Custom Home articles from January 2004

Custom Home archives from January 2004

Number five.(Editor's Page)
January 1, 2004... It's an elite group--so far only five builders have been named CUSTOM HOME'S Custom Builder of the Year, our annual profile of one of the industry's top performers. You may have wondered how they were chosen. The editors meet and talk with...

Career counseling: is custom building good enough for your kid?(On Your Mind)
January 1, 2004... Think building custom homes is a good way to make a riving? Then take tiffs one-item test: Would you like to see a child of yours grow up to do your job? We posed that question to a handful of custom builders around the country, and judging by...

Build a reputation: establish a service infrastructure.(Customer Service)
January 1, 2004... Customer service is simple; it's nothing more than one person doing something for one other person. The customer might be a home buyer, an associate, or another employee. The service provider might be the receptionist, a warranty technician, a...

Decisionitis: a cure for the procrastinating client.(Case Study)
January 1, 2004... Scenario: Barry thought that the new house he was building for the Hopewells was off to a good start. They had signed the contract, completed their initial client selection meeting prior to pouring the footings, and selected their siding and...

In the balance: how to read your balance sheet.(Strickly Business)
January 1, 2004... Many custom builders get a balance sheet for review at the end of each month from their accounting system. I find, however, that very few of them use this report as a tool to analyze their companies' financial results. A balance sheet is...

A complex loan ... a creative solution.(Special Advertising Section)
January 1, 2004... The Problem A few months ago, Craftmark Homes, in McLean, VA, was facing a complicated land deal. They wanted to become a partner in a huge, 1,460 acre parcel in Maryland that could be developed into 3,000 lots over a period of years....

Happy selling: how do you make your customers feel?(The Top Line)
January 1, 2004... It doesn't take a psychologist to realize that the custom home business isn't about bricks and mortar but also about feelings and relationships. Your customers aren't just buying homes, they are buying into your company's image and the way it...

Closets plus.(Custom Touches)
January 1, 2004... Tops on most home buyer's wish lists is plenty of storage. And for the custom market that storage should be both luxurious and efficient. When determining a closet's optimum size and function, clients know best. Interview them at length about...

Concrete evidence.(K+B Studio)
January 1, 2004... Few can resist the lure of smooth, wet concrete calling out for carved initials or a quick hand print while no one's looking. Designer and concrete fabricator Fu-Tung Cheng of Berkeley, Calif.-based Cheng Design has been yielding to that...

Shades of gray.(K+B Studio)
January 1, 2004... Malibu, Calif.-based architect David Lawrence Gray, FAIA, believes strongly enough in the benefits of reinforced concrete that it is the sole structural material for all of his designs. As in most of his projects, the architect's own home...

Pro sink.(K+B Studio/Products)
January 1, 2004... Originally made only for professional kitchens, Julien stainless steel sinks are now available for residential use. Available in seven sink traits, two sink modules, and two kitchen island modules, the sinks are constructed with a sound-proofed...

Rejuvenating the classics.(K+B Studio/Products)
January 1, 2004... Heartland Appliances' Classic ranges may look like antiques, but their performance is strictly 21st century. The company recently added options and accessories that transform the 48-inch New Classic range into an up-to-date cooking center....

Screen scenes: new products dress up the tube during off hours.(The Wired House)
January 1, 2004... For years architects and designers longed for a TV that could hang on the wall. Now that they've got it there's just one problem: What do you do when the TV is off? A plasma TV, after all, is a focal point. It's also a status symbol that people...

Get to know acrylic: easy cleaning and durability make homeowners happy and increase referrals, making more and more contractors want to ...
January 1, 2004... How do contractors please today's customers and increase referrals? When it comes to the bathroom, more and more, the answer is acrylic. Recent research identifies two key items that can make homeowners most happy: First, bathroom surfaces...

CEDIA calendar of events 2004.(Special Advertising Section)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... CEDIA REGIONAL EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION February 22-24, 2004 Newark, NJ March 10-13, 2004 EH EXPO Orlando, FL April 18-20, 2004 San Francisco, CA May 16-18, 2004 Dallas, TX June 27-29, 2004 Calgary, Canada November...

Radiant windows.(What's New)
January 1, 2004... IQGlas from Glass Consult uses state-of-the-art technology to provide radiant heat for homes, pool houses, sunrooms, and more. The heated, tempered security glass system can be used in doors and windows and because it is structural grade, can...

Swirling colors.(What's New)
January 1, 2004... Westminster Cermic's new Onyx collection of natural onyx wall tiles features neutral color collections of white, rust, and given that vary in hue from pure white to vanilla, golden amber to rust, and gray green to melon green. Because of...

Mark your calendar: important upcoming events.(Events)(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... Jan. 19-22, NAHB International Builders' Show. Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. For information call 800.368.5242 or visit www.buildersshow.com. * Jan. 27-30, Surfaces EXPO floor covering exposition. Sands Expo and Convention Center, Las...

Split personality: a custom home on Chicago's North Shore changes with its owners' lifestyle.(On Site)
January 1, 2004... The clients for this new home in suburban Chicago needed two residences: a family house for themselves and their four teenage sons, and an empty-nester cottage for just the two of them. "We knew our family would shrink temporarily when the boys...

Staying stoked: Terry Wardell likes the action both on the jobsite and off.(Custom Builder of the Year)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2004... When Terry Wardell wants to see the Pacific Ocean, he seldom has to do more than raise his eyes. His company's office, in Solana Beach, Calif., 20 miles north of San Diego, is less than a mile from the beach. His home, a few blocks away, offers...

