After more than 30 years in their New Hampshire home, one couple was ready to undertake their first major renovation. They initially contacted Blackdog Design/Build/Remodel in July 2025 to discuss a single project: updating the primary bathroom.
As the homeowners met with the design team, reviewed the plan, and saw clear pricing for the work under consideration, they gained a better understanding of both the process and what was possible within the home. The transparency of that planning stage in our 5-step process gave them the confidence to expand the renovation to include the kitchen and nearby powder room.
What began as a one-bathroom inquiry became a coordinated three-room project, shaped around the way the couple lived in the home and the areas most ready for change.
Besides the bathroom, the kitchen and powder room were also showing their age, and renovating the three spaces together offered practical and aesthetic advantages. Materials could be selected as part of one coordinated design, construction could be planned more efficiently, and each room could retain its own personality.
For homeowners undertaking their first major renovation, the design-build model provided a defined path from early ideas through construction. Rather than coordinating separately with a designer, cabinet supplier, floor retailer, contractor, inspector, and individual trades, the homeowners worked with one integrated team, responsible for developing and delivering the complete project.
In September 2025, the homeowners visited the Nashua Home Design Center (NHDC) to review preliminary cabinetry, flooring, backsplash, shower tile, fixtures, and finish selections in person.
In October 2025, the clients approved the final design mockups and project scope. They then made the deliberate choice to wait until spring before beginning construction, allowing the winter season to pass before demolition and remodeling began.
In the kitchen, Shaker Antique White upper cabinets and Oxford Toffee lower cabinetry create a warm, layered look. Honey bronze hardware, a chevron glass backsplash, and slate-look flooring add depth while keeping the space approachable and timeless.
The nearby powder room carries several of those choices forward through a vanity with antique white cabinetry, honey bronze accents, and the same Modern Gray Slate floor tile, giving the adjoining spaces a natural sense of continuity.
Upstairs, the bathroom shifts to a quieter palette. Oxford Sage cabinetry, ivory floor tile, brushed stain nickel hardware, and the two-tone sage-and-white shower tile pattern create a calm, more restorative atmosphere.
Demolition began at the end of April 2026.
The renovation moved from renderings, material samples, and approved plans into the active construction phase.
By the end of June, the spaces were functional again. Final details and finishing work continued through the beginning of July, as the team completed the small but important refinements that turn a construction site back into a home.
For first-time renovation clients, the number of interconnected decisions can be difficult to anticipate and overwhelming to consider.
Cabinet selection affects layout and clearances. Tile dimensions influence installation details and transitions. Electrical requirements can shape the design of an island. Flooring, wall tile, cabinetry, fixtures, and hardware must work together visually while also meeting the practical demands of construction and long-term use.
Blackdog’s design-build approach allows these considerations to be addressed within one coordinated process.
The designer can develop the aesthetic direction with an understanding of the project’s construction requirements. The project manager can oversee the work with access to the design intent and product selections.
The Nashua Home Design Center further supported that process by giving the client a central place to make many of the project’s defining selections. Seeing cabinetry, flooring, tile, and finishes together helped the homeowners make decisions with the complete renovation in mind.
For homeowners approaching their first remodel, that continuity provided more than convenience.
What started as the couple’s first major renovation soon became the beginning of a longer relationship with Blackdog. As the kitchen, powder room, and upstairs bathroom came together, so did their confidence in the team guiding their work. We are pleased to share that they are now planning a future primary suite renovation with Blackdog (with the same designer and project manager duo!).