AAUW After Party Wrap Up

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Normandy Remodeling

The AAUW After Party wrapped up Sunday evening with great food, wine and general merriment. The executive chefs from Sub-Zero Wolf once again put on a great show, and provided some wonderful treats to enjoy while we discussed the beautiful homes featured on the tour. As the chefs cooked in the working kitchen vignettes of the Normandy Showroom, we frequently found them teaching about the amazing dishes they were preparing to partygoers who were eager to learn how to replicate them in their own homes. (As a side note: we were able to secure the recipe for the Roasted Corn Salad, which can be found through this link.) Some of the delicious hits of the evening included a Corn Chowder Soup, the Blue Cheese Steak Bites and the Cake Pops.

The evening finished with the raffle as Michele Vickery, Co-Branch President of AAUW announced the lucky winners.

Normandy is proud to participate once again in the AAUW annual fundraiser. The AAUW does such great work helping women right here in our community. If you would like more information about the AAUW, visit their website by clicking here.

AAUW After Party Menu

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Normandy Remodeling

Chef Craig Bell

We’re just a few days away from the 60th annual AAUW Home Tour and the second annual After Party at our Hinsdale Showroom. As the date draws nearer, more details are being finalized and we are happy to share our updates with you.

For those who attended last year’s event, you will likely remember the great chef we had preparing our wonderful treats. He’s back again this year and just as he did previously, the hors d’oeuvres will be prepared in one of the kitchen vignettes in the showroom. If you didn’t have a chance last year, I encourage you to stop by for a few minutes to watch this talented chef prepare the stunning and delicious menu. In fact, we just received a list of the dishes to be prepared from Sub-Zero Wolf corporate chef Craig Bell. In addition to the wine and lively conversation, here is a list of the dishes that we will be enjoying:

Roasted Chicken and Pepper Canape

Corn Chowder

Pizzetta

Seared Ahi Tuna Bites

Braised Pork Bahn Mi

Blue Cheese Steak Bites

Fall Salad

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hungry just reading about it!

The after party is open to all ticket holders for the AAUW 60^th annual home tour. If you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you can buy them online, just click here. The weather is predicted to be wonderful this Sunday October 2, and truly it’s an event not to be missed!

Must Have Mudrooms

Posted on September 15, 2011 by Normandy Remodeling

Now that the kids are back to school, you may notice that your entry way is cluttered with book bags, shoes, homework, soccer balls – and that’s all before we start in with the winter coats and boots!

If you are looking to reclaim your front entry from the chaos, many homeowners are finding that a mudroom space is just what they need. If you’re not already familiar with these marvels of organization, you may want to consider adding a space such as this to your home. A great many of our remodeling projects will now include a mudroom space.

You may be able to convert some of your existing laundry room or garage space to create a “landing zone” for your family, or if you have a home improvement coming up, this is one space upgrade that you will thank yourself for every day.

These photos show that there are a wide variety of options from individual spaces for each person, to a row of hooks and benches for coats and shoes. Whatever your style, a mudroom can make the chore of getting everyone out the door on time a little easier. And with the ability to integrate charging stations, your cell phone, ipad or ipod will be right where you left it and fully charged for the day.

Michigan Kitchen Remodel

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Normandy Builders

Kitchen remodeling

She is from Chicago, He is from Marquette, MI and when the time came for them to choose where to raise their young family, they found much of what they were looking for in a charming vintage home in Marquette. The home they selected had stunning lake views, but the current layout of the home didn’t quite do the view justice.

Since the couple has ties to the Chicago area, they began working with Normandy Designer Chris Ebert to put their mark on the house. They wanted to capitalize on the natural beauty of their setting and to create a home that was more in tune with their growing family’s needs.

Kitchen remodeling

By repurposing a few rooms and removing a few walls, Chris was able to create a design that complimented the views as well as their lifestyle. The new kitchen took the place of the old dining room and provided much better workspace for homeowners who love to cook and entertain. To maintain the existing footprint of the old dining room and now new kitchen, a large walk-in pantry was created in an adjoining space so that ample storage would be easily accessible. To improve flow for parties the bar was moved into the front entry hall, which allowed the kitchen to remain open and uncluttered.

The kitchen’s working fireplace is a nod to its original function of the dining room, but adds to the comfortable, vintage feel of the kitchen. The white painted perimeter cabinets with glass fronts are reminiscent of what one would find “back in the day”.

Kitchen remodeling The large, dark stained island boasts a second sink and seating for casual dining and conversation. The island has a Caesarstone countertop, which gives the look of Carrera marble but is far more durable. The butcher block counter at the end of the island has an abundance of lighting for prep work and houses the prep sink. The contrast in heights, colors and textures of these two countertops provides a nice visual break for this long island while balancing the sleek look of the Caesarstone with the warmth and charm of natural wood.

The homeowners are enjoying their newly remodeled kitchen that is as comfortable on lazy Sunday mornings as is for bustling dinner parties.

Green Remodeling Trends

Posted on March 30, 2011 by Normandy Builders

Normandy Design Manager Troy Pavelka, LEED Green Associate, discusses some common environmentally friendly choices Chicago area homeowners are including in their remodeling projects. You can also sign up to attend Troy’s FREE Green Remodeling Seminar entitled “Commonsense Green Remodeling“.

Normandy Builders Receives 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Normandy Builders

We are thrilled to announce that Normandy Builders has been awarded the prestigious 2010 Angie’s List Super Service Award, an honor given only to approximately 5 percent of all the companies rated on Angie’s List. This is the second year in a row that Normandy Builders has won such an award, also receiving a 2009 Angie’s List Super Service Award.

Co-Owner, General Manager, and Vice President Andy Wells attributes Normandy’s growth and success to its customer commitment. “We treat our customers honestly and fairly, the way we would want to be treated,” says Andy. “Remodeling typically takes place while people are still living in their homes, and we are always mindful of their experience with the project, day in and day out. That approach has created thousands of happily remodeled homeowners in the Chicago area who gladly share their Normandy experience with family and friends.”

To ensure that our customers have the best possible remodeling experience, we have become pretty good listeners over the years and react quickly to resolve any problems that may arise. We also work with an independent quality assurance company called Guild Quality who interviews and surveys our customers to make sure we get unbiased feedback. Guild Quality reports that 96% of Normandy’s past customers would refer Normandy Builders to their friends and family. It’s the Normandy commitment to integrity and service that also earned us national recognition as Remodeler of the Year in 2007.

We’re proud to have outside sources recognize our customer commitment, and of course the awards look pretty great in our showroom too.

Normandy Builders at the St. Charles Home Show

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Normandy Builders

For the second year in a row, Normandy Builders will be exhibiting at the Old House New House Home Show at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles IL February 11-13. Normandy’s booth will be staffed with experienced designers ready to talk about additions, kitchens, baths, finished basements, and more. Normandy’s booth will also be showcasing a variety of full color kitchen and bath renderings that Normandy Builders has prepared for clients as part of the design process. Visitors to the booth may request copies of specific drawings to be sent to them as they gather ideas for their own kitchen or bath remodeling projects.

Normandy will be offering a limited number of FREE tickets to the Old House New House Home Show to visitors of their Hinsdale Showroom. Tickets will be given out on a first come, first served basis and quantities are limited.