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Kitchen remodel with island.

Wouldn’t you love having an island in your kitchen? If you would, this is your lucky day!

This week Talavera Custom, is working installing a full custom kitchen for our new partnership and satellite showroom location inside The Floor Store in Mesa AZ. We designed this new kitchen with a spectacular island and a wine station. So we want to let you know how is the process of this new masterpiece.

This client/partner asked us if we could innovate their kitchen. For us it was very important to know what they wanted, capture it and make it a reality. After some meetings, we had an incredible brainstorm, many ideas floated in the air and we settle some of them. Today, we want to share them with you.

In the design of this renewal, we included a kitchen island, we think this could fill gaps of space and at the same time add more storage (this can work in case you don’t have enough space), also the island adds style, and extra seating to share with your loved ones.

Additionally, we are remodeling the kitchen cabinets, and we have decided to add a wine station, so they can have it on hand, it will be sensational!

We are still under construction stage and all you can see a little mess. But work together with our partners/clients from The Floor Store and Spencer’s Appliance made a team of specialists to offer full service/turnkey home remodeling solutions.

In coming days, you will see a completed showroom pics and or video when counters and appliances are all in place.

Click here to display a SlideShow

 

Don’t forget to read our other articles and comment below with us any ideas you have in mind to remodel your home.

Have a happy remodeling day!

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What to do before remodeling

Talavera Custom knows that renovating a home can be a lot of work and money. Especially money!

Before remodeling your home it is recommended that you review the ideas you have for remodeling and your budget. It is very important to have clear ideas! if something is not comfortable it will be changed, and this costs money. So it is better to plan well the idea of remodeling you want; it is a smart way to save time and money.

Here are some ideas to plan and put together the budget to remodel the home.

 

MAKE DECISIONS EARLY.

Start prowling the aisles at the hardware store or home center way before the wrecking crew shows up. Get a good feeling for what you want in fixtures and appliances and what they cost. If you aren’t absolutely specific up front about what you want, you’ll have to rely on your contractor’s estimate, called an allowance, and his notion of what is acceptable may be quite different from yours. For instance, you may have had a glass–tile backsplash in mind, but your contractor’s bid was for ceramic.

 

BALLPARK THE COSTS

Get a handle on how much your remodeling dreams will cost. In general, major upgrades, such as a bathroom remodel or a family-room addition, run $100 to $200 and more per square foot. If you’ll be using a design pro or remodeling contractor, discuss your project with them to get a rough idea of costs. Remember, have a clear idea of what you want it will save you a lot of money and time.

 

FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH YOU HAVE TO SPEND

Once you’ve zeroed in on a project, the next question is whether you have the money. If you’re paying cash, that’s easy to answer. But if you’re borrowing, you need to assess how much a bank will lend you and what that loan will add to your monthly expenses.

 

SET PRIORITIES AND TRIM THE PROJECT TO FIT YOUR BUDGET

Dreams and budget not in alignment? Carefully scale down your dream — chances are you’ll end up satisfied and solvent. Enlist your contractor for suggestions on cutting costs — that way, he’ll be an ally in helping you stick to your budget.

Possibilities include:

  • Low-cost alternatives. For example, specify laminate countertops instead of granite.
  • Keeping older items that are still in working condition. Appliances, furnaces, and lighting fixtures can be upgraded later.
  • Making the project smaller.
  • Buy it yourself. You’ll save up to 20% on your project costs if you buy materials and appliances yourself. Be sure to coordinate with your contractor.

 

GET QUOTES FROM CONTRACTORS

Before seeking bids, determine exactly what you want, right down to the kitchen countertop material and the type of faucet. By specifying these details up front, you ensure that prospective contractors are all pricing the same items.

Get recommendations for at least three contractors from friends, neighbors, and other tradesmen who you trust. Give each one your project description and specific product lists and request an itemized bid. To find the right contractor:

  • Ask to see their recent work
  • Check references
  • Look at online sites that provide peer reviews of contractors

 

At Talavera Custom we will happy to help you and guide you to remodel your home with a tight budget. Give us a call!

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A new wooden fireplace

The fireplace is one of the most important elements in any house. Size and abundance of material are often decisive factors.

Brick fireplaces are the most popular, it’s an easy solution is to simply wrap the brick in either tile, leaving the exposed brick for the firebox. Definitely, It’s one of the least expensive, Others prefer to use drywall to cover all the zone where the fireplace will be in, but let us tell you that wood is a way to remodel a fireplace with a low budget, and it looks original, modern and sophisticated, sounds perfect, right? By the other hand, if you set the wood over the brick, this remain beneath the new material in case a future home buyer prefers brick. Clever!

