Thinking of Bathroom Remodeling this Spring — Here Are Some Perfect Inspirations

Spring weather got you feeling antsy for a remodelling project? Bathroom remodelling might be the perfect point to start from. After all even minor bathroom renovations typically have one of the highest return on investment (ROI) , they will pay you back for a long time and can completely change the feel of your home. Check out these 7 FBN bathroom remodels for some renovation inspiration of your own.

1. Elegance and Simplicity:


This complete bathroom turnaround decluttered and updated the second floor of this home in Weston.  The light walls are complemented by the abundance of natural light flooding in through the single-pane windows, and the dual sinks allow for harmonious usage of the space. Elegance with deep simplicity. Perfect right?

2. Contemporary with Clean Lines: 

This designer bathtub creates a light and ultra modern feel without taking up too much room, adding that wow factor to your favorite space.  And check out the glass pane separating the your dry and wet areas, perfectly designed to the right size, further adding to the openness of this light filled bathroom.

3. Floating-feel-minimalistic

We love this floating-feel-minimalistic bathroom. Elegant and yet functional with space for hanging a towels underneath creating ease of accessibility while simultaneously saving space. Not to mention power of  gentle addition of right accessories, notice the light fixture, picture frame with the spiral staircase and porthole window and how they are all bound together in one consistent feel?

4. Your Personal Spa:

Would love to go to a spa everyday?  This is your bathroom. From a built-in bench to dual shower heads to waterfall faucets spraying from three directions, this bathroom’s many amenities will never cease to amaze, completed with the ultra calming perfect shade of aqua marine blue.

5. Colonial Luxury: 
This colonial-style bathroom is the peak of luxury.  Imagine drawing up a bath in the exquisite centerpiece tub, and take a look at all that cabinet space to tuck away your toiletries. A bathroom out of Downton Abbey, with all contemporary amenities. Perfect for those with duke or duchess kind of an elegant taste.

6. Splash of Color:

Bathrooms don’t have to be all neutral to be elegant. A splash of color can always give it an extra personal touch. This seafoam green paint is contrasted by crisp white accents and ties together with the refreshing vertical glass tile backsplash on the opposing wall. One of our all time favorites.

7. Be-Your-Own-Royalty:

Freestanding tubs are all the rage and will take your bathing to the next level. Plus, these dark mahogany cabinets add a rich feel to the clean space. Another one with be-your-own-royalty theme. The timeless elegance fit for a luxurious side of you.

FBN Always Supports Our Community

As a promise to always support our community, FBN was one of the 4 key sponsors for this year’s Project Role Model Fashion Show, an annual fundraiser for Big Sister Association of Greater Boston. All the funds raised go towards providing mentorship to young women and help them achieve their career dreams.

The evening warmed our hearts and inspired our hopes for a great generation of women to look forward to and be responsible in a small way in making that happen.

We are very grateful to our clients and partners. Their blessings help us support the community in every way we can. Thank you Thank you!

 

The Favreaulous Factory

Based on writings by Steven Favreau and Dennis Wyrzykowski. 

Created by Steven Favreau and Dennis Wyrzykowski, the Favrealous Factory is a sanctuary for design, ingenuity and creativity, and the headquarters for their diverse businesses. Envisioned to awaken the senses and challenge possibilities—fantasy, luxury and innovation merge—creating the Favreaulous Factory experience. Housed in an 11,000 square foot urban loft, Steven’s interior design enterprise is in the heart of Boston’s Innovation and Design District.

Favreau’s open floor-plan concept features intimate design spaces. Informal and welcoming, these vignettes accommodate his residential and commercial interior design business, home-furnishings, design & manufacturing, along with Printz and the Institute of Ethics. Printz, co-founded by entrepreneur Haley Horn and Favreau, is an online social media platform for millennials designing their homes. Wyrzykowski’s non-profit Institute of Ethics is dedicated to creating businesses having both social impact and profitability. Attracting experiences from a global network, their social initiatives empower the poor and marginalized.

Favreau and Wyrzykowski opened their headquarters to a select group of innovators sharing the same values and principles of integrity, honesty and sincerity, providing opportunities of unparalleled insight, vision and potential for creativity.

Associates of the Favreaulous Factory are not sub-leassors or renters, but independent professionals working in the Favreaulous Factory as friends and colleagues.  FBN Construction LLC, Andrew Sidford Architects, and Greg Premru Photography are trusted and successful firms in the Boston area. Their dynamic presence in the Favreaulous Factory lends to the overall atmosphere of imagination, perspective and vision, providing distinct solutions to unanswered questions.  Although working independently of each other, the environment provides unprecedented relationships, united support and celebration.

