During this month, various organizations such as remodeling associations, home improvement stores, and contractors often offer special promotions, workshops, and events to educate homeowners about remodeling options, trends, and best practices. It’s also a time when homeowners may be inspired to start planning and executing their own remodeling projects, whether it involves renovating a kitchen, bathroom, basement, or other areas of the home.

National Remodeling Month serves as a reminder for homeowners to invest in their properties, enhance their living spaces, and increase the enjoyment and value of their homes. It also highlights the importance of working with reputable professionals and adhering to proper renovation guidelines to ensure safety and quality results.

The post What is National Remodeling Month appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

Homeowners often wonder if they should stay put and renovate or sell and build a new custom home. Which provides more value?

Let’s examine the building new vs renovating toss-up and the things that both processes have in common.

You Can’t Skip the Design and Planning Process!

Whether building or renovating, you can’t escape it. Following a proper process will gather all possible information about a property to help decision making. There are three phases:

• Preliminary Design: This includes concept creation and a review of zoning regulations.
• Design Development: Interior design and project specifications/selections.
• Construction Documentation: Construction drawings and permit submittal.

Regardless of your desire to renovate or to build new, the initial conceptual design process is smaller and simpler than you might think, but very important. It presents an opportunity for you to establish a working relationship with your architect (design professional) on a “see how it goes” basis. It also identifies the larger items in getting the project started, like budget, or if an extra floor is feasible, or considering an addition at the rear.

https://www.michaelmenn.com/our-process/

What Does Your New or Renovated Home Need?

List all the features that you need in your home (wish list). How many bedrooms and bathrooms? Need a suite? What about future family plans to factor in?  Also consider the “nice to haves” or “wants”. Both the needs and wants will help form the framework and constraints for the creative team. We will come up with three options for you to choose from. Usuually it is a combination of the three designs (we like the Kitchen from Scheme A, the Master Suite from Scheme B and the Exterior from Scheme C. Once these have been combined , the next step is to start building your budget.

There are two ways to come up with a budget for design.

1. Do the design and cost it, or
2. Set a budget and work within it. (Obviously, this can put constraints on the creative process, but a budget is a budget.)

How Much is My House Worth Now and How Much After Renovation?

A realtor/appraiser can provide you with the estimated sale value of your home after the project.

This is helpful for determining a “safe zone” for your project investment.

An equation that many builders/remodelers likes to use is:  Finished value minus 10% = the starting point for the rest of the math.

So we are starting with a new value that is 90% of appraised value.

Before

After

Love It or List It – Renovate or Build New?

I’m guessing you’ve seen the TV show Love it Or List It. It demonstrates that completing “the process” will give you the information you need to figure out what is right for you.  Things to take into account are based on:

• Real costs of selling and moving, like realtor fees, Property Transfer Tax, temporary rent, movers and packing, even storage. These fees and costs often are much higher than people think, thus affecting the equations and decisions about building new vs renovating, or even to sell and buy somewhere else.
• The value of getting exactly what you want vs. what is available out there.
• Do you love where you live? This is a big one. If not, you may need to move to get what you’ve always wanted.

Renovate or Build New?

OK, we’re finally getting to the big question. Consider these issues to help tip the balance for you:

• Does the home have a favorable existing non-conforming condition that is beneficial to keep?
• Does the home have good “bones”, like 2×10 joists? Are the foundations in good shape?
• Is the house and foundation properly positioned on the lot? Is it an appropriate size for the lot?
• Do surrounding home values support the new finished product and its value? It can be nerve wracking to have the most expensive house on the block.

“Better Than New”

Yes, I would argue that something can indeed be built “better than new”.

With home construction, the words “new” and “quality” are not automatically interchangeable. Many new construction projects here in Chicago do not really represent what a reasonable person would call quality. Consider these images of “new” alongside a renovation by one of our teams.

New:

Renovated:

Quality is care. Quality is skill. Quality is accountability. Quality is built with every small step carried out impeccably.

