In Tracy Strobel’s peaceful Aiken County home, azure tile washes across the primary bathroom like a deep, tranquil pool. A patterned blue accent wall lends the room an artful focal point. Glossy subway tile wraps the remaining walls in saturated color. Underfoot, petite penny tile offers gentle texture and graceful drainage. A custom bench and neatly placed ledge complete the shower. This space for everyday rituals has been reshaped into something akin to a luxury spa experience.
The shower’s meticulous design reflects Big Trimming’s mastery in finish carpentry. Crisp grout lines and precisely fitted transitions create an enveloping feeling of order.
These skills stretch back to owner Chris Timmons’ teenage years when he began learning the intricacies of the trade. Chris launched Big Trimming in 2005 and built the company around an exacting attention to detail. His wife, Lauren, later brought organizational expertise and a natural eye for design. They have since grown the business into a comprehensive remodeling company.
Big Trimming can convert kitchens and bathrooms, construct additions and complete whole-home renovations. Much of the work is completed in-house, ensuring the original vision permeates through every stage of a project.
“If somebody has a Pinterest board or inspiration pictures, we have the skill set to make that happen in their house,” Chris says.
This blend of construction knowledge and design insight is evident throughout Tracy’s nearly 30-year-old home.
Indulgence takes a subtle form in the kitchen. Natural light spills across an expansive island crowned with an oversized butcher-block countertop. A dedicated beverage center with its own full-size refrigerator and counter space keeps everything from coffee to sparkling water enviably organized. The room feels effortless while it is sumptuous to view.
Tracy, Lauren and Chris collaborated to rethink not only how the home looked but how it functioned.
“We were really a partnership,” Tracy says. “This remodel was a mix of my preconceived ideas and thoughts, but they also contributed a great deal. When I was open to their recommendations and creativity, it really paid off.”
Tracy discovered Big Trimming in the pages of Aiken City Lifestyle while searching for professionals she could trust with the sweeping renovation. She had owned the equestrian property for four years but waited until moving from Ohio to begin remodeling the home, which sits on a beautiful spread of 80 acres.
Now in her mid-50s, Tracy wasn’t merely interested in a fashionable renovation but one that would offer ease and longevity. That goal aligned with Big Trimming’s approach. Rather than applying a standard template, Lauren and Chris consider how clients live and how their needs may evolve.
Big Trimming remodeled every room. The late-1980s house that once felt cramped and dim now boasts sweeping windows that frame views of gently grazing horses.
“She wanted a neutral palette with a soft, warm green, so we carried that green and natural wood throughout the house,” Lauren says.
When a standard supplier could not fabricate a butcher block large enough for Tracy’s kitchen island, Lauren searched beyond the company’s customary vendors and found an Ohio craftsman capable of creating it. The finished piece embodies Big Trimming’s willingness to pursue a singular idea rather than dilute it for convenience.
This versatility allows Big Trimming to move between structural changes and fine details without losing sight of the larger vision.
“We do everything from start to finish, even the dirt work,” Chris says.
The transformation is so organic that one recent visitor asked Tracy whether the house was new construction. That seamlessness speaks to the balance Lauren and Chris bring to their projects.
Together, they aim to create homes that are stunning and aptly functional.
One of Big Trimming’s most requested projects in Aiken is creating a more accessible bathroom. Many clients are replacing oversized garden tubs and cramped fiberglass shower units with low-threshold options. Level floors and more usable shower spaces allow homeowners to remain comfortable in their homes as differing needs arise.
Kitchens are another popular focus. Clients frequently ask the company to bring in more natural light, incorporate soft-close drawers and improve a room’s overall flow. Even when an existing footprint remains unchanged, Lauren and Chris can reconfigure spaces around the homeowner’s habits.
“We offer a niche that Aiken really doesn’t have,” Chris says. “We can come in and truly do your whole project. We’re licensed and we’re bonded. The most rewarding part of this is when our clients tell us, ‘Our expectations were blown away.’”
Big Trimming looks to remain a family-owned business for years to come. Chris and Lauren’s children are already becoming part of the work on various job sites.
“Now my kids want to do it, so it’s really, truly family,” Chris says. “My son is probably going to take this over one day.”
To learn more about Big Trimming, visit bigtrimming.com, call 706-799-5819 or follow @bigtrimmingllc on Facebook. Homeowners interested in renovating can contact the team through its website or by phone to schedule a complimentary estimate and discuss their goals, ideas and specific project needs.
“We offer a niche that Aiken really doesn’t have. We can come in and truly do your whole project. We’re licensed and we’re bonded. The most rewarding part of this is when our clients tell us, ‘Our expectations were blown away.’”
“If somebody has a Pinterest board or inspiration pictures, we have the skill set to make that happen in their house,” Chris says.