So, you think you are up to the challenge of renovating an old home in your Los Angeles neighborhood. Buying and renovating Mid Century Modern homes is a popular trend for the Los Angeles DIY crowd. Millennials seem to love the style and the freedom of design inspired by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

What distinguishes a Mid Century Modern home is the rooms, often divined into many levels separated by a step or two. Large, flat paned geometric windows throughout, and unique way nature becomes part of the interior design. The vintage style of these homes, including small nooks and spaces, freedom to decorate authentically, or combine eras, appeal to this homebuyer generation.

You found your dream home and are now researching renovation ideas for old homes in Los Angeles. Before we get to all the incredible design options for renovating your old home, we must talk about the unsexy but critical behind-the-scenes stuff- renovating your home’s infrastructure. Your old home’s electrical, plumbing, HVAC are at least sixty years old. Then there are the roof, water, and sewer lines to think about.

When it comes to renovation ideas for old homes, a new homebuyer can be shocked by the price tag for getting your home up to code and tech-friendly for this new modern world. Hopefully, you did your research beforehand, and your realtor alerted you to the potential costs ahead. It is best to take on these upgrades before you begin any cosmetic restorations or new design projects. It will be less costly in the long run.

WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE INTERNET, IT IS MUCH EASIER TO RESEARCH YOUR HOME. IF YOU WANT TO RESTORE IT TO ITS ORIGINAL GLORY, START BY RESEARCHING RENOVATION IDEAS FOR OLD HOMES IN LOS ANGELES.

• Get inspired by browsing newspaper and magazine advertisements from the 1950’s and 1960” s.
• Review the materials and colors for the kitchen. Notice how everything is matte countertops and matte fixtures.
• Research bathroom designs of the 1950s. Notice how popular repeating geometric tiles for the bathroom were and the classic pastel colors of pink, teal, or yellow tiles.
• Speak to local contractors and artisans who specialize in the renovation of period homes.
• Research the types of wood paneling and flooring most popular back in the 1950s.
• Tour some of the old renovated homes in your area.

If your home hasn’t been through any previous renovations, then you are blessed with all the original materials to create your dream home. Let your old home contractor know you want to preserve as much of the original materials as possible. In your design meeting, bring your collection of photos, design ideas, and even custom requests for showcasing unique iconic furnishings you might have collected in your travels. Make sure you are on the same page with your design aesthetic. Are you looking for total authenticity or a more modern interpretation of the style? Once you are on the same page, you can begin locking in the design plan.

FOUR TOP RENOVATION IDEAS FOR OLD HOMES IN LOS ANGELES

• Wood Panel Walls- is your home blessed with room after room of wood panel walls?
  If the wood is a bit too much of a good thing, refresh your rooms by adding extra lighting or additional windows. Add bold artwork with pops of brightly colored accessories to the rooms, and you will find your balance of wood, color, and light.
• Become your own interior designer- Hunt for furnishings and treasures from the 50’s and 60”s at a garage or estate sales. Become obsessed with Etsy, eBay, and Craigslist. Talk to local artisans, and you may find the perfect person to reproduce a hard-to-find piece that can become the centerpiece of your room design.
• Upgrade the Windows- An expensive, but necessary house renovation project for your old home is to upgrade the windows from single-pane to double-pane glass. New windows will save you a bundle on your air conditioning and heating bills. IF you are on a tight budget, you might have to skip the unique custom-shaped windows and add a double-pane to the windows around them. Either way, you will be happy you made this investment as you snuggle up in a cozy house for winter and stay cool in the summer.
• Landscape Design- house renovation Ideas for Old homes in Los Angeles rely heavily on the exterior garden spaces to complement and expand the interior living quarters. Look for ways to expand access to your backyard to bring nature indoors. Think about adding sliding glass doors to your bedrooms or even the bathroom. The idea is to have a small interior footprint that expands by connecting with nature. Find a landscape designer that is passionate about renovating old homes and understand the style. Choose someone who loves working with unique shapes and integrate different materials like flagstone, slate, and wood. Your contractor may have some good recommendations for you.

