In the News
The latest at Renewal . . .
Renewal Wins Two More Awards for Renovation Projects
Peter Michelson Honored as DeKalb County Community Hero
Atlanta Remodeler Recognized for Community Service
Atlanta Renovator Makes Cover of Professional Remodeler
Renewal Featured in Atlanta Home Improvement
Renewal Wins Two More Awards for Renovation Projects
May 2012, Atlanta — Continuing to raise the bar in the remodeling industry, Atlanta Business Chronicle Top Five Remodeler Renewal Design-Build was named a winner at the 18th annual Chrysalis Awards for Remodeling Excellence. The winning projects were selected from 420 entries. Renewal took home the award for Best Kitchen in the $75-$100k category. Entries are judged on overall design, creative use of space and materials, and the degree to which the project enhanced the original structure. View the kitchen.
“Renewal has won seven Chrysalis Awards in the past four years, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to professionalism and excellence,” says Ken Kanline director of the program. “And, to win an award in this highly competitive category is quite an achievement.”
The company will also be presented with a Decatur Design Award on May 23 for the exterior preservation of an old farmhouse in Decatur. The annual awards are sponsored by the City of Decatur’s Historic Preservation Commission. View the project.
Click here to see a comprehensive list of all Renewal’s awards.
Peter Michelson Honored as DeKalb County Community Hero
April 2012, Atlanta — On April 29, six outstanding members of the Atlanta community were honored at the CEO Community Hero Awards, held at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and hosted by DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis. Renewal Design-Build CEO Peter Michelson was among them and accepted the Environmental Change award for initiating, founding, and sponsoring the event that is now Park Renewal Day.
Now in its fifth year, Park Renewal Day is an annual competition in which teams compete for prize money by uprooting invasive plants in a community park. Since its inception, over 500 volunteers have saved an estimated four acres and 240 trees from being taken over by ivy and privet. The event is organized by Renewal Design-Build, the DeKalb County Parks department, the City of Decatur’s Active Living division, and the non-profit organization, Park Pride.
Continue reading in the Champion Newspaper.
Atlanta Remodeler Recognized for Community Service
Renewal Design-Build Wins Park Pride Inspiration Award
April 2012, Atlanta — On March 26, Park Pride presented local remodeler Renewal Design-Build with the Inspiration Award for its work on Park Renewal Day. The awards were presented at the nonprofit organization’s 11th annual Parks and Greenspace Conference held at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. The Inspiration Awards recognize outstanding achievements in the parks and greenspace field. Renewal is proud to have won the Organizational category, against fellow finalist Cox Enterprises.
Founded in 2008 by Renewal Design-Build, in partnership with the City of Decatur’s Active Living Division and the DeKalb County Parks Department, Park Renewal Day is an annual competition in which teams compete for prize money by uprooting invasive plants in a community park. Over the past four years, over 500 volunteers have saved an estimated four acres and 240 trees from being taken over by ivy and privet. Its success has incited talks of expanding into other parks throughout Atlanta.
Teams are typically formed from local organizations, schools, scout troops and clubs, fueling prize money into the community. Last year, first place winner Boy Scouts Troop 18 used its $1,000 winnings to fund scholarships for families not able to afford the Troop’s annual dues, uniforms, or equipment.
In 2008, Renewal CEO Peter Michelson identified a rampant ivy and privet problem in his own neighborhood park. The company then created a proposal for Park Renewal Day and initiated first meetings with local government staff. “As a business owner, I saw an opportunity for our company to give back to the community that has served us so well,” says Michelson. “And, by creating a public/private initiative, we were able to make Park Renewal Day a successful, sustainable event that can be easily replicated.” Actively involved in creating, organizing and promoting the event, the company continues to be an event organizer and sponsor all prize money.
Park Pride Inspiration Awards were also presented to: the Friends of Little Nancy Creek Park (Community category), C-Beyond (Corporate), and Ravonda Moody (Government).
For more information on Park Renewal Day and team registration, visit ParkRenewalDay.com.
Atlanta Renovator Makes Cover of Professional Remodeler
Renewal is proud to be featured on the March cover of Professional Remodeler magazine, one of the industry’s top publications.
Renewal Design-Build’s Peter Michelson, CEO, and David Michelson, president, are featured alongside Joe Thomas, general manager of Renewal System Solutions.
