Page not found

We're sorry, the page you were trying to find does not seem to exist.

Check out the before picture of American Dreamers Renovations’ latest kitchen remodel project:

Now check out this transformation!

Featuring: new flooring throughout, an island with a wine ‘fridge and seating, new tile backsplash (the former kitchen didn’t have any backsplash), open shelving, a new pantry, a new window, and all new cabinetry with functional placement and design including pullouts next to the oven:

 

These Dreamers have a beautiful stone house in the Oakmont area of greater Pittsburgh. These homes have so much charm but in many cases to not reflect the everyday flow of modern living. They wanted to improve the overall look and function with emphasis on durability (they have cute, big dogs!) and hosting. As such, the homeowners went with luxury vinyl plan throughout, expanded the kitchen’s footprint to make room for an island (formerly a peninsula), and even added a window to open up the space and let some natural light in:

Once the window was created, American Dreamers finished the space with a planter box for herbs which saved the homeowners about $10,000 in additional masonry work.

Other luxury features of this project include tile backsplash (to the ceiling) and a custom pantry – all making it a dream to cook and host company in this home.

_______________________

American Dreamers Renovations is a boutique home construction and renovation company serving Pittsburgh, PA and surrounding. Led by award-winning GC and interior designer, Morgan Kumpfmiller, American Dreamers Renovations has been helping homeowners realize the full potential of their home since 2010.

Do you want to work with American Dreamers? We invite you to schedule an estimate today!

(And if you live beyond Pittsburgh, we invite you to professionally connect with Morgan via other platforms including Matriarchy Build and our Women Builders Network on Facebook)

It’s not every day that we win an award but American Dreamers has now won the “Best Remodel” Housing Excellence Award for two years in a row in Pittsburgh!

What makes a home remodel award-worthy? Overall, we believe it is three factors: design, application, and expert craftsmanship.

We don’t presume we will win an award for every project, but we do strive to deliver award-winning service and craftsmanship always. With all that said, let’s check out the Best Remodel in Pittsburgh for 2022!

First, let’s check out some before photos of the space:

Like many older houses, one might say, “It’s not THAT bad, right?” And it’s not.

It’s just very indicative of the early 2000s: dark, beige/brown/red, and boxy.

Personally, this is what we love about the home renovation process overall – taking the same footprint and reimagining it in a way that improves the lives of those within the home.

The first major design haul was knocking down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. Our Dreamers wanted to open the space for a more inviting feel while also allowing more natural light, from beautiful windows in the dining room, to shine across the home:

You’ll note there were a lot of mechanical functions in the wall and that the wall was load-bearing. For this reason alone, some of our peers had told the homeowners it “can’t be done.” But anything can be done in your home with the right team and professionals in place! Hard and complicated work doesn’t scare us:

The second major design haul with that wall out of the way was the island … the old island was barely large enough to chop ingredients and toss in a big bowl.

Our Dreamers wanted an oversized island for more prep space, seating, and lots of cabinetry for storage too:

 

Next – the upper cabinets … The home had great ceiling height but with the older cabinet design, a good portion of the space was used to collect dust [it was so gross up there – you don’t even want to know].

So the space was designed with uppers to the ceiling and a gorgeous ladder for easy reach:

 

You might have noticed in the pictures above, another feature of this award-winning kitchen: three ovens. With party and holiday-hosting in mind, the space needed to function for lots of cooking and baking.

And where did the refrigerator go? For seamless design, it was incorporated with cabinet-matching panels (the seamless look is so pleasing to the eye!):

Adjacent to the kitchen is the living space. Formerly covered in beige carpet with beige walls, the space now hosts hardwood floors throughout the entire first floor and an updated fireplace and mantel that matches the classic and timeless design of the new kitchen:

Rounding out the renovation of this home’s first floor is the space adjacent to the kitchen leading up to the second floor – the stairwell. This space formerly hosted a step (which is a tripping hazard), a classic oak (with yellowish stain) railing, and white balusters. It did not match the design of this new first floor on any level. To complete this home’s remodel, a waterfall hand-railing with metal balusters was installed and the walls were treated with a modern board and batten design:

 

This home remodel is not only gorgeous, it was fun to build out and our Dreamers were the best. Thank you to our amazing Clients who make our jobs fun and thank you to our amazing team who go out and represent American Dreamers at its best:

_______________________

American Dreamers Renovations is a boutique home construction and renovation company serving Pittsburgh, PA and surrounding. Led by award-winning GC and interior designer, Morgan Kumpfmiller, American Dreamers Renovations has been helping homeowners realize the full potential of their home since 2010.

