Resilience, ahead pondering lands Fryeburg designer nationwide honor

By Wayne E. Rivet

Employees Author

FRYEBURG — Like many younger {couples}, Cody and Hannah Guilford determined to cease tossing cash away for on a hire, and as a substitute, invested in a fixer-upper.

They purchased a house in 2016 that wanted of some tender-loving care and renovation. That transfer lead the couple down an sudden path. They found a “new discovered love” for residence renovation, building and inside design.

In 2018, the Guilfords bought their first home, and have since invested in a house constructed for themselves whereas looking for the following residence they’ll put some coronary heart, and onerous work in to. 

“By means of this complete journey, they realized their potential to assist others make their properties and dwelling areas someplace recent, new, and completed, and have begun advertising and marketing their skills to rework an area.”

Cody’s carpentry expertise and Hannah’s flare for inside design finally result in the creation of Coronary heart and Hammer Properties in Fryeburg. Not too long ago, Hannah was acknowledged as one of many “excellent younger professionals” in Nationwide Kitchen & Bathtub Affiliation’s “Thirty Below 30 Class of 2022.” NKBA is a nonprofit commerce group that promotes professionalism within the kitchen and tub trade.

The award is given to 30 completely different younger professionals throughout the nation and Canada for “resilient and forward-thinking people within the kitchen and tub trade which might be seen as the way forward for the trade.”

As an honoree, Hannah went on an all-expense paid journey to Kitchen and Bathtub Business Present, the most important commerce present worldwide for the trade, the place she picked up her prestigious award for “Common Design/Dwelling in Place.”

Featured on the NKBA web site, Hannah mentioned, “To design for a shopper isn’t a lot completely different than sharpening stone to create a counter, for the roots of the design are already planted,” she says. “I simply want to induce them which course to develop.”

The Information posted the next questions in a One on Oneinterview with Hannah Guilford. 

BN. How did you get your begin in kitchen and tub design?

Hannah G. My husband and I had purchased our first residence after we had been 20 and it was a fixer higher. We each had at all times had a ardour for fixing stuff up and making it extra purposeful and fairly, however this was our begin within the trade. This transformation impressed us to go away our present jobs, turning our ardour for fixing up our residence right into a profession. We proceeded to buy land and construct a brand new building residence, this was an important likelihood for us to flex our design and carpentry expertise and share them on social media, and was the beginning of creating the model and expertise that we provide right here at Coronary heart and Hammer Properties. 

BN. What’s behind the enterprise identify, Coronary heart and Hammer?

Hannan G. When Cody and I had been constructing our first new building residence after having simply flipped that first home, we had been quickly dwelling in a cabin on my dad and mom’ property. Someday, cuddled across the woodstove, I requested Cody what we should always identify this new firm we had been beginning. We stored developing with pretty generic names equivalent to Guilford Transforming, however we didn’t really feel as if any of them captured the essence of who we had been. I spent hours researching firm names, hoping to get inspiration, and it felt like every thing was used up. Out of nowhere, I shouted at Cody, Coronary heart and Hammer! He mentioned, ‘No, I don’t prefer it, it seems like an HGTV present.’ This began an argument as a result of I knew inside this was it. I dragged him exterior to the muse of our residence, the place I picked up a hammer, handed him a bit of ice I had discovered formed like a coronary heart, and made him take an compulsory first firm photograph with me. As soon as he realized, I’m the hammer and he’s the center, he agreed, the identify was good. After we took the photograph, he swapped out who held the hammer, as a result of he thought that the carpenter ought to actually be the one wielding the instruments. In actuality, Coronary heart and Hammer Properties identify can be a illustration of what we plan is to offer to our purchasers, we put the center again within the residence (and the kitchen is the center of the house) one hammer at a time. 

BN. How do you method designing a brand new kitchen or tub?

Hannah G. When designing a brand new kitchen or tub, my course of begins with attempting to determine what feeling am I attempting to seize, or what aspect am I attempting to function. As soon as I determine that out, the remaining all type of falls into place. For instance, am I attempting to seize the mountain views and greenery? Or am I attempting to seize the nice and cozy and welcoming feeling of an early 1900s colonial residence, with recent baked bread within the wooden cook dinner range?  

