Category Archives: All Posts

ADB Wins Three CotY Awards for 2018

Atlanta Design & Build was honored to receive three 2018 Contractor of the Year (CotY) Awards from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), Atlanta chapter. Each year, NARI-Atlanta members enter their completed projects in 29 residential remodeling categories. A diverse and impartial panel of judges selects the CotY winners based on select criteria for each category and recognizes the exceptional results of the projects entered with these prestigious Awards.

This year’s elegant CotY Awards Gala took place on December 11, 2018 at the W Hotel in Atlanta with a sold-out attendance. Chip Wade, Emmy-winning HGTV personality and Atlanta native, was the guest emcee who made the evening special for everyone in attendance.

Atlanta Design & Build won CotY Awards in the following categories:

1. Residential Bath $25,000 to $50,000
2. Residential Kitchen Over $150,000 with Team entrant Schuon Kitchens and Baths
3. Whole House over $1,000,000 with Team entrants Pella Southeast–Atlanta and PMC Building Materials 

We are so proud of the hard work our team puts in to each project we have the opportunity to transform. Contact us today about working together on your home remodel in 2019!

Residential Bath $25,000 to $50,000. Read more about this project.

Whole House over $1,000,000 with Team entrants Pella Southeast–Atlanta and PMC Building Materials. See all project aspects in this 4 part series transformation.

Residential Kitchen Over $150,000 with Team entrant Schuon Kitchens and Baths

Our client’s kitchen had fallen out of style and had a cramped feel. The homeowner wanted to impart a more stylish look keeping with the new homes being built near their neighborhood.  

The 1990s kitchen featured odd angles, limited cabinet space, inadequate work areas and congested walkways. The style was transformed with a large 54” x 108” Island, stunning granite countertops, new high-end appliances, superior Mouser cabinets, walk-in pantry, handcrafted copper exhaust hood, and custom garden window. Removing walls transformed this kitchen into an open, inviting space with greater capacity for entertaining, better traffic flow, maximum storage and expanded work areas.

Welcome Caio to the ADB Team

photo courtesy of Holland Reid Photography

Atlanta Design & Build gives a hearty welcome to our newest employee, Caio Nunes. We are very pleased to have him on our ADB team!

Caio (pronounced Kyle) is originally from Brazil. Construction has been his passion since childhood.  For the past 14 years, he has honed his skill and expertise working with hardwood flooring.  

Caving in North Georgia

Caio and Sydney Contant met through friends and have known each other for 10 -11 years, right around the time she started working for ADB. His quiet demeanor brings to mind the adage, “still waters run deep”.  Sharing many common interests; sports, the outdoors, working with their hands and carpentry, to name just a few, their friendship continued to blossom culminating with their wedding in June, 2017.  When ADB’s recent hiring need arose, we looked no further than our own backyard to find the needed team member. 

Caio has been working as a Carpenter Apprentice since October. His construction background and skillset equip him to be an asset to the team.  “My work with ADB involves helping the guys,” Caio explains. “I learn as I go, hands-on. I want to take it slow and learn everything completely. I eventually want to get my license to be a carpenter, but I also want in-depth learning from experience, not just book learning. I haven’t yet worked with ADB long enough to stand back and admire a project from start to finish, but at the end of each day I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished. This work is my calling and I enjoy doing it so much!”

Caio appreciates the professionalism of ADB, and also likes the family environment. He notices that Dale Contant is very considerate of his workers and treats them like a part of his family.

Outside of work, Caio still enjoys sports, and camping.  He especially enjoys spending time with Sydney.  Having purchased their first home, Caio and Sydney Nunes are planning to raise chickens in their backyard.  Even more exciting, they are now anticipating the arrival of their new baby boy. They are elated at becoming parents.  Dale and Keely are also thrilled to be first-time grandparents.  We look forward to sharing pictures in our January edition of our eNewsletter, HOMEStyle Online.  

