Celebrating Service Excellence In Remodeling

AK Complete Home Renovations Recognized among North America’s Best

Customer Service Leaders within the Residential Construction Industry

GuildQuality’s 2013 Guildmaster Award Honors AK Complete Home Renovations

Marietta, GA May 16, 2013- AK Complete Home Renovations in Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded a 2013 Guildmaster Award for exceptional customer service. GuildQuality, an independent customer satisfaction surveying company, has powered the Guildmaster Award since 2005 to celebrate service excellence in the building, remodeling, contracting, and home services professions.

AK was selected as one of the over 200 North American builders, remodelers, developers, and contractors recognized by GuildQuality for their superior delivery of customer care.

Over the past few months, GuildQuality reviewed numerous survey responses submitted by customers of Guildmaster candidates. In granting awards, GuildQuality considers two primary metrics for each candidate: the percentage of customers who would recommend and the percentage of customers who responded. AK achieved a recommendation rate of greater than 90% from their customers, who were surveyed through GuildQuality.

"AK is honored to receive this distinct honor and we thank all of our clients who have given us their business, their trust and support over the past 18 years of business;” said AK president, Ed Cholfin, "we especially appreciate all of our clients participating in the surveys for referring their friends and family to AK!"

For more on the 2013 Guildmaster Award and qualifications, visit www.guildquality.com/guildmaster/

See AK's Client Testimonials & Client Videos 

Dream Kitchen: What's Yours?

  

 If you could design your dream kitchen, what would it have? We don't just mean the latest trend or practical storage. We mean, if you could create an item for your kitchen from your DREAMS what would it be?

Like...

• Carrerra marble countertops that never got stained, chipped and were actually affordable? 
• Instead of a self cleaning oven, installing a self cleaning microwave, refrigerator, cooktop & floor?
• A refrigerator that ordered it's own groceries (for delivery of course) when it was running low on an item? 
• This one may actually be in the works - Hi-Tech Fridge

 

 What's in the kitchen of your dreams?

See some of AK's clients' dream kitchens here: AK Dream Kitchen Remodeling

Celebrity Kitchens: Can You Guess Who Owns These Kitchens?

  Think you know a thing or two about pop culture? Kitchen design? Celebrity style? See if you can put your knowledge to good use and guess which celebrities own these unique kitchens!  

Take a look at these three kitchens and then click on the link below to find out the answers!

1. Which Former SNL Funny Man Owns This (relatively) Subdued Spacious Kitchen? And, Yes, That Is A Real Lichtenstein!

From Architectural Digest

2. This Kitchen Will Leave You Scratching Your Head; An Out-Of-The-Box Space Owned By A Classy Celebrity Always Seen In Neutral Fashion Ensembles. Who Could It Be?

From Architectural Digest

3. This Hollywood Power Couple Have A Strong, Earthy Kitchen With Some Soft Touches. Perfect For A Famous Family To Have Some Quality Time Together!

From Architectural Digest

Sure it might be a little easier for these Hollywood residents to create the spaces of their dreams, but yours is not out of reach. Find the answers to Who Owns These Kitchens on our website and find out how to start a remodeling project of your own: http://bit.ly/121dI6w

Pet Projects

  We've written about how many of our clients love their pets, and how we've customized kitchens and other spaces for these furry residents. (Kitchen Design: Gone To The Dogs) But what other pet projects are trending outside of the kitchen? We wanted to know!

Dog taking up too much room in the bed? No space for a dog bed in the living room? Check out this modified end table; home design gone to the dogs!

TheHydrantBlog.com

REALLY love your cats? These homeowners love their cats so much they customized their house especially for their furry friends. Japanese home builders Asahi Kasei designed and built the Plus-Nyan House with special features that cater to the needs of cats and their owners, including cat walks and tunnels, climbing steps, and sleeping nooks. All materials in the home resist scratching and are easy to clean, and the house encourages cat/human interactions throughout, even in the bathroom, which has a special alcove for a kitty litter box next to the toilet.

