Our Blog on Bathroom Remodeling in St. Louis, MO

Creating The Perfect Kids Playroom

With kids come toys. Lots and lots of toys! Every parent knows the struggle of having their living room converted into a playroom. Keeping the kids entertained and occupied versus keeping your house tidy and livable is a daily battle. But what if everyone could have their own space to enjoy? The ideal solution to this struggle is to have a dedicated playroom – an area where the kids can play happily, but without having every toy they own strewn throughout your house.

Turn your spare bedroom or a corner of the basement into a play space or improve the value of your home by adding a loft conversion or an extension to make a playroom the kids will love. Wherever you make room, use these tips for creating the perfect space.

  1. Storage, storage, storage
    Kids accumulate a lot of stuff, so it’s necessary to keep the place tidy by having ample storage, including shelves, toy boxes, and cupboards to tuck away their things.
  1. Floorspace
    You don’t want to overcrowd the room, leaving the kiddos with no room to spread out their things to play. The more floor space you can give them, the better.
  1. Comfy Space
    While the kids will love their own play area, they’ll also love their own chill-out zone. Bean bag chairs make the perfect spot to read a good book, play video games, or watch a favorite movie.

JM Construction/ JM Kitchen and Bath, your St. Charles kitchen and bath professionals, also specialize in whole home renovations. When you’re ready to give the kids their own play space, call on us to get the job done.

 

Designing A Home That Won’t Go Out Of Style

Everyone wants a home that will last through the years and hold up against both trends and time. Designing a home that will transition with you throughout the years and is eco-conscious – saving you time, energy, and money – is possible with the right planning.

  • #1 Keep It Simple
    Choosing a style that will last means keeping your design and style simple. For example, a minimalist look with neutral-tone walls is preferential over following trends.
  • #2 Make It Eco-Friendly
    Green homes are a trend that will never go out of style. While not everyone can upgrade to solar panels, there are plenty of low-budget solutions like a smart thermostat system, low-flow showerheads, or weathering-stripping doors and windows.
  • #3 Don’t Forget The Tech
    Smart technology is making our lives easier in many ways. You can ensure your family’s safety with remote alarm systems, there are voice-activated door locks and lights, plus you can even turn on your oven remotely.

Future-proofing your home isn’t only about eco-friendly choices and the newest gadgets. It’s about making smart choices for your future. Are you planning to have kids? Is there ample room as everyone grows and ages? Will the space work for you when you are older and have mobility issues? Can you work to lower your energy costs and your overall carbon footprint? These decisions will ensure your home serves you and your family for years to come. Contact JM Construction / JM Kitchen and Bath, home remodeling contractors in St. Louis, MO, when you’re ready to future-proof your forever home.

Three Reasons You Should Hire An Interior Designer For Your Bathroom

Doing a bathroom renovation without consulting a professional interior designer can be a really big missed opportunity. Not only can they maximize the overall results of your remodel, but undertaking this important upgrade to such a vital room in your home can turn into a disaster without the proper guidance. Ask anyone who’s done their own bathroom design and construction, and they’ll likely tell you they wish they had hired an expert in interior design for bathroom in St. Louis.

Don’t make that mistake. JM Construction / JM Kitchen and Bath has an experienced interior designer on staff to help you create the most relaxing and luxurious bathroom of your dreams. Here are just a few reasons why you shouldn’t start a bathroom remodel without consulting an interior designer.

  1. Experience and Knowledge – Before the contractors can do the physical work on installing your new shower, vanity, tile, or sink, there needs to be a design strategy in the first place — this is where the knowledge and experience of an interior designer are beneficial.
  2. Translate Your Ideas Into Reality – Interior designers are highly trained and experienced at turning drab spaces into beautiful, functional ones. Plus, they always have their finger on the pulse of new trends in bathroom design that you may be interested in implementing into your space.
  3. Save Time and Money – You likely have no idea how certain structural selections can affect the mechanics of the job or the installation of various components, but an interior designer does. A trained, experienced designer will have this knowledge and be able to advise you best.

 

Frameless Shower Doors: Pros and Cons

By far, bathrooms are one of the spaces in the home that get remodeled the most. It only seems appropriate since we start and finish our day in the space. Why wouldn’t we want it to be functional and beautiful? Today, homeowners are opting for a minimal design approach to bathroom remodeling in St. Charles, MO. No longer is more actually more. The current design trend means less is more. Clean lines, open spaces, and a neutral color palette are just a few of the key design elements for a modern, sleek bathroom. Another key feature of this bathroom design style is frameless shower doors. Before you make any final decisions on the right shower design, you should consider the pros and cons that come along with frameless shower doors.

