Aug 01, 2021

Divine Design

A local family undertaking a much-needed home renovation finds “a blessing” in the team of conscientious professionals at Dilworth’s Custom Design.

Article by Jenny Graham
Photography by Nina Lea Photography
Originally published in Suburban Life, August 2021

“Necessity is the mother of invention,” as the saying goes. So was the case with Ryan and Deanna Brown, a married couple with three young sons who realized their Glen Mills home needed to adapt to meet the needs of their growing family.

“We have been wanting to redo our master bathroom pretty much since we moved into our home several years ago,” Deanna begins. “We have a nice-size bathroom, but it had odd angles that made for a lot of dead space. Everything in the bathroom, from the tile to the floors to the double vanities, were blinding white, and the gold finishes were out of date and chipping.”
The floor, however, was “the worst part of the bathroom.”

“It was so slippery that one of my sons actually slipped and chipped a tooth!” she recalls. “There was also a built-in Jacuzzi that wasn’t very useful for bathing the boys and blocked access to opening the windows. And for as big as the bathroom is, we didn’t have a single cabinet for our towels. We wanted a bathroom that we enjoyed using and would let us utilize the space at its best.”
 
Luckily for the Brown family, Dan Dilworth and his company, Phoenixville-based Dilworth’s Custom Design, stood poised to lend a hand.
 
“My husband met Dan [Dilworth] through C12, a global network of Christian business owners who work together to build businesses that spread the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Deanna shares. “We contacted Dan and his brother and director of design, Dave, to look over everything. From the start, we were impressed with their level of communication and attention to detail, so we started the process.”
 
The Dilworth’s team began by walking the space with the Browns, taking careful measurements, determining what was behind the oddly shaped walls. They also met the Browns at the Dilworth’s showroom on three separate occasions to discuss the details of how to best meet the family’s needs.
 
“Dave was fantastic in his ability to see what the space could be,” Deanna says. “He wanted to tailor everything to our needs, so he asked us to make a list of needs and another of wants. He was very creative, thinking outside the box about how to best utilize our space. He actually changed the physical structure of the bathroom by knocking out two walls. He was even willing to work with a decorator friend of ours at our request.”
 
The Browns ended up with the dream bathroom they were hoping for. They believe the key factor in the success of the project was the honesty and integrity embodied by each member of the Dilworth’s team.
 
“Our crew, Dave, and Dan had such a desire to please us and meet our needs, and both Dave and Dan were very honest about what would work, as well as what wouldn’t,” Deanna shares. “We exchanged a lot of emails and Dave was always on top of the changes we had to make as the project progressed. It was not uncommon to get an email from Dave at 5:30 a.m.! He was always on top of things.”

Dilworth’s team facilitated all the improvements, including the removal of two walls bookending the whirlpool tub, which also got removed, and the addition of a luxurious freestanding soaking tub and an extended shower. Additionally, the Browns had all new custom-built cabinetry installed.
 
“One more thing that makes the experience fantastic with Dilworth’s is that they do all the fabrication in-house, as well as have their own expert plumbers and electricians so they don’t have to subcontract,” Brown says. “That made such a difference because we were able to keep the project moving quickly by never having to wait on anyone else.
 
“Dilworth’s cabinetry is gorgeous and high-quality,” she continues. “They can pretty much make anything you can dream of. Everything is the bathroom has its own spot, and I love how organized it is. They built in hampers for me, a special jewelry drawer for my side of the vanity, plus a whole drawer for hair accessories. My husband has hidden outlets inside his cabinets for his electric toothbrush and cell phone; they thought of every little thing. And I now have enough cabinetry not only for our towels, but for our bedsheets and extras as well.”
 
The troublesome slippery floors got replaced with radiant-heated, non-slip tile flooring, perfect for warming up on cold winter days.
 
“Save a couple of holidays along the way, the team was at our home working every day starting in November [of 2020],” Brown adds. “They finished by January.”
 
Kindred philosophy also created a bond between the Browns and the Dilworths. Both families lead lives guided by their Christian faith.
 
“As Christians, we believe we are called to do everything for the glory of God, and this includes our earthly profession,” Brown says. “I admire how my husband uses his business as a ministry to serve others well, and we saw this in the Dilworth team, also. Their integrity is centered in Christ, and from that stance, they serve at a higher level. They put God first, and their service to their clients is rooted in that devotion. It has blessed our family to be on the receiving end of their ministry, and to me as a Christian, it was amazing and special to watch in action others living out their upward call.”
 
The Browns found the Dilworth’s team so extraordinary that before the bathroom renovation was even complete, the family asked them to remodel their kitchen and mudroom as well. They now plan to redo their study with the Dilworth team.
 
“Dilworth’s really does focus on serving people well,” Deanna says. “Usually, home renovations are stressful and invasive, but their goal is to make clients happy. They give you what you desire for your home in the most stress-free way possible. It’s a blessing to have a team come into your home, respect it, do their job well, and, even if for a short time, become a part of your family. Though it’s nice to get back to a normal routine, I miss our crew.
 
“We’ve had lots of people work on our home throughout the years, but none have ever shown the respect, collaboration, and joy in working that Dan’s team did,” she continues. “I don’t think I want anyone else to work in our home ever again.”