Marietta Lake House Transformed | Part 3

Redesigned Upper Level Interior

Previously, we featured the dock and boathouse and home exterior of the gorgeous lake house project that our Atlanta Design & Build team recently completed. Moving inside the home, you will get to experience the amazing redesign of the upper level interior. Our clients envisioned wide-open spaces using beautiful craftsmanship, natural materials and simple lines modeled after Gustav Stickley and the Arts & Crafts movement. They desired intricately designed cabinetry, furniture, and fabrics that harkened back to the day when honest, genuine craftsmanship was trendsetting.

Kitchen before and after

Our clients looked to Atlanta Design & Build to come up with some ideas and solutions that would open up the interior space in their home, bringing in lots of light and breathtaking views. “The home’s existing upstairs interior desperately needed updating—it was frozen back in a 1970s-1980s style,” commented Dale Contant, ADB President “The space felt dark, closed in, and the homeowners could not take advantage of the beautiful views of the lake.” 

A glass solarium that previous owners added to the back of the house, had water leaks and structural issues.  ADB removed the solarium and replaced it with an expansive addition. Several of the original walls in the upstairs living room were removed and the space was connected seamlessly to the new addition. The upstairs was transformed into a substantial great room that measures 24×37 feet long. This spacious room accommodates dinners and entertaining for family, friends, or business associates with ease.  

Massive windows that soar 19 feet from the floor to the ceiling ridge of the great room provide amazing views of the lake. Our team removed the roof from the main living room and installed skylights as well as clerestory windows adding to the ambiance of under-stated grandeur.  Box beams of hand-hewed reclaimed wood give the ceiling special depth and character. 

At our clients’ request, the flooring was constructed of authentic reclaimed wood from old barns. After removing the original flooring of 2 1/2 inch-thick solid brick pavers, ADB built another floor upon which to install the beautiful pine flooring. All of the Victorian pine millwork and trim was finished on site with each piece precisely ripped to the various widths as required. 

before

A huge, open, Isokern double-sided vented fireplace – their largest size available – with an all-natural stone surround was installed. The team first had to remove the existing two-story high, solid masonry fireplace before they could build the new fireplace. “The fireplace mantle was a solid reclaimed oak beam and our client requested lights and outlets in the mantle,” explained Jamie Franks, Sr. Project Manager. “So we chiseled out places in the back of the solid block of oak for the outlet, transformer, main control, and wiring for a touch switch. This was a new procedure for our team, and we are very proud of our accomplishment.”

after

ADB opened up the kitchen so it now offers wonderful views of the lake while the homeowners are preparing meals. The handcrafted ceiling beams were designed in the Craftsman style. Custom cabinets were tastefully crafted from quarter-sawn oak and include special Stickley-style details. SubZero and Wolf appliances are faced with matching wood panels so they blend into the cabinetry. Quartzite countertops with a honed finish, natural stone backsplash, and the custom vent hood set off the kitchen beautifully.

before

“Dale was wonderful from the very beginning in helping us believe that all our ideas could actually be achieved, no matter how complex or complicated,” expressed our clients. “And Jamie, the project supervisor, was amazing with additional remodel ideas and wood craftsmanship details. Our favorite aspect of the finished project is the beautiful great room!”

Review the earlier features of the dock and boathouse, and then the home exterior here. We conclude the series by venturing inside the terrace-level to share this large project’s incredible design metamorphosis.

Sign up to receive our monthly eNewsletter, HOMEStyles Online, to be the first to receive updates from our team and gain inspiration for your next remodeling project.

after photos courtesy of Barbara Brown Photography

SaveSave

Sydney Takes On a New Role at MAGIC Camp

Mentoring a Girl in Construction (MAGIC) Camp is a free, one-week camp designed to introduce middle school and high school girls to exciting careers in construction. It takes place at multiple locations in Georgia, one of which is Gwinnett Technical College, as well as Wichita, KS. Each day has a separate emphasis that lets young women, 14 years and older, have hands-on experience in several areas of the construction field. The camp covers topics from safety classes, to carpentry, electrical, welding, heavy equipment and beyond. Tuesday is Carpentry Day.

