Room to Renew | Now Accepting Nominations!

Last year, we were honored to get involved with Room to Renew, a non-profit organization led by local interior designer, Deidre Remtema, who uses her professional design skills to redesign one room in a caregiver’s home, giving them a place of rest and relaxation. We are happy to partner this worthy organization again, as Room to Renew is currently accepting nominations for the 2019 recipient (deadline for submissions is Friday, April 26).

“Our mission is to uplift, restore and rejuvenate those who have dedicated their time and energy to taking care of someone with a special need or illness,” Remtema said.

Remtema was inspired to help caregivers based on her own experience as a child. Her mother, a nurse, took full-time care of her grandmother, who had multiple sclerosis, in their home.

The inaugural 2018 Room to Renew recipient was Liz Collar-Baar, a nurse at Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Hospital. She was nominated by her fellow nurses. She cares for her 11-year-old son Tristan. Tristan has congenital heart disease and has endured over 50 surgeries. Liz and her husband work opposite shifts so they can care for Tristan.

After insisting that the room makeover should be for Tristan and not herself, Liz finally conceded and accepted the gift for her own bedroom.

“I wanted to treat Liz’s bedroom remodel just like any Deidre Interiors project. Working with a designer is fun and I wanted Liz to have that experience. Her bedroom is a custom design of the highest quality thanks to our many partners. This room will look great and function for many years to come,” said Remtema.

The renovated room included a more functional walk-in closet making it easier to put laundry away. A makeup station as a special treat for Liz. An updated master bathroom, custom upholstered headboard, window treatments, color and lighting. Many partners came on board to help make the renovation happen. We at Scott Christopher Homes were honored to lead the charge as the builder partner.

“The room means a greater sense of peace and relaxation,” said Collar-Baar, “It brings a sense of calm and organization in my life. As a caregiver, you don’t think about that for yourself but to have 10 minutes of putting clothes away in the new closet is so peaceful and so effortless, it’s wonderful.”

The transition from not only caregiver at work and home but also to the recipient of this gift has been a learning curve for Collar-Baar.

“Every caregiver deserves a few moments to take a few breaths and a timeout. It’s OK to have that space. It’s OK to have peace and quiet and it’s OK to feel that peace,” she says.

If you know a caregiver that could use a place in his or her home to rest and relax complete the short nomination form online HERE.


Photography: Johnny Quirin, Room to Renew is a registered 501(c)3.

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In the News | Great Lakes By Design Magazine | Modern Translation

Our Refined Retreat project was featured in the latest issue of Great Lakes By Design Magazine in a piece titled, Modern Translation.  This renovation showcases some dramatic before and after photos, exhibiting a home truly transformed.  From the layout to the style, from the palette to the addition of a second story, it’s fun to see how far this home came from start to finish.

Read about the story behind the design and construction of this remarkable remodel – Click Here to view the full published story.

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During Construction

Building or renovating a home can be a stressful experience, but the good news is…it doesn’t have to be. We have set people and proven processes in place to ensure the experience of building a home can be — dare we say — enjoyable! Hear what our clients have to say about the construction phase of their build experience…

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Why Build or Renovate with Scott Christopher Homes?

When faced with building or renovating a home, we know you have a number of choices here in West Michigan.  So why choose us?  What sets Scott Christopher Homes​ apart from the rest?  The answer: Experience.  Hear exactly what that means to us from our founder, Scott Christopher.

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In the News | Cosmopolitan Home Magazine: Once Upon a Dune

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”  Planned for a challenging build site, our Dunes project took loads of teamwork, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking to bring this stunning retreat to life.  Read about the process from start to finish and take a remarkable pictorial and virtual tour of this one-of-a-kind home in the cover story of Cosmopolitan Home Magazine’s most recent issue.  Click here to see the full issue.

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Urban Oasis: out with the 90’s, in with the 21st century

We recently posted the finished photos of our Urban Oasis project.  The creative brilliance of this project highlights the exciting idea that not every home needs to be structurally rearranged to gain the cosmetic and practical beauty of a thematic update.  With flooring choices, ceiling enhancements, thoughtful lighting and color selections, select cabinetry upgrades with custom cabinetry, fresh feature accents (ie: fireplace areas), and even new furniture, it’s exciting to creatively bring a classic home into the 21st century.  Such was the case in the kitchen, dining, formal living, family room, recreation rooms, and bedrooms of this home.  To truly appreciate the “afters” of this renovation, take a look at how far it has come from the “befores.”  [ commence temporary descent of jaw altitude ]

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Hunting for Treasure

One of the things we like best about our work is the opportunity to make connections. In any home building or renovation project, we’re looking to create an environment that connects with our client and their vision of how they want to live. But in one recent case, creating that kind of connection also allowed us to connect with the past.

Our client came to us to help plan a new cottage on the shore of Lake Michigan. After several years of living in Paris with her family, she had developed a fondness for a certain quality of finishes that are difficult to find in new materials.

We were able to meet her extremely high expectations by introducing her to a local supplier of reclaimed barn wood. Jeremy Beadner of Barn Baron Lumber Company has built a business out of taking down old barns and reclaiming the reusable lumber and hardware. Beadner told us that in several years of harvesting this old wood, he’s come across some amazing treasures, including one continuous beam that was 16” x 16” and over 80 feet long, with an estimated value of over $10,000!

With new material readily available, you may wonder why anyone would choose to reuse old wood. In fact, many of these old structures were constructed with old-growth hardwood, which has extremely tight growth rings that give it a high level of structural integrity–making it a very sound choice for a new construction project. What’s more, the natural aging and weathering of this wood has given it a character and history that simply can’t be found in new materials. It turns out that was exactly the look our client was hoping for in her cottage.

We arranged a visit with the supplier, where our client was able to see and touch the different types of materials available for wall, ceiling, and floor surfaces, along with decorative faux structural beams. During the tour, our client also discovered an original barn door which we plan to repurpose for her project, restoring the hardware to function like new without losing any of its desirable, as-found patina. Now that the client understands what is available, we’ll work with her and the interior design team to choose the right lumber for the right locations throughout her cottage.

The barn wood is just one of the many details we’re considering to help our client’s vision come to life. We began working together very early, allowing us to recommend one of our most trusted partners for architecture and interior design services. We’ve also been able to help with environmental/DEQ regulations and permitting.

Coming into the project early allows us to manage the big picture so that everything runs smoothly–and continues to satisfy after move-in day. But along with understanding the big picture, we really love to focus on getting all of the details exactly right, too. Hunting down the perfect barn wood for this project is just one example of the extra mile we’ll go to make sure our clients end up delighted with their surroundings.

We’d love to do the same for you.

 

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Vacation or Staycation?

If you (like me) plan to hang around home this summer… be sure to incorporate some beautiful outdoor spaces—perfect for entertaining or quiet enough to finally get that nap in! Get inspired with these lovely photos!

 

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