Of course, there are good reasons to build new and not renovate. Sometimes a renovation can’t fill the need.  But the same process works for both kinds of construction. Just be sure you get verifiable quality, not merely a word.

Amortize the “Pleasure of Ownership” of a Custom Designed and Quality Built Home

Large renovations and new homes both have significant price tags. Affordability and cost of ownership are important factors. But with current low interest rates, renovations look more affordable when viewed as a cost per month, rather than a final price. They also involve less time commitment.

For example, a $100,000 gourmet kitchen will cost about 450.00 per month over a standard term.  When you factor in improved values for the overall home and improving its layout, your true cost of ownership can be as low as 100.00 per month for a gorgeous new kitchen!

Whatever your thinking, feel free to share it with us at Michael Menn Ltd., one of Chicagoland’s established and trusted design/builers. Our advice will provide insights and perspectives you may not have considered.

I want to thank my friends and colleagues at Kerr Construction in Vancouver, B.C. for the structure of this blog and for their insight into ways to constantly keep our clients knowledgable about the design and building process.

Wishing you all health and safety.

Michael A. Menn

Principal, Architect

AIA, CGR, CAPS, CGP, NCARB

Michael Menn Ltd.

2017 President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago
2016 National Remodeler of the Year
Emeritus, PowerHouse Smart Board of Advisors
American Institute of Building Design

The post Design and Planning Process appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

Why did I choose design/build as our career?

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• I like to create and the creative process.. I love being challenged by a problem, and then coming up with a solution. I love seeing something I design come to reality. I love looking at a beautiful new kitchen or room addition or office space and thinking: “I did that.”
• What we do makes the world a better place. I believe that, and you should too, that the work architects do actually makes our clients’ lives better. It might be that we make their lives easier merely from a functional standpoint (aging-in-place features, for example). It may be that what we create is so magnificent it is a source of pride for our clients.
• Ego (now we have gotten to the bottom line!). What we do is very tangible. It is easy to see the results of our work…good or bad. While I am very self-motivated and take pride when I think I do excellent work, it is certainly nice to have our work applauded from clients, from the community at large, and from peers.

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We all have different motivations. Indeed, there are many legitimate reasons, and I have thought long and hard about why I chose to enter this challenging and rewarding world. I have come up with three reasons.

If you are like me, that professional recognition from peers is extremely important. I see a general desire within the world of design/build to become recognized and respected as professionals within the greater design community.

Brilliant work is a function of two things: creative design and flawless execution. That flawless execution generally means leading a diverse project team, whose members often have competing goals.

We recently assembled a large team to bring a fairly complex project to reality. The team includes an architect, interior designer, kitchen designer, landscape architect, audio/video specialist, civil engineer and the remodeling contractor. We meet every two weeks to work through design issues. How does changing the grade along the exterior affect the landscaping plan or ingress and egress out of the house? Should the hardscaping material used throughout the exterior be brought into the interior of the screened porch?

Everyone has a valid point in the discussion and we use each other as sounding boards on all ideas.

This leads me back to the initial thoughts in this column and one of the reasons we are in the design/build profession: to help in the creative process. So now is your chance to be involved in the creative process for this project.

As you can see, I have drawn two solutions for this project. One has the Kitchen facing the backyard with a small Den off to the side. The other swaps the Den and Kitchen.

Let me know what you think and why. I will report back in a future column and recognize some of your solutions. After all, recognition is another reason we are in this profession. Looking forward to your great thoughts.

Preliminary Plan ‘A’

Preliminary Plan ‘B’

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” Mother Teresa

The post Why I Do What I Do! appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

Wouldn’t you love to double the size of your house for the holidays, or when you’re entertaining for large groups of friends? And when the party is over and all the guests have gone home have your nice, cozy house back just like that?

It doesn’t make sense to maintain a large entertaining space that gets used only a couple of times a year. That’s why it’s so practical to have a functional and efficient indoor-outdoor space.

