen with a 48-inch range, a half bath once off the kitchen relocated to a more optimal location, and a dining room with an enlarged doorway and French doors leading to a new covered patio in the outdoor living area. “[The clients] love to entertain, so we had to improve that indoor-outdoor feeling. We wanted to make sure they had multiple doorways into one room,” says designer Alex Muller. Upstairs, a master suite with a spacious bedroom and private bath add square footage while staying true to the character and scale of the 1900s home. Painting and refinishing hardwoods throughout made this a top-to-bottom refresh.
Photo by Kip Dawkins
Residential Addition
Winner: Hampden Hill Custom Building LLC with trade partners Custom View Windows and Doors, Riverside Brick & Supply Co., Morris Tile, Siewers Lumber & Millwork, C.L. Shade Drafting, and Ferguson Enterprises Inc.
The goal of this project was to create modern living spaces while maintaining the integrity of this circa 1832 home, says John Cronly of Hampden Hill Custom Building. To transform the historic home for today’s lifestyle, a front porch, foyer, master suite, back hall, office and morning room were added to the existing first floor along with two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. “[The addition] actually transformed the flow of the house and made it functional,” says Cronly. “Everything we did was in keeping with the character of the house,” he adds, including salvaged original siding, custom bricks made to match original brick, heart-pine flooring and period details including light fixtures and tiles. Brick reclaimed from the original foundation was used to construct the surround and hearth in the homeowner’s master bedroom fireplace.
Runner-up: Edward Lane, Lane Homes & Remodeling Inc.
Photo courtesy Lane Homes & Remodeling Inc.
Residential Interior or Exterior Specialty
Winner: Lane Homes & Remodeling Inc.
Designer: Shannon Kirsch
These Church Hill homeowners wanted a two-car garage with plenty of storage but had to work within the restrictions of updating an existing pre-1925 outbuilding in the historic neighborhood. After months of inspections, reviews, meetings and studies, it was ruled by the city that the original outbuilding could not be built upon, yet the existing brick walls had to be salvaged and reconstructed. “It felt like this whole project was one big, fun obstacle,” says designer Shannon Kirsch. With careful planning, engineering and craftsmanship, footings were dug beneath the old walls, a new concrete floor was poured, antique brick and mortar were matched, and the new garage came to life. The resulting structure can hold two vehicles, provides access to the backyard through double doors and has plenty of storage. “In the end, the clients got an amazing garage with a really cool story,” says Kirsch.