Do you want to work with American Dreamers? We invite you to schedule an estimate today!

(And if you live beyond Pittsburgh, we invite you to professionally connect with Morgan via other platforms including Matriarchy Build and our Women Builders Network on Facebook)

As the world gears up for the holiday season and visiting company (you might even have some guests arriving today), American Dreamers Renovations is delighted to share with you this recently completed black and white kitchen:

This kitchen is an absolute stunner for those who love all things modern. A former kitchen and dining room combo, the space was united to set the stage for holidays and get togethers. “Everyone would gather in the kitchen – we started to wonder why we needed 2 rooms at all?” commented our Dreamers. That wall all the way to the back where the oven is? That used to be the back wall in the dining room.

Featuring an extra-large waterfall island, a coordinating stove hood, 3-dimensional tile backsplash, breath-taking lighting, counterspace along the entire perimeter, and custom shelving, this black and white kitchen is a modern host’s playland:

Do you hang out with us online? Please let us what is your favorite detail in this kitchen?

___________________________________________________

American Dreamers Renovations is a boutique home construction and renovation company serving Pittsburgh, PA and its surrounding communities. We offer a variety of services including Home Additions, Home Construction, Home Renovation Projects, Interior Painting Services, and Non-Emergency Plumbing [converting to tankless water heaters is our specialty!]. If you are looking for a reputable general contractor in the Pittsburgh region and you would like to explore working with American Dreamers Renovations, we invite you to contact us today to discuss your next project and/or schedule an estimate.

Many kitchens are outdated. It’s just a fact. While a kitchen remodel will deliver the highest return on investment, it’s also such a big project that most people will avoid it altogether.

The idea of knocking down walls is scary and not having your family hub sounds like the worst!

For homeowners who want to improve the look and function of their kitchen, but don’t want to change the layout or endure 3 months of renovating, our favorite project suggestion comes with many names: “Kitchen Refresh,” “Kitchen Glam Up,” or “Kitchen Facelift” …

In short, small changes to the kitchen that deliver big impact (without major demolition): new floors, new counters, painting cabinets, new hardware, new lighting, and/or a new backsplash.

American Dreamers Renovations recently completed a gorgeous kitchen refresh in the South Hills of Pittsburgh.

For this particular home, the layout was so functional and the island met the family’s needs that they really only wanted to get rid of the wood tones and floor that dated the house to the 90s.

The project started with a painting of the cabinets:

And painted cabinets always need a new countertop (this one from Kitchenramma is visually stunning):

You can notice in the picture above, new flooring was extended throughout the first floor to unify the design of the home.

Here’s another great view of the floor that showcases a new sink too:

To elevate your kitchen from “beautiful” to “gorgeous,” a good focal point is key. For this “Glam Up” the stove region was updated with a gorgeous wood vent:

To complete the beauty of this refresh, we used complementary tile to feature the oven and hood:

___________________________________________

American Dreamers Renovations is an award-winning general contractor with headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA. Owned and operated by the East Coast’s leading GC, Morgan Kumpfmiller, our American Dream is helping you pursue yours in your ideal home. If you have projects in mind, we’d love to help you turn your #renovationdreamstoreality. Contact us today to schedule an estimate. If you’d like to see other projects we’ve done, we invite you to view our portfolio or join our communities on Facebook and Instagram.

If we were making an Instagram reel to coordinate with this post [we did], the background sound would say: A Hot New Bombshell Enters the Villa … and her name is TILE!

Yes – tile; long-lasting, classic, and so many possibilities …

This recently completed bathroom renovation features the beauty of tile in so many ways.

First, we’ve got the traditional location most people think of when they think of tile: the shower.

For this project, our Client kept the shower space but the tile was updated to include tile in new shapes and patterns:

Every shower requires great storage for toiletries:

We carried the tile from the interior shower to the vanity wall which is a design choice that exudes luxury:

And in the same way the interior tile from the wall carried to the vanity, the interior tile from the shower floor extended to the floor of the entire bathroom space:

Everyone loves a classic, white subway tile but the consensus is that it is boring (Yes, we said it!). With all the options available today, you’d be hard pressed not to explore something a little more if you’re looking to elevate the personality and style of your home.

