We have a confession to make. The new Wonder Woman movie is hitting theaters this week and, here at Karr Bick, we’re kind of geeking out. Our fearless leader, Jenny Rausch, has been a fan since she was 5 and got her first pair of Wonder Woman Underoos. So superpowers have become sort of a thing around our showroom. Collectively we use our powers to create “nothing ordinary” spaces. And have no fear, we’ve replaced our underoos with some super cool gear. Click here to visit our “nothing ordinary” shop.     Read Becky’s “nothing ordinary” story and discover her superpower             Read Jill’s “nothing ordinary” story and discover her superpower         At Karr Bick, we strive to continuously recognize the personal and professional “superpowers” within ourselves, our colleagues and our clients. We believe this is a key ingredient in our success in creating “nothing ordinary,” out of this world spaces. Meet our cast of characters: Jenny Rausch, designer, and owner: “I like to think my superpower is recognizing other people’s strengths,” says Jenny. “In fact, even a weakness can be cultivated for good because our weakness can be the core of […]

Adam is our Wendy's husband. They have two very tall almost adult boys and love to listen to live music and camp. He is also affectionately known as “our granite guy!” I would say Adam certainly challenges me. We come at most profound discussions from divergent planets. But somehow we remain good friends, are respectful of each other's limits and make endless attempts to listen to one another's point of view. This is really quite spectacular given how intensely demonstrative we both can be. He is in active pursuit of the live music experience. He rides his mountain bike (that does not have gears) all over the Midwestern woods and backcountry. He reads Steven King and Hemmingway and Bradbury (someday I will get him to read my favorite) but also finds The Onion a good read. Here is Adam in all his complexity, in his own words:

Jill is a 45-year old married teacher. She would tell you she has two bonus children and a dog through her marriage to Chuck. Jill was my original inspiration for the #NothingOrdinary line. She is by every definition an athlete. At one point I had these Karr Bick Logo beach towels as a giveaway. I gave one to Jill, and she started sending me pictures from her races and triathlons of the towel on her bike or sitting with her gear. She would say, "I am representing today!" Seeing how early she got up every morning and how aggressively she chased her goals inspired me. I felt part of it all somehow because my towel was part of it. Fast forward to this idea we’ve adopted into our Karr Bick culture: every single day we strive for #NothingOrdinary. I realized it extends to all things and all people. Jill was 100% #NothingOrdinary in her pursuit of running a race in all 50 states, in the way she vigorously chases goals, and in the way she loves and takes care of the people around her. I wanted her to be able to wear a reminder on her sleeve that what she does is nothing short of extraordinary. I also wanted to reminders of what it is I strive to be. Never stop trying. Never stop fighting. Never stop challenging yourself. Do not stop trying to shift the world or bring the magic. Me: “Who has been your most powerful mentor in life?” Jill: “My Co-Workers. I work with two amazing who are teachers and have three children. Their husbands work nights and I don’t know how they do it. Also, my husband. (but don’t tell him, he has a big head already).”

Becky has been married to Steve for 25 years and has three amazing boys (really really really amazing!): Andy (24), JD (21) and Luke (19). They own and operate a business that sells large tent washing and drying machines. Becky is a light-bringer. She is the quiet mighty. Becky is one of those people who stays steady wherever she goes, never shifting in times of stress or turmoil. She will shoulder the load, and you don't know she is doing it. Her happiness is contagious. It makes her a natural leader. A Becky quote, in her own words: Me: “What is the best compliment you've ever received?” Becky: “I have had a file (for about 20-ish years) labeled “Happy, ” and I put things in there that make me happy, like notes from my family and friends. “Thanks for being the best Ma that ever lived” or “I’ll be there to take care of you, and I promise to shave you if you grow facial hair, Love Luke.” And one came from an email string – I directed a women’s retreat over a long weekend, and the week after, the emails of gratitude brought me to tears, and my husband’s response was pretty cool.” To read Steve's note about Becky and the rest of Becky's story click here

Tom is a 35-year-old divorced dad of 2 little Cubs’ fans and a very proud & active uncle to two nieces and a nephew. He also owns and operates 2 technology companies. Tom was picked to model for our Nothing Ordinary store because of his honesty and bravery. He can relentlessly focus and carry the weight of the world unlike anyone I have every known. He is in constant pursuit of betterment and of understanding himself. He opens my mind to ideas and complexities and helps me understand the world better.

Here's a story about a pesky upgrade that nobody wants to spend money on but it does save lives! We recently were involved in a remodel in St. Louis County and as in most municipalities they make you upgrade the smoke and carbon monoxide detection system to be hard wired together. A new smoke/monoxide detector is often not where you want to put your dollars in a kitchen or bath remodel. Here is an actual text we received one month after completion of the kitchen remodel.

Our mission is to create customer-inspired spaces that no one wants to leave. We design for people not awards. Our team, showroom, product selection, process, and resources all work to that end. Our clients feel that.

Jenny explains the process of a photoshoot: As a past, present, or current client of Karr Bick you have seen our Houzz portfolio or massive “Bibles” of photographed work in our showroom. Ever wonder how we get to that point? What is the purpose of using a professional photographer? We use a professional to get the right light and angles.  They have access to wide angle lenses that let us tell a better story.  He also works with the photographs after the shoot digitally to fix the color and lighting, etc. How do you choose which projects to shoot? A lot of it has to do with the size of the space and the willingness of the client to let us spend a day making a mess in their space.  We take it all apart in terms of the staging and put it all back together again.  It takes time but we are lucky as  most people enjoy the process. Do you know which projects will make for good photos before they are completed? Heck, yes!  I get feelings about people and projects from the start. I know when we are going to be shooting something pretty early on.  What role do the homeowners […]

It’s hard to talk about bathroom design without talking a little bit about budgets and statistics.  I think home remodeling shows do a disservice in that they don’t show the real story behind budgets and remodels.  “Reality TV” tends to leave large gaps in the budget when it comes to labor costs and true pricing of goods (minus a TV sponsorship discount) and don’t take into account the massive amount of people that are willing to do things faster and under extreme production deadlines just to get a shot at showcasing their services to a broad audience. The good news is bathroom remodels have a strong ROI (return on investment).  It’s different per demographic area but many markets see as much as 90% to 100% ROI when they remodel a kitchen or bath correctly.  Typically you will spend about 10% to 15% of your home’s value on a bath remodel.  There is a lot of plumbing and electrical work-not much less than a kitchen- and you’re working in much tighter spaces- often on second levels. These things can drive cost. Now to the fun stuff!  Gadgets, trends and emerging trends: Trends:  Anything that reminds you of a luxury hotel bathroom.  […]

When it comes to home renovations one of the biggest trends is over-the-top laundry rooms. What’s fueling the trend: Houzz and Pinterest have really opened up a portal to the fairy world of laundry rooms where the sky’s the limit and you can see spaces in which almost every bell and whistle has been explored. Once you’re exposed, you have to have it. The ideas and images get stuck in your mind and you start to think how wonderful such a mundane task could become. Popular styles: Sometimes elegant, other times whimsical or beachy, and oftentimes very efficient – a place where everything has a place and typically the entire space is very well thought out. You can explore your personality a bit more in this room becuase typically it’s just one family member running the show, unlike a kitchen or bath where you have to compromise. Bells and whistles: Fold-out ironing boards, special cubbies for laundry baskets, drying rack hideaways, pull-down dry cleaning rods, wrapping paper drawers, craft storage, hidden laundry units, folding stations, pull-out trash, specialty sinks, sewing centers, big screen TVs, dog food storage, the list goes on and on. We’ve done laundry rooms with glass tile, […]