Once you find the right contractor and design team, you can decide whether to live in your home through the renovation or complete the project before moving in. That decision will totally depend on your circumstances and your tolerance for living with some chaos and noise. Good luck and enjoy the house renovation and redesign journey.

Consider Structura Remodeling, the top Los Angeles house renovation Company, for old house renovations. With more than sixteen years of experience serving the Los Angeles Community. The Design Team at Structura offers a free in-home budgeting and design consultation. Their clients love their attention to detail, excellent artistry, and professionalism. They deliver on time, on budget—great pricing, “0%” interest, and “0” down.

Call Structura today for a free in-home design estimate or a virtual video design estimate.
Structura Remodeling and Design- tops in Los Angeles. No job too big or too small. Let us design and build the home improvement and backyard patio ideas you have chosen to increase your home value.

Call Today 1800-922-4613 for a free in-home estimate.

Structura Remodel and Design Company…Dream. Design. Build.

Has choosing your home renovation contractor kept you from getting started on your home renovation project? I know we have all heard horror stories about relationships with your home renovation contractor going off the rails. If you do your homework, you can avoid all the pitfalls and have your dream house on a budget and schedule.

DON’T STRESS. JUST FOLLOW THESE RULES FOR HIRING A HOME RENOVATION CONTRACTOR.

Rule One – Do not make the mistake of failing to check the contractor’s references.

Most people looking for a home renovation contractor start their search on the internet by typing in -”home renovation contractors near me, which turns up the local companies with the most effective internet marketing strategies. They are not necessarily the best in their field or even home renovation contractor specialists. They might be running a highly effective SEO internet marketing campaign.

Start by getting local references in your neighborhood from people who had gone through a home renovation. Ask your realtor, your community online group, and of course, do your research on the internet. Do search for home renovation contractors near me and see whose name keeps popping up in all your searches.

Remember that sites like  Angie’s List and Houzz contractors pay for their listings, but they can’t buy their reviews. Pay attention to grades and customer reviews. Market researchers have uncovered many Facebook groups where you can buy Yelp reviews. I would take those five-star reviews with a grain of salt.

Once you have some serious contenders for your home renovation contractor, check them out with your state licensing board to make sure they are licensed and insured. You can also check the BBB Better Business Bureau and local Chamber of commerce to ensure they have no active complaints.

THE FINAL STEP IS TAKING THE TIME TO SPEAK TO ACTUAL CUSTOMER REFERENCES AND FIND OUT:

• How satisfied were they with the quality of the work?
• Were their expectations met?
• Was the work delivered on time and budget?
• How easy was it to communicate with their contractor?
• Did the contractor and the team show up when they said they would?
• Was the quality of the material as promised?
• Would they recommend them to their friends?

And anything else that you can think of that is critical to ensure your comfort level.

RULE TWO- DO NOT HIRE ON PRICE ALONE.

Sometimes buy picking the lowest-priced bid, you will end up paying more and regretting it.

If you shop by price alone, you can be missing the details. A bid may often look similar, but you must dig into the details and the fine print.

Sometimes a lower cost means that your home renovation contractor is using less-experienced workers. They may have the basic skills but not be the true artisans needed to get the job done to the level you desire.

Make sure you understand the quality of the materials supplied in the bids you are comparing. Is your home renovation contractor using the best quality materials for the job? Did they budget for the quality of wood flooring and custom wood kitchen cabinets that are part of your design expectations?

The budget should reflect all of your requirements. You don’t want to be negotiating after the fact about the quality of the materials. You do not want any hidden surprises.

RULE THREE- DO NOT HIRE YOUR HOME RENOVATION CONTRACTOR ON A HANDSHAKE. GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING.

To ensure your home renovation goes to plan, you should always get everything in writing, from the initial proposal to the contract to begin work. Make sure you read the fine print and that everything is spelled out in the contract. Do not begin the job until the contract is signed. An executed contract protects both you and the contractor against any misunderstanding.

