Julie Norman, Author at North Peak Construction

Is it time for a remodel? Signs your home is ready for an upgrade

Other than work, our homes are where we spend most of our time. It’s important that your house is a comfortable place where you can relax, entertain, and these days, work too. Maybe your home worked for you when you bought it: it functioned exactly as you needed it to! However, it’s possible that over time your needs have changed, while your house has stayed the same. Is it time for a remodel? Read on for five signs your home is ready for an upgrade.

Layout no longer fits lifestyle

This is one of the biggest reasons homeowners decide to remodel their homes. Perhaps the house was perfect for 2, but now there are also 2 kids and a dog. Maybe it’s the opposite; you don’t need as much space now as you used to. The kids are gone and you’d like to remodel the first floor to include an office and a lounge instead.

Whatever the reason, a layout that doesn’t work for you is a great reason to consider remodeling your home! Garages can be closed in to add extra living space, for example. A room that once served as a bedroom can become a work from home office with built-in book cases and a specific area for zoom calls with appropriate lighting, etc.

Cosmetic Updates vs Functional Problems

Layout issues aside, two other reasons people contemplate remodels are for cosmetic updates or functional issues.

Cosmetic updates include updating a bathroom with an out-of-date style. Perhaps you’re tired of the brass fixtures and the shower/tub combo. This often applies to bathrooms or kitchens, where flooring and countertops start to age and cabinets begin to look old and worn.

However, functional issues are problems like appliances that don’t work anymore, plumbing leaks, fireplaces that don’t get used and need to be removed, and more. Remodels that involve functional issues are more costly than those that are simply cosmetic. While both have their place, it is common for a remodel that starts as merely cosmetic to turn into a more “functional issue” remodel. This is often seen on home improvement shows on TV. What starts as a simple “upgrade” becomes a function remodel when rot is discovered, for example.

Wear and Tear Revealed After Winter

Often, homeowners don’t notice problems with their home until winter has passed. The constant freeze/thaw cycle can wear down any home’s defenses, over time. Decking becomes splintered and warped, sidewalks crack, water stains show up inexplicably where there had been none.

All of these types of problems, especially if they show up after winter or after our spring hailstorms, for instance, signal it may be time to move beyond cosmetic updates and consider more substantial improvements.

When Small Fixes Become Big Opportunities

“We need to replace that sink. It’s so old and starting to leak.”

“Sure, but if we do that we might as well replace the countertops. Then we’ll need a new backsplash.”

Often, the need to solve a small(ish) problem like changing out a kitchen sink or bathroom vanity can turn into a much bigger project. In this case, what starts as a fix becomes a much bigger opportunity to make changes. If you’re already creating disruption, putting forth the money and especially if you’re using a professional’s time and not trying to do it all yourself, you might as well get the rest of your updates done too.

Whatever your reasons for considering a remodel, North Peak Construction is here to help! If you’re seeing signs it’s time for an upgrade, contact us.

Adding Identity to Tenant Finish Projects

Adding Identity to Tenant Finish Projects

Imagine walking into your brand-new office space, freshly built and filled with natural light, and thinking, Oh no. How do I finish this space? Even if the space has already been prepared with some basic amenities as far as lighting, plumbing, etc., there is still much to do to finish off a new commercial space.

Along with all of the basics, from installing flooring and additional walls, if necessary, to adding storage or additional doors, you’ll want to consider your brand.

Mood / Tone

First, consider your business’s tone and cater the mood of your space to that. For instance, if you run a commercial real estate company your tone is probably fairly professional. You’ll want your space to reflect that you and your team are experienced, capable brokers with an eye towards high-end investment opportunities.

You can achieve that through the use of specific color tones and flooring options. Lighting, and the addition of layers of lighting, from lamps to canned lights, can also play a role here.

Intention

Be intentional with your space. Consider each room and its use and plan accordingly with colors and furniture that showcase your professionalism and your eye for high-end details (for example).

Consider the environment you want to create for your employees as well. This might include biophilic design, the inclusion of plants and organic elements. Additions of small conference rooms or spaces for private phone calls, if you generally have an open-office environment, should also be considered.

Client-facing spaces

Show your clients who you and your team really are through your client-facing spaces. Don’t leave these for last or think that these spaces aren’t important. When you show your client to a conference room or waiting area, this space should show them your business and your style.

Your office furniture choices, flooring selections, and even paint colors will all play a role in creating a calm and welcoming space for your clients, customers, and vendors.

Branded Materials

Finally, don’t forget to add your branding, through colors and signage especially. From the type of sign you choose for outside of your office to the way you use your company colors, logo and even tagline or mission, it’s imperative that you set yourself and your space apart with your own branding and style.

