"I feel your approach to the remodel business is one of professionalism and integrity. Your entire staff in the field and in the office is always pleasant and helpful. The Winans approach has been beneficial to our business as well."
Barry Wilkes
Advanced Roofing Services, Inc.
Winans Construction wins 2010 Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) Award
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named Winans Construction, Inc., in Oakland, CA, 2010 Regional CotY (Contractor of the Year) winner in the Residential Interior $100,000 and Over category of its annual awards competition. The award-winning entry was the remodel of the circa-1908 Alameda home of Celeste and Sam Tamura. Their small upstairs kitchen had been in need of an update for years, while other areas of the house were less than optimal. "The awkwardness of our kitchen kept us from entertaining as much as we would have liked," says Celeste, "We had to cook upstairs and bring the food downstairs to our guests."
They considered doing some of the work themselves, but decided that wasn’t practical given their skills and the time it would take to complete the work. In the end, they agreed that a professional remodeler was the right choice and they started doing some research. Celeste found Winans Construction through the Diamond Certified Directory, and was intrigued by the company’s specialty in green remodeling. "At first we hadn’t intended to ‘go green’ in our remodel," says Celeste, "but the more I learned about green remodeling, the more I liked the idea." Celeste interviewed Winans Construction and a few other remodelers. She says that the decision to choose Winans was based on the interactions she had with the firm’s staff. "Other remodelers’ proposals were very technical, or in some cases they were unreliable in getting back to us. With Winans, I felt an immediate connection. They were friendly and helpful and made the initial phases of the remodeling process easy to understand."
The design-build project encompassed remodeling the Tamura’s kitchen and bathrooms, adding a laundry room, and refurbishing the fireplace. Today’s building code required that the upstairs kitchen be removed entirely from the single-family home. The scale of the new kitchen was increased dramatically, and carefully planned elements transformed the space to a welcoming and efficient center of the home. Low-flow faucets, energy-efficient lighting, low- to no-VOC paints and finishes were just some of the green elements that were incorporated into the design.
Celeste points to several design choices that she particularly appreciates for the way they add more efficiency and organization to the new space. "All of our appliances are more conveniently placed, which makes prepping and cooking a lot easier. And the new pantry, where we store all of our canned goods now, means it’s easier to find ingredients. The recycling corner we installed makes it easy to properly take care of our recycling. We also had glass-front cabinets built - one to display our china and crystal, and one for our cookbook collection." Moving the laundry room next to the kitchen was another smart design choice that makes one chore a little easier.
The new kitchen includes a nook with an extendable table, one of the Tamura’s new favorite spots in their home. "We can eat together in the kitchen now and enjoy the new space. It’s a very comforting area," Celeste says. "And it’s a great place to sit when I invite people over for coffee, which I am much more enthusiastic about doing now that we have our new kitchen!" Another charming element is a set of French doors leading to the backyard, which expand the kitchen’s visual space and lend abundant natural light. "Our new kitchen has definitely expanded our social life. We have more people over now, and I can enjoy cooking and baking again," Celeste says. In the bathrooms, certain elements were retained to customize the home for the Tamura’s personal use. Sam Tamura is a swimmer, so Winans added a convenient seat in the tub for gear and for hanging swimsuits. In another bathroom the couple was determined to preserve their classic clawfoot tub, but wanted a shower for convenience. This was accomplished with the addition of a stall shower, which now perfectly balances aesthetics and utility. The original tub was refinished and painted and appears brand new. To achieve consistency and streamline expenses, the same accent tile was used in the bathrooms as in the kitchen and fireplace area. For the fireplace, which had been damaged by earthquakes, Winans installed a gas insert and refurbished the chimney with a brick veneer.
After thirty years, the Tamura’s are enjoying their home more than ever. "The remodel has made me appreciate our home much more," says Celeste, "We are more content here now, and enjoy having people over and entertaining. When our daughter came home from college and saw the transformation, she said she wished she had stayed at home!"
Working with Winans was an experience that Celeste found both easy and enjoyable. "They were almost like family," Celeste says of the Winans staff, "I kind of miss them! Everything went smoothly, and even when there were little problems, they fixed them immediately."
Contractors from seven regions around the country vie for CotY Awards on an annual basis, and all regional winners will be eligible for National CotY Awards. Judging for regional awards took place at the Association’s national headquarters in Des Plaines, Illinois, in early January. An impartial panel of judges who are experts within the industry and associated fields, selected winners based on each entrant’s "before and after" photography and project description. Judging was based on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty and entry presentation.