SPRING NEWSLETTER 2015 Inspired by Pioneer Craftsmen Inside you ll find: A Great Room Addition Our feature home is a showcase for entertaining. Clients Corner A new segment gives you the chance to tell your renovation story! Lighten Up Inside Some tips to bring the Spring season indoors. Creating Inspired Renovations in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph & Area for over 60 Years. View our complete online portfolio at: www.pioneercraftsmen.com
From the Corner Office I m sure you are as thrilled as our carpenters to see the snow melt away this year! The colder than normal temperatures and the volume of snow made for some difficult working conditions. Thanks to all our staff for facing it head on and getting done what needed to be done! Welcome Spring! In January we said good bye to a good friend and co-worker, Darwin Wight. His unexpected passing made us all stop and remember to treasure those we love each and every day. Darwin was a loving husband and father, and a friend to everyone he met. Thanks to your many referrals, we are very busy and looking forward to a great building season. On the financial side, rising home prices, a strong local economy, and government policy make a strong case for renovating. Over and over again, I hear how much you enjoy your new spaces and many of you say I wish we had done it sooner! If you are thinking of renovating, be sure to call us early so we can schedule you in! Finally, thanks to Lisa for pulling this Newsletter together in the Spring and Fall each year. We hope you find value in it and enjoy receiving it. If you have any comments, suggestions, or tips, be sure to pass them along to Lisa (info@pioneercraftsmen.com). She d love to hear from you and maybe you ll see your contribution in an upcoming Newsletter! Sincerely, Jamie Jamie Adam President Feature Renovation A Great Room Addition Our feature homeowners had never renovated before, but they wanted to open up their house for better entertaining. Their dream included a Great Room and more functional use of laundry and storage space. The couple and their dog Cooper embarked on a major renovation project, adding 600 square feet to their Petersburg home while living in it through the entire process. In spite of some stressful moments along the way they are all thrilled with the end result! Two kitchen and dining room walls were removed, and a 35' x 17' addition was constructed at the back of the house. The kitchen remains in the same location, but it s been redesigned and modernized and is now double its original size. After Renovations perfectly expressing you! 12' patio doors and a large picture window in the Great Room overlook their backyard oasis, which features a pond, waterfalls and gardens in the summer months. The roofline was extended to provide an 8' x 10' permanent cover for their outdoor patio. during The Quartz countertops and glass strip mosaic tile on the backsplash complement the white maple kitchen cabinets. before 2 www.pioneercraftsmen.com 3
Thoughtful Details for a finished Touch Designer notes The new dry bar for storing and serving drinks is perfect for entertaining. After Seamless integration The framed and dry-walled 9' coffered ceiling is not only a beautiful piece of architecture, it subtly camouflages a structural ceiling beam. Recessed lighting and speakers are tucked inside the coffers. Stylish and durable The flooring throughout is a durable, almost maintenance-free charcoal grey laminate providing a cohesive look through the entire space and perfect for Cooper s daily wear and tear. Creating an atmosphere The dark maple 2-tiered island has a travertine tile backsplash, and a curved bar-top sitting area. Display cabinets below, and under cabinet lighting, provide a beautiful ambience. A dry bar has replaced what was once a pantry closet. The maple bar is stained to match the kitchen island, and features the same Quartz countertop. The laundry room was moved from the cramped and dark basement and is now bright and airy with custom cabinets and a glass tile backsplash. The addition also features a new 3-piece bathroom with walk-in shower near the back entrance convenient after outdoor spring cleanup! There are also new utility, coat and appliance closets. While the material selection process seemed daunting for them at times, Pioneer Craftsmen s Dream Builder Plus Program and designer Mark Cann-Dorey walked them through it all step by step, to ensure their dream became an Inspired reality. 4 www.pioneercraftsmen.com 5