See more of our tenant finish work with this project from 734 S. 7th Street in Grand Junction.

Ready to get started on your tenant finish project? Contact us!

Adding Collaboration without Chaos: Designing Effective Workspaces

Since 2020 modern office designs have changed dramatically. Many offices at that time had torn down walls and opened up floor plans in an effort to encourage collaboration and innovation. While brainstorming together is a great way to work, it can also cause chaos and distractions for others.

These days, with the experiences of open concepts and also COVID behind them, businesses are working on more intentional office design plans. These include smaller “break out” rooms for collaboration, plans for hybrid-work environments, and calmer, and space for more meaningful teamwork.

Sleek and Sophisticated Collaboration

Flexible meeting spaces or “break out” rooms provide a quiet yet useful option for small team meetings or brainstorming between a few team members. These spaces can be easily accessible, but don’t have to be right in the middle of everyone else’s space. They allow for flexible purposes, from taking a quiet phone call to designing a logo with a team member.

No matter the size of your meeting spaces, acoustic wall panels and sound absorbing materials will help to create a quieter space for everyone. Instead of one big, noisy environment, successful offices are creating layers of interaction—from quiet focus to active discussion.

That looks like:

Spaces where small teams can work together without broadcasting to the entire office

Acoustic panels and sound-absorbing materials

Designated quiet zones

Hybrid-Ready spaces

Many offices these days include a hybrid work scenario, with some people in office and others in different locations. Having a hybrid-ready meeting area for video conferencing is crucial to the success of a great office space. A professional set up that is ready to go at all times will save chaos and time for your business.

Key features include:

Built-in video conferencing spaces (not makeshift setups)
Reliable technology integration at every meeting point
Flexible desks or hot-desking options for rotating schedules

A well-designed hybrid office ensures that remote employees feel just as included—and just as productive—as those in the room.

Ready to Rethink Your Office Layout?

At North Peak Construction, we help businesses design spaces that support how their teams really work—today and into the future.

Whether you’re updating a single area or rethinking your entire layout, the right design can make all the difference.

How to add calm to your executive office space

Designing your new office space should be a fun endeavor. Finally, you have the opportunity to create an area that works for everyone in your company, including yourself. When it comes to your own office, don’t skimp or neglect design there. Below we’ve described five ways to add calm to your executive office space.

Biophilic Design

Adding natural light and plants to an office space automatically brings in a sense of calm. The greenery alone makes a space feel less sterile and more inviting. Natural light instead of harsh glaring light provides a less chaotic mood.

Colors

Calming Colors like the grays and greens in the picture above also add a soothing feel to an office space. Whether it’s your waiting area or your personal executive office, choosing calming blues, greens, and earthy grays and whites can make a space feel peaceful.

Natural Textures

One surefire way to make a space feel more calming and less corporate is to add texture. Even your storage baskets can do this for you. Pick ones that are more “basket like” and not made of plastic. Find chairs that can add texture to your space as well or add texture through wall hangings, lamp shades, eccentric “live edge” tables, etc.

ACOUSTICS

Drown out noise and add peace and quiet to your space by considering a white noise machine or acoustic wall panels. These decorative and stylish panels come in a variety of styles and colors and can absolutely lessen noise while adding beauty to your office space.

EXTRAS

Other ideas for adding calm to your executive office space include:

Use lamps instead of overhead lighting to create a more muted and peaceful ambiance.

Consider an aromatherapy diffuser

A personal coffee bar and snack area

A separate sitting area for when the desk becomes too stifling. This can also be a great space for adding texture and plants too.

Finally, an area rug can make a not-so-cozy office feel much softer.

If you’re considering a commercial remodel project in Western Colorado or Utah, contact us! We’d love to help.

Easy Ways to Add Luxury to your New Home

If you’re considering building a custom home in Colorado, this time of year will have you asking yourself, “what kinds of cozy luxury touches can we add to our custom home?” Winters can be cold, even on the Western Slope (though this one has surprised us all) and that means finding ways to make your home feel cozy and luxurious while maintaining energy efficiency and costs. Read on for easy and elegant ways to add luxury to your new home.

Radiant Heat

Starting with the floors, consider radiant heat for your custom home. While not visible to you or your guests, you’ll feel the difference every day when you step out of your bathroom shower on to warm floors. Your feet will thank you!

Not only does radiant heat feel good, it’s an energy efficient way to help heat your home. Radiant heat provides a consistent temperature and doesn’t lose heat traveling through duct work. Also, because there aren’t any “blowers” with radiant heat, there isn’t as much dust in your home either.

