Can you renovate your home on a budget? The answer, if you’re patient and prudent – is yes!
A customer recently told us her story about her budget home renovation project which has seen her home virtually reconstructed from top to bottom and furnished to the highest standards. The 3 storey central glass and oak staircase was installed by Abbott-Wade as part of her policy of using smaller, local businesses; an ideology which had always served her well in the past.
March 19th marks St Joseph’s Day which is significant to us as Joseph (husband of Mary and step father to Jesus) is the Patron Saint of Carpenters.
If you’re thinking of renovating or replacing your staircase, you’re choosing to make a big investment in your home so it’s important to make sure you choose the best company for the job. Many homeowners are wary of ‘cowboy builders’, but as these cowboys don’t wear 10 gallon hats and ride in on a horse – so how to you spot them?
Our guide isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ model, but it’ll help to give you an idea. Some legitimate smaller companies may not have the same resources as others – but if you see too many red flags – walk away…
15mm Frameless Glass Balustrades: The beauty of designing a bespoke staircase is that every staircase is unique. Each customer a new individual with their own specifications, every challenge fresh and every setting with its own special requirements. What’s more, there are so many combinations you can opt for. With a range of hardwoods, special stains or paints, a wide variety of spindles and different styles of toughened glass to be embedded into the balustrade rails or fitted securely with different styles of bracket. Even the newel posts can be custom fluted or chamfered or even especially CNCed to complete a quarter turn to give a truly unique twist.
A member of our office team worked as a primary school teacher prior to joining Abbott-Wade and has fond memories of dressing up in school each World Book Day. As a family business, we love to celebrate World Book Day too (although we aren’t sure how our customers would feel if they found a team of carpenters dressed as Where’s Wally and Harry Potter installing their staircases). Instead, we thought we’d share a relevant poem by Winnie the Pooh author AA Milne from his 1924 collection ‘When We Were Very Young’:
If you haven’t heard of Houzz before, it’s a great place to start when you’re looking for ideas for all parts of your home. Whatever aspect of home renovation or home improvement you’re planning, from a new kitchen, bedroom furnishings or revamping your living room, Houzz‘s online community of over 40 million homeowners from all over the world have packed the website full of ideas for all parts of your home. With ideas from home owners, home design enthusiasts and specialists such as Abbott-Wade, you’re sure to find both inspiration and advice.
The world is full of stairs; dull, humdrum stairs. Fortunately, street artists from around the world have transformed staircases in these public spaces into masterpieces. Viewed from the right vantage point, they create a feast for the eyes, uplift communities and create a vibrant public spaces.
Journey around the world with us…
Auckland, New Zealand: Credit: Flickr / Pablo Garbarino
