If you’re like many homeowners looking to do a residential remodel of your Long Beach home, you might look online at photos of completed projects by other homeowners, or you might read articles about the renovation process to try to get a better idea of what you can expect.
You can learn a lot from these types of articles, especially when their content is laced with advice and opinions from professionals like architects, general contractors, and interior designers.
Occasionally, Mark Grisafe, owner of M. Grisafe Architects in Long Beach, gets approached by journalists looking for an architect’s take on their article topics. In the past several months, Mark was able to offer his thoughts to two major publications, and we thought you might be interested in seeing what he had to say. Of course, a good portion of what Mark says never makes it into the articles, as the authors usually like to quote multiple experts in a single article, but Mark always manages to offer important insights.
Realtor.com: Planning a Kitchen Remodel? Ask Yourself These 8 Questions First
Realtor.com author Margaret Heidenry wrote this excellent article about how you should approach a major kitchen remodel. Kitchen remodels can be very complex, and it’s important to get the details right, since this space can often serve multiple important functions (a place for food preparation, an entertaining space, an eating area, storage space, etc.).
The first kitchen design expert the author chose to quote in her article was our own Mark Grisafe. His comments emphasize the importance of letting the kitchen’s main functions dictate the design of the space. For example, a kitchen that will be used mainly for entertaining will be designed much differently than a kitchen that is meant to be more of a design feature in the home.
When working with our Long Beach clients at M. Grisafe Architects, one of the first things we typically ask is, “How do you imagine your space being used?” We think this is a good “jumping off point” for the design process because it tells us a lot right off the bat about how the space should feel and function once it is completed.
Omaha World-Herald: Turning Homes Inside Out
For her article, Turning Homes Inside Out: The Right Way to Set Up an Outdoor Space, Marilyn Kennedy Melia needed an architect to speak to the use of patio doors when designing an outdoor space that can serve as an extension of the home.
In many of the Long Beach residential remodels we do, an indoor/outdoor space is part of the design. Clients want to take advantage of the great weather we have in Long Beach, and also maximize the square footage of their homes. An outdoor living space is a great way to do both of those things. When it comes to the patio doors leading to your outdoor living area, there are many options. As Mark mentions in the article, French folding or telescoping doors are popular options. Sliding doors can also be a great choice, but the opening won’t be as wide as what you can get with French folding or telescoping doors. Mark explains, “The typical sliding door is six feet or twelve feet, but because one or more of the panels on a slider is always non-movable, the actual opening for a six-foot door is three feet, and the opening for a twelve-foot door is six feet.”
The Importance of Using a Long Beach Architect for Home Renovations
Both of these articles emphasize the importance of having a professional Long Beach architect as part of your team when it comes to major home renovations. With all of the resources available online, it can be tempting to try to save money and DIY much of your home remodel, but if you want the job done right and completed in a timely manner, hiring a Long Beach architect is money well spent. We can help guide you through the entire process (including getting the proper permits) and make sure your finished project has the “feel” you are going for, as well as all of the details that are important to you and your family.
If you have a residential remodeling project in mind, we’d love to hear about it! Contact our office today to speak with one of our Long Beach architects.
