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Tag: Kitchen Remodel

Masters Touch Continues To Grow As Economy Improves

2012.03.15 02:05:24

It’s been a long 6 years in the commercial and residential construction industry. Recently, however, there’s been some good news, with residential real estate sales on the upswing. We’re getting a lot of calls from clients who are buying and selling, and who are in the market for projects ranging from full interior repaints to major home renovations.

It seems that, in spite of the efforts of our fearless leaders on Beacon Hill and in DC, the economy is improving. Here at Masters Touch, we’ve added 10 jobs since the beginning of 2011, and we’re adding more this year.

Here’s some more good news in today’s Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/03/13/building_spurt_brightens_job_outlook/?p1=News_links

Doug

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Brand New Specials From Masters Touch!

2012.03.01 05:29:27

Masters Touch Announces Brand New Specials!

1. “Room Re-Deux” Special: Make just one call for new carpet, paint, and blinds in three bedrooms for the low price of only $4,990. Price includes furniture moving, removal and disposal of old carpet and padding, installation of new padding and carpet, installation of up to six energy efficient honeycomb style room darkening blinds, and painting of ceiling, walls and trim. This is a great offer that we have never offered before, and who knows if we will offer it again! Stop in today to get signed up! Visit the store for more details.

2. Save 15% off all Tuftex carpet! Tuftex, Shaw Floors premier brand, is a California carpet manufacturer known for its innovative color, design, quality and care for the environment. For this month only, Masters Touch is offering 15% off Tuftex goods. This luxurious carpet will make you feel like royalty when you step out of bed and onto this soft carpeting. Come to Masters Touch to see the wide variety of styles and colors right here in our showroom! For more information on Tuftex, click here! http://shawfloors.com/Tuftex/Tips-Tuftex/About-Tuftex

3. There are so many reasons to use quartz countertops, including its sustainability, its inherent anti-microbial qualities, and its durability. Now, there is yet another reason. For a limited time, Masters Touch is offering Caesarstone Quartz Countertops for an unbelievable 20% off! This is a great offer that you are going to want to take advantage of. Our showroom has samples of several of the most popular colors and styles. Stop by to learn more, or visit Caesarstone’s website at http://www.caesarstoneus.com/

4. Carole Custom Window Treatments Sale! Save 20% on your new custom window treatments and/or bedding ensemble. Come into the Showroom and select from our extensive collection of Carole fabrics and trims. We’ll help you choose an appropriate style of window treatment and/or bedding arrangement and coordinate the entire look! We’ll take 20% off of your order (order must be at least $700). Each piece is custom made for your home – and, there is a difference! Your home is worth it! http://www.carolefabrics.com/custom/

5. 20% Thibaut Wallpaper Sale! Come in and see Thibaut’s latest wallpapers – fresh, new patterns and colors! Take 20% off of your order (6-roll minimum). Beautiful, exclusive designs with coordinating fabrics. http://www.thibautdesign.com/collection/latest_collections.php

6. 15% off Fabricut Fabrics and Trims! Come in and see the new Spring Collection of fabrics and trims from Fabricut. Drapery fabrics, linens, cottons, upholstery fabrics and sheers – all just in! The colors are gorgeous too: prints, checks, stripes, solids and textures. And, you can take an extra 15% off your order, through March! http://fabricut.com/

Take advantage of these specials while you can!

Doug

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Masters Touch Helps You Select The Perfect Paint Color

2012.01.18 05:38:06

The Perfect Paint Color

The perfect paint color can make or break any project, whether it’s a kitchen remodel, a full exterior repaint, or a quick spruce up of any room in your home.

For many people, selecting paint colors for interior walls or the outside of their home is no easy task. It ranks up there with preparing tax returns or installing the baby seat in the car "correctly." It shouldn’t be a stressful ordeal, but rather a fun and creative exercise.

Follow these tips and you’ll be on your way to enjoying a kaleidoscope of colors in your world.

1. Relax and have fun! It’s only a paint color and you’re supposed to enjoy picking out just the right color for you. Still, you’ve heard of road rage? Well, I’ve seen classic cases of "paint color selection rage" many times over the years. With all the possible things in your life that could stress you out, don’t let picking paint colors be one of them!

2. Plan ahead and you will give yourself plenty of time to work through the process. It can take days or even weeks. Don’t rush through the process or make a final decision while your impatient painter is tapping his foot waiting for the fresh sample on the wall to dry.