Lux Bathroom Additions

Along with those heated floors, there are plenty of additions you can make to your custom bathroom to add luxury. Consider a steam shower or a dry sauna in your bathroom. Both of these will elevate your shower time, boosting not only your mood but your health as well.

Dry saunas have been shown to enhance circulation, help with muscle recovery, and aid in stress reduction. Adding one to your home might not just be a luxury, but a wellness benefit too.

Adding a Fireplace

A fireplace immediately adds warmth (literally) to a room, but it can be more than just a source of heat. With the right look and feel a fireplace can take a room from ordinary to WOW.

Consider a double-sided fireplace if you have the space. Being able to see the fireplace from both a living room and kitchen, or two separate seating rooms, is both a way to connect spaces and also provide elegant separation.

Electric fireplaces are by far the most efficient and can provide great warmth, coziness, and controlled heat for your custom home.

Lighting

The easiest way to add not just warmth but elegance to your home is through lighting. Whether this involves adding ambient lights, under cabinet lights, or dimmer switches, controlling your lighting will absolutely change the look and feel of your home.

For cozy evenings, having floor lamps and strategic lighting for various areas of a room will bring in warmth. In the kitchen being able to soften lighting once the day is done will immediately calm your space for the night.

If you’re planning a custom home in Western Colorado or Eastern Utah, contact us! We’d love to help.

Add Space without Losing Character

This winter we want to help you add what matters in your residential remodel or new home construction project. If you’re considering a new or remodeled home, especially in an area that sees a lot of snow and winter recreation, consider the following options for adding space without losing character.

First, consider these general rules for adding space to your home without losing its personality and integrity:

Identify underused or awkward spaces (hallways, corners, oversized rooms) and make them functional by creating reading nooks in hidden corners or oversized rooms, for example.

Maintain architectural integrity by matching rooflines, materials, and proportions

Improve circulation between rooms instead of simply adding square footage. Are you able to create a cased opening or pony wall in order to gain sightlines from one room to the next? If not, can you improve the flow of the room to guide people towards other parts of the house? Better flow from the foyer to the kitchen, for example?

Prioritize how the space will be used seasonally (winter living vs summer entertaining)

Add a mudroom that functions well in winter

Dedicated zones for boots, skis, helmets, and outerwear – consider rubber mats for boots, since they’ll most likely still be wet when they come inside. Hooks are excellent for jackets and bench storage works for mittens, helmets, scarves and more.

Durable, moisture-resistant flooring and wall finishes – Again, if you’re planning to use this space in the winter, waterproof flooring will be essential. Everyone will be coming in and out with snowy boots and you’ll want luxury vinyl plank or tile, or even ceramic tile as options to protect your floors.

Direct access to garage or exterior entries to contain snow and mess – this is essential! You want your mudroom to be the first space the kids enter from the most recent ski or sledding trip.

Expanded Kitchens for Entertaining

Larger islands that function as gathering hubs, not just prep space will make life casual and easy during long winter evenings. Casual breakfasts and cocktail hours can all happen around a luxury island with storage and plenty of seating.

Improved flow between kitchen, dining, and living areas will keep everyone moving. While it’s nice to have one gathering spot, your home is filled with lots of places to have a quiet conversation, escape for a few hours of reading, or gather around the pool table for some fun competition. Ease of transition from one space to the next is key for a home everyone will find comfortable.

Thoughtful appliance placement to avoid crowding during events – consider a coffee and tea bar that is far enough away from the island to avoid a collision between those searching for caffeine and those looking for sustenance. The same goes for a wine or cocktail area too! Options for helping with this include a separate bar area with a small sink or even a butler’s pantry.

Storage designed for entertaining: bench seating in a cozy window seat allows for storing table linens and extra serving dishes or holiday items. Antique buffets make a great options for storing extra dishes and they add a touch of “real” to a new home or newly remodeled home.

Join us for our next blog post when we’ll continue our series on Adding Space without Losing Character by discussing guest room suites for ski season!

Lighting Considerations for Your Commercial Office Space

If you’re remodeling a commercial space or are considering a new commercial build, lighting will be a crucial part of your design decisions. Not only will you need to consider budget and aesthetics, but also various types of lighting for different spaces in your office.

First and foremost, consider the natural light your space will have and play into that. Natural light boosts productivity and increases mood. It also decreases eye strain. Using skylights, glass doors, and of course maximizing windows, can help to reduce electricity costs and improve employee health (less eye strain, for example).

Interior shot of an open-plan office featuring modern design, natural light, tables, chairs, and plants, ideal for business and lifestyle visuals.

This commercial space takes advantage of natural light, but also includes pendant lights over the tables for added task lighting. Not only does this help with employee focus but it also adds style and character to the space.

