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Pro Spotlight: Ready to Kick-Start a Successful Remodel?
A team of Bay Area design-builders shares its top tips for homeowners just setting out on their home renovation journey
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Who: Greg May, Debbie May and Donna Gutto of May Construction
Where: San Jose, California
In Greg’s own words: “I love the process of extracting ideas from our clients’ minds and working together to develop something that brings as many of their dreams to life as possible.”
It’s entirely typical for homeowners to have no idea where to start on their home renovation journeys. Luckily, say Greg May, Debbie May and Donna Gutto, the owner, business manager and project design coordinator behind May Construction, the first step is to have some fun. “We really enjoy what we do and make sure our clients feel just as excited to be part of our team,” Greg says. “Together we’ll bounce ideas back and forth until we come up with something they never dreamed of.”
Where: San Jose, California
In Greg’s own words: “I love the process of extracting ideas from our clients’ minds and working together to develop something that brings as many of their dreams to life as possible.”
It’s entirely typical for homeowners to have no idea where to start on their home renovation journeys. Luckily, say Greg May, Debbie May and Donna Gutto, the owner, business manager and project design coordinator behind May Construction, the first step is to have some fun. “We really enjoy what we do and make sure our clients feel just as excited to be part of our team,” Greg says. “Together we’ll bounce ideas back and forth until we come up with something they never dreamed of.”
A business founded in family. Greg grew up working on homes. “Every home but one that my parents bought was a fixer-upper,” he says. “My dad started remodeling homes when I was about 13, and I worked with him when I wasn’t in school. Eventually I started working for him full time before taking over the business in 1995.”
After almost 30 years in the business, Greg is most proud of the team and culture his company has cultivated. “Everyone is encouraged to share ideas from what they’ve seen or done in the past,” says Debbie, Greg’s wife. “We all work together to continually improve our business and the design-build process as a whole.”
After almost 30 years in the business, Greg is most proud of the team and culture his company has cultivated. “Everyone is encouraged to share ideas from what they’ve seen or done in the past,” says Debbie, Greg’s wife. “We all work together to continually improve our business and the design-build process as a whole.”
A design approach unique to you. While the May Construction team has a trusted design process in place, it tailors the experience to each client. “Every client is different, so we personalize how we approach the process,” Debbie says. While some clients can easily see the vision of their future home, some may need a sketch, others may need 3D renderings. “No matter what, we’ll paint a picture in our clients’ minds of what their house could be,” Greg says. “We help them imagine their new floor plan, their view of the hills and what it will feel like sitting at their kitchen island having a glass of wine.”
Ready to start your renovation off on the right foot? Read May Construction’s tips below.
Ready to start your renovation off on the right foot? Read May Construction’s tips below.
1. Make a Wish List in Order of Importance
Begin the project process by making a list that starts with your most important needs and ends with less likely dream features. “Include the small details you think you may not be able to afford and make sure every person in the home has a chance to offer input,” Greg says. “It makes the design process much easier and faster when we know what we’re trying to achieve upfront.”
At this Bay Area home, the owners are the parents of two daughters who recently had children themselves. “The entire remodel was oriented around family and how they like to spend time together,” Donna says. The open kitchen features a vaulted ceiling and ample space between cabinets and appliances so everyone in the family can gather comfortably.
“I worked with all three families to identify special design touches to include, like heated floors for crawling children,” Donna says. “We also incorporated the colors and textures that best suited each family member in the areas dedicated to them, like the en suite bathrooms.”
Begin the project process by making a list that starts with your most important needs and ends with less likely dream features. “Include the small details you think you may not be able to afford and make sure every person in the home has a chance to offer input,” Greg says. “It makes the design process much easier and faster when we know what we’re trying to achieve upfront.”
At this Bay Area home, the owners are the parents of two daughters who recently had children themselves. “The entire remodel was oriented around family and how they like to spend time together,” Donna says. The open kitchen features a vaulted ceiling and ample space between cabinets and appliances so everyone in the family can gather comfortably.
“I worked with all three families to identify special design touches to include, like heated floors for crawling children,” Donna says. “We also incorporated the colors and textures that best suited each family member in the areas dedicated to them, like the en suite bathrooms.”
