NEWS

Kenny Interviewed For Inquirer Article About Pocket Doors

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 12:35:00 GMT

When are pocket doors the right choice?

A Buckminster Green project featuring multiple pocket doors was featured in an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Read the full article here for Kenny's tips on using pocket doors and an interview with our client about how they work for her.

BG Visits Walk Your Plans Philly

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:56:01 GMT

"Walk Your Plans" allows you to interact with floor plans and elevations at full scale.

One of the challenges of planning a remodel is that now everyone is good at reading floor plans and elevations. At Walk Your Plans they have special projectors and can blow up the drawings so they are life size (full scale). We tested this out with clients who are planning a whole house remodel with our designer Chrissy. The plan is mostly complete, but this walk through gave our clients the confidence that they are making the right decisions.

They have an interactive Vibe board that you can use for markups, and a conference room to discuss the project. While it's called "Philly", it's actually in Blackwood, NJ, about 15 minutes from the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Everyone was very helpful and friendly, the facility is brand new, and our clients loved it, especially the kids!

Interior Decorating Featured on Houzz

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 15:25:20 GMT

Houzz Article On Furniture In Small Living Rooms Calls Out Kristie's Design

We don't just provide interior design for our build team. We also provide interior decorating services for the items that go in the beautiful rooms we build. Kristie's living design for this first floor remodel was mentioned in a recent article on Houzz.com for using these great green chairs instead of a sofa.

For Your Forever Home

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 18:20:00 GMT

You love where you live. We help ensure you never stop.

Our clients have often lived in their homes for ten or twenty years before they bring us in to make changes or updates. They care about doing things right because they plan to enjoy the changes for a long time, but also because they want to do right by the house for future generations. I was reminded of this when the clients at a basement remodel project graffitied the walls that would soon be hidden behind drywall. It's a time capsule of sorts that will tell someone in the future that this house was well cared for.

BG Team Does Rug Tufting

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:43:58 GMT

Time out for team building

We're lucky to have our headquarters in a building with a lot of other creative local businesses. Last Thursday we got everyone together with their significant others and did rug tufting at Vera Art Studio. It was a fun time. We always get to be creative at work, but the stakes were different when it came to making the best rug!

Take Your Remodel a Step Further

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 19:20:38 GMT

See How Full Service Interior Design Ties Everything Together

When you work with Buckminster Green, you expect to have our team handle every aspect of your renovation. In the kitchen pictured above, our pre-construction team did intitial budgets and secured building permits. Our designers helped guide our client toward a palette that spoke to them, and materials that will last. Our office handled procurement of all fixtures and made sure everyone got paid so the project stayed on schedule. One crew of carpenters from our production department handled all construction and oversaw specialty trades, providing updates along the way. This is what you expect from Buckminster Green and is why you choose us to renovate your forever home, but did you know we can also take things a step further?

Our designer Kristie Rosado put together a list of the items our client would need to furnish the living and dining rooms on this first floor renovation and then worked to present options and source items for a cohesive look. The result is a mix of custom and off-the-shelf that ties everything on that level together. Our client loves it so much she's ready to give the third floor the same full service treatment.

Custom walnut cabinetry in the dining room.

Reach out today. Let us know what rooms in your house could use a refresh.

South Philly Client Cleaning Up the Block

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:30:06 GMT

Dad's team up with Karcher street sweepers to keep the block clean for kids to play

Here's something I hear everyday from people living in many different neighborhoods in Philadelphia: They love where they live and don't want to move.

Today we kicked off a project for a family like this. We're enlarging their bathroom and reorganizing the second floor of their house to better accomodate the family as the kids grow. Last week I opened the paper and saw this story about our client and the ingenious way he and his neighbors are keeping their block clean.