WHEN IN DOUBT, SPELL IT OUT.

• the estimated costs
• the scope of work
• materials to be used such as brands of appliances, HVAC, grade of flooring cabinetry, etc.
• payment schedule
• contingencies in place for any additional charges or delays.

It is critical to include a 10% to 15% contingency in the budget for the unforeseeable things in any home renovation. You can’t predict if you are going o run into stuff like hidden water damage, electrical wiring, or have to replace plumbing. Better to be prepared

So, start with the internet and search Home Renovation Contractors near me and do your research. After your due diligence, pick the best fit for you and your project. Pick the home Renovation Contractor you can trust.

Structura Home Remodeling is the most trusted home renovation contractor in Los Angeles, serving the Los Angeles community for more than sixteen years and a top choice for elegant and creative home renovation solutions with your budget in mind.
The Design Team at Structura offers a free in-home budgeting and design consultation. Their clients love their attention to detail, excellent artistry, and professionalism. They deliver on time, on budget—great pricing, “0%” interest, and “0” down.

Call Structura today for a free in-home design estimate or a virtual video design estimate.
Structura Remodeling and Design- tops in Los Angeles. No job too big or too small. Let us design and build the home improvement and backyard patio ideas you have chosen to increase your home value.

Call Today 1800-922-4613 for a free in-home estimate.

Structura Remodel and Design Company…Dream. Design. Build.

Have you been priced out of the crazy Los Angeles real estate market, but you crave more space? Have you been planning your future and thinking you need an income property or a granny flat for your aging parents? These are some of the issue’s homeowners are dealing with these days,

But there is Good News

The city of Los Angeles has recently relaxed the laws and regulations around building ADUs.
An ADU is an accessory dwelling unit or additional dwelling unit built on your property. The official names for granny flats, garage conversions, or home additions separate from the main dwelling.

Whether you want more space for your family or starting a business from home, one of the easiest and most cost-efficient ways to do that is with a garage conversion.

HERE ARE SOME GREAT GARAGE CONVERSION IDEAS FOR YOUR LOS ANGELES PROPERTY.

• Convert your garage into a dual-purpose pool house and guest house. This way, you will have an extra bathroom and kitchen out by the pool and also a place for your weekend guests away from the house. Great for when the kids come home from college. It will keep your peace and sanity. It can become a rental or granny flat as your needs shift. Well worth the investment.
• Convert your garage into your ultimate office space. Whether you’ve decided you are never going back to an office again or it’s time to start your own business, make your vision a reality with this cost-effective solution. In your retirement years, you can repurpose it as your writer’s studio or for your artistic projects.
• Convert your garage into a home theatre and family room. If you can’t imagine going back to your local movie theatre, create your own. A big screen, surround sound, comfy reclining chairs, and your own private stocked concession stand complete with a popcorn maker.
• Some of the best garage conversion ideas I have seen are adding creative living space to the overall home by taking down the garage and building a two-story addition in its place. Some include an apartment and additional living space or a soaring two-story open plan kitchen. If you can dream it, your garage conversion contractor can build it.

You will want to discuss your garage conversion ideas with a local architect who can draw the plans for you and submit them to the city building department. It is essential to get everything permitted for your safety and the future sale of your property.

If your garage conversion ideas include building an addition to your garage, there are a few more things to consider. A single-story addition to the garage or a second story built over the garage will require meeting different city requirements. If the expansion is over 500 square feet, you may be required to meet the low-impact development requirements. Your architect and your city building department will be able to guide you.

While waiting for the permits to come through, take your garage conversion ideas and interview several Los Angeles general contractors. You want to hire someone local. Make sure they are licensed and that they are active on the state licensing board’s website. Make sure that they have up-to-date active insurance and experience building ADUs in your community. This way, they are familiar with all the regulations for your town. You can also check their online reviews and ask for references.

Now that your garage conversion ideas have been converted into your designer’s plan and you have hired your licensed Los Angeles general contractor, it is time to focus on the renovation details.

