Custom Home articles from November 2004

Custom Home archives from November 2004

Speculation.(Editor's Page)
November 1, 2004... The neighborhood I live in is a sizzling-hot real estate market. When a house is put up for sale there, it's usually sold before the week is over--for substantially more than the asking price. According to The Wall Street Journal, home prices...

Crane reshapes siding industry with solid core siding.(Crane Performance Siding)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... Since its invention of the first vinyl siding product in 1957, Crane Performance Siding[R] has lead the way in product innovation. This commitment to progress continued in 1998, when Crane Performance Siding unveiled a new category to the...

On balance: what's your highest management priority for the coming year?(On Your Mind)
November 1, 2004... Custom builders are project-oriented thinkers. And well they should be, since their primary task is moving a series of projects from start to finish. The one continuous aspect of the job is building and running the business itself. But even in...

Making allowances: don't postpone a tough decision.(From the Trenches)
November 1, 2004... An allowance can be a useful tool, but in my experience it must be used with caution. A colleague of mine, let's call him Mark Signature, found this out the hard way. As many of us have learned, he discovered that using an allowance to solve a...

Show good forms: tidy up that paper trail.(Customer Service)
November 1, 2004... Among the challenges small-volume builders face is that of the appearance of their company's paperwork. While on the surface this may seem to be a tiny detail, the quality of documents contributes to the home buyers' impression of the...

Super hire: how to choose a superintendent.(Case Study)
November 1, 2004... Scenario: Because of increasing sales, Barry Builder needed to hire a new superintendent. He ran an ad in the local paper and received several resumes he thought were interesting. He then followed up each resume with a phone interview. One...

System check: grade your financial management reporting system.(Strictly Business)
November 1, 2004... In my July/August column ("A Is for Accounting," page 28) I introduced a series of tests that will help you evaluate your financial management systems. This test will help you evaluate how effective your financial reporting system is. But...

Down time: stay ahead of the game.(The Top Line)
November 1, 2004... In my experience, custom builders traditionally are busiest with sales and marketing efforts in the spring and fall. These six or seven months can determine your success for the entire year. But what can you do to maximize the off seasons...

Libraries.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
November 1, 2004... Library design a "not about just storing the books, but also about having a good place to use them as well," says Lawrence W. Speck, FAIA. Clients who request home libraries tend to be serious about their books, so the room should provide...

Great escape.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
November 1, 2004... The client wanted a quiet room at the end of the house for reading and solitude, or to drink port and smoke cigars with guests, says architect Stephen Vanze. "We wanted to create a space that would be comfortable for a small group of people,...

Mystery solved.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
November 1, 2004... "Comfortable, inspiring, and easy to use," were the clues to this library design architect Alfred Godfrey received from his mystery writer client. Inspiring was fairly simple since the 28-by-48-foot building overlooks a protected wilderness...

Study session.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
November 1, 2004... Two University of Texas at Austin professors needed lots of highly organized storage in a place where they could comfortably burn the midnight oil. Their colleague and practicing architect, Lawrence Speck, came to their aid with this...

Fare hub.(K+B Studio)
November 1, 2004... The owner of this Kentfield, Calif., home loves to cook for her family and frequent guests, so the kitchen needed to be a finely tuned yet affable hub. She wanted it to encompass the views and to be steps from her home office, the garage door,...

Corner lot.(K+B Studio)
November 1, 2004... "The central element in this room is the view," explains project architect Amena Hajjar of this master bath's corner configuration. "To put these vanities side by side, we would have had to eliminate one of the windows and we couldn't do it."...

Flip-top.(K+B Studio/Products)
November 1, 2004... Part of the Cheng Design by Zephyr line by designer Fu-Tung Cheng, the Shade ventilation hood takes the shape of a simple matchbook to new levels of style and function. The hood's hinged design opens like a matchbook: the hinged face is...

Fluid force.(K+B Studio/Products)
November 1, 2004... The MEM collection of lavatory faucets from Dombracht features clean minimalist lines in a high-are design. Echoing a curving stream of water, the faucet, shower, and tub spouts have a wide, flat shape that lets water flow in a natural pattern....