2. Be Sure to Dream Big
Don’t be afraid to share your wish list with your design-build team. “Even if you think you can’t afford a certain feature, we may be able to plug it in inexpensively as we design certain parts of the project,” Greg says. “If we don’t know your nice-to-haves, we can’t target them.”
This Silicon Valley homeowner’s dream was to create a Provençal-style home with antique accents. Special details were incorporated throughout, like the original solid oak front doors being repurposed for the kitchen pantry in a new size and stain. “It was wonderful to work with this client who was so engaged in every detail,” Donna says. “She even hand-drew the curves for the black soapstone backsplash. We were able to work hand in hand to make her precise vision come to life.”
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Don’t be afraid to share your wish list with your design-build team. “Even if you think you can’t afford a certain feature, we may be able to plug it in inexpensively as we design certain parts of the project,” Greg says. “If we don’t know your nice-to-haves, we can’t target them.”
This Silicon Valley homeowner’s dream was to create a Provençal-style home with antique accents. Special details were incorporated throughout, like the original solid oak front doors being repurposed for the kitchen pantry in a new size and stain. “It was wonderful to work with this client who was so engaged in every detail,” Donna says. “She even hand-drew the curves for the black soapstone backsplash. We were able to work hand in hand to make her precise vision come to life.”
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3. Get Comfortable Talking About Costs
Not all initial blueprints account for cost. “The key to our design process is giving our clients the most they can have within a comfortable budget,” Greg says. “We design with budget in mind, starting at a high level with the overall size of your renovation, then drilling down into the details to fine-tune the final budget.” The client helps drive the process by sharing their wants, needs and priorities, Debbie adds.
Not all initial blueprints account for cost. “The key to our design process is giving our clients the most they can have within a comfortable budget,” Greg says. “We design with budget in mind, starting at a high level with the overall size of your renovation, then drilling down into the details to fine-tune the final budget.” The client helps drive the process by sharing their wants, needs and priorities, Debbie adds.
The May Construction team helped these Almaden Valley homeowners analyze their budget to open up their constricted home. The completely new layout emphasizes the fully remodeled kitchen flowing directly into the family room. “The client and I bounced ideas back and forth to continually improve the overall design,” Greg says. “We came up with a really cool idea as we developed the floor plan to add a hidden work area and pantry behind the big cabinet door to the left of the refrigerator.”
See more of this project
See more of this project
4. Carefully Consider Your Lifestyle
It can be hard to think beyond the confines of your 1960s-style home. The May Construction team members rely on their experience to ask the right, world-expanding questions. “If we can get our clients to see themselves living in the new space, entertaining family and friends, watching the Super Bowl or hosting multigenerational family members, it helps determine what is really important to them,” Greg says.
For this whole-home remodel in the South Bay, the adventurous homeowner wasn’t afraid to consider the life she had as well as the life she wanted to have. “The laundry room was a total transformation from a utilitarian garage to a precisely personalized laundry room complete with a few surprises,” Donna says. “We created a cat door and a hidden litter box feature for a cat the homeowner didn’t own yet but knew she wanted someday.”
See more of this project
More: For more information on Greg May, Debbie May and Donna Gutto, visit May Construction’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
It can be hard to think beyond the confines of your 1960s-style home. The May Construction team members rely on their experience to ask the right, world-expanding questions. “If we can get our clients to see themselves living in the new space, entertaining family and friends, watching the Super Bowl or hosting multigenerational family members, it helps determine what is really important to them,” Greg says.
For this whole-home remodel in the South Bay, the adventurous homeowner wasn’t afraid to consider the life she had as well as the life she wanted to have. “The laundry room was a total transformation from a utilitarian garage to a precisely personalized laundry room complete with a few surprises,” Donna says. “We created a cat door and a hidden litter box feature for a cat the homeowner didn’t own yet but knew she wanted someday.”
See more of this project
More: For more information on Greg May, Debbie May and Donna Gutto, visit May Construction’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
May Construction specializes in Design/Build, Whole House Remodel, Additions, Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels and... Read More
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Review by Joe Power:
Highly recommend May Construction from beginning to end! From the time we meet with Greg ( Owner ) to the time job was completed it was a great experience. Subs were awesome and work was done in allot...More