 

Bios

 

Steven Favreau

Celebrity interior designer, television personality and entrepreneur, Steven Favreau operates out of the Favreaulous Factory, a 11,000 square foot design incubator in Boston’s design district and is preeminent on today’s world design stage. Maintaining coastal offices in Boston and San Francisco, Favreau’s residential and commercial projects span the United States and European Union. Among his TV appearances, Favreau was a contestant on HGTV’s The White Room Challenge. He was also a two-time semifinalist for the HGTV home decorating interior design show Design Star.

​Recognized for his highly esteemed workmanship and creativity, Favreau’s company Favreau Design has the highest professional standards. Originally from Boston, Favreau trained in interior design at the esteemed Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. His work has been featured in dozens of prestigious publications.

In demand as a public speaker and television personality, Favreau is a distinguished master of ceremonies, talk show host, moderator and panelist. Robert Allen Fabrics, internationally acclaimed for their exceptional textiles, retained Favreau as their Brand Ambassador sending him throughout the United States speaking on their behalf. Voted “40 to watch” by The Business Journal, Favreau continues to create the most dynamic, chic and livable residential and commercial settings. He is currently creating a line of rugs, wallpaper and furniture to launch in 2018.

Prior to his career in design, Favreau studied musical theatre and dance at the famed Boston Conservatory and was soloist at the world-renowned Moulin Rouge in Paris, France. Stage performances include Singin’ in the Rain, A Chorus Line, Into the Woods and Chicago. He has also performed on cruise ships and was Cruise Director for American Hawaii Cruises. Favreau’s television experience extends from the United States to Amsterdam and Paris. He and his fiancé are in development for a new television show (working title The Monk and the Showman), soon to be announced. Favreau is also co-founder of an innovative and interactive interior design website geared toward millennials, Printz.com, launching in early 2018.

 

Dennis Wyrzykowski

Dennis Wyrzykowski was born in 1962 and presently resides in Massachusetts.  He began his spiritual journey at the age of 13, becoming a monk with the Teresian Carmelites Monastery in 1981.  In 1983 Dennis began a leadership position as prior of his monastery, serving in this role until 1987, while developing a formation program for candidates for the religious life.  In 1999 Dennis was re-elected prior, being responsible for the spiritual and corporal needs of his religious community.  During this time, he began to develop business strategies, leading the Teresian Carmelite community’s financial needs from a donations based model (mendicant), to a self-sustaining one. He created subsidiary companies including a holding company, Teresian Carmelite Works; an alternative wind-energy company, Teresian Carmelite Wind LLC; and a cosmeceutical skin care company, Carmelite Laboratories LLC.

Dennis earned a B.S. in Psychology from Worcester State University in 1985 and an M.A. in Religious Studies from Assumption College in 1987.  He continued his studies with over fifty courses in the subjects of Carmelite Spirituality, Religious Classics, Psychological Assessment and Interviewing, and Spiritual Direction.  In 1996, Dennis was accepted as an intern in the Professional Training & Development Program at the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, under the guidance of Jon Kabat-Zin.  Thereafter, in 1998 he founded and facilitated the Stress Reduction, Relaxation & Meditation Program, an intensive six-week course based on Judeo-Christian principles, meditation, mysticism and Cognitive Behavioral Psychology.

In 1996, he began collaborative research with Herbert Benson M.D., founder and president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.  Additionally, Dennis produced and hosted a local weekly TV program from 1999 to 2008.  Topics of discussion included, but were not limited to, psycho-spiritual development, universal spiritual principles, and his personal experiences of faith.

In order to pursue his goal of ending the perpetuation of poverty, crime, and prejudice one person at a time through education, Dennis concluded his vocation as a monk in July of 2012 and transitioned into secular life while maintaining affiliation with his religious community.  Today, he continues to develop businesses to sustain his mission.  In 2012, Dennis became involved in volunteer prison work, participating in weekend retreats at various correctional facilities throughout Massachusetts.  Over the past six years he has developed a weekly program for the incarcerated combining spirituality and social psychology utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.  Dennis’s business success has enabled him to focus his attention on developing private and public K-12 education initiatives, rehabilitation and addiction recovery programs within the penal system, and teaching at university.

