by HJ HOLTZ | Sep 17, 2024 | INTERIOR PAINTING
Some home projects have to occur piecemeal, whether for logistical or financial reasons. But others – like painting a room – are best done in one fell swoop. H.J. Holtz & Son estimators know part of what they do is to educate homeowners about how to best approach interior painting projects.
“I see this all the time: People think they can just change the wall color and not paint the ceiling and the trim,” says project estimator Travis Gibson. “But if you’re going to change the walls, it’s really a no-brainer to do the rest. You’re not going to be happy with the final appearance if all you’ve done is paint the walls.”
The primary reason to do everything at once, Gibson says, is aesthetics. “Fresh walls make the trim and ceiling look dingy,” he notes. “When we paint the walls, we make sure there are clean, crisp lines. When you see the new paint against existing trim, you really notice the difference.”
Another good reason to do both at once is to save money. In situations where customers decide to paint only the walls, Gibson says customers often return to him later, asking for the ceiling and trim to be painted. That becomes a complete second job.
“Our costs to send a crew out and prepare a space really don’t change much,” Gibson says. “When you have us come twice to paint the same room, you end up paying double for those set-up costs. It’s more efficient for the team to do everything at once, and the homeowner is going to save money in the long run.”
Additionally, the new job has to be worked into the schedule, which means waiting for the room to be completely finished. That delay can lead to additional dislocation or mean the room isn’t picture-perfect for a special event or for guests’ arrival.
“Yes, painting the walls, trim and ceiling costs more than just painting the walls,” Gibson says, “but so often customers realize while we’re working that they should have done everything at once.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Jul 8, 2024 | INTERIOR PAINTING
Historic Blanton House, located on the edge of William Byrd Park, is a Colonial Revival structure that is experiencing yet another revival. And H.J. Holtz & Son is partnering in the process.
Built in 1920 by commercial florist Herbert Brown, Blanton House has provided administrative office space for the city’s Office of Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities for more than 30 years. But the house is now also home to Richmond’s Cancer Retreat Center, the brainchild of Kristin Harris, former director of the Susan G. Komen Foundation-Central and Eastern Virginia.
Harris has a lifelong connection to cancer. Her mother was diagnosed when Harris was 4. At 24, Harris cared for her mother at the end of her life with a cancer recurrence. Then, at 32, Harris herself was diagnosed with cancer. Years later, she experienced a recurrence and is now living with metastatic breast cancer. With that background, Harris set out to create an organization – and a place – where people can find the support they need.
“There’s life before cancer and life after cancer,” Harris says. “We want to provide a space intentionally curated for the patient perspective and to destigmatize it. We hope to be a soft space where people can land.”
Currently, the center offers programming inside Blanton House in the living room and dining room, with plans to expand further in the future. To make the space as welcoming as possible, Harris enlisted the help of numerous professionals. H.J. Holtz & Son, Clay Bowden of Claiborne Design, Lizzie Cox of Lizzie Cox Interiors, Palette Paint, Benjamin Moore, and Green Front Furniture all donated services, materials, and furnishings to the effort.
The Holtz team removed a divider wall between the living and dining rooms, creating a large, light-filled area that allows greater flexibility in programming. Carpentry craftspeople patched and repaired the opening, matching original millwork. Holtz painters then stripped old paint and repainted with Benjamin Moore Simply White on the walls and ceiling and Cromarty by Farrow & Ball on the trim.
In the front hallway, Holtz painters recovered walls and the staircase using Simply White and Benjamin Moore Sea Pearl. The oversized front door is now Benjamin Moore Hale Navy.
The shades of blue and green were selected intentionally, Harris notes. “These are life-giving colors,” she says. “We really wanted to bring out the details in the rooms, highlighting the original tile surrounds of the fireplaces.”
The Holtz team also freshened one of the fireplaces. A broken tile was replaced with a new, plain tile, that was then painted by a Holtz decorative artist. “The match is wonderful,” Harris says.
Cancer Retreat Centers – written in the plural, because Harris plans for there to be more – will offer integrated care through individual and group support, preventative wellness programs, recreation, and education. “Our key constituent base is for cancer patients and survivors, ‘previvors,’ family members, caregivers, and oncology health providers,” she says. “And everything we do here is offered at no cost. We’re addressing the needs that truly exist.”
H.J. Holtz & Son is happy to help.
For more information about Cancer Retreat Centers, visit CancerRetreatCenters.org or call 804-803-1203.
by HJ HOLTZ | May 6, 2024 | INTERIOR PAINTING
Sometimes, you know exactly what you want, but are wary of taking the plunge.
That was the case recently when H.J. Holtz & Son partnered with Richmond-based KDW Home to refresh a kitchen that the homeowner had grown tired of. “There were two inspiration photos – one with a high gloss turquoise room, the other with a muted, all-gray look,” says Peyton Edwards, a principal of KDW Home and lead designer. “The homeowner knew she wanted to do the turquoise but needed the push.”
The kitchen refresh represents a departure from other areas in the home, which feature white walls as backdrop to an eclectic art collection. “There are bold splashes of color throughout the house,” Edwards notes. “But this is the only room that has high-gloss paint.”