Pro: The style of a frameless shower door is an advantage and supports the minimalist design theme. Another huge advantage of this style door is that size doesn’t matter. These doors can be changed to fit any shower. This is not the case with framed glass doors, which come in specific sizes. We all know with so much humidity in the bathroom, corrosion is often a problem, but not with frameless shower doors. These doors contain no metal, which means there is much less chance for corrosion.

Cons: The most obvious con of a frameless shower door is that they cost more. If you are on a strict budget, you might want to opt for a more traditional shower door. These doors also don’t have any insulation materials or metal rails, meaning they are more vulnerable to leaks. Also, while any shower door can shatter under the right circumstances, frameless shower doors are even more susceptible.  However, this could be the result of improper installation, damage around the door, or imperfections in the glass.

Home Renovation Mistakes To Avoid

Upgrading amenities or changing the layout or design of your home is a natural step for homeowners. Renovating your house becomes necessary when you want to add more space or remodel to make the space more functional. While the idea of a renovation is exciting, you need to consider several factors before you start kitchen remodeling in St. Louis, MO, to ensure the project is completed successfully and the way you envisioned it.

Never underestimate the remodeling costs. You must start by deciding on the budget and ensure you can get a loan for that amount, assuming you require financial assistance. Keep in mind numerous unforeseen and expensive circumstances can arise during a renovation that can affect the total spend of the project. Be sure to keep at least ten percent in a contingency account to cover any unexpected expenses.

Focus on the most-used rooms first. Not investing in the rooms that are the heart of the home, such as the living room, bathrooms, or kitchen, would be a big mistake. Ensuring those rooms are functional and up-to-date will increase your home’s resale value as well.

Never attempt to do the work yourself. Are you a weekend warrior who thinks you can remodel an entire house on your own? Think again. It’s impossible for you to do everything yourself. You need to hire the right professionals with the skill set and experience needed to execute the project. Choose someone who is an expert in the field, reputed, licensed, and with plenty of references.

Home remodeling executed by qualified professionals isn’t cheap, but it’s a necessary expense that will greatly benefit your family and your home. Just imagine all of the entertaining you’ll do and the memories you’ll make in your newly remodeled and functional space. That’s worth every penny invested.

Big Solutions For Small Kitchens

Kitchen Remodeling, St. Louis, MOSure, you might not have space for a pantry or a kitchen island, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make the most out of your small kitchen space. The good news is that there are lots of ways you can increase storage and workable prep room in your tiny kitchen. When it comes to small kitchen remodeling in St. Louis, MO, creativity is key. It’s possible to maximize even the smallest kitchen space with these clever ideas that prove sometimes less is more. Plus, you can do so without sacrificing style.  

 

The right interior designer and some DIY small kitchen hacks will help turn your small kitchen into a space you enjoy cooking in.

  • Portable Kitchen Cart – A kitchen island on wheels is the perfect way to add prep space when needed while allowing you to move it out of the way when you aren’t using it or need more room for dinner guests.
  • Tiered Shelving – Utilize all of your wall space by stacking open shelving to hold dishes, glassware, small appliances, or spices.
  • Hanging Pot Rack – Hanging pots and pans from the ceiling frees cabinets of bulky items that are tricky to organize.
  • Extra Cabinet Space – If your cabinets don’t go all the way to the ceiling, you’re wasting good storage space by not using that prime real estate. Store extra items you don’t need to access often, like special-occasion serving platters or even extra pantry supplies, in attractive baskets.
  • Storage Outside the Cabinets – When you have cabinets that don’t butt up against a wall, you’ve got square footage of bonus storage space. Hang a pot rail, install a corkboard, or add shelving.
  • Turn Your Stovetop Into Counter Space – During dinner prep, your stovetop likely isn’t being used. Create a bonus counter space with custom cut cutting boards.

Elevate Your Remodel With An Interior Designer

Interior Design for Kitchens, St. LouisWorking with an interior designer is a game-changer when it comes to remodeling your kitchen and bathroom spaces. They are the key piece between your vision and the final product. A good interior designer will elevate your dream board, magazine cutout ideas, and HGTV inspirations, and deliver you a custom creation that you never could quite put into words. We know the value of a professional home interior designer, which is why JM Construction / JM Kitchen and Bath now have one on staff. When you make the choice to allow us to renovate your home, you now have an experienced designer at your service, too.

 

What Does An Interior Designer Do?

