The showroom at Tri County Home Renovations shows a variety of flooring samples.
Donald Bolen, owner of Tri County Home Renovations, L.L.C., began his business in September 2020 out of his Williston home. In March 2022, the company expanded to a storefront on Ellenton Street in Barnwell.
Although their focus is kitchens and bathrooms, Tri County Home Renovations does a little bit of everything when it comes to remodeling. From flooring and drywall to eclectic sink fixtures, their goal is to satisfy their customers.
Bolen, his wife, Tanya, and his team of five employees work with their clients to determine the vision they have for their home, and then bring it to life. They mainly work on inside spaces, but do some exterior work as well.
“They usually tell me what they're looking for, like color patterns, then we go through several ideas before we make our final decision,” said Bolen. “Then if they're good with it, we go run with it.”
Bolen himself creates the designs for his clients’ homes even though he is completely color blind. Seeing color differently than most does not prevent him from creating an entirely new space.
Most renovations start with demolition.
“When we get there it's everything they're using at the current time,” said Bolen. “We'll get in there and we'll take all that out. Then we'll start with the ceiling and work our way down.”
Tri County Home Renovations covers a 50-mile radius from the Barnwell area, and is hoping to expand when the time is right.
“We go to a little bit of Lexington, a little bit of Columbia, a little bit of Cayce, down around the Allendale area, Orangeburg area, and around Aiken and North Augusta,” said Bolen.
“There's all kinds of stuff that we work on,” said Bolen. “We’re working on stuff now right here in Barnwell.”
At Tri County Home Renovations, there have been many memorable projects for Bolen since he started his business two years ago. However, one stands out.
“I would have to say the jail cell bathroom,” said Bolen. “It was completely brick. All the walls were laid out and everything was formed into that brick.”
Donald Bolen, owner of Tri County Home Renovations, with a rare black toilet installed at one of his projects.
“It had a black toilet, I mean, completely black. You don't normally see black colored toilets,” said Bolen.
In creating his client’s ideal space, Bolen uses his years of experience in the trade. His ample experience in this field of work led him to opening Tri County Home Renovations.
“I've been doing it for a long time. I figured I might as well start running a business,” said Bolen. “Instead of working for other people, I might as well go ahead and do it myself.”
Prior to opening his own business, Bolen worked for Barnwell County as well as independent contractors. He went to school for hydraulic engineering, a career that was halted by an unknown injury.
“In 2010, I broke my back,” said Bolen. “Shortly after that, I built a home while my back was broken. I didn't realize it was broken.”
“I didn't find out about my back until 2012. I had two surgeries that put me down,” he said. “I couldn't do what I was doing at the time,” which was work in hydraulic engineering.
“So after that, I figured let's just figure something out,” said Bolen. “I enjoyed working with my hands. I enjoyed building homes, and I enjoyed helping people. Then I started doing a little bit of work for some renters and that made me realize I can do this on my own, so let's just try to do it.”
The showroom is filled with examples of what their company can do. The walls are covered with pictures of past projects and samples of products.
Tri County Home Renovations’ relationship with the community is growing. Bolen and his team are working hard to ensure it stays this way.
“We try to give the customer complete 100% satisfaction,” said Bolen. “99% of the people that we help are completely satisfied.”
“There’s been a couple negative things said about the company, but I think we're getting past it,” said Bolen.
He hopes to continue helping the community live in their ideal space, something he describes as a joyful feeling.
“I can't predict the future, but I've got high hopes for it,” said Bolen, who hopes to expand into plumbing and service calls in addition to interior renovation.
“We're here and we're here to stay,” said Bolen.
For more information on Tri County Home Renovations L.L.C., visit their Facebook page, call (803) 300-2505, or visit their storefront located at 11266 Ellenton Street, Barnwell.