Clients Corner News & Ideas 6 PC News There are challenges and lessons learned in every home renovation project big or small. There are often laughs along the way, and maybe even tears too hopefully, tears of joy! Here is your opportunity to tell us about your Pioneer Craftsmen home renovation experience. We hope you enjoy our first feature: My Renovation Story: by: Alison Point 1: If you had told me that I could have my dream kitchen/family/dining room by only adding a 200 square foot addition at the back of the house without sacrificing my deck, I would not have believed you. But Pioneer Craftsmen did it. This is when I learned that a successful renovation needs a good designer more than lots of extra floor space. Lee Seabrook joined our team in March as Lead Carpenter, bringing with him 17 years experience in the residential construction industry. Lee and his wife Kelly have fraternal twins 11-year-olds Cole and Jade. They are an avid sports family, participating in lots of activities including hockey and baseball. Lee has a calm competent demeanor and a great sense of humour. We are pleased to have him on board. I know what common misconceptions there are about home renovations because, well, I had them! I was a newbie. What I learned through our home renovation process may help someone else like me realize Hey, maybe we can do that! Point 2: I never believed that I could get everything I wanted in my master bathroom, even when Paul Meier came up with the design. The bathroom is only 10 x 11 and other than squaring off one wall, everything fit and it looks so open and inviting. I never told Paul, but I would sneak into the bathroom while it was under construction and constantly measure to make sure that the tub wouldn t interfere with the door, or the shower wouldn t interfere with the walkway to my vanity. There are more secret pencil marks on that subfloor than I care to admit! This is when I learned that you need to trust the designer. Point 3: It is just as important to tell the designer what you hate about your space, as it is to tell them what you want. They can easily take away the bad. Point 4: Ask for everything on your wish list, not just what you think your current space or even budget will allow. If you don t communicate honestly with your designer, how can he or she give you any options? Point 5: It is really important to listen to the advice of all members of your professional renovation team. Kevin, the plumber, advised me about the best location for shower faucets, etc. The electrician, Jeff, explained the ramifications of hanging chandeliers in a house that only has 8' ceilings. I could go on endlessly. I learned if you have good people doing the renovation, and you listen carefully to their advice, it s going to turn out! We would love to hear from you! If you have a renovation story that you would like to share in our Fall Newsletter, please email us at info@pioneercraftsmen.com Alison and Jim are homeowners in Cambridge whose whole home renovation was featured in our 2014 Fall Newsletter. Their project was a finalist in the Waterloo Region Home Builders Association s 2014 Awards of Distinction and it is a feature story in this spring s issue of Our Homes magazine in Waterloo Region. We lost a dear friend and member of the Pioneer Craftsmen family this year. Darwin Wight passed away on January 7. Darwin was a Lead Carpenter with Pioneer for 11 years but he had 45 years total in the industry. He was an amazing carpenter and mentor, and created beautiful spaces for dozens of families in Waterloo Region. The feature home in this newsletter was his final construction project. Darwin leaves behind his wife Lynne of 35 years, and their 3 children. He is sadly missed and always remembered. w w w. p i o n e e r c r a f t s m e n. c o m 7
News & Ideas Lighten Up for Spring! While there s always a long checklist of maintenance and clean-up to do outdoors each Spring, it s also a time to embrace the season indoors. Lighten and brighten up! Here are a few ideas to help spruce up your indoor space, at very little (or no!) cost to you: Clean up: Clean and/or paint your walls Clean carpets, floors and windows Paint your front door a bold colour be daring! Put out fresh flowers (and keep it up all season long) Refresh: Rearrange your furniture and wall art Organize your clothes closets move those summer clothes to the front! Declutter and reorganize book shelves and knick knacks Swap out: Eliminate bulky area rugs and bedding Change bedding, linens and towels to bright, cheery colours Change throw pillows (or add some!) It s also a great time to replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors! If you ve enjoyed reading this Newsletter, please pass it on to family or friends who may enjoy it as well, or give us a call and we ll be happy to send you additional copies. The Newsletter can also be viewed on our website. 1510 Victoria Street N., Kitchener, Ontario, N2B 3E2 Phone (K-W): 519-743-4461 Phone (Guelph): 519-822-2709 Serving Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and surrounding areas for over 60 years. Stay Connected with us @pioneer_renos www.pioneercraftsmen.com info@pioneercraftsmen.com Copyright Pioneer Craftsmen Ltd. 2015