Statistics show that people spend an average of 2 years contemplating a remodeling project before starting. Remodeling can be an overwhelming topic with many decisions, much expense and many horror stories.

This weekend at the St. Charles Home Show, Scott will guide us through the process of remodeling, and be on hand to answer any of your questions. Visit with Scott at the Better Living Theater, and learn how to improve your life.

The recent New York Times article “To Have, Hold and Cherish, Until Bedtime” set off a groundswell of interest, especially in St. Louis, as the article focused on a local couple living in the Central West End.

The main point of interest has been the revelation that some couples purposely and happily sleep in separate bedrooms, and have done so for years. Debunking the popular myth that married couples are supposed to sleep together, voices have been speaking up to say that rather than erode a daytime relationship due to sleep-time incompatibilities, separate bedrooms can actually strengthen a marriage.

What we find most intriguing about the “new trend” of separate bedrooms is how people are willing to make their homes work for them. The key to living right is taking stock of how to optimally live your life and finding solutions that support that.

So, if the husband snores and the wife has endured that for decades, when the opportunity arises to rethink their home (think Empty Nest), making a personal space for each of them is both empowering and comforting. Plus, making their home truly work for them elevates their well-being and lifestyle.

Two separate-but-equal dual master bedrooms can be created when remodeling your home. A floor plan for that concept can look something like this:

But customizing your sleep needs can be as simple as one of you taking over one of the spare bedrooms as your new nighttime domain. There are endless possibilities when customizing your home to match your ever-changing lifestyles, but the most important factor is: You deserve it, so explore your options….
…and get some quality shut eye, in the bargain!

The owner of this ranch house in Warson Woods called us about a ceiling crack. Rich - the Total Home Solutions manager - was called to come and evaluate the situation, wherein he discovered the ceiling was a visible reaction to the real culprit: a cracking foundation.

Mosby Building Arts recommends Helitech for foundation problems, and they will fix the home with the Helical Pier Foundation System. The owner wants to avoid damaging the lawn, so most of the piering work will be done from inside the basement, and this is where the challenge introduces itself.

Mosby is coming back to this job to remove all items from the walls and sections of the basement where the piers will be inserted. The challenge is carefully removing paneling, flooring, plumbing and a water heater, because every single item touched has to then be put back in place when Helitech is done. A challenge like this requires a plan before starting, patience during the process and strict attention to detail.

Shown above (left to right: Rory, Tyler & Tim) is the Mosby production crew who will meet the challenge of this remodeling puzzle. Project manager Tim put it very succinctly: When we’re done, this basement needs to look exactly as it does at this minute.

To that end, today we took plenty of “before” photos. When the job is done, there should be no visible difference between the “before” and “after” photos. Stay tuned to see how we do!

Rhonda, our production coordinator, is an ultra proud mother this week. Both of her children received special recognition on the very same day.

Her 17 year old son Adam is in the Carpentry program at South Technical High School, and during summer break he works here at Mosby as an apprentice carpenter. Adam was elected into the National Technical Honor Society, and on March 13^th, he received his certificate during an awards ceremony.

According to the Society’s eligibility standards, a student “must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative high school GPA on a 4.0 scale; 95% attendance or better; display excellent student citizenship; leadership skills; active involvement in student government, civic or service organizations; and receive recommendations from one or more faculty members.”

That last part is significant. This isn’t an award a student applies for, or automatically receives for meeting the standards. They must meet all criteria and be nominated by their teachers. Plus, he was one of only 20 students in the entire school to receive the honor.

Our congratulations go to Adam on this impressive achievement. Betcha the Mosby construction crew will be more than happy to have you again this summer!

While Adam was at the award ceremony, his 13-year old sister, Laura, was racking up her own achievement. She is a violinist with the Rockwood Middle School Orchestra, and her 7^th and 8^th Grade class won 1^st Place in the Lindbergh Orchestra Competition.

With 2 children being honored at the same time, you can say Rhonda had a rather busy evening. The intelligence and organization that she brings to Mosby has obviously rubbed off on her children, and we congratulate Rhonda on her kids’ achievements, and we’re happy to see her beaming with pride.