The article discusses the symbiotic relationship between the Atlanta full-service design-build firm and its sister home performance company. Renewal System Solutions performs home performance assessments and makes energy efficiency improvements as part of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.
Renewal Featured in Atlanta Home Improvement
Atlanta Home Improvement magazine recently interviewed Renewal CEO Peter Michelson for an article about universal design and aging-in-place.
“Your home can maintain its beauty, its spirit and make a graceful transition into the golden years, just as we all hope and plan to do. Think you’re too young to read on? Have just your parents in mind? Heard of “aging-in-place” but think it makes a home look “clinical”? Think again.” Continue reading.
Learn how Renewal can adapt your home for the future.
Renewal Named 2012 Regional Contractor of the Year
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) named Renewal Design-Build a 2012 Southeast Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) in two residential kitchen and bath categories of its annual awards competition.
Contractors from seven regions around the country vie for CotY Awards on an annual basis, and all regional winners will now be eligible for the National CotY Awards. National winners will be announced at NARI’s Evening of ExcellenceSM on Saturday, April 21, 2012 at the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Conference Center, located in Grapevine (Dallas), Texas.
About NARI: The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only trade association dedicated solely to the remodeling industry. The Association, which represents member companies nationwide—comprised of 63,000 remodeling contractors— is “The Voice of the Remodeling Industry.”™
View the award-winning kitchen and bath.
Renewal Design-Build Wins Contractor of the Year Award for Kitchen Renovation
November 2011, Atlanta — On November 8th, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s Atlanta Chapter hosted its 19th annual Gala Awards at 103 West. Atlanta remodeler Renewal Design-Build was awarded with a 2011 CotY (Contractor of the Year) in the Residential Kitchen category. This is the third consecutive year the company has won a CotY award.
The winning project, located in Decatur’s Winnona Park neighborhood, involved careful square footage analysis that helped create a larger and more modern kitchen without adding any footprint to the home. View the winning project here.
Contractors from around Atlanta vie for CotY Awards on an annual basis. An impartial panel of judges – experts within the industry and associated fields – select winners based on each entrant’s photography and detailed project description. Judging is based on problem solving, functionality, aesthetics, craftsmanship, innovation, degree of difficulty, and entry presentation.
About NARI
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is the only national association designed, organized and dedicated specifically for service to professional remodelers. The Atlanta Chapter has over 350 members.
Dreamy Bathroom Remodels Featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Need some design inspiration? These Atlanta-area bathrooms rival the luxury quotient at any high-end hotel.”
Renewal’s bathroom projects were recently featured in the online and print versions of the AJC. Read about the current trends for bathroom remodels and view the gallery of inspirational bathrooms.
Renewal Partnering with Southface and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Atlanta, GA, June 2011 – Renewal System Solutions, sister company of Renewal Design-Build, is partnering with Southface Energy Institute and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to help homeowners achieve significant energy savings through home efficiency improvements. As part of a nationwide study, Southface and ORNL are developing extensive retrofit case studies on 10 metro Atlanta homes. Renewal was chosen to make the energy efficiency improvements to 6 of these homes, 5 of which are owned by Agnes Scott College.
The goal of these retrofits is a 30 to 50 percent increase in energy savings. Buildings currently consume 40 percent of the nation’s total primary energy and are responsible for half of all greenhouses gases emitted by the U.S.
“We are excited to work with Renewal System Solutions on this important project,” says Dr. Roderick Jackson, buildings researcher in the ORNL’s Buildings Technologies Research and Integration Center. “Not only will we help homeowners save energy and lower their utility bills, but this work will also provide solid, verifiable evidence of how to achieve energy savings of 30-50%. Moreover, it will boost the national goal of advancing residential retrofits to save energy, create jobs, and ultimately, make homes a part of the climate solution.”
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is best known for being developed to support the Manhattan Project in 1943. It is one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s national laboratories, and its Buildings Technology Center (BTC) is “the premier U.S. research facility devoted to developing technologies that improve the energy efficiency and environmental compatibility of residential and commercial buildings.” Southface Energy Institute is a non-profit leader in the promotion of sustainable buildings and communities.