 

Bob Ernst

Having served as FBN’s president for more than 20 years, Bob has helped grow the company into one of the premier residential construction and remodeling organizations in the greater Boston area and has developed a reputation for transparency, high-quality craftsmanship, and nearly unparalleled customer service among general contractors.

Throughout his tenure heading FBN, Bob has tried to make client satisfaction his top priority. To this effect, he introduced the revolutionary business model of giving his clients full control of budget and project decisions, believing that the contractor’s job is to provide the clients with all the necessary information to make those decisions and then implement them to the highest standard.

Under his leadership, FBN has grown from $750,000 in annual revenue to more than $15 million and won dozens of local and national awards. Personally, Bob has won both Builder of the Year and Remodeler of the Year from the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Boston (BRAGB); been honored at an American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) gala for his contributions to the association; won a community service award from the International Furnishings and Design Association; earned a President’s Citation from the ASIDNE President; and served as president of the BRAGB for two terms.

After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, Bob decided to travel across the U.S. and work in Europe for two years instead of attending college, a decision he still regards as one of the most rewarding he’s ever made. Upon his return to the U.S., Bob worked his way up from dishwasher to manager at the popular 33 Dunster Street restaurant in Harvard Square where he began to develop his philosophy on the importance of customer service. After entering the construction industry as a carpenter in the early 1980s, Bob founded and became president of BEEM Construction in 1987 and then became the head of the growing FBN team in 1995.

He enjoys FBN’s fun, collaborative atmosphere and heading a team that is incredibly easy-going about pretty much everything except customer service. Bob tries to ensure that every client trusts that he and his team always have their best interests at heart. The best part of his job is proving daily that nice guys don’t always finish last.

When he’s not helping his clients build their dream homes, Bob loves to travel and spend time with his wife and family and play golf with friends, though he enjoys when people put their trust in him perhaps more than anything else. He also supports causes including cancer research, human rights and equal opportunity, and ethics in business.

 

Andrew Sidford

Andrew is widely considered one of the top architects in the Boston area. His expertise ranges from historic renovations, to contemporary design, and from single-family homes to large-scale commercial and institutional projects. He founded his architectural practice in 1992.  His unique designs have garnered accolades and awards, and have been featured in Boston Globe Magazine, Design New England, Northshore Magazine, and numerous others.

Andrew’s mission is to inspire clients to want more out of architecture.  His interactive design approach helps clients consider all of the short and long-term issues which will have the largest impact on overall satisfaction.  His work features sun-filled, open, flowing spaces always with strong connections to siting and landscape.

Andrew’s commitment to sustainable design has always been a strong component of his work. His operating principle is that good design is implicitly sustainable. In 2006, Andrew Sidford Architects became the first architectural firm to join 1% For the Planet, an international environmental group whose members pledge one percent of their profits to environmental causes.

This commitment to sustainability mirrors his commitment to his community.  He has held several leadership roles including Vice Chairman of the Newburyport Redevelopment Authority, Board of Directors of the Northeast Family YMCA and Board of Directors of Advisors of the Appalachian Mountain Club.

 

Greg Premru

Greg is a photographer who specializes in Residential and Commercial Interiors and Architecture. His work captures an upscale lifestyle that you want to be a part of. His residential interiors are bright and polished, relying on precise lighting and composition to create a natural and immersive experience. His Commercial images are more graphic with rich color palettes that highlight each unique space. Whether Greg is shooting products to make each house a home or capturing a new hotel restaurant each image is carefully crafted and inviting.

His images are regularly published in several magazines including: ‘New England Home’, ‘Design New England’, ‘Trends in Design’, ‘Interiors”, and the ‘International Magazine of Space Design’ to name a few.  You can also find his images in numerous books on residential and commercial design and architects monographs.  His just published book, “New England Icons” with writer/producer Bruce Irving of This Old House explores the historical beauty of New England.

Greg has over 25 years experience in commercial photography, and started his own business 20 years ago. Greg was one of the first interiors and architectural photographers in the area to embrace digital photography.  His knowledge in this industry changing technology allows him to produce the finest possible images for his clients.

Greg states…”photography for me is collaborative effort between me and my clients. I strive to create the best possible images for my clients using my experience and vision. My images must go beyond a mere visual document.  The photograph must be more than an understanding of space, and light.  It must recreate a three dimensional space into a two dimensional image that is not just descriptive but evocative.”