Open wide: sliding door systems provide abundant access to the outdoors.(State of the Art)
January 1, 2004... Integrating indoor and outdoor spaces has never been more popular--or easier. Lift-slide and slide-fold door systems in large, multiple-panel configurations allow entire walls of glass to be opened, creating the ability to erase the boundary...

W. Gray Stettinius.(Great Finds)
January 1, 2004... Tuckahoe Creek Construction, Richmond, Va. Custom builder W. Gray Stettinius builds traditional style homes, so he likes to offer upgraded windows and garage doors that will carry through on the architecture. For several years he's been...

Bryan Whittington.(Great Finds)
January 1, 2004... Whittington Design/Build, Bethesda, Md. When custom builder Bryan Whittington built porches in the past, he'd use wood or lattice frames around the screens, but he experienced so many problems with sagging screens and difficult...

Bonny beauty.(Fine Finishes)
January 1, 2004... Using a combination of hand-built and wheel-thrown techniques, Bonita Goodberg crafts uniquely designed ceramic lavatory sinks that incorporate richly layered hand-applied and airbrushed glazes. "We work closely with the client on these...

Well-traveled stone.(Fine Finishes)
January 1, 2004... Rhodes Architectural Stone reclaims antique materials from around the world to make them available to architects and builders in the U.S. The salvage firm's recent reclamations include antique Yangtze limestone, salvaged from villages in...

Variegated foliage.(Door & Cabinet Hardware)
January 1, 2004... Featuring a tooled leaf pattern surrounded by a raised armor framing, knobs and pulls in the new Ambrosia collection's Garden Armor design are precision cast in two pieces, then fused to achieve two-toned finishes in pewter and satin chrome....

Luminous resin.(Door & Cabinet Hardware)
January 1, 2004... The new line of Resin Inlay hardware, designed by jeweler Lulu Smith, features knobs and pulls made of cast pewter inlaid with hand-pigmented resins in a combination of translucent and opaque colors. Eight colors are available, as well as...

Ornamental reproduction.(Door & Cabinet Hardware)
January 1, 2004... Refined and reproduced from designs in the company's archives, the new Ornate collection of door hardware features scrolls and floral motifs on door levers and knobs. Constructed of solid brass, the levers and knobs are available in pewter and...

Castle key.(Door & Cabinet Hardware)
January 1, 2004... Hand-cast of stainless steel, satin stainless steel, or bronze, the new Hearst Castle collection of decorative hardware reflects the designs of the estate of William Randolph Hearst. Grand entry-door pulls and back plates come in seven patinas....

Security measures.(Door & Cabinet Hardware)
January 1, 2004... Constructed of solid brass with heavy-duty mounting hardware, new high-security locksets feature the maker's Maxum deadbolt. Double-locking resists picking and hardened steel inserts resist drilling. Keys may be reproduced only by authorized...

Gallic charm.(Interior Doors)
January 1, 2004... The new French door model 509 is available in single or paired configurations with divided glass panels. A variety of clear and tinted finishes, as well as wood stains, on solid alder, cherry, oak, mahogany, and walnut also are available. IWP....

High stile.(Interior Doors)
January 1, 2004... New wood stile-and-rail doors can be designed in an array of combinations. Options include single-, double-, and triple-inset stile-and-rail configurations; beech, cherry, red oak, and jarrah woods; natural, stained, and clear finishes; and...

Grand view.(Interior Doors)
January 1, 2004... New Grandeur series 8-foot-tall interior doors come in nine styles. Several wood species including cherry, maple, mahogany, and walnut are available. Options include one-, 12-, and 18-light grid patterns, beveled glass clusters, and solid brass...

Stand tall.(Interior Doors)
January 1, 2004... Interior stile-and-rail raised-panel, flat-panel, and French glass doors in the maker's Elegance... Created Naturally collection are now available in a 7-foot 6-inch height. The new height corresponds to typical window heights in high ceiling...

Black magic.(Interior Doors)
January 1, 2004... Available on all of the maker's interior doors, the new rubbed black finish highlights the raised details of each door style. The finish is shown here on an arch-panel door in European beech. Stock and custom door designs are available in...

Metal marbles.(Molding & Millwork)
January 1, 2004... Metalwood and Marblewood finishes are available on the maker's line of moldings. Eight Metalwood finishes contain 95 percent metal and coat the molding surface; they are then hand-polished and sealed. Four Marblewood finishes are sealed with a...

Saturated history.(Molding & Millwork)
January 1, 2004... English brown oak is reclaimed from century-old cider and stout ale casks for Eupean Cooper's Oak crown moldings, backbands, chair rails, base caps, window and door casings, beaded baseboards, scotia, shoe moldings, hand rails, pickets and...

Architectural details.(Molding & Millwork)
January 1, 2004... Common details on base, casing, chair rail, and crown moldings mark the Decorator series, a collection of four molding families created to match each other. Grisham, Redmond, Bradley, and Mullen are available in nearly any wood species. Ferche...

Sculpted surrounds.(Molding & Millwork)
January 1, 2004... Four new fireplace mantel surrounds are available in a new Thin Cam Stone material that replicates the appearance and texture of Florida coral stone. The gypsum-based material incorporates a limestone composite and is lighter than traditional...

Style squared.(Molding & Millwork)
January 1, 2004... New square-fluted PermaCast columns are fiberglass-reinforced, paintable, and resist insects and weather. Intended for interior and exterior use, the columns feature consistent wall thicknesses, giving them three times the load-bearing capacily...

Communication center.(Last Detail)
January 1, 2004... "We're in a mountain setting, and we get really extreme weather," says owner Clark Stevens of his Boulder, Colo., home. "It's fun to get down in the pit and hide out from the howling wind." Stevens hired architect J. Matthew McMullen of...