Tile now comes in a variety of shapes, patterns, colors, and textures (we love textures especially!) – Do you have tile in your bathroom?

_______________________________________________________________________________________

American Dreamers Renovations is a boutique home construction and renovation company serving Pittsburgh, PA and its surrounding communities. We offer a variety of services including Home Additions, Home Construction, Home Renovation Projects, Interior Painting Services, and Non-Emergency Plumbing [converting to tankless water heaters is our specialty!]. If you are looking for a reputable general contractor in the Pittsburgh region and you would like to explore working with American Dreamers Renovations, we invite you to contact us today to discuss your next project and/or schedule an estimate.

 

 

That fresh feeling after a perfect shower …

That peace when your home has been just cleaned …

Those nanoseconds when there is no laundry in any hamper …

That is the peace you feel every time you walk into your newly-renovated home …

On today’s blog, we’re excited to share a recently completed first-floor renovation in our favorite city: Pittsburgh!

These Dreamers contacted us for two major projects: a complete overhaul of the kitchen and an update to their living space that was parallel in the home. But these 2 separate projects were so close to each other, it turned into something bigger: an entire first floor renovation (including powder room).

Picture the home – you walk in and there is a set of stairs. To the right is the living room and to the left is the dining room – with a small opening to the kitchen and a powder room in the back the house. This is a very traditional Pittsburgh-home layout:

(we do love that dog on the fireplace)

The homeowners had lived in this space for many years before finally deciding they couldn’t live boxed-off anymore.

First, we recommended they knock down the wall to increase the feeling of the space in the home on the left. Next, we recommended they extend any new flooring through the entire first floor (including the living room to the right) and paint/style the living room in balance with the style of their incoming, new kitchen.

Our Dreamers wanted a style that can be defined as modern, light, and bright; “Modern yet classic” if you will. This translated into light cabinets, lower cabinets with color, gold accents, lighter floors in a wider plank, and appliances with style built to last:

With the wall removed, we then added a peninsula for additional seating and storage. The other side of the former dining room was also built-out making room for a coffee bar, mini-‘fridge, and ice maker:

At the end of the project, one Dreamer commented, “The ice maker is one of my favorite details. We go through a lot of ice!”

Practical details, in addition to design and logistics, are the difference between “updating your space” and “upgrading your space.”

Other upgrades for this project include a spice drawer near the oven, a pot filler over the stove, and accent lighting in various locations as the daylight hours change:

To tie the living room and kitchen spaces together, we extended the new floors, painted the walls, replaced the mantle, and mounted “The Frame” – a popular new Samsung TV product which disguises your television as art!

Even though “a first floor reno” was not quite the Dreamers’ original plan when they first contacted American Dreamers Renovations, it didn’t make sense to leave their bathroom – the only remaining space on the first floor – untouched. So, that was updated too!

Here is another angle so you can see the light fixture too:

After the project was complete, one Dreamer commented, “I still can’t believe this is my home.” Indeed, it looks completely different and is way more functional for their family. We love helping our Clients rekindle their love of their home.

_______________________________________________________________

American Dreamers Renovations is a home construction and renovation company serving Pittsburgh, PA and its surrounding neighborhoods and communities (all the way from Washington, PA to Wexford). ADR has many departments and offers a variety of services including: interior paint services, non-emergent plumbing, home renovation projects, and home addition services. If your home needs some help, we would love to be a part of your story. Give us a call today! 412-290-1108

Good afternoon internet!

Today I want to talk about the single most important question in home renovations:

How do I renovate my house so that in the end it looks like a well-designed home?

The singular answer is DETAILS!!

Typically, an interior designer is someone who has their eye on the details … if you want a well-designed home, you should seek the input of an interior designer, or, if you’re lucky, a general contractor who is also involved in home design (like my company American Dreamers Renovations!)

I’m going to use a previous project to demonstrate the difference that details make. Are you ready?

Here is the BEFORE space of a living room in a colonial-style Pittsburgh home:

American Dreamers Renovations updates this Pittsburgh home living room

Isn’t it a beautiful space? The homeowners contacted American Dreamers Renovations because they wanted to add some built-ins around the window. The space was open and beautiful but also clunky, lacked purpose, and had no storage for books, movies, and games.