A born and bred “New Englander”, Greg received his BFA in Photography at the Art Institute of Boston, and has taught numerous photography classes at the Boston Architectural Center.  He is a frequent guest lecturer at New England School of Photography.

Greg is a member of the BSA, IFDA, SMPS, and ASMP.

When Greg is not shooting he is working on his personal work, and keeping up to date with the latest technology and social networking, he can be found Fly Fishing, Skiing

Launch Party: The Favreaulous Factory. March 3rd 2018

On March 3rd 2018 we will be launching The Favreaulous Factory in collaboration with Steven Favreau, Dennis Wyrzykowski’s Institute of Ethics, Haley Horn’s Printz.com, Samuel Thompson, Chris Galli and amazing, independent business owners with good hearts, doing great work in a magical place along with us Andrew Sidford Architects, Greg Premru, Annabel Joy, Jennifer McArdle Dulac, Zachary Torres. Can’t wait to celebrate this great space with this great team!

_________________________

The Favreaulous Factory

Created by Steven Favreau and Dennis Wyrzykowski, the Favrealous Factory is a sanctuary for design, ingenuity and creativity, and the headquarters for their diverse businesses. Envisioned to awaken the senses and challenge possibilities—fantasy, luxury and innovation merge—creating the Favreaulous Factory experience. Housed in an 11,000 square foot urban loft, Steven’s interior design enterprise is in the heart of Boston’s Innovation and Design District.

Favreau’s open floor-plan concept features intimate design spaces. Informal and welcoming, these vignettes accommodate his residential and commercial interior design business, home-furnishings, design & manufacturing, along with Printz and the Institute of Ethics. Printz, co-founded by entrepreneur Haley Horn and Favreau, is an online social media platform for millennials designing their homes. Wyrzykowski’s non-profit Institute of Ethics is dedicated to creating businesses having both social impact and profitability. Attracting experiences from a global network, their social initiatives empower the poor and marginalized.

Favreau and Wyrzykowski opened their headquarters to a select group of innovators sharing the same values and principles of integrity, honesty and sincerity, providing opportunities of unparalleled insight, vision and potential for creativity.

Associates of the Favreaulous Factory are not sub-leassors or renters, but independent professionals working in the Favreaulous Factory as friends and colleagues. FBN Construction LLC, Andrew Sidford Architects, and Greg Premru Photography are trusted and successful firms in the Boston area. Their dynamic presence in the Favreaulous Factory lends to the overall atmosphere of imagination, perspective and vision, providing distinct solutions to unanswered questions. Although working independently of each other, the environment provides unprecedented relationships, united support and celebration.

( Taken from https://favreaulousfactory.com )

See What Your Home Might Look Like Before You Start

Try this today: Check out some of these free or inexpensive home design apps to inspire your next project. We especially recommend this one.

Building a new home or starting a remodel can be a daunting task.  Who knows if that sectional you picked out online will fit in the living room or how the paint color you loved in the home improvement store will actually look on your walls?  

Close your eyes and imagine a way to lessen the feeling of intimidation about the unknown in your home improvement process.  Now open your eyes and thank us, because we have a solution for you!  Using home design applications on your mobile device, tablet, or computer allow you to visualize a complete space without lifting a finger.  A variety of apps can give you project ideas and inspiration, let you visualize paint colors on your own walls, and even allow you to create a 3D mockup of an interior design scheme.

So before you throw your hands up in frustration, remember that home design apps can help you explain your imagination to your contractor better.

Cover photo by John Schnobrich

Home Remodeling Pays Back

Try this today: Considering a renovation in your own house? Check out some of FBN’s home remodels for inspiration on projects that will pay off in the long run.

Wondering if your desire to remodel will have Return on your Investment (ROI)?  Toss aside those doubts, roll your sleeves up, and get to work because the renovation will be worth it.

If you’re planning on staying in your house for a few more years (or forever!), go ahead and choose a style that you personally love.  But if you’re looking to put your house on the market, beware of “stylistic depreciation” – you’d be better off sticking with classic finishes and colors than splurging on the latest trend.  

Remember, remodeling decisions aren’t solely aesthetic.  In order to maximize your return on investment, consider the long run appeal of your new installations and how they’ll be viewed by future buyers.  Kitchens and bathrooms are most closely scrutinized, so a renovation in either of those spaces can go a long way.  Maybe you don’t need to undertake the entire home makeover as yet, consider doing only kitchen and/or bathroom for an astounding 100% ROI.  Small changes can truly have a big impact.