3. Weeks! How can it take weeks to pick out a paint color? Well, keep in mind it’s important to see an actual sample of the paint, not just a small color chip. Many manufacturers now offer small jars of samples for many of their colors, but often you’ll need to purchase a quart of the desired color.

Apply a test patch right on the area you will be painting, or use poster board and tack up a sample. You’ll want to cover an area at least 24 inches square and put on enough coats for uniform coverage. Once you have samples up, it’s important to live with them for a few days. You’ll be amazed at how bright some colors can look during the day and how dark they will look at night. Look at them in the morning and afternoon to get a good feel for how the natural light affects the overall appearance of the color. Be sure to wait for a cloudy day and see if you still like the color, it could look drab without the sun.

4. Make sure you get the sheen right! Whether you are selecting colors for interior walls and trim, or exterior areas of your home, the gloss level of the paint can have a huge impact on how you perceive the color. A good rule of thumb for interior painting is flat for ceilings, eggshell or "low luster" finishes for walls, and semi-gloss finish for woodwork. One exception is a full bathroom, where steam may affect the paint finish. Use a good mildew and moisture resistant paint, usually with a satin or semi-gloss sheen, in bathrooms and you’ll minimize the wear-and-tear of the paint.

For exterior paint, there are myriad options for finishes ranging from flat to high gloss, stain to paint. Each and every product will have its own look and feel, and the same color mixed into two different products can look dramatically different. This is another reason why painting a sample of the actual product is so important. You’re not just evaluating the color, but ensuring you like how it looks once it’s applied in various gloss levels. A good old fashioned barn red applied in a flat stain will look a lot more authentic than the same color in a high gloss enamel, so make sure you test colors in the same product you will be using for the entire project.

5. Remember that for interior colors, other items in the room can affect the color. In a kitchen, for example, you’ll want a color that works with the cabinets, counter tops, flooring, and accessories. It’s a good idea to finalize all the other items first, and then pick a paint color that will bring harmony to the room. It’s a bad idea to pick a paint color and then think you’ll quickly be able to find fabrics and other accessories that work with them. Custom paint colors are easily accessible and affordable. On the other hand, custom fabrics, not so much!

6. Don’t be afraid to call a professional! For some people, color coordination comes easy and finding a palette of colors is a breeze. For others, the mere thought of having to commit to a color on the walls is overwhelming. Sometimes, hiring a professional designer or color consultant is money well spent. An experienced, well-trained designer will provide expert advice on how to coordinate the colors and finishes throughout your home.

7. Relax and have fun! Refer back to number one on this list whenever you feel a little stressed or that you’re never going to find the right color, because you will. It just takes a little patience and a little time. And before you know it, everything will come together.

Doug

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Masters Touch Schedule Already Filling Up!

2012.01.13 05:17:57

Cool projects currently on the Masters Touch schedule:

Two kitchen remodels

One addition with kitchen remodel/expansion

6 bathroom remodels

Design build second floor over breezeway and garage – master suite addition

4 houses of Marvin, Anderson, and Harvey replacement windows

Finished basement with “man town” - home theater, gym area

7 full interior paint jobs

For spring 2012 we already have a large list of exterior paint jobs. Our spring, summer, and fall schedules are projecting to fill up faster this year than they have in many years, so if you are planning any projects it’s a good idea to sign soon.

Doug

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Masters Touch Values Customer Feedback

2011.10.04 05:48:24

Today at Masters Touch we had an extensive meeting on what everyone here can do to improve our customer service and deliver those "magic moments" for as many clients as possible.

Our goal is to provide a positive, enriching experience - from the initial phone call all the way through to the completion of each and every project. It's great to have a team of hardworking professionals dedicated to that common goal and please each and every customer to the best of our ability.

It's also important to let our customers know that we value their feedback, be it positive or negative. Every day offers another chance for us to learn from our experiences working with our customers and continue to improve our performance.

To that end, we must thank all of our valued customers who have patiently filled out and returned our ratings cards over the years and provided valuable insight as to how we can better serve them next time.

Onward and upward!

Doug

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Masters Touch Applauds The Patience And Respect Of Our Valued Customers

2011.09.25 01:56:04

Masters Touch abides by a set of core values that we take very seriously and we try our best to follow them each and every day.

Having been on the receiving end of poor business practices in the past, and realizing that we are often working for families who are spending more on one project than they will spend on almost anything else for the rest of their lives, I understand that our clients expect exceptional value, high quality craftsmanship, and unmatched service. These represent a holy trinity for any business.