Atlanta Design & Build’s Project Manager, Sydney Contant Nunes, has been volunteering at Gwinnett Technical College on MAGIC Camp Carpentry Day for several years. Every year she has impressed the MAGIC Camp instructors with her skills in leadership, so gradually she has been asked to take on more responsibility. 

In years past, Sydney was the keynote speaker for Carpentry Day, and provided oversight without hands-on involvement in the carpentry lab. During the girls’ lunch break, she gave a presentation about carpentry and how a woman can make her place in an unconventional field. She would give a brief history of herself and her involvement/progression at Atlanta Design & Build. Sydney shared a slideshow of Before and After photos of projects for which she had been the project manager. She also displayed informational spreadsheets on how to begin a career in the industry from point A to point B, depending on whether the girls prefer learning by book at a technical college or are more hands-on driven and would like to start working in the field. 

Last year, in addition to her presentation, Sydney was also one of the carpentry lab assistants providing a watchful eye during the hands-on building class. 

This year Kathleen Torrence, the woman previously in charge of the carpentry lab, was retiring and asked Sydney if she would be interested in filling in for her as carpentry lab leader. Sydney energetically took on the larger role, which meant she was directing the girls as they actually performed physical carpentry skills. Four female Gwinnett Technical College carpentry students provided a lot of great help while she instructed 18 high school and late middle school girls in completing their carpentry projects.

Continue reading Sydney Takes On a New Role at MAGIC Camp

Marietta Lake House Transformed | Part I

Dock and Boathouse Remodel

Our Atlanta Design & Build team has received so many compliments from many of you regarding the “Raise the Roof” project featured in our monthly eNewsletter, HomeStyles Online, and blog series in 2017. We’ve decided it is time to begin a series highlighting another amazing project that our team recently completed for a client that lives on a lake: a dock, boathouse, gorgeous addition and home interior renovation. Watch the video below for the first part of the transformation:

Lake House Transformed

Continue reading Marietta Lake House Transformed | Part I

Spacious Master Bathroom Remodel and Closet Expansion in Atlanta

before

Michele and David live in an adorable 1928 Craftsman bungalow. Recently, they turned to our Atlanta Design & Build team to redesign their master bathroom and closets. Their closet area was located in a dark and narrow hallway leading from a sitting room to a crowded bathroom with only one sink. Our clients wished to create a space that maximized the footprint by removing walls and relocating the closet.

The ADB team designed an open, airy layout that eliminated the dark hallway and built an expansive dressing/closet area in the sitting room. By removing walls, the generous spa-like bathroom now flows smoothly into the dressing/closet area. “The shower is a dream,” exclaims Michele. “It includes a bench and a built-in shelf for toiletries. There are lots of mirrors in the bathroom, making it brighter. Dale promised we would love the spaciousness and he was correct.”

Michele is also thrilled with the materials and finishes selected for the space. She is very partial to neutrals and white because to her they connote cleanliness. When Dale took her to the tile company, she immediately chose exactly what she wanted: a porcelain marble-look tile in Versailles Chateaux. It includes 20×20 tile on the floors with matching 12×24 tile on walls.  A 2×2 non-slip mosaic was used on the shower floor and shower seat in a complementary Zone Grey color.

The contemporary European-style floating vanities are veneered with Richelieu durable woodgrain laminate also in grey. Dale introduced Michele to NatureCraft where Beau built their beautiful cabinets. “Beau was extremely accommodating and his work is impeccable,” remarked Michele. “I love the modern styling as well as the fact that floating vanities provide easy maintenance.”

Continue reading Spacious Master Bathroom Remodel and Closet Expansion in Atlanta