While it’s part of their arsenal, interior designers do more than focusing on aesthetics like paint colors, artwork, and window treatments. They go beyond these concerns to ensure the overall layout and design is functional, beautiful, and fits how you envision living in your space. You have the vision on how you wish to live in your home, while an interior designer can bring it to life. Their trained eye allows them to see a space as you might have never imagined, including removing walls and moving appliances with a focus on space planning and functionality.

 

When you work with our in-house interior designer, you can feel confident knowing they are working directly with our contractors and construction team to deliver you a functional, comfortable, livable, and polished space for your family to enjoy. Contact us today to schedule a meeting with our interior designer to discuss interior design for kitchen in St. Louis, and your next home renovation project.

Designing A Smart Kitchen

Kitchen Remodeling, St. Louis, MOTechnology has entered the kitchen in a big way. Today, you can have a kitchen with technology integrated into every function – from the faucet to the fridge. Bring your kitchen into the modern age with these Wi-Fi enabled devices and must-have appliances.

 

  • You can control Wi-Fi enabled kitchen appliances with your phone, streamlining all of your cooking with the touch of a button. Kitchen appliances that are currently designed with a Wi-Fi connection include refrigerators, ovens, coffeemakers, and stovetops.
  • Smart refrigerators are designed with Wi-Fi connectivity and touch screens that feature the ability to look for recipes or order groceries through delivery services. Smart refrigerators tend to be bigger than older refrigerator models. Therefore, kitchen remodeling in St. Louis, MO, would need to include reconfiguring the space to fit this type of fridge.
  • The touchless kitchen faucet is a technological marvel that can cut down on the transfer of germs and offers up a stream of clean water at the swipe of a hand.
  • Many lighting systems now come with an app so that you can control all of your kitchen’s lighting with the touch of a button or through your virtual assistants, such as Amazon Echo or Google Home.

 

As our modern lives become busier than ever, our kitchens are getting smarter, saving us time and money. To learn more about designing a smart kitchen, contact JM Construction/JM Kitchen and Bath at 1-800-978-6500.

Building The Perfect Kitchen Pantry

Kitchen Remodeling St. Louis, MOEvery homeowner dreams of more storage space in their house with the kitchen on the top of that list. There seems to never be enough room for all of your small appliances, pots, pans, and food. The solution to your kitchen storage shortage issue is by incorporating a kitchen pantry to the space.

 

The pantry is an important part of a working kitchen. Not only does it allow you to declutter your space, but it also means you can properly organize and display the food you have. Without organization, we tend to purchase food we don’t need and forget about the food we have. With a separate pantry, food items are visible, easily accessible, and tidy.   Plus, pantries aren’t just functional; they can add style to your kitchen as well. Here’s a list of features to consider when you’re designing the perfect pantry during kitchen remodeling in St. Louis, MO.

 

Size – Bigger is better when it comes to a pantry. If you can allocate a good amount of square footage to kitchen storage, you’ll be glad you did.

 

Location – Pantries store most of the kitchen essentials, therefore you want it placed close to your workspace and appliances. Think about the workflow within your space when designing your kitchen pantry layout.

 

Layout – Get creative when it comes to the overall design, but keep in mind you’ll want storage spaces of varying sizes to accommodate everything from spices to a stand mixer and blender. Narrow shelves are great for small items, slide-out shelves are ideal for baking supplies, and wide shelves are necessary for food and appliance storage. If your pantry is big enough, you’ll want to make room for your broom, mop, and other kitchen-cleaning items, too.

Guide To Durable Countertop Options

One of the first questions we’re always asked when we begin the design process of kitchen remodeling in St. Louis, MO, is what the best kitchen countertop materials are. That answer varies on your family and how you plan to use and live in the space. Choosing the right kitchen countertop material involves a great deal of personal preference, such as the look you want, but there are also other criteria you should consider when choosing a countertop material. Here we’ve listed some of the top countertops for the modern kitchen remodel.

Laminate: Laminate countertops are the perennial standby when it comes to kitchen and bathroom countertop choices. Once regarded as cheap or fake-looking, modern laminates are pushing the boundaries with laminates that are steadily improving in appearance.

Granite: Granite has been and will likely always be regarded as the premium countertop material. Granite counters have a deep, rich, complex appearance that cannot be duplicated in any man-made material.

Quartz: Quartz countertops – a form of engineered stone – are made from natural stone byproducts (leftover rubble from quarrying), which are pulverized and blended with resins to form slabs. Quartz countertops look fantastic, plus they have dozens of different looks available, ranging from granite and marble look-alikes to very unique, modern colors and patterns.