That said, we, like all people, do make mistakes. I cannot and will not fault my staff for making an honest effort yet, unfortunately, making a mistake. It happens. It's how you handle a mistake or difficult situation that sets you apart from the competition.

Still, many of our customers do not appreciate the concept of core values. As soon as something goes wrong, the heavy artillery comes out.

It usually goes something like this: "I'm telling all of my friends and anyone who will listen, be it online or on Facebook, and anywhere else I can think of, to trash your company name. I expect more from you. You are charging more than the other company! You should have called me back last night after 9 PM when I left a message that there was an issue. I cannot believe you didn't get back to me until 6:45 AM the next day!"

And on and on and on...

I try my best to protect the Masters Touch staff from this type of client, but some sneak through the cracks. In fact, we check out customers as much as they check us out before we work together. As the owner, I expect to deal with this type of situation from time to time, but I don't feel that the sales team, office team, or production team deserve to be berated by customers who fly off the handle due to minor issues, which are a normal part of everyday life.

Today, a heartfelt thanks to all of our great customers who "get it" and who appreciate the hard work and effort of our entire team, and who treat everybody from the stockboy to the owner with the appropriate respect.

Doug

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Interior Designer Alexandra Yavarow Joins Masters Touch

2011.09.09 04:05:57

Alexandra Yavarow, Interior Designer, has recently joined the Masters Touch team.

In her new role at Masters Touch, Ms. Yavarow will provide in-home interior design consultation services which include kitchen, bath and cabinetry design services as well as lighting, paint, window treatments, flooring and more. She is also responsible for the Masters Touch Showroom design and will consult with customers in the showroom as well.

Ms. Yavarow holds a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design with a concentration on Sustainability from Endicott College in Beverly, MA and will oversee sustainable initatives at Masters Touch. She will enhance Masters Touch recycling program; introduce green product lines and materials as well as consult with clients who are interested in eco-friendly interior design for their home.

In our official press release I pointed out that, “Sustainable design is the fastest growing segment of our industry and many of our clients are interested in eco-friendly products. As environmentally responsible professionals, we're very pleased to welcome Alexandra to our talented design team. Alexandra is committed to providing superior design services while finding ways to diminish design's impact on the world around us.”

Ms. Yavarow is an Associate Member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). She resides in Norfolk, MA.

Doug

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The Masters Touch Calender Is Filling Up, So Make Your Appointments Now!

2011.09.07 04:14:35

What a great weekend in New Hampshire, celebrating my 12th anniversary with my awesome wife Michelle! It was great to get away for a few days, and it's great to be back into the fall rush.

Right now Masters Touch has one of our biggest backlogs of work ever. We have so many current projects on the horizon. These include the addition of a second floor over a breezeway and garage for a master bed and bath suite, while adding a huge mudroom to a great home in Needham, to several kitchens, bathrooms, two full homes worth of windows and siding, many flooring projects - including carpet, wood, and tile - and of course dozens of paint jobs!

So what does all that mean? We have limited availability between now and December. And our winter schedule for December, January, February and beyond is already filling up quickly! Call 508-359-5900 x 299 today if you would like to receive a complimentary proposal and reserve a place in our schedule. Sign up soon and you'll be enjoying your new and improved home before spring of 2012.

Doug

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Masters Touch Offers Numerous Summer Project Ideas!

2011.06.03 01:56:40

I hope everyone made it through the wild weather yesterday. It's hard to believe we had tornados in Massachusetts!

After a very rainy month of May, here's hoping June will be warm and sunny.

Need project ideas for your home? Here are some of the projects Masters Touch is currently working on... (Note - the number at the beginning of each line is how many of those projects we are now undertaking.)

1 - First floor addition to house office, and gut and remodel entire kitchen, add radiant heat to most of first floor.

1 - Master bedroom suite addition over garage and add second floor laundry room.

1 - Design build a custom mudroom.

1 - Full kitchen gut and remodel.

1 - Addition and master bathroom remodel.

3 - Master bathroom remodeling.

3 - Complete strip and reroof.

6 - Complete exterior repaints.

3 - Repairs, plastering, and painting due to last winter's water damage.

2 - Installation of ice melt systems.

2 - Window replacment projects.

2 - Front door replacement.

1 - Remove carpet and install wood floors to entire second floor.

2 - Kitchen counter replacment.

2 - Deck wash, sand, and seal.

And those are just the jobs we are doing RIGHT NOW!

How can we serve you?

Doug

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Tag: Kitchen Remodel

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