This is the spirit we love. Investing in community. Bravo Iseminger Dads! Full story here :

100 Contractor Tips to Read Before You Remodel

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 17:32:13 GMT

Tips for buying materials, translating remodeler speak and what not to do in a remodel

Kenny wrote this series of articles for Houzz.com over ten years ago, but the lessons in the "100 Contractor Tips to Read Before You Remodel"

series are as true today as ever. Like In "What Your Contractor Really Means" #9: " We are going to need to do some value engineering": You've got caviar dreams on a cheese and cracker budget. Value engineering is when the team thinks creatively about how to rework the project to do the same or similar scope for less, like by changing material selections.

Read more by following this link.

BG Project in Dwell Magazine

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:37:53 GMT

Whole House Remodel Featuring Climbing Wall and Custom Finishes

A project we completed a few years back recently made it into the magazine Dwell. Read the full text here .

BG Kitchen Featured on Houzz Twice in One Month!

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 13:05:37 GMT

5 New Standout Kitchens With Tailored Details &

How to Design a Kitchen That Brings People Together

"How to Design a Kitchen That Brings People Together". That's the title of the article on Houzz.com that featured the kitchen from our recent whole house remodel. To read the entire article, click here .

The same kitchen was featured in an article called " 5 New Standout Kitchens With Tailored Details" and you can read that article here.

Top 500 Remodeler (2nd year!)

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 16:23:37 GMT

Buckminster Green is honored to be on the list of the Top 500 remodelers in the US.

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Liberty Lands Park

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 17:07:53 GMT

Buckminster Green Rebuilds Playground and Installs Storm Water Management

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Chrissy certified CKBD

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 17:37:30 GMT

BG designer Chrissy Ford is now Chrissy Lee and is a Certified Kitchen and Bath Designer

If you've worked with our designer Chrissy, you know she is creative, detail oriented and fun to be around. Well, now she's certified in at least two of those things. NKBA is the association responsible for certifying designers in the two most critical parts of the home - kitchens and baths. It is a rigorous application with eligibility, education, professional experience, work experience, master portfolio and master profile requirements. Now Buckminster Green is home to three NKBD certified professionals.

In other news, Chrissy got married, and is taking the last name Lee.

Congratulations Chrissy!

Kristie Goes To Mexico City

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:56:18 GMT

Kristie tours Luis Barragán homes in Mexico City for design inspiration

While on vacation last week, our designer Kristie Rosado visited three homes designed by Luis Barragán, Casa Gilardi, 1975; Casa Estudio Luis Barragán, 1948 (where he lived and worked); and Casa Pedregal, 1947 (restored in 2014)

Whole House Remodel: Two New YouTube Videos

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 19:22:24 GMT

Learn How We Made Curved Plaster Stairs and See the Rest of the House

If you aren't following us on YouTube, head over and search for @buckminstergreen. We post videos that give you a behind the scenes look at some of our projects. Today we posted two new videos, linked below.

The first is a follow up on a previous post where Carl, one of our project managers, explained how his team built the stairs and prepared for the plaster finish. Well now you can see the finished product.

https://youtu.be/M2kG4LdvXdw?si=NVZlBB1pRB3dJaTU

The second video is a walk through the finished whole house renovation. So many great details. You'll want to check it out.

https://youtu.be/iwlRWw8gIR8?si=l2mvNhMZ02r-b-Py

Project Managers Get Passive House Certified

Tue, 13 May 2025 14:13:47 GMT

Joe and Asher now have the Passive House Tradesperson Certification

We sent two of our Project Managers, Asher and Joe, to Brooklyn for a week long hands-on training in the application of Passive House principles. They learned about air-barriers, r and u-values, wrb's, and more! At Buckminster Green we have been incorporating many of these techniques into our projects for years, so this experience served the guys well. They did a re-teaching today at our monthly production meeting, and we learned some new things that we will start applying to all projects right away, as well as next-level ideas that will need to wait for the right project. Above, Asher is showing us that spray foam use should be minimized since it can shrink, crack and because it off-gases more than other materials. Below are some photos of the modules they made and had tested as a part of their training.

