Each week we post a story intended to bring our readers relevant and highly enjoyable information about the world of Silent Rivers Design+Build. Then we watch responses to see what you love, like or… not so much. Here are the projects and topics from 2016 that got you clicking, sharing and talking. Enjoy!
#1 Silent Rivers’ first new custom home design+build project!
Posted less than a month ago, the final reveal of this new home set records as the most-visited Silent Rivers blog…ever. A Lifetime Love of Barns Inspires a New Custom Home provides details, more photos and earlier blogs that include ‘under construction’ photos.
This industrial farmhouse-style custom new home features exposed ductwork, salvaged lumber and barn wood, a custom dining table that unfolds to 12′ long, a magnificent staircase of steel and bridge plank lumber and a deck with steel-surround fireplace.
#2 & 3 Two bathroom remodels — Both national award-winning projects!
These vastly different bathroom remodeling projects were popular with our readers AND with national remodeling judges!
Urbandale Master Suite
A 1980s humdrum and dated master bedroom is absolutely transformed into an elegant master suite sanctuary in A Luxurious Retreat. The Completed Master Suite in Urbandale. This spa-like master bathroom remodel won Qualified Remodeler’s 2016 Bronze Award for Bathroom Remodel over $75,000.
This master suite renovation features custom cherry woodwork, travertine countertops, elegant arches, a TV and fireplace near the soaking tub and a natural stone steam shower.
See more of this bathroom and master suite in the Silent Rivers Project Gallery »
Charming 1920s Home Bathroom Update
A hallway bathroom – that gets a lot of use – is beautifully remodeled to let the sunshine in. We followed this project from beginning to end with the final reveal appearing in Craftsman Bathroom Updates Add Plenty of Light and Space. This hallway bathroom remodel won the 2016 Chrysalis Award in the Under $50,000 Bathroom category.
This hallway bathroom renovation allows natural light into the entire space which features a custom corner vanity and shower with glass, marble and ceramic tile.
See more of this bathroom remodel »
#4 The remodel that saved a 1980s kitchen
When we completed this kitchen remodel, we were overjoyed that our client asked if she could write a story about her collaboration with Silent Rivers. This client testimonial tells it like it is in Mid-80s Kitchen Remodel: A Homeowner’s Experience.
The 1980s dark cabinets and wheat tile counter and backsplash are now happily replaced with cream and gray cabinets, a more open layout and a drop zone near the counter eating area.
#5 Loft & condo renovations are still at the top of the popularity list!
A hot housing option – loft and condo units – keep us busy with creative, space-optimizing design solutions. Last year, we featured a Brown Camp Lofts remodel in our Best of 2015. In 2016 we featured this amazing downtown loft in the Greater Des Moines Tour of Remodeled homes, and here in Industrial Greets Nature in a Loft Transformation.
Gatherings in this loft now take place around this stainless steel topped 16′ island supported by a real maple tree stump. A new entertainment center separates the living room and bedroom, doubling as a desk on the other side. A glass shower with oversized gray tile complement the concrete floor.
See more of this downtown loft remodel »
#6 Outdoor Treasures
Last year’s Best of 2015 featured a tree house designed for the whole family. Outdoor design+build was popular again this year with this peaceful front entryway water feature!
A water feature is accessed by stepping stones that ‘float’ on the water of the reflecting pool, part of this celestial-themed courtyard entryway inspired by this client’s world travels.
See more of this Johnston landscape project in Photo Essay: Modern Zen Water Feature with Summer Foliage »
#7 Honoring Dave Hurd and The Des Moines Arts Festival
Our annual Des Moines Arts Festival story would not have been complete without honoring our longtime friend Dave Hurd. A beloved and respected resident of Des Moines, businessman and champion of the Des Moines Arts Festival, Dave passed away in 2016 leaving a legacy of living with purpose. Read more in Inspired by Presence, Living with Purpose.
LEFT: David Hurd; MIDDLE: 2016 Commemorative Artist Brice McCasland, a mixed media artist from McKinney, Texas, and Stephen King, Executive Director of the Des Moines Arts Festival; RIGHT: Trudy Hurd with Larassa Kabel who was honored with the David Hurd Innovator of the Year Award.
Silent Rivers thanks you for your readership in 2016 as we look forward to creating beautiful remodeling projects, new homes and custom furniture in 2017! To stay current on our latest blog posts, please like us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.