Having a well-designed outdoor area adjacent to your main entertaining rooms is a great way to get more space when needed and to add value to your home. The indoor-outdoor concept is not a new idea, but when you combine it with an open floor plan, you can create a large entertaining area that your guests will savor.

Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of your indoor-outdoor design.

Dawna Jones Design – All rights reserved to them.

Create a big opening. Don’t be afraid to invest in big openings between your indoor and outdoor spaces. Large pocket or accordion doors are a great way to blur the visual barriers between the two areas. When weather permits, you can open up the exterior wall and instantly double the floor space.

Outdoor Living Environment in Deerfield IL

Keep it covered. It’s always best to have a combination of covered and uncovered outdoor spaces — but be sure to provide a covered entertaining area if at all possible. Essentially, you’ll be creating a series of outdoor rooms that will give you a sense of place without taking away from the fact that you’re outdoors.

Giulietti Schouten Architects – All rights reserved to them.

Make it level. The goal is to remove any visual or physical barriers between the two spaces — including any changes in floor level. Making sure your indoor and outdoor spaces are on the same plane assures they’ll function as one space when needed.

Outdoor Living Environment Deerfield IL

Create floor flow. Choosing a flooring material that works well inside and out is another great way to make the two spaces feel connected.

Take advantage of the view. There is nothing more impressive than a large, open space that takes advantage of an incredible view. Make sure you orient your interior to look at the vista through the adjacent outdoor space. This way you’ll get to enjoy the view from both inside and outside the house.

Weber Design Group, Inc. all rights reserved to them.

The truth is, great design is less about the way your house looks (although it should look remarkable), and more about how it functions. A well-designed house will work better, cost less to build, be more efficient to run and maintain, and get you more for less.

Great design doesn’t cost more to build than good design, but it sure feels a million times better to live in.

Tell us: What do you love about your indoor-outdoor space? Drop me a quick note and I’ll collect them and try to use them in my next indoor/outdoor space.

Thanks Dylan Chappell a California architect I admire for his seamless designs of entertaining spaces.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post Entertaining Spaces appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

Why I Do What I Do

Why did I choose architecture and construction (design/build) as my career?

We all have different motivations. Indeed, there are many legitimate reasons, and I have thought long and hard about why I chose to enter this challenging and rewarding world. I have come up with three reasons.

• I like to create and the creative process. I love being challenged by a problem, and then coming up with a solution. I love seeing something I design come to reality. I love looking at a beautiful new kitchen or room addition or office space and thinking: “I did that.”
• What we do makes the world a better place. I believe, and you should too, that the work I do actually makes my clients’ lives better. It might be that I make their lives easier merely from a functional standpoint (aging-in-place features, for example). It may be that what we create is so magnificent it is a source of pride for our clients.
• Ego (now we have gotten to the bottom line!). What I do is very tangible. It is easy to see the results of my work…good or bad. While I am very self-motivated and take pride when I think I do excellent work, it is certainly nice to have my work applauded from clients, from the community at large, and from my peers.

Brilliant work is a function of two things: creative design and flawless execution. That flawless execution generally means leading a diverse project team, whose members often have competing goals.

We recently assembled a large team to bring a fairly complex project to reality. The team includes an architect, interior designer, kitchen designer, landscape architect, audio/video specialist, civil engineer and the remodeling contractor. We meet every two weeks to work through design issues. How does changing the grade along the exterior affect the landscaping plan or ingress and egress out of the house? Should the hardscaping material used throughout the exterior be brought into the interior of the screened porch?

Everyone has a valid point in the discussion and we use each other as sounding boards on all ideas.

This leads me back to the initial thoughts in this column and one of the reasons I am in the design/build profession: to help in the creative process. So now is your chance to be involved in the creative process for this project.

As you can see, I have drawn two solutions for this project. One has the Kitchen facing the backyard with a small Den off to the side. The other swaps the Den and Kitchen.

Let me know what you think and why. I will report back in a future column and recognize some of your solutions. After all, recognition is another reason I am in this profession. Looking forward to your great thoughts.