Before your L.A. contractor can give you a final bid, you will need to make decisions about electrical, lighting, plumbing, HVAC. These items are not part of the plan submitted to the city building department.

For example:

• Your electrical needs- Where do you want the light switches, outlets, and lighting fixtures? How many in total? Where will the electrical panel be located, and what are your needs?
• Your plumbing needs- What type of hot water heater? Are you going with the new tankless design, and will it be gas or electric?
• Your HVAC needs- do you want a whole HVAC system, or do you want a small ‘ductless’ unit? The ductless unit will be less expensive but cover a smaller area,

In your original garage conversion ideas, I’m sure you included all the bells and whistles, but then there is the reality of the budget. Here are some examples of areas where you can decide that you want to invest or go for savings.

• How much do you want to invest in a new driveway and landscaping?
• Will you invest extra for vaulted ceilings?
• Is it critical to level a sloping garage floor?
• Do you need to paint the exterior of your garage conversion?
• Do you want to spend it on a bathtub or just a shower?
• Will your kitchen include prefab cabinets or custom?

Sometimes you must decide to spend on issues that will not add visible value but are essential structural items. For example, do you need a new roof, or do you wait? Some things can’t be put off, like repairing termite damage or water damage. Pay now or pay later? What are the best options?

The more you can plan, the fewer surprises there will be for the budget and the project timeline.

Consider Structura Remodeling, the top Los Angeles Home Renovation Company. With more than sixteen years of experience serving the Los Angeles Community. The Design Team at Structura offers a free in-home budgeting and design consultation. Their clients love their attention to detail, excellent artistry, and professionalism. They deliver on time, on budget—great pricing, “0%” interest, and “0” down.

Call Structura today for a free in-home design estimate or a virtual video design estimate.
Structura Remodeling and Design- tops in Los Angeles. No job too big or too small. Let us design and build the home improvement and backyard patio ideas you have chosen to increase your home value.

Call Today 1800-922-4613 for a free in-home estimate.

Structura Remodel and Design Company…Dream. Design. Build.

This is one of those big life decisions, do you renovate, or do you sell? Some things are hard to replace. If you have fantastic neighbors and a community of friends that you have cultivated over many years, that is hard to give up and maybe irreplaceable. The garden you have tenderly nurtured with its heirloom plants and prize-winning blooms is not something you can easily pack up and take with you. And then there are the memories, the good times and the not-so-good time, all the moments that add up to the sum total of your life to date.

Can you, in good conscience, walk away? Would your kids and or grandkids even tolerate the idea? Now I know that we have become a culture of nomads in this country. We do not live our lives in our communities as much as we exist online. I’m not sure that is a good thing. Time will tell. After losing many friends and neighbors this year, I am partial to the idea that home, family, and community are essential to our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.

SO HERE IS MY CASE FOR STAYING PUT AND GOING FOR A FULL HOME RENOVATION.

1. It is a sellers’ market. You can get full price for your home, and then you are on the other side of the equation. Now is not the best time to buy. Do you want to go through a stressful bidding process where it’s you and twenty other families in an obscene bidding war for the same house?
2. No matter what home you purchase, you will end up with a few renovation projects to make the house your new home. So, no matter what you do, you can’t avoid a construction project or two unless you are buying new construction. Either way, you are managing a build.
3. It’s your house, so it is your choice about the renovation process. You can choose to do it in stages or pull the band-aid off and go for the complete house renovation. Living in Los Angeles, where the weather is excellent all year round, makes this prospect much simpler. No chance of snow, frost, and winter weather interfering with your project. You can set up an outdoor kitchen and live in your camper in the backyard. Think of it as a nature vacation.
4. You decide your home renovation budget, so you control how and where the money is invested. Look for home renovation ideas on a budget. You will be on your own timeline so you can investigate budget kitchen remodels, budget bathroom remodels, and budget backyard renovations. Watch the home remodeling shows, read the home design magazines, go to the bath and kitchen showrooms. Go to open houses in your neighborhood and take the best design ideas you find.

