Expertise: Home Remodeling

Victorian and Colonial-style homes are commonly sought after for their beauty and character but they can often feel out-dated or obsolete. Homeowners find themselves wanting to upgrade their home, yet fear ruining the charm that attracted them in the first place. While it may seem paradoxical, it is possible to have both as John Wisniewski, President of Daniel Robert Remodeling, would be quick to tell you.

House and Home spoke with Wisniewski regarding Daniel Robert Remodeling's recent work in the quaint town of Pitman, and how working with experienced professionals helps to achieve the ideal design without sacrificing safety, quality or historical feel.

Daniel Robert has a history of working within historical towns.
The small, historic Borough of Pitman is experiencing a revitalization. Daniel Robert Remodeling has been part of the process, remodeling many of the town's historical homes. Originating in 1871 as a Methodist Summer Camp, Pitman is a town full of Victorian and Colonial-style homes rich in history and is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places.

With such beautiful architecture and a revitalizing downtown, many of the residents are looking to create modern amenities with historical touches in their homes.

All three partners at Daniel Robert Remodeling are Pitman natives and understand the importance of revitalizing all of our towns in South Jersey. They are involved in many communities throughout South Jersey from restoring homes in Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Haddonfield, Franklinville and down to Cape May.

What has been your latest renovation project?
Our latest project was a Colonial-style home from 1905 in which we renovated a third-floor master bathroom.

With the home being over 100 years old, our client wanted a traditional bathroom with modern amenities that both kept in-theme with the age of her home and fit within her existing third-floor master bathroom.

The original space included a 36-x-36, neo-angle closet shower, a corner tub and two single vanities – all chopped into little areas. We were able to go in and open everything up, reallocating the space and creating a functional, airy room.

What was the challenge with this bathroom and how did you overcome it?
Many times, putting a bathroom—even in an already existing bathroom – on a third floor can create problems. There can be challenges including structural, plumbing and electrical issues. For example, your toilet plumbing often runs the whole height of your home, so on a third floor it can be tricky to move a toilet.

The goal of this project was to create a functional space that was beautiful within the historical style of the traditional, Colonial home. At the same time, our client wanted modern features, functionality, storage and a comfortable, spa-style space. We added vintage-style sconce lighting and chandelier for ambience; modern, energy-efficient recessed lighting; a custom-designed double vanity and linen wardrobe for additional storage and organization; mosaic tiles; an expanded walk-in shower; and a lightweight freestanding tub – swapping out an extremely heavy cast iron tub which allowed for our client to have the clawfoot tub of her dreams.

We are doing many projects like this for historical homes and because we incorporate design into our planning stages, we are able to account for challenges as they arise. We balance the dreams of design with the realities of a construction site.

How do you work to incorporate a homeowner's unique taste, budget and space into a design?
There are no shortcuts in construction. We spend the time listening to our clients and working with them to make sure that their wants are matched with their needs. We like to educate our clients on the remodeling process before the project even starts.

Why is it important to work with an experienced team when tackling a remodeling project?
An experienced contractor has the ability to fix unexpected or uncommon issues in an efficient way with a complete understanding of the process. Historical homes often have unique issues such as outdated construction code requirements or plumbing which require an expert to handle with care. One example we've faced is opening a wall and finding live electrical wiring from many years ago. While it may not have been in the scope of our work, it is something that we will fix because our goal is for our clients to have a safe home.

Daniel Robert Remodeling
(833) 326-4350
DanielRobertRemodeling.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 24, Issue 5 (April 2024)
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