The reason we make this extra effort as a part of all our projects is also below. See the testimonial from a client whose air conditioning died, but was kept comfortable by the air sealing and insulating we did when we renovated their first floor.

BG Project Included in "History Making Homes" Article in Qualified Remodeler Magazine

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 17:13:16 GMT

"Comfort is King"

Three remodeling projects were featured in Qualified Remodeler's "History Making Homes" article this month, and Buckminster Green's project from the East Passyunk neighborhood in Philadelphia was featured under the heading "Comfort is King". We updated the home with custom cabinetry and smart design choices, but the biggest impact for the homeowners has been how much more comfortable the home is with added insulation and efficient HVAC systems. Read the whole article here.

HGTV Magazine features BG project for their "Color of the Year" issue

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:33:00 GMT

HGTV Magazine reached out to us in late 2024 because they thought Kristie Rosado’s kitchen design for our Fairmount Carriage House project was a great example of how to use their 2025 color of the year.

See below for the spread, and pick up a copy for more tips on how to work more violet into your home.

BG Volunteers to fill MamaTee fridges

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:58:00 GMT

Mamatee is an organization that provides free, healthy food in yellow fridges around the city. Last Saturday Buckminster Green volunteered to help pack and deliver food to help out with this worthy cause.

Philadelphia Magazine Publishes Article On Buckminster Green Project

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:53:00 GMT

In the Habitat section of the October issue of Philadelphia Magazine you’ll find a two page feature article on the whole house renovation we designed and built in 2023.

Production Happy Hour

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 15:39:00 GMT

Our carpenters got together for a happy hour last Friday. One of our strengths is that we have such a close knit group on the production side. One of our core values is: Support the Team .

Everyone in this photo is ready to help each other out when needed, and our design and management teams are supporting the people in the field with clear schedules, information that’s delivered on time, and detailed plans.

Master Design Award Winner 2024

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:55:00 GMT

Sponsored by Qualified Remodeler magazine, the Master Design Awards is the premier national contest recognizing outstanding achievement in residential remodeling projects in 22 categories.

Nominees are residential remodeling companies from across the country and entries are judged on aesthetic appeal, construction techniques used, handling of unusual situations, attention to detail, functionality of space and overall impression of the project.

Buckminster Green won a Bronze award for Historic Renovation. The project was a whole house renovation in the Passyunk Square neighborhood of South Philadelphia. We were recognized for bringing a house in need of major repairs into the modern age while retaining many of the historic charm. Read the write up in Qualified Remodeler Magazine here . You can read about the air sealing and insulation approach we used to make the home comfortable here . You can see photos of the project here .

Haven Article Features Buckminster Green Whole House Remodel With Indoor Climbing Wall

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:21:00 GMT

The Inquirer just did a write up of a whole house remodel we completed last year in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. We worked with the owner’s design Juliet Whelan of Jibe Design. The project including 4.5 bathrooms, updating one kitchen and adding one in a guest suite. Finishes were updated throughout. Read the article at this link .

Philadelphia Inquirer Article On Storage Features Buckminster Green Project

Thu, 16 May 2024 18:21:00 GMT

The Inquirer wanted to know what people in Philly rowhomes do about storage given the space constraints in rowhouses often built in a time when people only had a couple outfits and much less stuff in general. They interviewed Kenny and featured a couple pictures from a basement remodel we did with creative storage solutions. Follow this link if you have a subscription or pick up the Sunday 5/19 edition. Below is the whole story as well.

Save your home from water damage with this simple tip

Thu, 09 May 2024 14:45:00 GMT

Sink bases get wetter than other cabinets. And water wrecks cabinets. I like to use the Watchdog water alarm This little box has two metal dots that form an open switch on the bottom. When the base gets wet, the water completes the circuit, and an alarm goes off. This means you find out you have a leak a lot sooner.

If you're like me, you don't do a weekly check with a flashlight to make sure there are no drips from the sink or pipes in your sink base. But a little standing water over weeks or months can do damage.