For this client, we decided to cover the entire wall where the fireplace is in order to make a simple and uniform design yet stylish. The wood gives a spectacular finish and best of all, it will be easy to clean. Then we framed out with a black coated angle iron, this makes see the place with a cleaner design.

Replacing a fireplace wall is mostly an aesthetic choice, but besides that, an updated fireplace can also add a resale value to your home.
You must be asking yourself when to do this? Well, our recommendation is to start this project if you’re considering remodeling the entire room or doing anything to the walls, including painting. It is best to start with the fireplace.
When you decide what kind of fireplace want, let us know! We will be delighted on helping you creating a masterpiece, and for sure we will do our best to make it real.

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Showcasing our accomplishments

When you need to protect the most valuable investment you own, a good roof that doesn’t leak makes all the difference in the world. Your roof can provide energy conservation, or be a drain on your pocketbook. It can make your home look old and haggard, or bright and shiny. It can dress up your home, or be a source of headaches.

When Talavera Custom embarks in a roofing renovation project, one of the first decisions the team makes is whether to replace the existing roof or to overlay the new roof right on top of the old one. Normally, many others do the re-roofing because of leaks or damage to a roof if the load-bearing capacity of the roof substrate is in question, but replacing the whole roof also reduces the additional weight of a second one.

However, in this project we tore off all the roof and replaced for a new one. We made core cuts in strategic areas to analyze material conditions, as well as thermal scans and insulation tests. It was a great experience for our client and for us!

Inside the house we did few changes, one of them was remodel the ceiling all in a trim rustic wood now looks spectacular and very country/stylish. Also we designed some new cabinets and replaced for the old ones. Last but not least, we designed and renovated the master bathroom.

Please watch our video and gallery. Then, contact us for more information about this project.

 

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Great tips to protect your home from the monsoon season

As you know, after a blazing summer with high humidity which left you all sweaty, comes thunder, lightning, and torrential rains. Monsoons are here to stay in Arizona for a couple of months (at least), you need to be sure if your home is ready for that! Homes become more vulnerable during monsoon season and it is highly crucial for you to protect your home from the rains. So, we are here to help you and give you some ideas to protect your home.

Clean your gutters

If your gutters overflow, excess rainwater can flood your gardens and saturate your home’s foundation, which, can make your home more unstable and may ultimately cause your foundation to shift or even collapse.

To avoid these issues, please be sure to clean your gutters at least once a year (yes! that’s enough!). You can do this yourself with a few simple tools or you can hire someone to come clean your gutters for you. For extra protection, you can install gutter covers to prevent debris from getting stuck. (We can do that for you! Thanks in advance for contacting us!)

Be aware of downspouts

If your gutters are working correctly, they will effectively push water down to the ground through downspouts. Ensure that your downspouts are placed so that they do not release water right next to your home, which causes water to seep directly into your home’s foundation.

If your downspouts are not in the right spot, you can try extending them so they release water in a different location, like a side yard, instead of close to your home.

An extended downspout is essentially a series of small, underground drainpipes that move water to a location where it is safe for water to seep into the soil. This project does require some digging to place the pipes underground, but it creates a great drainage system that does not interfere with the beauty of your landscaping.

Wall Cracks

Ok, This is important too!

Another important check to be made is the walls of your home. When the rains affect the exterior of the walls, it damages the walls thus paving the rain water to seep in and cause cracks. It could even result in the fungal growth, thus putting your family’s health on stake. This can be prevented by painting the walls with water proof paints and continuous monitoring of the walls twice a year.

Check for the imperfections in doors, windows & air conditioner ducts

You have to make sure that both doors and windows close and seal properly. Do not take it lightly as it can cause the leakage of rainwater inside your home and cause your discomfort. Air conditioner ducts can leave the trail of rainwater streaming across the surface of exterior walls. Plan and fix the problem while you are preparing your home for this rainy season.

Waterproof entryways

Make sure that your doors, windows and entryway flooring are adequately waterproofed and can withstand a good amount of moisture. However, waterproofing these areas once will not get the job done for future monsoon seasons.

Weather strips on doors and windows should be replaced regularly, as they can tear and bend over time, which lets our precious air-conditioned air out and rain water in. Good waterproofing on the outside of your home will keep the inside of your home safe and dry.

If you are looking for ways to protect your indoor flooring from water, try sealing your floors. Many sealers will help make your flooring water-resistant. While this is not the same as waterproofing, sealers provide one extra layer of protection from the rainwater, dirt and other debris that might make its way into your home.

Be mindful of yard grading

Water will run down your yard and build up quickly if your yard is angled even slightly toward your home. You need to beware, because can seep into the ground after the storm, potentially ruining landscaping and saturating your home’s foundation.

Try installing a retaining wall close to your home. Retaining walls can be a great spot for a small garden, an outdoor fireplace, or bench seating, and can be made of beautiful stone. Installing a drain pipe, sort of like the extended downspout mentioned above, in front of or behind the retaining wall can also help divert water away from your home. These walls can be practical and luxurious.