Preliminary Plan A

Preliminary Plan B

For those of you attending the 2015 International Builders Show and Kitchen and Bath, please reach out to me and say hi.

“There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.” Mother Teresa

Best,

The post Why I Do What I Do appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

Kasey Burke, president, Meta Housing Corporation (Los Angeles), a developer of affordable and market-rate apartment communities for seniors and families, recently shared his thoughts with Environments for Aging on the trends he’s seeing in senior housing and how his residences are adapting.

Environments For Aging: What’s the biggest change happening in aging in place living, right now?

One of the biggest changes we’re seeing is an increased focus on active living.  Builders and remodelers are moving beyond the old adult living model to create environments where boomers don’t just live, they thrive. Newer homes or remodeled homes and condominiums are focused on delivering lifelong enjoyment and active engagement.

[su_button url=”http://michaelmenn.com/contact-us/” background=”#599731″ size=”4″]Thrive In Your New Space Now![/su_button]

In response to this demand, must-have amenities in our locations include thoughtfully designed spaces for entertaining, pampering one’s self, cooking and enjoying everyday activities, among others.

However, it’s essential to design these spaces not only for those living in their own living environment who will actively participate, but also for those who are interested in engaging with others, but not on the same scale. So in addition to large family rooms, we’re also including smaller areas where homeowners can ‘chill-out’ in more intimate space like a sitting room, library, screened porch or an outside retreat. This can include gardens, walkways, balconies, and side yards that are designed to accommodate private accommodations.

What considerations are important when looking to redesign your living environment?

When examining your home for a new makeover, the foremost consideration is how deep the need may be for how you are going to use the space. This is especially important in high-rise apartments where space may be limited.

Then we begin to consider specific attributes that are important to the overall success of a new home or remodeling project, such as can we open up walls to allow for a more ‘open’ floor plan, is there enough room for that 60” professional range because cooking has become an integral part of your life, or is there enough room in or adjacent to the master bath so you can have that 2-person shower and steeping tub you always wanted.

The final consideration is how we can integrate your wish list with your lifestyle. The amenities that will make your home stand apart and become an integral part of your life can be as simple as adding a grab bar in the shower to make it a littler easier to wash the bottom of your feet to adding a third-car garage for that convertible you have always needed!

Photo Credit: aginginplace.com

What do you think you would want in your living environment five years form now?

The boomers of today are no longer satisfied with just a large bathtub or new countertops in their kitchen. They want to live in environments that cater to their individual needs and comfort features. That is going to be different for each and everyone. Hopefully by creating your own individual living space you will stay young and engaged with y our peers, neighbors and children. I see the concept of aging-in-place continuing to grow and become increasingly implemented in everyday life throughout the U.S.

Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.

Best,

The post Active Living: A Trend That’s Here To Stay appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

Big houses consume more resources than small ones. They use more wood, more carpet, more drywall and more concrete. They cover more ground and generate more construction debris. When completed, they will require more energy to heat and cool.

A house’s size has a greater impact on energy and resource use than any other factor, including insulation, equipment efficiency and windows. So here are some tips for efficiency yet maintaining style.

Space Design Savvy Tips:

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• Share space between different uses. A home office and guest bedroom is a common combination. Also consider using a hall or stairway as a library or gallery, a landing can be a reading nook, the laundry can be a mudroom. Replace individual rooms for “media,” exercise and others purposes with built-ins and storage for special equipment.

• Add double-height space. Smaller rooms need not feel “cramped.” High vertical spaces add an airy feeling.

• Fill the entire building volume. Much usable space can be lost to attics. This space under the roof can be used for visual appeal, loft space or heated storage. Cathedral roof trusses with ceiling insulation, stick framing with insulation between the rafters or structural insulated panels can all provide full insulation while embracing the volume under the roof.

• Reduce circulation paths. Shorten or eliminate hallways, unless they serve a dual purpose. Traffic patterns can cross rooms, so the extra space adds to the visual size of the room.

