Study

Case

Whole House Remodel & Addition

32nd Street, Boulder

Before—A Cramped, Outmoded Home

The Background

Our client, Barbara—a vibrant, active octogenarian—had owned this home on 32nd Street in Boulder for fifty years. However, she had been living in Alaska for more than three decades and, in recent years, had been renting the home out to college students. Not surprisingly, the house needed updating and renovation.

So when Barbara decided to move back to Colorado, she turned to H & H Builders for a whole house remodel—referred by a past client whose remodel won a C.A.R.E. Award.

We were able to complete the vast majority of the project while Barbara was still living in Alaska, and she was thrilled with the results. In a review on Guild Quality, she wrote: “H & H Builders did a fantastic job. They did it on schedule and in budget!”

With our proven Design/Build process, we handle design, structural engineering, and construction in-house. This ensures that you can afford to build your project and streamlines the process so we can finish on time.

The Project

Barbara’s house was small—a little over a thousand square feet. Divided into three tiny bedrooms that shared a single bathroom, it felt even smaller. An awkward 3/4-height wall separated the kitchen from the rest of the living area. The dated kitchen sported tired linoleum flooring, had no dishwasher, and—worst of all—shared space with the home’s laundry area.

Barbara wanted to:

Open up the floor plan, update the living area, and completely remodel the kitchen.
Create a primary suite with a more conveniently located laundry area.

We completed the whole-house remodel in a little over four months. After Barbara had moved in and was enjoying her transformed home, she asked us to add a sunroom with a hot tub to the back of the house.

After—A Cozy, Updated Home with a New Primary Suite

Living Area Remodel

To open up the living area, we removed the 3/4-height wall by the kitchen. We refinished the damaged hardwood floors, added recessed lighting, and installed a new chandelier in the dining area.

We extended the hardwood flooring into the kitchen, unifying the look of the living space. With the 3/4-height wall gone, we reoriented the kitchen, adding an island with a new electric range.

The kitchen remodel also included:

New cabinetry,
New quartz countertops,
New appliances, including a dishwasher with drawers for better ergonomics and space, energy, and water efficiency, and
A new pantry—made possible in part by moving the washer and dryer to the master suite.

New Master Suite

Making space for the new primary suite required structural remodeling—removing load-bearing walls to eliminate the third bedroom.

The new primary suite included:

A new en suite bathroom,
An accessible walk-in shower with a built-in seat, and
A new, far more convenient laundry area.

We also remodeled the original bathroom. The shower features beautiful, three-dimensional gray tile.

Sunroom Addition

Barbara initiated the second phase of the project—the sunroom addition—after the whole house remodel was complete. The sunroom is accessed through the home’s original rear doors, so no additional structural changes were needed.

The room features warm gray tile flooring, a spacious seating area, copious natural light through windows and skylights, and a gorgeous hot tub. We also installed a simple concrete patio outside the sunroom.

Remodeling for Aging in Place

One of our service areas is accessible remodeling. In some instances, this involves widening doorways and lowering counters for wheelchair access. In other instances, we incorporate design elements that allow clients to age in place—that is, to live safely and comfortably in their own homes as they age. H & H Builders is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) remodeling company.

In this case, we eliminated all trip hazards (such as thresholds between rooms), installed an accessible shower in the master bathroom, and provided easy access to the laundry facilities.