We discussed all this and more during the estimate appointment. I asked them all kinds of questions like, “Where do you plan to put your TV?” and “How do you envision this space functioning for your family?” Through that process I also got a sense of their personality in this new (to them) home – they were fun, hip, and modern … in this very old though seemingly updated colonial.

Their taste in furniture was also not traditional. If we had to classify it, I’d call it “modern,” but do you think they would call themselves “modern?” No! They love brick and beautiful wood … wouldn’t that make their style “traditional?”

All those questions and the search for answers is where every Homeowner can find me. I’m always in that space combining honor to the home while also seeing who will be be living in it and how they will use it. For this particular space, in order to craft a home with great style and function, I knew what we had to do … build out the bookcase with some rounded corners to balance out all the traditional squares.

Check it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you think?

Here’s a fun fact about this project – my Dreamers didn’t even want rounded corners and they didn’t like the idea of rounded corners on their bookshelves. But after seeing their furniture and the style of the rest of their house? I knew they would be stuck in something that would look dated and old if we just did a very traditional bookcase with square corners; and they are too fun for that!

In order to get the look, I asked them to trust me and promised to re-do the entire thing if they didn’t like it. Talk about an exciting leap of faith!

The bookcase with rounded corners lived to see the days – it’s one of our most-loved Living Room Renovations to date.

________________________________________________________________________________

American Dreamers Renovations is a home construction and renovation company in Pittsburgh, PA led by leading female contractor and award-winning designer, Morgan Kumpfmiller. At American Dreamers Renovations, our American Dream is helping you maximize the potential and design of your home. Call today to get your next project started! 412-290-1108

One of the values of American Dreamers Renovations is that our company does not have a style we sell – our style is your style and our designs are built upon the needs and function of your family, combined with the design and aesthetic of your home.

This design philosophy is especially important in the older homes of Pittsburgh like this home renovation which we are featuring today. Built in 1910, this home was full of charm and beautiful details but somehow it seemed to stop short at the trim work of the kitchen entry:
With laminate counters and a tile floor that didn’t match the hardwood, it was obvious this kitchen had been renovated over the past 100 years but the design was not consistent with the style of the home. Not only were the aesthetics lackluster, but the layout and function of the space was more akin to a butler’s pantry than the thriving center of a hustling and bustling home:
(With this corner sink and view of nowhere, you can only imagine how dismal it was to do the dishes. Our Dreamers played a game every night called, “Who wants to be the adult and stare at a cabinet?” It was not the “dream life” they envisioned)
For our Dreamers’ busy family, the worst part of this kitchen was the lack of counter space – there was hardly anywhere suitable to cut or prep food.
To rectify the sub-optimal design, first American Dreamer Renovations removed the wall separating the kitchen from the dining area. It was replaced with a larger and beautiful peninsula:
As you can see in the design above, we also moved the sink from that dreadful corner and placed it on the peninsula to open up the feel of the home (now Mom can keep an eye on her two littles as they feed their baby dolls in highchairs too).
Moving the sink meant we could also move the ‘fridge and add some more counter space to the other corner of the kitchen:
You can note in the BEFORE photos that the kitchen was full of yellow walls. On demo day, we were pleasantly surprised to find that behind one of the walls, there was beautiful, exposed brick!
The exposed brick added to the charm of the home. Naturally, our Dreamers wanted to keep it exposed.
 In order to make the space modern, our Dreamers turned in their white appliances for stainless steel and they focused on smaller details that tend to be “charming” including hardware with curves and a backsplash in an eclectic design:
As the kitchen was now opened up to the dining area, a view of the fireplace was also exposed to those enjoying the kitchen. As a part of the renovation, and to tie the space together, American Dreamers Renovation replaced the tile around the hearth for something a little more modern:
To tie the space all together, the dining room received a new coat of paint to match the kitchen and new lighting – grounding the entire living and dining combo in the current times while also retaining some of the charm inherent to the home:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

_______________________________________________________________________
American Dreamers Renovations is a home construction and renovation company in Pittsburgh, PA led by leading female contractor and designer, Morgan Kumpfmiller. From kitchen and bathroom renovations to first floor or basement remodels, our American dream is helping you realize the full potential of your home.
Call today if you have a home project you’ve been dreaming about!

If you were going to design a home from scratch today, where would you start?
Yes, we agree – the kitchen!

The kitchen is an integral part of all modern homes. In a study conducted by The Center on Everyday Lives of Families at the University of California, 68% of a family’s time is largely spent in the kitchen as well as the family room (typically near the television). As such, in order to maximize the space in a home, that’s why we gravitate to premium kitchen design. It’s where you spend so much of your time!