Then you can start to assemble a working budget. You will know what things cost and how you want to invest your dollars. Here are some things to guide you on your journey to compiling your home remodel budget.

BREAKDOWN OF TYPICAL STARTING COSTS:

Gut Renovation vs. Non- Gut Renovation

In creating a budget, the first decision that impacts cost is deciding on a gut renovation vs. a non-gut renovation. A gut renovation is exactly as it sounds. You gut the house, removing everything down to the foundation. In a gut renovation, all visible surfaces are replaced. Interior walls are stripped down to the studs, and the framing is knocked out entirely.

A non- gut renovation may also involve a new kitchen, bathroom, new flooring, etc., but you will be using the existing structure and walls. A gut renovation will start at $100-$200 per square foot. A non- gut renovation will begin at about $75-$100 per square foot.

GENERAL GUIDELINE FOR A LOS ANGELES HOME RENOVATION BUDGET

• Full-home renovation $100—$200 per square foot
• Dry spaces- bedrooms and family rooms start at $50 per square foot.
• Baths start at $400 per square foot.
• Kitchens start at $300 per square foot.
• Gut remodel with customization: $200—$300 per square foot.
• Non-gut, remodel with customization: $200 per square foot.
• Structural factors like staircases and second-floor additions- extensive customization: $300 per square foot+
• Plumbing permits: from under $2,000 up to $5,000
• Electrical permits: $900
• Electrical permits: $900

Moving walls, adding staircases, shifting gas and plumbing, and electrical rewiring all contribute to a higher per-square-foot cost, plus add to the behind-the-scenes expenditures.

Since pricing for kitchens and baths runs higher than other rooms, more of those equal a higher price per square foot.

You can expect to see more extensive customization, fine finishes, and luxurious materials at this level and beyond. You will have access to handmade tiles, exotic wood grains, natural stone, and fine architectural details at this price point.

You might also see custom door casements and extensive lighting details at this level. There won’t be much in the way of off-the-shelf materials, and the artistry should be top-notch. Renovations that hit all of these notes can quickly run over $500 per square foot.

TIPS TO STAY ON TOP OF YOUR RENOVATION BUDGET:

• Include an additional 10 to 15 percent in the budget for project overruns, unforeseen structural, plumbing, or heating problems.
• Spend for high price custom materials only where it counts. Work with your designer to choose materials for maximum effect. Spend for the handmade tiles for your kitchen backsplash. They will create a standout design focus for your home. You can use standard material for the second bathroom to balance the budget.
• Fix the plumbing and electrical infrastructure. Spend it now while you are under renovation or face more costly problems down the road.
• Focus on kitchens and baths. Spend your money where it counts. Renovated kitchens and bathrooms add the most resale value to your home.
• Consult experts upfront. If you plan to hire an architect or designer for a major home renovation, get them on board early. This can help save money by mapping out a clear plan to avoid costly changes mid-stream. Set aside 15 to 20 percent of your budget for your design team. Hire your licensed professionals early, a cost-effective way to prevent headaches later.

After planning your home renovation budget, it’s time to call in the experts. Structura Home Remodeling is the top company in the Los Angeles Area for a total home renovation.

Hire a company that will keep your project on time, on-trend, and on budget.

Structura’s clients say that the Structura contractors are true artisans and deliver on every detail.

Call Structura today for a free in-home design estimate or a virtual video design estimate.
Structura Remodeling and Design- tops in Los Angeles. No job too big or too small. Let us design and build the home improvement and backyard patio ideas you have chosen to increase your home value.

Call Today 1800-922-4613 for a free in-home estimate.

Structura Remodel and Design Company…Dream. Design. Build.

Open space floor plans continue to be popular. I must admit having our kitchen open to the living and dining space is great. In our old kitchen I spent a lot of time as the family chef at the stove facing the wall. Cooking became a lonely chore. Now that we have an open floor plan kitchen when I am cooking, I am looking out at the crazy hubbub of our family, and I love it. When preparing a meal for family and friends, I can be part of the conversation, and people are more inclined to pitch in. We have fun cooking and creating together. Even the kids are more curious about meal prep and getting in on the action.