While you're at it, put one near your water heater (especially if it is over 9 years old) and washing machine (and get a flood stop valve and braided hoses).

Secret doors!

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 13:41:00 GMT

We had two challenges on the first floor of our latest whole house remodel:

One was how to get natural light into the two bedrooms that didn’t have any windows. To accomplish this we added transom windows above the closets.

The second was how to maximize fun and make it the best hide and seek house in the city. For that, we added secret kid sized pocket doors in between the bedroom closets. Watch the video below to see both of these solutions.

Watch a project start to finish in three minutes

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 16:05:00 GMT

Check out this behind the scenes look at a recent whole house remodel in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. To see the whole video, follow this link Make sure to turn on closed captions so you can learn more about what went into converting this former auto shop turned artist studio into a family home for five.

Inquirer Interviews Kenny for Recent Article on Custom Elements in Remodels.

Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:31:00 GMT

"And now you're putting more money into the local economy" -Kenny Grono

Terri Akman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reached out to Kenny to discuss the trend of including custom elements in home renovations. Read the entire story here with photos if you have a subscription. The text of the article is also printed below.

Solar Powered!

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:24:00 GMT

Have you thought about an induction range?

How about electric radiant heat under your new tile floor?

“Mini-splits” are electric heat pumps that provide heating and cooling efficiently.

What if I told you all of these could be powered by solar panels on your roof?

That would be cool, right?

Check out the video we posted on Instagram featuring a recent project we completed. The scope involved taking down a wall between the dining room and kitchen and a small addition that contains a new powder room and rear vestibule. The transitional style fits great with the home, and the electricity needed for the new appliances and fixtures comes from the sun.

Reach out today if you want to find out more.

See the video below:

Are Custom Cabinets Right For You?

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 17:02:00 GMT

When embarking on a kitchen remodel, many of the biggest decisions have to do with the cabinetry, and one of the questions you may ask yourself is: “Should I get custom or semi-custom cabinets?”

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Custom cabinetry is just that, fully customizable. This means if you have a brick chimney in the middle of a wall in your kitchen, the cabinets can be built around it to make the most of the space. Local woodworkers will measure your space after the old kitchen has been removed to fit the new cabinets perfectly into the space. Semi-custom cabinets will use more fill pieces and other trim to make up these differences.

Did you see something in a magazine that you just love? Often design magazines and blogs feature the latest trends and unique ideas which haven’t filtered down to the semi-custom market. Or maybe you have the one-of-a-kind idea that will be featured in that blog someday. Custom cabinetry can make your dreams come true, and you’ll employ people in your local community - meaning more of your kitchen dollars stay where you live.

While the cost of semi-custom cabinets often approaches that of custom as you add more modifications and extras to the base package, a well done custom kitchen is going to cost more. So if cost is a factor, look at different brands and see what can be done to get what you want from a semi-custom cabinetry company.

In this kitchen our client want some unique features. Sliding doors mixed with pocket doors and hinged doors. Open shelving that blended seamlessly into the rest of the cabinetry. All in white oak with a finish they didn’t find elsewhere. We worked with Philadelphia Woodworking to come up with the cabinets you see in these photos. Definitely one of a kind!

BG IC100 Award Winner

Tue, 02 Jan 2024 18:30:00 GMT

For 25 years, ICIC has identified and celebrated the 100 fastest-growing businesses in under-resourced communities across the nation annually since 1999 through the Inner City 100 Awards (IC100 Awards).

Buckminster Green was chosen for the list this year. We are honored to receive this award, because it recognizes not only the growth of our company (we’re now a team of 11!), but also the commitment we have made to our community. In 2023 our team helped with infrastructure improvements at Liberty Lands park. We donated to Operation Santa, a cause we support every year. In addition to helping buy presents, we delivered food and wrapped gifts to families in Kensington, Fishtown and East Poplar. Over 400 kids got personalized presents through this program this year. Additionally, Kenny has been serving on the NLNA Zoning Committee for 10 years, co-chair for the last 3.