TESTIMONIALS
Earl Miller Construction Remodels Kitchen for Wynstone Homeowners
After renovating the basement in Steve and Rena Ballard’s Dakota Dunes home, Earl Miller Construction of North Sioux City was asked to return and remodel the kitchen in their Wynstone residence.
“They remodeled the whole kitchen except for the floor,” said homeowner Rena Ballard. “We hired Earl Miller Construction to remodel the kitchen because they do a fabulous job and Steve has known Earl a long time. They did work in Steve’s office. They’re one of the few contractors that do what they say. They show up and finish the job when they say they will. And they’re perfectionists, which is a huge deal.”
Led by project manager, David Ross, Earl Miller Construction took out the old kitchen, which had staggered dark cherry wood cabinets with dark green countertops. Then they installed all new cabinetry, which they set higher up the wall. The white cabinetry with ebony glaze and brushed pewter door pulls is covered with Cambria quartz countertops angled at 45 degrees, the walls are accented with tile backsplashes, and the kitchen is adorned with a stainless steel apron sink.
They added a foot to the center island to extend it and made it a lot bigger, moved the
trash compactor from the side of the refrigerator to the other end of the island, and added a whole bookshelf for cookbooks and knickknacks. They even made more room for pots and pans behind closed doors.
“We didn’t waste any space,” she said. “We added extra storage for things we don’t use as often, such as serving dishes.”
Earl Miller Construction also remodeled the pantry. They installed cabinets to the ceiling and installed a custom-made barn door on the previously open pantry to hide it from view when it’s not being used.
“I have plenty of room left in the pantry to put things, which is awesome. I have so much storage,” Ballard said.
Earl Miller Construction turned the former desk area into a bar, which features a beer chiller, a wine fridge and two refrigerator drawers.
“It freed up a lot of fridge space. The beer chiller keeps beer at 28 degrees (Fahrenheit). It’s the perfect temperature,” she said.
Above the bar is one of two glass cabinets in the kitchen with white double arc mullions. The open cabinets give Rena a place to add color and display her Fiesta Ware and bar glasses.
For the new transitional-style kitchen, the homeowners chose the colors of black, white and gray for their basic colors, which are combined in the glass/marble/brushed stainless steel tile backsplashes. The lighting is a mix of globe pendants over the island and eat-in area, recessed lighting on the ceiling, and LEDs, which are located inside the cabinets with glass and underneath the upper cabinets.
The remodel was a combination of ideas from the homeowners, who picked out all the materials, and suggestions from Earl and David to help them better accomplish what they wanted done.
In the end, everything came together and the project was a success for the Ballards.
“I love my pantry and barn door,” she said, “but really it’s all my favorite part.”
Sloan Homeowners Hire Earl Miller Construction for Home Addition, Remodel
Dan and Sally Hudek of Sloan, Iowa live in the ranch-style home that Sally’s parents built in 1982, and they always had some improvements they wanted to do to make it theirs.
They chose Earl Miller Construction of North Sioux City, S.D. to make their goals of a larger bedroom, the addition of a 20’ x 20’ family room off the dining room and a new outdoor deck/patio a reality.
“They have been around a long time. I heard about them from other people. Earl Miller Construction has done quite a few jobs in Sloan,” said homeowner Sally Hudek. “They’re known for their quality work.”
Sally said she and her husband had been planning the remodel for a couple of years, and she ran into Earl Miller of Earl Miller Construction at the Siouxland Home Show this spring. They made plans to get the projects done this year.
“I talked to Earl at the Home Show, and he came down in a few weeks to Sloan to discuss the projects,” she said.
Earl Miller Construction, led by project manager David Ross, started the job the first
week of August. They removed the old deck off the house to make room for the addition, which required new roofing, siding, soffit, fascia, gutters on the exterior, all new sheetrock, paint, Pella windows, spray foam insulation in the walls, and Shaw laminate flooring inside of the addition. They installed sliding doors in the addition leading to the new 20’ x 18’ Trex composite patio/deck they built.
In the bedroom, Earl Miller Construction added 12.5 feet by 6 feet to the pre- existing space, installed new sheetrock, and painted.
“It has made a world of difference in the room,” said Sally, who is excited about the changes to her home. “It has plenty of room. It fits a king size bed now. I couldn’t quit grinning. It’s amazing what a little space can do.”
Since the projects have been done in early September, she has received compliments from neighbors and others in the community.
“They say, ‘Sally, your house is beautiful.’ It doesn’t look like the same place. All the work Earl Miller Construction has done has made a big difference. I expected it to be nice, and it’s more than I expected. Everything is perfect. The quality is all excellent. “
Earl Miller said his team enjoyed working with the Hudeks through the process of the remodel.
“They had some good ideas. Everything tied together so nicely. We’d ask them to pick something out and they made a decision,” Miller said. “Sally knew what she wanted and did her homework. It all came together.”
The homeowners are excited about using their new addition for family gatherings and making use of their new patio when the weather is nice.
“I’m looking forward to next year when we can watch things grow and entertain out there,” Sally said.
Earl Miller Construction restores Morningside home after fire
On July 31, 2015, a fire engulfed a good portion of the main living areas including the living room and kitchen on the first floor of Chad Johnson's Morningside home.