Every solution to a problem seems to create the following problem. Since our kitchen is part of the living space, we need it to be way more streamlined, organized, and less noticeable. A.K.A. who wants to walk into your home and have your eyes immediately focused on kitchen chaos. We needed to find a home for all our small appliances, expand our pantry and add additional storage space for random projects and new kitchen gadgets.

We were able to solve those issues relatively quickly. There are so many great storage organizers available. We repurposed a coat closet as our new pantry and moved the kid’s ongoing projects to the laundry /mudroom.

The one issue that stopped me in my tracks was how do you hide the refrigerator, or how do you make your fridge look like a cabinet?

That became my obsession. I walked into the house, and all I could focus on was the fridge. So, I went on a quest to solve this design flaw, and now I will pass on this valuable wisdom to anyone desiring a design upgrade for their kitchen.

There are many options to hide a refrigerator. You can use refrigerator paneling, hide a fridge in a kitchen cabinet, create a refrigerator closet, or have the fridge built into the wall. Also, you can have custom cabinets built for the refrigerator, find out how to make your fridge look like a cabinet, or turn a cupboard into a refrigerator cupboard.

You might want to start by checking out the kitchen design magazines, looking at ways to have your fridge built-in to a cabinet, or an interesting way to create a hidden fridge cabinet. Here are some of the top creative design ideas I found.

REFRIGERATOR CABINETS

• Hiding the entire kitchen- One designer created a sliding wooden panel that made the refrigerator and the whole kitchen disappear behind a sliding wood-paneled wall. Great for when you have company and do not want the kitchen to be the center of attention. Or after dinner, don’t do those dishes, just hide them.
• Custom cabinets for the Refrigerator- One of the best ways to camouflage your fridge is to have custom cabinets that match the rest of your kitchen cabinetry to conceal your fridge. It gives your kitchen a seamless and elegant look. Whether you are going for a modern and contemporary style or a more formal and traditional look, custom cabinets work with all kitchen designs.
• Refrigerator Closet— Constructing or repurposing a closest for your refrigerator may be the simplest way to hide it. It might be a very cost-effective solution as well. The price of a closet door is less than custom kitchen cabinetry. If you already have the closet space, then consider this option.
• Refrigerator Paneling- A unique design idea for people going with the trend of rustic, green, or boho sheik is wide horizontal wood paneling for the entire kitchen. Create the cabinets and cover the fridge in repurposed paneling. Hide your refrigerator in a cabinet and create a powerful design statement.
• Fridge built into the wall- For a super streamline, look have the refrigerator built into the wall. With the refrigerator recessed, you can choose between a cabinetry exterior, a closet door, or have the entire wall of cabinets and the refrigerator look like a puzzle of panels. It will look more like built-in furniture than a kitchen.

After doing my research and getting some ideas on my own, I brought in an expert kitchen contractor from my Los Angeles area. They guided me in choosing the best option for my refrigerator cabinet, ensuring that we achieved the design aesthetic without sacrificing practicality and convenience.

If you love these Trendy Ideas to hide your Refrigerator Cabinet reach out to Structura Home Remodeling and Design Contractors. They are the top kitchen remodeling company in the Los Angeles area.

No job is too big or too small. Structura’s clients say that the Structura contractors are true artisans and deliver on every detail. Call today to schedule a free in-home or virtual video consultation. The Structura Design Team will turn your creative ideas into a 3-D vision and deliver on your dream kitchen.

If you can dream it, we can build it!

Call Structura today for a free in-home design estimate or a virtual video design estimate.
Structura Remodeling and Design- tops in Los Angeles. No job too big or too small. Let us design and build the home improvement and backyard patio ideas you have chosen to increase your home value.

Call Today 1800-922-4613 for a free in-home estimate.

Structura Remodel and Design Company…Dream. Design. Build.