• Build furniture into rooms. Cabinets, bookcases, benches and eating nooks use less space when they become part of the structure. Recess bookcases or display cases into interior walls. Large storage drawers can be installed under the stairs right down to floor level.

• Remove formal spaces. Most people gather in kitchens and family rooms. Formal living and dining rooms are seldom used. So why have two spaces dedicated to essentially the same activity? Avoid showcase rooms.

• Use bedrooms for sleeping. In a well designed house, the bedrooms should be used for sleeping, dressing and little more.

• Provide ample storage. When people want a “bigger house” they may actually need more storage. Even if a house is small, careful planning and good organization can provide densely packed, three-dimensional storage.

• Enhance trim and detail. High-quality details can be a key benefit of a small house. High-quality hardware, moldings, and other aesthetic touches can draw attention away from the larger space and to the details.

• Add a focal point. Each room should have one attractive feature. This can be a building element, built-in furniture, a work of art or a dazzling light fixture.

• Invite natural light. Careful selection, sizing and location of windows and small skylights can flood a small space with wonderful natural light without increasing energy use.

• Bring in the outdoors. Locate windows and glazed doors next to decks, patios, courtyards and porches. This extends the living space past the outer walls during fair weather. Even during bad weather the visual extension continues.

• Reveal the structure. Exposed beams, posts, joists and other structural elements can define individual areas within a larger space. They also add texture or interest, and can serve as a focal point.

• Use color. Most small spaces will benefit from lighter-colored or white wall paint, because it gives a spacious feeling. Use dark or warm colors only for accent.

• Tie spaces together. Similar materials, such as flooring, wall coverings and trim, tie spaces together visually, giving the overall impression of a larger space.

• Separate spaces. Dissimilar materials set one space off from another. Instead of building a wall, change floor material and texture; expose a beam or a hang a pot rack. Changes in color and texture also help in defining spaces.

• Plan for flexibility. The design should allow for changes in lifestyle. A young couple may have children. Grown children will leave the nest. A business could be born in the kitchen and grow in the guest bedroom. Plan for these changes. Identifying a future addition is one way, but consider ways new uses could be accommodated inside the existing footprint. The upstairs could become an apartment for an aging relative. Walls could come down. Some designers suggest long-span structures so that interior walls can be repositioned with fewer structural limitations.
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Remember I’m always eager to hear your comments. Contact me at Michael@michaelmenn.com or at 847.770.6303.

Best,

The post Efficient and Beautiful appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

When we first met clients “Sue” and “Jim”, they had good reason to be nervous — they had already met with a few non-architect contractors and were disappointed with their proposals. They wanted to talk vision, but the contractors only wanted to talk price. They wanted to see know-how, but the contractors only gave them unrealistic budgets and promises to deliver things they really didn’t want.

It was clear that these contractors did not have the expertise to discuss anything other than price. By contrast, our design-build firm is staffed with architects who eat, breathe and sleep design. Even more important, these contractors did not have the smarts to listen.

That’s why we immediately focused on listening to what Sue and Jim wanted. We heard they live for spending time with their family, and wanted a Kitchen they could enjoy when their children and grandchildren visited. Sue wanted to be the “Queen of the Kitchen” and take the lead role in preparing meals, but at the same time she wanted to be involved in the conversations in the Dining Room. She felt an island would solve the problem and told us this was her main “gotta have.”

However, unlike the contractors, we didn’t simply quote a price for an island. Using our best architectural judgment, we determined we could open the Kitchen to the Dining Area and Four-Season Room — but that an island would not work as well as a peninsula. We presented Sue and Jim with several design schemes, and chose a solution that was well within their budget parameters.

Our design situated the peninsula to form a “cockpit” for Sue to manage the cooking. We opened up the entire wall behind the Kitchen and Dining area, and built a new half-height 8” wide ledge to provide a visual barrier so people sitting at the Dining Room table would not see the Kitchen activity. People could also set their drinks on the ledge, stand and talk to Sue while she cooks. We also extended the wood flooring currently in the Living and Dining rooms into the Kitchen for a seamless transition.