BN. What are essentially the most difficult points in attempting to develop a design that “pops” for the client?

Hannah G. Probably the most difficult facet in attempting to develop a design that “pops” for a shopper is absolutely serving to them to see my imaginative and prescient. Most of my prospects come to me as a result of they’ll’t visualize one thing, and it’s my job to create that imaginative and prescient for them. Typically, my concepts are so exterior of the field that it’s onerous to clarify or draw out, however ultimately, I’ve by no means designed an area somebody has complained about. 

BN. Give me an instance of one in every of your most tough/difficult initiatives and the way it unfolded?

Hannah G. We had a tough kitchen in Bridgton, the place it appeared like each wall we opened, there was some hidden shock of defective carpentry, wiring, or plumbing. These surprises are onerous as a result of since they’re hidden within the partitions you’ll be able to by no means actually estimate how a lot they may have an effect on a finances or a design till you open up the wall and uncover them. We had already proposed a value based mostly on a sure degree of unexpected components, nevertheless, we had no concept they’d be this nice. That sort of dialog is the toughest dialog I can have with a shopper, however on the finish of the day it is the clear communication and talent to adapt that helped the remainder of the undertaking to proceed with out a hitch. 

BN. Give me an instance of a undertaking you’re most pleased with.

Hannah G. A undertaking that I’m most pleased with could be the basement rework that I achieved final summer season, as a result of it was the primary time I pitched a coloration imaginative and prescient to a shopper that was a bit of exterior of the field, they usually went with my instincts, and it was printed in {a magazine} after. If I’m being sincere although, the initiatives that I’m most pleased with are literally those that I’ve within the works proper now. I’ve not too long ago been in a position to showcase my talent sufficient that I really feel as if I’m beginning to work my manner into a better tier of purchasers who give me full artistic reign of their areas, and I’m now in a position to go from designing inside the small scope of concepts they permit me to design inside, to designing every thing myself with full reign. As soon as I hit this level, it’s just like the cap that was positioned on my creativity popped off and a few of my greatest work is beginning to come out. 

BN. How was enterprise in the course of the pandemic? Did individuals proceed with deliberate initiatives? Did you need to make modifications in what you are promoting practices?

Hannah G. Enterprise in the course of the pandemic has been completely wonderful, and I really feel so grateful to say that we’re flourishing. Now, greater than ever, individuals are spending time at residence and within the areas which have essentially the most impression on their lives, the kitchen. With that inflow in time spent at residence, individuals are realizing how necessary it’s to make that house essentially the most purposeful, comfy, and pleasing on the attention that they’ll, as a result of that is the place they make money working from home, the place they host household, the place recollections are made. 

BN. Relating to the award, how did that come about and what was your response to the choice?

Hannah G. The Nationwide Kitchen and Bathtub Affiliation sends out an e-mail annually inviting showrooms throughout the nation and Canada to volunteer a younger skilled (Below 30) that they suppose has made a significant mark on the Kitchen and Bathtub trade, and is a main instance of innovation and success for the long run. My firm, together with many who acquired this e-mail, and my husband nominated me. He needed to fill out an extended utility explaining why he and our workers imagine that I’m a number one instance of the way forward for the kitchen and tub enterprise, and I used to be so fortunate to be chosen as one of many 30s out of over 500 functions. 

BN. Lastly, you point out a ardour for flipping homes. When and the way did that begin? What do you get pleasure from about it? What number of have you ever accomplished? 

Hannah G. Flipping homes all began with that buy of our first home. We lived there for 3 years, bought it and constructed one other with the revenue, which we then bought and are actually constructing our “dream” residence. Someplace in between all that, we transformed over 100 properties and areas, bought one other residence to flip with an investor, flipped it, and are actually restoring a historic residence in Lovell. Comply with its journey on Instagram at @restoring_218_main.