Just Practical!

This mudroom has a dog door to the yard and a doggie shower!

A little crazy about your pooch? Got some unused space under your stairs? How about an indoors dog house? Send him to his room in style! 

If you've got a boring backyard and two fiesty pups, consider an in-ground dog pool. One question though, why isn't this bone shaped?

Do your pups have to share a room? Custom furniture and matching wallpaper can make it bearable.

Beautiful kitchen customized for these pet lovers!

When to Splurge on Pantry Staples

By In the Pantry

Should you skimp or splurge? 

What staples are really worth their salts in that grocery aisle? Here are nine items to add to your pantry:

-Nut oil - Spend some money on a good oil, but instead of choosing olive oil, try something a little bit different, like a nut oil. Pick up a walnut oil or a pistachio oil ($16.99) that has really good flavor from a reputable company, like La Tourangelle. Because they roast most of their oils, it will last longer than a raw nut oil. Be sure to keep them in the refrigerator or freezer if you plan on not using them often. 

-Infused oils - Try an infused oil, like a high-quality Meyer lemon oil ($15.95). Drizzle a little bit of the oil on a perfectly roasted fish.

-Vinegars - For true, authentic balsamic vinegar, choose balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy. Balsamic vinegar ($21.99) gets better with age. You can drizzle on cheese, fruit, or even ice cream.

-Finishing Salts - Think of texture as well as flavor when choosing finishing salts. A lemon flake salt ($5.50) will provide flavor and crunch to a simple dish like roasted asparagus.

-Anchovies - It may seem a little displeasing to your palate, but stocking your pantry with anchovies ($12.29) is worth it. To add a savory note to roasted vegetables, crush anchovies and garlic together with an olive oil dressing, or try adding anchovies to your next Ceasar salad.

-Mushrooms - In-season, fancy mushrooms can be pricy. Use dried mushrooms ($12.99) in place of rare
or expensive fresh mushrooms.

-Saffron - Avoid purchasing ground saffron and saffron-imposters. Buy saffron ($11.95) in its full-thread form. To get the best flavor out of saffron, grind it with a bit of sugar and water, and then add to your soup, stew, or rice.

-Vanilla Beans - Look for fresh, pliable vanilla beans ($9.99). You'll be able to open it easily to get the little seeds inside the bean for optimum flavor.

-Truffle Oil - Purchase truffle oils ($16.99) and salts from a reliable and reputable source, because sometimes, truffle oil is made with a gas that just tastes like truffles. Or bring home a high-quality, whole truffle. To store the truffle, bury it in short grain rice which allows it to breathe, and then later, turn the rice into a delicious, truffle-infused risotto.

 

Thanks For Cooking With AK!

Green Kitchens

  Five years ago AK was onboard with the green movement and first began publishing tips for creating green, eco-friendly, kitchens. Today the main premise behind designing and creating a green kitchen holds true: the kitchen alone is responsible for nearly half of the home's energy consumption! Imagine the impact renovating this one space could do for the entire home?

   Read more about what makes a kitchen green, sustainable space:

http://www.akatlanta.com/upload//GreenKitchenArticle.jpg

   Looking for ideas on how to make your kitchen more efficient? Contact AK and tell us about your space! Tell Us What You Want To See In Your Kitchen!

Tax Refund? Invest In Your Home!

  Expecting a little money back from Uncle Sam this year? Why not invest it in something that benefits your family each and every day? Invest in your home! Try one of these small home improvement projects that can make a big impact in the look of your home. AK has the the top 5 high impact / low cost home improvements:

• Paint
• Hardware
• Light Fixtures
• Knobs & Pulls
• Mirrors

   Now find out how to use little upgrades to your advantage - http://www.akatlanta.com/The-Top-5-High-Impact--Low-Cost-Home-Improvements

    If this years refund is just the final portion of your investment in a larger project, talk to our design and renovation experts to help you get on your way to meeting your remodeling goals: Start A Remodeling Project!