The user-friendly home: structured wiring paves the way.(The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... The term "structured wiring" may not be first on the wish list for most home buyers, but the benefits and services a structured wiring package offers are making it easy for builders to sell the concept. With roughly half of new homes boasting...

Buried treasure: underground film festival.(The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... It takes a certain kind of vision to look at a basement and see instead a Parisian square, complete with storefronts, lampposts, and a classic 1920s movie house. It takes even more vision when your home does not yet have a basement. To create...

Mark your calendar: important upcoming events.(Trend Lines/Events)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... Nov. 30-Dec. 3, International Pool & Spa Expo 2004. Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas. For information visit www.poolandspa expo.com. * Dec. 6-8, Reinvention 2004: The Next American House national symposium sponsored by RESIDENTIAL...

Near escape: an island retreat in Puget Sound is closer than it seems.(On Site)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... Seattle may be past its go-go golden age of instant dot-com fortunes, but it still ranks as one of America's most livable big cities, and one of its choicest features is the number of islands a short ferry ride away. For those who can afford...

2004 Custom Home Pacesetter Awards.
November 1, 2004... The Pacesetter Awards program celebrates its 10th anniversary with an impressive lineup of 17 outstanding honorees. Co-sponsored by CUSTOM HOME and the National Association of Home Builders' Custom Home Builders Committee, the Pacesetter Awards...

Michael Wood.(Products/Great Finds)
November 1, 2004... Providence Homes, Fort Worth, Texas Although Michael Wood has owned and operated Microsoft Office Project for nearly 18 years, he admits he has only recently learned how to truly use it successfully. But in the past two years--now using...

Ron Jones.(Products/Great Finds)
November 1, 2004... Sierra Custom Builders, Placitas, N.M. Custom builder Ron Jones first started using PEX plumbing systems nearly 10 years ago in radiant heat flooring systems, and now he says he doesn't use anything else for domestic water needs. "Most...

Cast in bronze.(Products/Fine Finishes)
November 1, 2004... The foundry at Sun Valley Bronze produces a wide variety of architectural door, kitchen, bath, gate, and cabinet hardware pieces that are at once rustic and sophisticated, chunky and sleek. Each of the uniquely designed products is sand-cast...

Aquatic fantasy.(Products/Fine Finishes)
November 1, 2004... Think an aquarium is just a rectangular glass tank? West Coast Aquarium Industries aims to change that mindset with its custom aquarium design and manufacturing services. Using cast acrylic lot its strength and design flexibility, the company...

Ultimate flexibility.(Products/Cabinetry)
November 1, 2004... The ergonomic Skyline kitchen system lacks corners and sharp edges, eliminates wall cabinets and obstructive base cabinets in favor of cupboards, and uses corner turntables and multifunctional carts. Straight or angled worktop sections are...

Tropical wood.(Products/Cabinetry)
November 1, 2004... Woven rattan cabinet panels are now available, shown here inset into beaded maple doors and finished in the new Fennel Frost stain. Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinetry. 800.447.9006. www.plainfancycabinetry. com. Circle 166 [ILLUSTRATION...

Italian heritage.(Products/Cabinetry)
November 1, 2004... Reminiscent of Italian country furniture, Mediterino cabinetry is made from oak and has a slightly oversized scale for an old-fashioned appearance, The wood's natural variations and knots show through the light stain. The suite is part of the...

Unadorned simplicity.(Products/Cabinetry)
November 1, 2004... Featuring wide top and bottom rails and a hand-glazed finish for an Old World appearance, the Sierra inset cabinet door is available in quarter-sawn white oak (shown), maple, pine, character cherry, rustic alder, birch, and cherry. The door's...

Go exotic.(Products/Cabinetry)
November 1, 2004... Available in bamboo, teak, and walnut, the maker's new high-gloss exotic veneer cabinets team veneered panels with solid hardwood frames and aluminum edges for a contemporary look. The Exotic collection is available on SieMatic's signature line...

Synchronized sounds.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... With everything needed to install a four-source. six-zone distributed audio system (except the speakers), the Architectural Audio Distributed Audio In a Box (DABI) system features a control unit that can be used to control an independent zone...

Remote control.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... Featuring larger buttons; a thinner profile, and cool-blue-toned backlighting, the Omni Controller. model 33A00-1, can be programmed to control a home's temperature and lighting, and can also be accessed via telephone or Internet. HAI....