Productive tech-driven home office with daily focus layout, neat and clean –ar 125:83 –v 6.1 Job ID: 155f05b9-bf94-4b54-aa36-4797bcce9637

For smaller office spaces or personal offices, a similar mix of floor lamps, desk lamps, and natural light are best. Overhead lighting can be useful as well, especially if individual office overhead lights have a dimmer. Some people work better in brightly lit environments, while others prefer a calmer and slightly darker atmosphere. Having options for personalizing the lighting in one’s office will again keep your employees happier.

Finally, for the best in energy efficiency, stick with LED bulbs. They’ll provide reliable light in a variety of wattages and soft or bright light options, for all of your overhead and desk lighting.

Considering remodeling your commercial office space? We’d love to help! Contact us to get started.

Creating a Guest Room Office Combo

With so many people working from home these days, finding space for an office when designing your custom home, is no longer optional: it’s practically a necessity. If your budget and space are limited, using a guest room as an office is not only possible, but often a great solution.

Your first consideration will be space. If your guest room/office is on the smallish side, you may want to consider a sofa bed or Murphy bed to maximize space when you don’t have guests. This can give you the added benefit of a seating area (if you go the sofa bed route) or just more floor space (if you choose a Murphy bed option).

For larger rooms where a regular bed and a desk will co-exist with plenty of room to move around, consider storage. You’ll need storage for files and work documents, but try to keep it discreet. Choose a desk with drawers or closed-door storage, or consider shelving with baskets or decorative file boxes with lids. This makes it easy to keep work neatly stored away when guests arrive.

Here a minimalist desk interacts with a storage bench with drawers, providing functional and stylish storage for work and guests.

Consider using part of your guest room closet for office storage as well, especially if you need hardware like a printer or scanner. Having a place out of sight to store these, but also a place where you can still use them, will make the space feel more like an office when you need it to. At the same time, closet doors can be closed so that all of that stays hidden.

Considering a custom home? Contact us! We’d love to help design the perfect space for you and your family.

Reasons to love the Peaks at Redlands Mesa

The Peaks at Redlands Mesa is a luxury townhome development located in the “Ridges” neighborhood in the Redlands of Grand Junction, Colorado. At The Peaks at Redlands Mesa you’ll find great views, plenty to do, and easy living!

Low Landscaping Maintenance: Enjoy a low-maintenance lifestyle and spend your time on the golf range instead of worrying about weeds and landscaping.

Varied floorplans: With 4 different floorplan options, you’re sure to find the right one for you and your family!

1 & 2 Car Garage Options: We offer two floorplans with 2-car garages and two with 1-car garages.

Close to recreation: Walk to nearby Redlands Mesa golf course or head over to Lunch Loop for great hiking or mountain biking. Hop on your road bike and take off right from your door, picking up the Monument Trail off of Monument Road or a portion of the Colorado Riverfront Trail off of Hwy 340.

Great proximity to downtown: You’re mere minutes from downtown Grand Junction, entertainment and local breweries and restaurants.

Learn more and explore our floorplans here: https://northpeakconstruction.com/the-peaks-at-redlands-mesa/

Luxury Kitchen Ideas for Your Custom Home

When designing a custom home, the kitchen is usually one of, if not the most, important room. Most people want a large kitchen with room for entertaining, eating, baking, and living. But beyond that, every home owner has unique tastes and requests to create a kitchen that is truly customized for them.

If you’re thinking about your own custom home, and want to add a few luxurious or unique touches to your kitchen, consider the following.

WALK-IN PANTRY

Most families enjoy the benefits of some type of pantry. However, we’re talking about a walk-in, room-to-store-all-the-things PANTRY. Use this as your private office, plan meals and family events, and even create a hidden spot for your favorite snack

BUTLER’S PANTRY

Take that pantry one step further and create a Butler’s Pantry. Butler’s Pantries are usually spaces between a kitchen and dining room, or off to one side, used as “prep” space. It helps to keep the kitchen a little more “clutter free” during big events. If you love entertaining, consider adding a butler’s pantry to your wishlist.

WINE STORAGE

Living in Western Colorado means having access to great local wine! If wine storage is a priority for you, make sure you put it at the top of your custom kitchen “wants.”

STATEMENT PIECE

A custom vent hood is one ‘statement piece’ idea for your new kitchen. Adding a grand element, like a stove alcove, vent hood, or one-of-a-kind island is a surefire way to set your kitchen apart.

When you’re ready to get started with your custom homes project, contact us! (970) 812-7970 or info@northpeakconstruction.com

Author: Julie Norman