Renewal System Solutions specializes in home performance and energy efficiency improvements. Renewal participates in the SHINE, DecaturWISE, and Georgia Power rebate programs. For more information, visit www.RenewalSystemSolutions.com, or call 404.378.6962.
Curb Appeal Project Featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s the golden ticket of real estate: curb appeal, that special alchemy of siding and windows, front doors and porches that allows an ordinary, even bland home to become extraordinary. Read more on how “Curb Appeal Can Yield Big Results” and see the slideshow of amazing before and after projects.
Renewal Projects Highlighted in Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine
Kosher kitchen remodel in Druid Hills
Renewal Design-Build Wins National Award for Best Residential Interior, Regional Award for Best Kitchen Remodel in South
From over 400 entries, Renewal Design-Build is proud to take home awards for Best Residential Interior nationwide and Best Kitchen in the south. Entries were judged on overall design, the creative use of space and materials, and the degree to which the project enhanced the original structure.
The Chrysalis Awards program, begun in 1994, recognizes the nation’s best work in sixteen general categories of residential and commercial remodeling. The Awards are open to any professional remodeler and design professional in the U.S.
See the award-winning loft renovation here and kitchen here.
Renewal Featured in Renovation Style Magazine
One of Renewal’s award-winning kitchens is featured in the special spring 2011 Kitchen and Bath issue of Renovation Style magazine – a Better Homes and Gardens publication.
Peter Michelson Nominated for National Award
Peter Michelson, founder and CEO of Decatur’s Renewal Design-Build, is one of only thirty individuals nominated for the national Fred Case Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Out of these thirty, four finalists and one winner will be chosen by a panel of judges from Case Design/Remodeling, Hanley-Wood, and Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The award “looks to honor those individuals who best exemplify strong business acumen, financial strength, community and industry involvement, and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Peter was nominated by Victoria Downing, president and owner of Remodelers Advantage, the leading community and support organization for remodeling business owners nationwide. On why Victoria nominated Peter for the most prestigious award in the industry, “Peter thinks like an entrepreneur. He doesn’t get bogged down in the details but sees the bigger picture. He’s always looking for ways to make his company better for his team and clients. Peter is a smart, savvy business person who is growing an excellent company.”
About the Award
The Fred Case Remodeling Entrepreneur of the Year Award is modeled after the professional achievements of Fred Case, founder and CEO of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc. Fred is credited as the industry pioneer of the design/build concept in the 1970s and was also instrumental in developing the first certification system for remodelers while chairing the National Education Committee of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). In 1999, he became the first-ever recipient of Remodeling magazine’s Foundation Award for Lifetime Achievement and was inducted into NAHB’s Remodeler’s National Hall of Fame in 2002. Today, Fred Case continues to serve as CEO and Co-Chairman for Case Design/Remodeling, Inc and Case Handyman and Remodeling Services.
Renewal Wins Five New Awards for Outstanding Projects
Five projects recently completed by Decatur’s Renewal Team have earned awards for excellence. On the national level, Renewal earned Chrysalis awards for best bath, best kitchen and best green remodeling project. Locally the firm has earned two Decatur Design awards — one for a porch project, and one for improving a home’s curb appeal.
“It’s gratifying for our work to be recognized by our industry peers at a national level,” said Renewal CEO Peter Michaelson, “but its especially gratifying for Renewal to earn kudos from the design professionals in our community where we focus our efforts.”
Check out the award-winning projects: 
Best Bath Remodel
Best Kitchen Remodel
Best Green Remodeling Project
Award-winning Porch
Award-winning Facade
Renewal Wins Regional CotY Award for 2009
Renewal Design-Build is a NARI Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) winner in the Best Whole House Renovation, $250,000 to $500,000 category. Entries were judged on functionality, problem solving, aesthetics, craftsmanship, and innovation. Renewal’s winning project, located in Oakhurst, is EarthCraft certified and was featured on Planet Green’s “Renovation Nation.” This is Renewal’s second consecutive regional CotY award.
See the winning project here.
Professional Remodeler: Renewal’s a Remodeling Company that Bucks the Trend
As the effects of the recession started to hit the company in late 2008, the Renewal team gathered to discuss the numbers and develop a plan to preserve staffing and weather the downturn. The results are encouraging to say the least.
“As the economy is recovering for us, we’ve got our biggest book of work in our history,” says Peter Michelson,” . . . good-size job starts for the next three months. We couldn’t do that if we had to ramp up with new hires.”
