Professional associations such as The Home Builders Association of Maryland (HBAM) and the Maryland Improvement Contractors Association (MICA) help organize and regulate contractors and teach consumers about how to find and work with qualified professionals. To learn more visit HBAM’s homebuilders.org or MICA’s marylandremodelers.com.
Professional remodelers know that customer satisfaction is the key to success. Whether projects call for last minute changes, difficult renovations, or accommodations for next-to-impossible requests, talented companies are always stretching their limits to please clients. These extra efforts are what drive the remodeling industry, as experts continually expand, develop, and demonstrate their skills. Each year, the Home Builders Association of Maryland (HBAM) presents “Awards of Excellence,” and the Maryland Improvement Contractors Association (MICA) bestows “Remodeler of the Year (ROYAL) Awards” to honor their members for outstanding, professional, and unique approaches to meeting clients’ needs. Though the projects featured on the following pages range from everyday remodeling projects to the unusual and grand, all of the results display the creative genius of each recognized company.
Zwingelberg Enterprises
Bathroom Remodeling $40,000 & Under
HBAM Award of Excellence
As experienced boat racers, the owners of this 1970s condo wanted to update their home and incorporate an aquatic décor into the bathroom. Working with ideas from the homeowners and their designer, Zwingelberg Enterprises installed modern amenities while designing the bath to suit the homeowners’ love of the sea. Handmade tiles in various shades of blue were used on the shower walls, and natural pebbles make the shower floor seem like a washed beach. A unique Kohler spout produces a free-flowing stream that imitates a waterfall. Irregular, wavy patterns on the floor and walls accentuate the sea atmosphere, bringing the water closer to home.
Wheatley Associates & Northfield Sales
Kitchen Remodeling $100,000 to $200,000
HBAM Award of Excellence
Collectors of hot sauces and cookbooks, these owners wanted to design a kitchen around their hobby, incorporate an entertainment area for guests, and relocate an inconvenient laundry room. To create space, Wheatley Associates removed an adjacent, exterior wall to include the screen porch in the kitchen. This 7-foot area was turned into a place for guests to mingle while meals are being prepared. The team constructed three custom-built bookcases and a 6-inch deep shelf around the top of the new, semi-custom cabinets to house hot sauces and cookbooks. After having professional stainless steel appliances, a granite countertop, a computer desk area, recessed lighting, and Pella doors installed, the kitchen offers a large, updated, and personalized space perfect for entertaining.
Victor Boehm Building Company
Outdoor Living & Structures
HBAM Award of Excellence
When the owners of this Baltimore County home decided to transform their home and backyard, they contacted Victor Boehm Building Company. Drawing on plans the homeowners had developed with an outside architect and designer, the company constructed a standard pool with surrounding bluestone tile patio, a pool house for guests and entertaining, an adjacent cooking and eating area, a sunken garden, and stone retaining walls that delineate various spaces for outdoor living. The pool house features a stone wine cellar, theater, lounge, entertaining area replete with fireplace, and guest sleeping area. Audio controls are located in both houses and the pool area with speakers running throughout all of the property.
Owings Brothers Contracting
Residential Remodeling $270,000 to $400,000
HBAM Award of Excellence
Like many homeowners, the owners of this Annapolis home wanted more space. While the original house had views of the harbor and nearby woods, the owners also wanted more access to these views and called Owings Brothers Contracting for help. Owings Brothers constructed a three-story addition on the side of the home to provide views of the woods and water below. The addition houses a new family room, dining room, garage, spare bedroom, and bathroom as well as a loft library and octagonal kitchen. With new windows around the entire structure, the homeowners were given a 360º view of the outdoor scenery, making the harbor and lush woods part of their design.
Ilex Construction & Development
Residential Remodeling $1,000,000 & Over
HBAM Award of Excellence
It is hard to reconcile this finished home with the original, one-story hodgepodge of varying floor heights and outdated design. Ilex Construction & Development worked with the homeowners and architect Caroline Boutte to gut the existing house, demolish the garage, and add two more levels. To begin, Ilex leveled the flooring; preserved the first-floor bedroom wing, at the clients’ request; and reestablished a kitchen, sitting area, and dining room. New French doors, large windows, and a library/river room offer vistas from nearly every part of the house. Upstairs, the master suite opens to a private porch, and a third-floor tower with wraparound overlook offers wide views of the river. Nautical touches such as a lighthouse newel post and a rowboat suspended from the great room ceiling evoke the clients’ love of fishing. These details, combined with the expansive views, complete the air of this waterfront home.
