Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/66705
haute property In the renovated Kurtz loft, 12-foot-wide Panda accordion-style doors make for a seamless indoor/outdoor transition. granite slab countertops. The kitchen pre-renovation Thornton's kitchen now features stacked slate stone accents and continued from page 135 integrating the living room, din- ing room, common today, but design and kitchen. in that wasn't It's a residences the style when Thornton's home was built in 1999. Thornton also replaced French doors with sliding glass doors and made the back wall largely glass to look out into the courtyard. He replaced tile with marble and took out aging carpet that didn't fit the upscale home. He also installed hickory floors throughout the house, upgraded the kitchen with new appliances, and installed a dry sauna in an upgraded master bathroom. No room was untouched. Las Vegan J. Christopher Stuhmer, CEO of Christopher Homes Renovations, which handled Thornton's renovations, says remodeling across the country has reached its highest level in three years, and he doesn't see that trend changing. Many owners have lost equity in their homes and view them less as an invest- ment now, instead focusing more on their quality of Christopher life. The renovations done by Homes have ranged between $25,000 and $1 million and average $100,000, he about says. "People are appreciat- ing the roots they have Stuhmer says. "It's about creating an environment. The kitchen is now the place to gather in the home, and it's being designed to accommodate more than one cook." John Segler, showroom man- ager for Ferguson Enterprises, which sells plumbing and lighting fixtures and appliances, says some of the more popu- lar purchases are in-wall coffee makers, steam ovens, and Sub-Zero refrigerators. "We're seeing a lot of people who have Remodeling has reached its highest level in three years. in their houses. The overriding request from clients is to update their home because their tastes have changed over the years." That includes everything from putting in new kitchen appliances, flooring, and plumbing fixtures (introducing features you would see at a resort spa, such as walk-in showers and free-standing tubs and mas- sage tables), to bigger changes J. Christopher Stuhmer of Christopher Homes Renovations sees no end in sight for the renovation trend. such as adding a second level, building a casita, cre- ating a home theater, removing walls, and adding glass for a more seamless transition. "We're doing a lot of work in the kitchen," 136 vegasmagazine.com bought foreclosures," Segler says, "where the previous owners took out the doors, ranges, and refrigerators." Steve and Lisa Kurtz recently remodeled a four- bedroom home in a gated community in Summerlin North. The couple bought the home, which increased from 4,400 to 4,800 square feet (including a separate casita) in the renovation, in part for a view of the Strip— a view they wanted to take full advantage of by adding a loft on the second floor. They also added a balcony to what is now their family and entertainment room. To enhance the view on the first floor, they removed the back wall and installed glass doors. In total, their renovations, which also included creating bathrooms for each of their two children, cost $110,000. They even put in a home office as part of a separate project and are now redoing an outdoor barbecue. Lisa Kurtz says buying a home that required renovations rather than building from scratch allowed them to take advantage of the drop in prices in the housing market but still have exactly the home they wanted. "We saw all the potential," she says. "That's why we waited and did a short sale. It took some time, but we got the price we wanted. It took a year to do the renovations, but now we have our dream house with a dream view." Christopher Homes Renovations, 702-233-3449; christopherhomes.com V Before, columns blocked the loft's city view. photography by bryan hainer (new thornton kitchen and kurtz loft, stuhmer); courtesy of christopher homes renovations (kitchen and loft pre-renovation)