Our Own Rebuild
A builder’s own home, thoughtfully reimagined
The Story
After more than 24 years of remodeling other people’s homes, I finally discovered what it feels like to be the client.
My wife and I took a 1968 house down to its bones and rebuilt it around the way we actually live. Going into the project, I knew exactly what a whole-house remodel involved: hundreds of decisions, complicated schedules, unexpected discoveries and those inevitable moments when the plan stops being the plan.
Apparently, knowing all of that and actually living through it are two very different things.
For seven months, I found myself on both sides of the project—contractor and homeowner. There were drawings spread across the table, painter’s tape all over the floors, walls covered with samples, plenty of changes and a few spirited husband-and-wife design discussions. There was also one unforgettable structural surprise that became known as “Avery’s Flying Bathtub.” Some remodeling stories simply name themselves.
The house also gave us the opportunity to make it unmistakably ours. My wife is a retired horse trainer, and we’re both lifelong horse people, so naturally the basement developed a decidedly equestrian personality. And yes, that is a genuine used Heaven Hill bourbon barrel down there—because if you have the opportunity to put a real bourbon barrel in your horse-themed basement, why wouldn’t you?
In the end, we created a home that reflects how we live, what we love and the life we’ve built together. We couldn’t be happier with it.
But the project gave me something else, too: a fresh appreciation for what our clients experience during a remodel. I already understood the construction. Now I understand the emotional side of it—the excitement, the uncertainty, the decision fatigue and the enormous relief of seeing everything finally come together.
After decades of being the contractor, spending seven months as the homeowner changed the way I look at remodeling—and made me even more committed to helping our clients feel informed, heard and taken care of from beginning to end.
Why We Rebuilt
The house had good bones, but the layout and systems no longer fit the way our family lived. We saw a chance to keep what was worth saving while making the entire home more comfortable, efficient and useful.
What We Changed
We opened the layout, updated the home’s systems and rebuilt the kitchen, bathrooms, basement and storage around everyday life. Every choice had to earn its place—by working better, lasting longer or making the house feel more like ours.
What It Was Like
Living through our own remodel made the client experience very real. We felt the disruption, the decision fatigue, and the uncertainty, that comes with remodeling a home. It strengthened our commitment to clear communication, clean jobsites, and helping clients understand what comes next.
Project Gallery
What We Learned
We learned firsthand that remodeling isn’t just about plans, schedules and beautiful finishes. It’s hundreds of decisions, moments of uncertainty, unexpected problems and a lot of trust.
Most importantly, the experience reminded us that how a remodeling project feels while it’s happening matters almost as much as how it looks when it’s finished.
Going through it ourselves gave us a new appreciation for communication, patience and the responsibility that comes with being invited into someone’s home.
That’s something we’ll carry into every project we build from here on out.