Rains can bring you happiness and make your mind soothing and relaxed. Do not let monsoon season sneak up on you this year! They may be harmful to your home in certain ways but with the above tips taken seriously and acting wisely by taking necessary precautionary steps, you don’t have to worry about the devastation caused by monsoon rains. Make sure to look out for flood advisories (we can help you with this) and monsoon warnings and stay safe during the storms.

If you need to do any of the corrections advise above, contact us, we can take care of it. Sit back, relax and relish the rainy moments knowing that your house is guarded totally safe. For more information, click http://wp.talaveracustom.com

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Barn Doors Ideas for your home

Recently Talavera Custom finished barn door with reclaimed door panels. This has been an exciting challenge requested by one of our clients. We managed to turn old door panels that were in the home and about to be thrown away, but before this happened, our client asked us to do something amazing with these wooden panels as they needed a new door at their home. So, we decided to take the challenge and turn those panels on a barn door!
Following the design instructions from our client we started to work hard to achieve his desires! Our client wanted something rustic and stylish. Also we set new custom hardware made to fit space.
Interior Barn Doors are perfect in areas of the home where there is limited space for a traditional door to swing out. The interior barn door can be used as room dividers, also as pantry doors, even they look as a great alternative to a pocket door. Not only are sliding barn doors functional, they can totally transform a living space and provide a design focal point.
Definitely barn doors provide an ultra-stylish solution for cramped spaces.

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Don’t forget to contact us! Let us know what’s on your mind and lets work together!

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Ideas turned into reality

We’ve been creating new and beautiful spaces for a client. Talavera was assigned a large remodel, and the client requested to design and custom build every single cabinet on their home: Master Bathroom, Kitchen, entertainment center, bar area, guest bathroom, laundry room. We embarked into this task and provided our client with another reason to smile. We carefully designed these cabinets to make the client’s home even more elegant and welcoming. High quality work turned into high quality results. See for yourself in the gallery we are providing next.

Talavera also was requested to install and finish all of the stained trim on windows and doors throughout the house. As you can see, this created an image of uniformity and sobriety that makes the house stand out! Don’t you agree with us?

Last but not least, we show you a custom designed and built cabinet with a quirky creation: Not only it matches the rest of the cabinets of the house; it was installed to house a retractable TV! how cool is that!

Always keep in mind that we can turn any of your projects and ideas into a reality and within your budget. Just contact us and we will provide you with a competitive quote that will make your finances happy and your house a beautiful place to live.

Click here to display a SlideShow
Posted on by talavera

New master bath

Today we bring you an update of our latest work. We have been remodeling a master bathroom. But before going into details we want to share some recommendations for the bathroom you have always dreamed of.

When redoing your master bathroom, consider incorporating luxury into the design to create a customized retreat.

A little secret: because bathrooms are usually smaller spaces, splurging on a few higher-end materials and finishes can be a good investment that can make your space seem incredibly luxurious. So before you issue a mandate that your bathroom will feature only the most basic, affordable materials, look at materials for wall and floor coverings, countertops and more on the higher end of the spectrum. You might find that adding one or more of these materials to a small portion of your bathroom is within your budget.

A shower remodeling may be all you need to update your bathroom and make the space more beautiful and enjoyable. Think about converting your tub to a shower If you don’t take baths but have a bathtub, converting it to a shower would be cost effective, because it would make use of the space that’s already there and you wouldn’t have to reroute the plumbing.

So, you should definitely consider remodeling your shower if it’s damaged in any way. Missing tiles, mildew growth, or a broken door are not just unpleasant and unsightly, but also hazardous to your health and safety.

A master bath should be a calm, quiet retreat, and that can be tough to pull off with the noise. This should be a place (besides to clean your body) for relax, so when you remodeling your bathroom have in mind some of the aspects that we mention.

Finally, we explain what we did to our client’s master bathroom.

First, we stripped down to studs and enlarged space to make it more comfortable. For this design we thought about setting an open tile shower. This concept has a high aesthetic value and is incredibly pleasing to the eye. Not only is this floor plan nice to look at but the open concept design also allows you to enter and leave quickly as well as clean the area with ease. Our client won’t be suffer water mess, since we angled the shower floor slightly so that water flows toward the drain.

For the toilet we mounted on to the wall, we love the look of a wall mounted toilet, it has a clean look and it is a huge space saver.

And last but not least… For decoration we built a custom floating vanity and backlot mirrors, these finishing touches will add that extra bit of luxury to an already spa like master bath remodel.

We show you some pictures and don’t forget…  it’s important to keep a few things in mind as you make your remodeling plans and contact us!

 

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