Cover photo by Jarosław Ceborski

New Year’s Resolutions for Your Home

Try this today: Create a list of your top three home improvement projects and make a board for each one on Houzz.com.

Is your home improvement wish list growing steadily? Is your Pinterest or Houzz.com board filled with DIY project ideas for you home? Make your New Year’s Resolution a home improvement resolution and start tackling these projects today!

With a fresh year ahead of you, take the time to decide on the one or two projects that are most important to you. Then, carve out specific time in your schedule for the next few weeks to start working on them.

Most importantly, set yourself a budget and a timeline that you want to follow so that when things get busy you already have a plan. Looking to start a large-scale project or find a contractor? Don’t forget FBN Construction is always here to help!

Like most New Year’s Resolutions, there’s never a better time to start your home improvement projects than right now!

Cover photo by Ian Schneider

Home for the Holidays

Try this today: Check out the great selection of holiday decor at Pottery Barn, or browse Pinterest to find some DIY creations to add festivity to your home.

With the holidays just around the corner, we know that you may be doing more entertaining in your home than usual. Worried about hosting so many guests? With the right planning, the holidays can be stress free and full of cheer for everyone!

Remembering small details can have the greatest impact on making your guests feel at home and alleviating your stress during this busy time. Stock up on sweet treats like chocolates to leave for any overnight guests and make sure you have ample supply of any cleaning materials for any spills or quick clean ups. Be sure to also upgrade any holiday decorations with new twinkly lights or table ornaments to add some sparkle. With a home full of love for the holidays, consider leaving a small guest book by the door so that guests can leave short greetings that can be kept as a keepsake holiday memory for years to come.

 

Cover photo by rawpixel.com

Host a Great Thanksgiving: 5 Easy Tips

It’s Not Too Late to Prepare for a Great Thanksgiving, with 5 Easy Tips 

Thanksgiving is almost here! Are you as under-prepared as most hard working and busy people? No worries – we have you covered.  Here are 5 easy tips to host a great Thanksgiving, even if you only start planning today. The key is in organizing and collaborating, even if its T – 3 days until the big meal.

  1. Count the guests. Make sure you know how many people are going to be there. Text/email/call everyone who was invited and make sure they are going to be there. Knowing the exact number of people will save you from being over prepared and overwhelmed.
  2. Plan your menu. Keep it simple. It’s easy to feel compelled to make 10-15 sides and show off your culinary skills, but you can impress as much with just 6 perfectly made sides too. Gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies, salad, cranberry sauce. Create six perfect sides and you are done! You can even supplement a few sides like cranberry sauce and salad dressing with pre-made options from a good store – no one will know and we’ll keep the secret! For the rest, here are a few inspirations for a simple menu, including a grocery list
  3. Get your home guest ready. Make space. Avoid any kind of deep cleaning. Collect all items on any horizontal surfaces and put them away in one large box or a closet. You can sort these things out later. Don’t forget to make room for coats by emptying a closet or simply tidying an guest bedroom. If you are worried about any unpleasant odors, place some coffee grounds/ vinegar in open bowls and open the windows for a while if possible. Finally, vacuum and dust – this is very important and makes a huge difference. Even though you have only minimally cleaned, your home will look perfect for your guests!
  4. Make the meal look festive. Set the table with fresh flowers, lights, candles, leaves, anything that fits in your budget and looks great. Make it look festive without spending too much time or money.  Here are a few ideas for quick and easy Thanksgiving decorations
  5. Collaborate with your guests. When people ask you what they can bring, don’t let them down. Ask them to bring anything from sides to pies to ice cream to decoration stuff. You can even ask some close guests to arrive early to help you with decoration, setting the table, or even cooking.

Follow these 5 simple tips and you are all set for a great Thanksgiving, plus you’ll even have some extra energy for that Black Friday shopping.

Happy Thanksgiving from the FBN family!

Cover photo by Element5 Digital

DIY or not to DIY

 

Try this today: Get in touch with us and we will help you figure out whether your project is better done DIY or left to professionals.

Agreed you are a weekend warrior. You are hands-on with many small tasks around the house, and you’ve got a pinterest board filled with nifty projects that have your friends and family saying, “I can’t believe you did that yourself!”  But, there are projects beyond a certain size that need professional help. As a rule of thumb any project that would take more that 3 weekends should be left to a professional. Otherwise you aren’t saving any time and money, only spending more! In addition to annoying your loved ones with the ongoing mess.