The project began with custom cabinets in Sherwin-Williams’ Nifty Turquoise sourced through KDW Home. Then the Holtz team used Fine Paints of Europe Hollandlac to paint the remainder of the kitchen in the same hue.
“Our cabinet maker provides a special finish that really stands up to heavy use, which is what you need for cabinets,” Edwards says. “We knew we could trust Holtz to match the color, which they did.”
To break up the color, Edwards and the homeowner selected stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops with a matte finish, and kept the stone wraparound for the island. The room is further anchored by the original concrete floor so the bold color doesn’t overwhelm.
Edwards says the project went well because of the strong working relationship between KDW Home and H.J. Holtz & Son. “Everybody had to do their part, but we have good communication and we know Holtz team members are going to show up when they say they will.”
Holtz can also be relied upon to do the job right the first time, Edwards adds.
“The Holtz team has years of learning and trial-and-error behind them,” she says. “No one else in the state of Virginia could execute this successfully. Certainly, it’s not going to appeal to everyone, but the client knows Rick Holtz really well. They have worked together for a long time.”
by HJ HOLTZ | Mar 19, 2024 | Historic Restoration, INTERIOR PAINTING
The H.J. Holtz & Son team believes that every structure, no matter what its use or purpose, deserves to be cared for and painted well. So when officials from Richmond’s Cathedral of the Sacred Heart called with a significant painting and restoration need, it was easy to say “Yes.”
The company recently repainted theMhistoric church’s choir loft, a commanding space that overlooks the sanctuary below. Soon, a new organ from Canada-based Juget-Sinclair Organbuilders of Montreal will be installed, and the church wanted the space to be ready.
“We learned a lesson” years ago, after flaking ceiling paint threatened to damage the pipes of another Juget-Sinclair organ at the front of the church, says John Marike, the church’s facilities manager. To remedy that problem, the organ manufacturer added fine wire mesh coverings to the pipe openings.
Seeking to avoid a similar post-installation fix for the new organ at the rear of the sanctuary, church administration hired H.J. Holtz & Son following a competitive bid process. Using a framework constructed by Scaffolding Solutions to reach every inch of the curved ceiling – which peaks 34 feet above the balcony floor – up to five Holtz team members could work at the same time. The team repainted the loft’s plaster walls and ceiling, and also repainted the wood of the choir loft railing, banisters and half the wall paneling.
Selecting colors for the choir loft was a critical element of the job, as they needed to match the remainder of the sanctuary, which will be repainted in the future, Marike says. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is more than 100 years old; it’s recognized as a Virginia Historic Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. With an Italian Renaissance Revival style, the cathedral’s interior is impressively ornate. Its soaring ceiling has many architectural elements for visual interest – rosettes, scrolls, faux mirrors, etc. And there are multiple paint colors, including a shiny faux gold leaf, for added impact.
“The Holtz team’s attention to detail was great,” Marike says. “The colors were so hard to match, and they really worked hard to get them right.”
Marike credits the team’s determination to stay on schedule, even with interruptions for regular midday church services and funerals that naturally occur without much warning.
“Even with interruptions, they still managed to finish ahead of schedule,” he says.
Next up on the schedule: the new organ!
by HJ HOLTZ | Oct 2, 2023 | INTERIOR PAINTING
Mark Twain is credited with saying “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” While Twain likely wasn’t thinking about home improvement projects, his advice holds. The beginning point of any change to your home is to have a conversation about what you want and need, because no work can happen until there’s a plan.
At H.J. Holtz & Son, we’d like to encourage you to consider the interior painting or interior carpentry projects that could be accomplished this winter. Here are our top 5 reasons why you should call us now:
- The sooner you contact us, the sooner you lock in dates. We want to accommodate your work window. Maybe you want to have a fresh space for your Super Bowl party – or maybe you don’t want to start until after that big game. Maybe you want a transformation to happen over spring break, when you’re out of town. Once your contract is signed, you’re on our schedule.
- Book now, and lock in 2023 labor rates. One of the things we pride ourselves on at H.J. Holtz & Son is our ability to train and retain quality craftspeople. That requires regular pay increases. We don’t know yet how our pricing will change in 2024, but like any other business facing increased costs in supplies, gas, and utilities, we doubt our prices will drop.
- If you have a signed contract with us and we can’t do the work this winter, you’ll be first in line for spring. Even with a plan in place, schedules can shift. Maybe something changes in your life, or maybe an unknown repair issue surfaces that needs to be addressed. Once we’re working with you on a project, we’re going to see it through, no matter how long that takes.
- Think about upcoming occasions. Look at your calendar for 2024. Are you planning to host any special events in your home – a graduation, bridal or baby shower, retirement party, anniversary celebration? Even if there’s nothing planned, it’s good to be ready for the unexpected, like a visit from future in-laws or a cookout to welcome a new neighbor. You want your home to look its best every day, and we do, too.
- We have craftspeople ready to work. Unlike many other home services companies, we keep our employees year-round; we don’t have seasonal layoffs. In winter months, our exterior team members are more available for interior work, which means we can handle more jobs simultaneously. When our calendar is full, that’s when we’re our most efficient.
Channel your inner Mark Twain today, and give H.J. Holtz & Son a call to start your project – 804-358-4109.