Sinex Design Architecs
Specialty Details $25,000 & Under
HBAM Award of Excellence
The owners of this traditional house wanted to make a bold transformation to their home without spending a fortune. After relocating their master bedroom to the upper-story with a cathedral ceiling, the homeowners decided to add a master bathroom suite that included the same sense of openness and space. The finished bathroom incorporates rounded, glass block walls; a vanity area with a large skylight; and a window with a view to the owners’ horse farm. The round, seven-foot shower incorporates two his and hers showerheads, and the entire bathroom is tiled in black and white, emphasizing the duality of the bathroom’s design.
ARDO Contracting, Inc.
Kitchen Over $50,000
MICA ROYAL Award of Meri
Owners of this 200-square-foot kitchen wanted to maximize workspace and storage within the existing floor plan to allow two cooks to prepare food and entertain simultaneously. Since the original cabinetry interfered with entertaining, ARDO Contracting, Inc. removed the cabinets to incorporate a small octagonal addition that provides an eating area and view of the backyard while increasing the open space of the kitchen. A storage wall was also added to house pantry cabinets and a smaller refrigerator and freezer. The new island and cooking wall contain the main workspaces as well as the sinks, oven, and cooktop. With improved storage and space management, the homeowners are now able to entertain and cook in a more spacious kitchen.
Bath Fitter
Bath Under $40,000
MICA ROYAL Award
Although these owners were close to finishing a ten-year remodel of their colonial home, they saved the best for last. As a sanctuary to accompany their master bedroom, the master bath was transformed into a luxurious his and hers retreat. French doors lead into an airy spa bathroom decorated with soft, natural tones. With separate, custom cherry vanities and a dual shower with glass enclosure, the homeowners can prepare for the day in a soothing, spacious bathroom. To avoid an eyesore and allow privacy, Bath Fitter hid the toilet in a small alcove. A Whirlpool steam bath and softly lit chandelier accentuate the spa atmosphere.
Welsh Construction Remodeling Co.
Residential Kitchen Over $50,000
MICA ROYAL Award
The owners of this kitchen wanted to blend elegance with function to maintain the luxurious feel of their newly built home. To arm the kitchen with tools for gourmet cooking and entertaining, Welsh Remodeling refinished the cabinets to incorporate glass doors, pull-out spice racks, and roll-out trays as well as artistic details like corbels and crown molding. A custom hutch was also added to display a collection of stemware. Two new islands utilize space—one for food preparation and another for dining and entertaining, replete with a second oven and warming drawer. American cherry flooring adds to the aesthetic of the room and offsets the stainless steel refrigerator, cooktop, and granite countertops.
American Contracting Services, Inc.
Residential Specialty
MICA Award of Merit
When they purchased a home in Phoenix, Maryland, these owners discovered that they were not only sharing a driveway with another home but with an abandoned Baltimore County maintenance shed as well. After negotiating the purchase of the shed, the homeowners contacted American Contracting Services with hope of creating a private driveway and transforming the abandoned building into a garage. The shed was resurfaced with cast stone and fitted with double, carriage-type doors. The interior walls were resurfaced as well, and the floor was coated with epoxy for a smooth finish. Shingles and exterior lanterns are the final touches, converting the deserted shed into a classically inspired, private garage.
Kitchen Saver
Kitchen Under $50,000
MICA ROYAL Award
When the owners purchased this 1970s ranch home, they knew exactly what they wanted to change first. Outdated cabinets, insufficient workspace, an off-level floor, and a support post obstructing space in the center of a cooking island culminated in a kitchen that badly needed attention. Kitchen Saver began reconstruction by leveling and resurfacing the floor. The doorway to the dining room was moved and widened to increase space and emphasize transition between rooms. To increase functionality, the awkward post was removed from the island and a pedestal table was added. The original cabinets were replaced with maple; the layout was reconfigured to designate work areas for cooking and cleaning; and a large chef’s pantry was installed. The result is a larger, updated kitchen with expansive workspace that blends with the rest of the home.