Renewal Featured in Atlanta Business Chronicle
Renewal Design-Build has prepared for an economic rebound by keeping its talented staff and getting aggressive with marketing.
While the long-term impact of the federal government’s stimulus program for the mortgage industry remain to be seen, in Atlanta the renovation and remodeling sector is already showing signs of recovery.
“We’re seeing a return of confidence,” Peter Michelson says. “A lot of clients who put projects on hold at the end of the summer and in the fall are now saying they’re ready to move forward . . . People are doing more than just the bare necessities. Large projects, such as master suite additions, which had pretty much gone away last year, are strongly coming back.”
Renewal Profiled on Decatur News Online
The Michelson brothers understand the value of community awareness and what potential lies in name recognition . . . “We are only as good as our last job,” Peter said. “Word of mouth should be every company’s number one marketing strategy. Every client, if they are happy, will become a promoter.”
Renewal Featured in EcoHome Magazine
“A savvy homeowner and green-tuned remodeling team transform a tiny bungalow into an efficient, comfortable space.”
Click here to read the article
Click here to see the full renovation
Click here to see the award-winning kitchen
See Renewal on HGTV’s “Curb Appeal: The Block”
In October 2009, Renewal was part of a team that spruced up the facade of a home in Decatur’s Winnona Park neighborhood. The house got a complete makeover that included repainting with a more modern color palette, a landscape design, framing of the porch, and new fencing. The episode is now scheduled to debut on HGTV on Feb. 20 at 9:30 pm.
Read more about the episode on the HGTV website:
“A Single Mom Gets the Home Remodel of her Dreams and Her Daughter’s School Gets A Touch Up of its Own”
Read our blog to get our behind-the-scenes peek at the project and taping as they took place.
Renewal Featured in American Builders Quarterly
“As a designer/builder, you learn to listen to your customers and successfully execute what they are looking for. Each Renewal customer gets a tour through their proposed project with a 3-D virtual presentation— allowing the customer to experience the reconstruction of their home before their very eyes.”
Dearborn Park Benefits from Second Annual Park Renewal Day
Teams Clear Ivy and Privet, Win Cash Prizes
Teams from local organizations and schools gathered at Dearborn Park in DeKalb County on Nov. 7 to clear weeds and compete for prize money on Park Renewal Day, part of an ongoing effort to rid local parks of invasive plants and debris. By the end of the event, the teams were weary from pulling up ivy and privet, but gained a real sense of accomplishment, community spirit and cash.
The prize money, donated by Renewal Design-Build, was awarded to the five highest-scoring teams. The grand prize of $1,000 went to the Midway Woods Neighborhood Association — appropriately named “Ivy League” — while two teams from Decatur High School students won 4th and 5th places. A celebration of food and music from local Decatur band, The Grits, followed the cleanup.
And the proof is in the park. “It’s great to see what the community’s efforts have brought to Dearborn Park, says Mayor Bill Floyd. “If you haven’t walked through, do so.”
Winning teams
First place: Ivy League
Second place: Invasive & Persuasive
Third Place: Team Awesome
Fourth Place: DHS Close-Up Club
Fifth Place: 2013 Bulldogs
Visit Park Renewal Day online for photos, videos and more.
Renewal Design-Build to Be Featured on New HGTV Series
August 17, 2009 – In September Decatur’s Renewal Design-Build films an episode for a brand new HGTV series called Curb Appeal: The Block. The episode documents a two week renovation involving the exterior facelift of a Decatur home. The show premieres in 2010.
Each episode of The Block features a real home and homeowner working with designers who aim to improve the home’s appearance. The show helps homeowners learn how to look at their homes with new eyes and even provides the budget for each project. Then the crew goes to work, transforming outdated and boring homes with stunning makeovers. The show is shot reality-style, following the makeover process as it happens.
Renewal was chosen for the show because “We really like the family-oriented aspect of Renewal and feel that they ‘get’ the community building aspect of our show,” says Alyssa Kaufman of Edelman Productions, a company who produces some of HGTV’s hit shows.
Renewal team members plan to blog about the project throughout the process . Be sure to check in often for behind-the-scenes photos, notes and commentary!
