A Renovator’s Regional Dominion

Based just outside of Warrenton, Virginia, in Fauquier County, Home Sweet Home Improvements, LLC is run by co-owners Dawn and Tom Wotton, who formed the company in 1990 and from the beginning took “great pride in our work from start to finish,” according to Tom. More than two decades later, paying close attention to customers’ requests, sticking to schedules, and staying clued-up about the latest technology and products in the building and remodeling industry, the company stands out and maintains a solid presence and reputation in its historically rich region.

Home Sweet Home Improvements is a general-contracting firm and a high-end home remodeler and builder. The Wottons and their employees do historical restorations, basements, kitchens, baths, additions, and new homes, and they most often collaborate with local clientele, which Tom enjoys. “Our clients are diverse, but all live within the same community,” he says. “Home Sweet Home Improvements is about the community and does business within our community as much as possible.”

The Wottons see this local focus as a key selling point, affording the firm an added level of familiarity and trust with clients. “Our clients like the fact that we are local,” Tom says. “We’ll see them when we’re out grocery shopping, or they’ll run into our employees out at a local restaurant. We’ll see each other at back-to-school nights at our children’s schools. Our clients like that we are part of the same community they are, especially in today’s economy. We hope that our clients feel that … we are giving them a guarantee of a level of service and commitment to their project.”

Despite the fact that the company concentrates its work in one region, though, it still sees a lot of diversity in the work it’s asked to do, largely thanks to the broad age range of local homeowners and buyers. “Our clients’ diversity ranges from the young but growing family that is looking to remodel for additional living space to older clients looking to remodel for their needs [as empty nesters or retirees],” Tom says. “A high percentage of our clients are working professionals who know the value of time management and working with other professionals.”

The company’s work on the Belvoir Farms Estate is a standout example of its impressive remodeling and restoration skills. “The client is a semiretired and successful businesswoman who owns a very old home that is worthy of stately visits with stately people,” Tom says.

The project included restoration of the interior and exterior and remodeling on the interior, much of it extensive. “Portions of the home were built in the late 1700s and were added on to over the years,” Tom says. “The home had damage from deterioration, rot; water damage from a leaky roof; and age.” Home Sweet Home Improvements restored hardwood floors, plaster walls and ceilings, built-in cabinetry, exterior columns, and antique wallpaper, all of which helped to retain some of the home’s distinctive historical qualities. And the restoration work was so thorough and historically accurate that Clint Eastwood ended up using the Belvoir Farms Estate to shoot scenes of his latest period film, J. Edgar.

Beyond Belvoir Farms, though, Home Sweet Home’s wide repertoire of work, including elaborate framing, top-notch finishing, and expertly installed cabinetry and fixtures, can be seen across many other projects completed during the firm’s two decades in business. And it has the diligence and expertise to take on any new jobs that come its way. “We can enter at any stage of design or production and skillfully complete the task,” Tom says. “While our clients admire our trade skills, they equally appreciate our professional competence and personal commitment to excellence.” ABQ