Asbestos, construction & renovation

Home renovations always throw a few curveballs, and our latest project, a 1950s San Jose home, was no different! This week we kicked off construction on this charming property, and we're excited to turn its outdated interiors into a modern dream. Since the home is pretty old, we started with an asbestos inspection, just to be safe. And yep, our suspicions were right – asbestos was in the ceilings, walls, and floors. This really highlighted how important it is to be thorough and careful.

When you're dealing with hazardous stuff like asbestos, bringing in specialized abatement contractors isn't just a good idea, it's absolutely essential for a safe and proper removal. We had a great experience working with Z CON Specialty; they were incredibly professional and efficient. Their team actually abated, demolished, and cleared all the affected areas in just half a day – seriously impressive! Their quick and professional service was super valuable, helping us keep the project moving without big delays.

With the asbestos gone, we can now jump into the rest of the demolition and start the crucial new framing phase. We're totally reconfiguring the interior walls because we're doing a complete overhaul of the master suite and there was a lot of water damage in the bathroom. This means we'll be gutting the space down to the perimeter studs, giving us a clean slate for our cool new design.

We're planning this renovation to be a quick and smooth project, focusing on a full redesign of the master suite, including the bedroom, closet, and bathroom. What used to be a super outdated and inefficient space will be transformed into a functional and beautiful sanctuary, with a sophisticated palette of dark, moody tones.

This design we created features some awesome materials to create a really luxurious feel. Fluted tiles in warm blacks and greys will beautifully cover the walls and ceiling of the steam shower, making it feel cohesive and calming. The floor will have lighter, distressed large-format rectangle tiles, which will create a nice contrast. For extra comfort and functionality, we're adding an electric under-pad for radiant heating under the flooring, and a Solatube in the ceiling will bring in tons of natural light.

Our detailed design drawings sailed through client approval and city permitting, so we're all set for a smooth execution. With construction officially underway, we're full steam ahead until this exciting transformation of a classic San Jose home is complete!