Renewal on the Inc. Magazine 500|5000
Renewal is number 2,022 in the Inc. 500|5000, an annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
But this is just one of several local and national awards and top rankings earned recently by the Renewal team.
Renewal Wins a CotY
Renewal is the 2008 Regional Contractor of the Year (CotY) for the Best Residential Kitchen in the $30,000 to $60,000 category. Entries are judged on functionality, problem solving, aesthetics, craftsmanship, and innovation. The CotY awards are announced each year by The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI).
So, what does an award-winning kitchen renovation look like? Click here to view photos of the finished project.
Renewal Ranked in Atlanta’s Top Ten, Number One in Decatur
August 18, 2008 – Decatur-based Renewal Design-Build has been named one of Atlanta’s Top Ten residential remodelers in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Book of Lists.” The list, revised and published annually, surveys and ranks the top companies in a variety of industries across the 20-county metro area.
Ranked number seven for the entire metro area, Renewal beat out all other Decatur-based competitors, including companies established long before Renewal opened its doors in 2001. “We are honored to be ranked as one of Atlanta’s top ten remodelers.” said founder and CEO Peter Michelson. He notes that growth for the company, which works primarily in Decatur, Avondale and intown Atlanta neighborhoods, has been steady. Renewal President David Michelson added, “The local community is tremendously supportive of Renewal. Homeowners in the area really embrace the energy-efficient and ‘green’ renovation principles we’ve promoted for so long.”
Oakhurst Home Renovation Featured in Atlanta Journal Constitution
“Most people don’t believe it’s a renovation, said Anna Warmoth with Atlanta’s Renewal Design-Build. “It’s such a change from what it used to be,” she said. “It went from a small, one-story bungalow to a two-story, Praire-style, kind of modern-looking home.”
Read the article
Atlanta Intown, August 2008: “Before and After”
“Renewal’s project was recommended for Renovation Nation by Southface, the Atlanta-based nonprofit that promotes sustainable homes, workplaces and communities.”
Click here to read the article (page 44)
Renewal’s episodes of Renovation Nation on Discovery’s new Planet Green cable channel are in frequent rotation and available on Comcast OnDemand.
Discovery Network selected Renewal and the Boyce-Frost project to be featured on a new show called Renovation Nation. The show, hosted by Steve Thomas (formerly on the PBS show This Old House) follows the progress of the Boyce-Frost project, located in Oakhurst, that incorporates green building principles.
Click here to read more about the project.
Click here to read more about the show.
Renewal Celebrates Big50 Membership
Remodeling Magazine recognized Renewal Design-Build as a Big50 member at its recent annual leadership conference in Washington, D.C. This prestigious award identifies the nation’s best-run remodeling businesses who are committed to promoting and utilizing the industry’s best practices.
“Big50 remodelers are among the best in the business, and we are honored to receive this national distinction,” says Peter Michelson, CEO of Renewal.
Visit www.remodelingmag.com to find out more about Remodeling Magazine’s Big50 program.
Renewal Featured in Go Green Summit Webcast
Missed out on the recent Go Green Summit? You can still hear CEO Peter Michelson’s green remodeling tips and thoughtful insights into current green building technology, market trends, financing innovations and business practices.
Renewal Featured in Creative Loafing
“For some clients, it’s all about the dollars,” Peter Michelson says. “For some people, it’s about ecology. For some people, it’s about both. But green is about all those things – what’s good for the environment, health, return on investment, having something that’s better built and won’t deteriorate.”
Read the article
Renewal Seen on 11Alive News
Click to view Renewal segment in 11Alive’s Earth Hour special that aired on March 29, 2008.
Renewal Featured in Georgia Trend Magazine
“A powerful movement toward sustainable new construction and renovation has homebuilders, contractors and homeowners buying in, lured by environmental concerns and a desire to cut utility bills. Peter Michelson has been walking the green line for about 30 years . . . ”
Read the article
Renewal Featured in Builder’s Journal
“When CEO Peter Michelson founded Renewal in 2001, he set out to create a company that is ‘the best renovation company to work for, as well as the best one for clients to work with.’ He is well on his way with 70 successful projects completed in 2007; a team whose combined construction experience exceeds 150 years and recognition by Qualified Remodeler as one of 2007’s Top 500 Remodelers in the country.”
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