Studio 38 Designs Partnership Leads to a National Award for a Downtown Morgan Hill Remodel

2023 National Contractor of the Year (CotY) Winners

The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named D. R. Domenichini (DRD) Construction in partnership with Studio 38 Designs, 2023 National Contractor of the Year (CotY) winner in the “Entire House $250,000 to $500,000” category in its annual awards competition.
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For the quaint downtown Morgan Hill home, the design team at Studio 38 Designs created a whole-house design plan which included adding curb appeal to the exterior and revamping the interior layout, and modernizing every room in the cottage including the kitchen and bath designs.
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Studio 38 Designs’ sister company, D. R. Domenichini Construction, was tasked with executing that design plan for their very important shared client. The homeowners, David Dindak and Kerry Wallace, are heavily involved in the local downtown Morgan Hill community and the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, where their home and the two remodeling companies are just around the corner from each other.
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"Working together with the clients, Studio 38 Designs shares ideas and creates amazing designs. We always enjoy this synergy. However, this job was especially rewarding because the clients are local to our downtown location and are very involved in our wonderful community. This was a fun project, and we are honored to have been able to play a role." said Dave Domenichini, owner of D.R. Domenichini Construction.
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The Homeowners' Perspective

Homeowner Kerry Wallace had this to say about their whole-home remodeling project,
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“We were at a point in our lives when we wanted to downsize. We had a property in the downtown, and it was in a perfect location. The problem is that it was a fixer-upper  - and it was a serious fixer-upper. We knew, right in our own backyard here in the downtown, we had an amazing company, Studio 38 Designs and DRD Construction. Not only did they have an outstanding reputation, but they were very close by here in the downtown with us.”
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Homeowner Dave Dindak agreed, “It is almost seamless. (Studio 38 and DRD) were so regimented in their calendar and every week. We would meet and pick out fixtures, pick out flooring, and pick out tile, and they always had everything set up.”

Kerry added, “And the (DRD) project team was absolutely professional. They took our home to stud, and they rebuilt it, and we had a full remodel in three months, and it was within budget.”
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Custom Design Solutions and Personal Touches

The full remodel included a lot of custom designs and personal touches. For example, the couple struggled with what to do with a necessary litter box in their beautiful new home when the DRD team came up with a solution to create a custom kitty “outhouse” that is accessible to the house but brilliantly discreet. The fireplace is another custom design included in the project. It’s personal and empathic design touches like these that really make this whole-home remodel a stand-out and award winner.
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Watch the Video Testimonial Featuring the Award-Winning Project

The NARI Contractor of the Year Awards

Each year, NARI presents CotY Awards to members who have demonstrated outstanding work through their remodeling projects. The CotY Awards are the highest form of recognition by industry leaders and peers. For the ​2023 National Awards Competition, NARI received nearly 455 entries across the United States, representing over $134 million in remodeling projects.

“National CotY winners represent the pinnacle of achievement in remodeling. Their work is at the top of the industry,” said Tracy Wright, CAE, Senior Director of Membership & Chapter Services at NARI. The judging panel representing industry experts selected winners based on problem-solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, and degree of difficulty.
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The CotY Awards allow us to celebrate our members who are committed to design, best industry practices, integrity, high standards, and professionalism. Visit nari.org for more information about all national winners.