The fire started from a cigarette that was put out in a plant just outside of the house.
"It wasn't crushed out all the way and the plant caught fire. It spread to the house and caught this part (the living areas) of the house on fire. It took off from there," said Johnson, who shares the house with his mother, Patti Johnson, his grandmother Bonnie Mathers, his two daughters, Veronica Johnson and Peyton Saunders, and Sebastian, the cat. "Fortunately, a neighbor saw it and knocked on the door. We were able to get out and do something before it got too far. The neighbor called the fire department."
Amazingly, the fire wasn't bigger than the door, said Johnson, but a great deal of the damage in the house occurred because of the smoke damage, which permeated the living room, including the big screen TV and electric fireplace, and went all the way into the kitchen. It even wrapped into the bedrooms.
Not knowing where to start the process of restoring his home, Johnson started with his State Farm insurance agent.
"He was great to work with through the whole process. He recommended Earl Miller Construction. Earl Miller was in touch with me the day after the fire started. He knew what to do and who to call. He thought of everything. He thought of cleaning the duct work and different things we could do, such as different ways to clean clothes. It was nice to work with someone who specializes in fire and water damage.
"He not only knew what to do, but he was like a friend through the process."
After ServiceMaster of Sooland completed their part of the job cleaning up the fire damage and tearing out the damaged drywall, Earl Miller Construction started the process of restoring the home to its original - if not better - condition.
Earl Miller Construction started with a blank slate. The sheetrock had been torn off down to the studs, and all of the furniture, as well as the kitchen appliances and cabinets on the first floor, had been thrown away.
"He (Earl Miller) was ready to go the day after the cleaning process was completed," said Johnson.
Miller and Johnson determined the budget that was allowed for the restoration based on the insurance settlement and Miller asked what he wanted to do with the living spaces that were damaged.
Previously, the main floor rooms had been closed off to each other.
"It was a decent house, but it felt closed up and contained," he said.
Earl Miller Construction, led by project manager Josh Brewer, tore out some walls and installed a beam on the load bearing wall to open up the space.
Now, as you enter the home, the living room opens up into the dining room and the kitchen.
"I watch a lot of HGTV," Johnson said. "The open concept is big. It really changed the design of the house by opening up that wall. What he (Earl Miller) did was give it a more modern, updated look. It honestly looks like a brand new house with all of the lighting. There is recessed lighting in every room that was damaged and we wanted ceiling fans in the bedrooms."
On the first floor, Earl Miller Construction installed new sheetrock, windows and carpet, covering surfaces from the floor to the ceiling. They also painted the rooms, and after leveling the flooring surfaces, laid laminate in the kitchen, dining room and living room areas.
They installed new white Starmark kitchen cabinetry with a Bridgeport door style and Wilsonart laminate countertops in a Golden Juparana color from House of Kitchens, Ltd. in Sioux City, added a breakfast bar that passes through the stairwell, installed new high-end Frigidaire stainless steel appliances, and even added a closet.
In addition, they fixed the front of the house where the fire started, an 8-by 6-foot area, and installed new doors.
"They made it blend in. It looks like the fire never happened. That's what amazed me," Johnson said.
It also amazed Johnson that Earl Miller Construction met their deadline of two months.
"I dealt with construction companies before and asked when we will be back in the house. He said two months. He started in September and the house was ready on Oct. 31 minus a few touch-ups," he said.
Johnson appreciated that Earl Miller kept them informed every step of the way and took care of everything including relocating the utility meters per city code. He said it was excellent to work with the project manager on the job, Josh Brewer.
"He was very friendly. You knew Earl's staff was there to accommodate you," he said.
Earl Miller said Chad Johnson was easy to work with and was very active in the decision making process, helping them to give the homeowner the results he wanted.
Josh said he liked working on a job that he starts from basically nothing and watching how everything changed.
"It's great being on a job from start to finish and seeing how nice everything can look," he said.
For more information about Earl Miller Construction or to call for an estimate, call 712-251-1033.
Earl Miller Construction participates in Habitat for Humanity Blitz
Earl Miller Construction was one of the members of the Home Builders Association of Greater Siouxland and other homebuilders across the nation who took part in the Habitat for Humanity Blitz June 5-9 to give area families a place to call home.
Professional homebuilders/suppliers donated labor, funding and materials to help more than 200 families across the U.S. build strength, stability and self-reliance through improved shelter.
“Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz is truly a testament to the willingness of local builders to invest in their communities,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. “Since 2002, professional builders have partnered with families to create positive ripple effects in neighborhoods and make everyday moments more meaningful. We are so grateful for their support.”
The local HBA of Greater Siouxland and Siouxland Habitat partnered together to build a home at 1822 Harkin Place in Sioux City. This new construction is a 1,120-square-foot ranch style home, consisting of a standard kitchen, living room, dining room, three bed rooms, and one bathroom.
Members of the Earl Miller Construction crew were on site at the Habitat home June 5-7 installing windows, siding, soffits and fascia.
Austin Miller, project manager at Earl Miller Construction, said Habitat for Humanity is a great organization to be a part of.
“It’s fun working with other builders, and being able to build a house that fast is pretty neat,” Miller said.