So what have we learned?

expertise – listening ≠ success

listening – expertise ≠ success

expertise + listening = success

Plus the corollary that only an architect-led design-build firm like Michael Menn Ltd. can demonstrate why architecture + construction = excellence.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post e + l = s is our very own success formula fit for a Queen appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

When we first met clients “Sue” and “Jim”, they had good reason to be nervous — they had already met with a few non-architect contractors and were disappointed with their proposals. They wanted to talk vision, but the contractors only wanted to talk price. They wanted to see know-how, but the contractors only gave them unrealistic budgets and promises to deliver things they really didn’t want.

It was clear that these contractors did not have the expertise to discuss anything other than price. By contrast, our design-build firm is staffed with architects who eat, breathe and sleep design. Even more important, these contractors did not have the smarts to listen.

That’s why we immediately focused on listening to what Sue and Jim wanted. We heard they live for spending time with their family, and wanted a Kitchen they could enjoy when their children and grandchildren visited. Sue wanted to be the “Queen of the Kitchen” and take the lead role in preparing meals, but at the same time she wanted to be involved in the conversations in the Dining Room. She felt an island would solve the problem and told us this was her main “gotta have.”

However, unlike the contractors, we didn’t simply quote a price for an island. Using our best architectural judgment, we determined we could open the Kitchen to the Dining Area and Four-Season Room — but that an island would not work as well as a peninsula. We presented Sue and Jim with several design schemes, and chose a solution that was well within their budget parameters.

Our design situated the peninsula to form a “cockpit” for Sue to manage the cooking. We opened up the entire wall behind the Kitchen and Dining area, and built a new half-height 8” wide ledge to provide a visual barrier so people sitting at the Dining Room table would not see the Kitchen activity. People could also set their drinks on the ledge, stand and talk to Sue while she cooks. We also extended the wood flooring currently in the Living and Dining rooms into the Kitchen for a seamless transition.

So what have we learned?

expertise – listening ≠ success

listening – expertise ≠ success

expertise + listening = success

Plus the corollary that only an architect-led design-build firm like Michael Menn Ltd. can demonstrate why architecture + construction = excellence.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post e + l = s is our very own success formula fit for a Queen appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.

With young children and an informal lifestyle, the family wanted to open up their home’s floor plan, enlarge the kitchen, and create a more convenient space to enter and exit. We knew this would require moving one or more load-bearing walls — making the project a bit of a challenge — but it’s usually the right answer for improving circulation within the home and allowing for more functionality.

Our client agreed that a having a transitional dining area for everyday use was more important than preserving their formal dining room. That gave us the flexibility to enlarge the kitchen with additional counter space, a breakfast bar, a dishwasher and other missing conveniences. We combined the den area, enlarged kitchen, and new dining area into one cohesive, multi-use space for cooking, homework, TV watching and everything else.

Bringing the whole renovation together is an 11’ 6” x 5’ mudroom addition that adds usefulness and ease to the new living environment. Now family, friends and guests have a place to take off coats, shoes, mittens and more without disrupting the rest of the house. This small space has made a huge impact on keeping everything neat and tidy.

As you can see from the “Existing” and “Remodeled” floor plans, the new arrangement doesn’t just look better, it has our clients feeling better — and they’ve been ecstatic at how relaxed and comfortable daily living has become. Getting into our clients’ heads and unscrambling all their design thoughts into one winning design solution is what our design/build process is all about.

Existing Floor Plan

Remodeled Floor Plan

So what design challenge are you facing in your home? If you have an interior space problem you’d like solved, please email me at Michael@MichaelMenn.com and I’ll try to present a solution in one of my next blogs. Thanks for the opportunity.

Sincerely,

Michael

The post Big Lifestyle Benefits From A Small Addition appeared first on Michael Menn Ltd. Architecture-Construction-Excellence.