With that perspective in mind, check out the BEFORE photos of our latest kitchen renovation:

As you can see from these photos above, 68% of this family’s time was spent in a teeny, tiny kitchen! This house is only a decade old but, as you can tell, the kitchen was not at the forefront of the home’s design.

When our Dreamers called, they had a few items on their wish list:

  1. A big island
  2. More storage
  3. More counter space for food prep
  4. A lighter and brighter design

American Dreamers Renovations owner and designer, Morgan, wasted no time. After assessing the house at the estimate appointment, Morgan recommended we expand the kitchen’s footprint by pushing back into the barely used formal dining room. This additional square footage would not only allow more space to achieve every item on the Dreamers’ list, but it would also allow for a change in the function of the overall kitchen too:

Can you even believe the kitchen before was so small after seeing this home’s kitchen maximized to its full potential?

Let’s start with the island.
The new island is twice the size of the old island, adds more seating to the space (for both food prep and homework), and offers not just more storage, but function including a microwave drawer (adding to the kitchen’s design) and a charging drawer to hide devices while charging and keep charging wires all in one place:

With the microwave out of the way, to get that lighter and brighter feel, our Dreamers opted for a stunning new hood vent:

No corner, crevice, or drawer was overlooked in this design – function is everywhere:

The old pantry felt small and was dated by a bi-folding door. With the expanded wall, we were able to affix a barn door and we outfitted the interior with custom floating shelves:

This new pantry is a family’s dream with storage for everything from minimally used appliances and snacks to paper products and cleaning supplies.

Do you know what else a family needs in a kitchen? A big sink!
This update more than doubled the space of their sink:

For finishing touches, our Dreamers selected a herringbone style backsplash:

The kitchen renovation was beautiful all by itself but while we were there, the homeowners asked American Dreamers Renovations to perform some other updates to the home just to give a uniform look throughout their first floor (uniform design across several rooms is what makes a home feel like it has style versus having a home in which each room feels like its own entity):

Note the flooring in this bathroom – it was extended from the kitchen – now the entire first floor has the same flooring.

A new banister at the home’s entrance also set the stage for the updated home:


American Dreamers Renovations is a home construction and home renovation company in Pittsburgh, PA led by leading female contractor and designer, Morgan Kumpfmiller. From kitchen and bathroom renovations to first floor or basement remodels, our American dream is helping you realize the full potential of your home.

We offer FREE estimates for interior renovation projects.
To connect with us today call: 412-290-1108.

Happy New Year Dreamers!!

New in our portfolio, we’re excited to share this recently completed kitchen renovation which took this 1992 home from dark and dated to 2022 modern and bright.

Before we dive into the exciting details that our Homeowners desired for this project, let’s take a look at the BEFORE pictures of this space:

If you currently reside in a home built in the 90s and there haven’t been many changes, it’s likely you have these cabinets and you know the style.

With a busy family and more time at home, our Dreamers were looking for a design that would enhance the function of the space, brighten the color palette and, in-so-doing, expand the overall feel:

You might have noticed in the before photos that the old kitchen had a tiny island which reserved some space for a small dining table adjacent to the kitchen. Our Dreamers liked having a place to sit but needed more storage for kitchen items and more counterspace for food prep. We took these requirements and elongated the island into the former “eat in kitchen” area.

The expanded island also made space for us to move the microwave from above the stove to the island so we could add in a modern stove hood which really added some WOW factor to the space:

The gold hardware is a standout in this kitchen. To complement it, gold fixtures were selected too:

Lighter colored cabinets with an island in a darker color is a current trend that we love and that we know will be around for a while:

Now you might have noticed behind the island, shelving with coordinating blue tile.
Here’s a close up:

And maybe by now you might have noticed one of our favorite details of this project, the custom pet bowl shelf!

Custom shelving is not new for American Dreamers Renovations but this was the first project where we got to add a pot filler with the exclusive purpose of keeping our Dreamers’ dogs hydrated. They love it!

The dogs. Oh, did you think we were talking about our Dreamers? They love it too!


American Dreamers Renovations is a home construction and home renovation company in Pittsburgh, PA led by leading female contractor, Morgan Kumpfmiller. We offer FREE estimates for interior renovation projects. To connect with us today call: 412-290-1108.