Inside our Sunny Hills Remodel: From Framing to Finished Bath

Most of what we share here focuses on the finished result, the styled vignettes, the moment a space finally comes together. But a full construction remodel is built long before any of that happens, in phases that rarely make it onto a mood board. We wanted to pull back the curtain a little on what's actually involved, using a current project as the example: a full remodel of three bathrooms and the adjoining bedrooms for a returning client.

Why This Project Went Beyond Finishes

This wasn't a refresh of existing bathrooms with new tile and fixtures layered over the same footprint. The scope called for real construction, reworking layouts, reframing walls, and rethinking how these spaces function, not just how they look. When a project reaches this level, the design work and the construction work become inseparable. Every material and layout decision has to be made with an understanding of what's happening behind the walls, not just what will be visible once they're closed back up.

Demo: The Necessary Chaos

Every construction remodel starts by taking a space down to its bones, and it's rarely a clean process. Demo reveals things that no amount of planning can predict: outdated plumbing runs, framing that doesn't match the original drawings, or conditions that shift the scope slightly once walls come down. Part of our job during this phase is staying flexible without losing sight of the original design intent, adjusting where we have to while protecting the vision that got everyone excited about the project in the first place.

In just a few short months, this ^^ will be this...

Framing and Rough-In: Where the Real Decisions Live

This project is currently in the framing and rough-in phase, which is arguably the least glamorous part of any remodel and also one of the most important. This is where new wall layouts get built, where plumbing and electrical get roughed in behind the walls, and where decisions made months earlier on paper finally take physical shape. It's also the last real opportunity to catch and correct anything before it gets closed up behind drywall, which is why we spend so much time on-site during this stage rather than just checking in remotely.

It's not a particularly photogenic phase. There's exposed framing, hanging wire, and plumbing stubbed out of the subfloor. But it's the phase that determines whether everything that comes after - tile, fixtures, cabinetry, and more - actually fits and functions the way it was designed to.

What's Still Ahead

From here, the project moves into inspections, insulation, and drywall, followed by the phases that start to feel more recognizable: tile setting, finish carpentry, cabinetry installation, and fixture install. Each of these stages builds directly on the accuracy of the framing and rough-in work that came before it, which is part of why we treat this unglamorous middle stretch with just as much attention as the final styling.

We'll be sharing the finished bathrooms once the project wraps, but we wanted to document this stage while it's happening. The construction phase rarely gets the spotlight, and we think it deserves a little more credit for how much it shapes the final result.