Talking walls.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... The DMCI home intercom system provides voice communication throughout a home and has an upgrade that allows the intercom to distribute audio to any room. An MC960PA power amplifier delivers stereo-quality music from the radio or CD player. M&S...

Structural integrity.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... Titan structured wiring enclosures are designed to meet the demands of larger installations. With a depth of nearly 5 I/2 inches, it provides extra work morn and easy wire management. It can be surface mounted or mounted between 16-inch...

Sound server.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... The MS 1 Media Server stores and manages music and digital images and can supply three different sources of music simultaneously. Ideal for integration within a multi-source/multi-zone audio system, the media server allows easy retrieval of...

Complete comfort.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... Available in 20 designs and 50 colors of leather. CinemaTech Act 1 home theater seating features a pneumatic reclining mechanism or an optional motorized reclining system, both with lockable reclining positions. Lowell/Edwards. 212.980.2862....

Inspired design.(Products/The Wired House)
November 1, 2004... The Aspire series of electrical devices features a contemporary, curved motif. Switches have a concave shape to fit the finger. Comprised of receptacles. GFCIs. dimmers, fan speed controllers. wallplates. Cat-5 products, and more, the line is...

Artist's mission.(Products/Interior Doors)
November 1, 2004... The Lehigh Door's Mission-style art glass is protected between two layers of tempered glass. Border earning is finished in granite, while the ribbed and clear beveled glass design is outlined with antique patina earning. The door comes primed...

Take note.(Products/Interior Doors)
November 1, 2004... With stiles and rails of engineered wood and panels of a magnetic material that acts like a chalkboard, the Chalkboard Panel door allows chalk notes to be written and paper notes posted with magnets. Several wood species are available. Simpson...

Species boom.(Products/Interior Doors)
November 1, 2004... Select and knotty alder are available on the manufacturer's collection of interior wood stile-and-rail doors including two-panel arch and square-top/traditional raised and flat panel styles. Imported vertical-grain clear and knotty pine come in...

Custom quality.(Products/Interior Doors)
November 1, 2004... The Wood Door collection offers unlimited sizes and custom designs in more than 300 styles and 12 wood species. Made from hand-selected, color-matched wood, the stain-grade doors feature stile-and-rail construction and are available with a...

Sliding sophisticate.(Products/Interior Doors)
November 1, 2004... Pavilion interior sliding doors provide privacy between rooms while allowing light to pass through. The glass-panel doors slide left or right, come in an oak-veneered or aluminum frame. and can be speced from 11 options. Tre-Piu. 212.935.5955....

Electrical & lighting.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... A custom home without good lighting is like the Mona Lisa without the wry smile. Good lighting adds warmth and dimension to your custom work, giving rooms the desired ambiance and enhancing the home's style. And the lighting fixtures themselves...

Period products.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN Properly and precisely handled, old, weathered barnwood remilled into hardwood flooring has been growing in popularity because of its beauty and the environmental benefits of recycling. Aged Woods[R] brand flooring...

Pivotal decision.(Last Detail)
November 1, 2004... "I see this door as a microcosm of the whole house," says architect and owner Elizabeth Danze, partner in the Austin, Texas-based firm of Danze Blood Architects. "It acts as a door but also a wall or a window. so it starts to question and...

Small wonders.(Editor's Notes)
November 1, 2004... When a house sits on a big lot, it enjoys the luxury that space provides: privacy from neighbors, room for recreation and relaxing, an impressive and commodious backdrop to entertaining. Sure, the landscaping and the outdoor amenities are...

Spa time.
November 1, 2004... According to architect Jeffrey Berkus, designing a spa and its environs is "all about diffusing the tension of everyday life." For some homeowners that means a secluded spot intended for two while others prefer a family-oriented location that...

Southern Comfort.
November 1, 2004... "A spa can be an attractive feature even when not in use," says architect Michael Ruegamer. "We often use them to break up the surface of a pool." The water from this spa slides evenly over a flush edge creating a gentle waterfall. The pool and...

Water in the round.
November 1, 2004... The owners of a Martha's Vineyard, Mass., waterfront home had specific ideas for their outdoor spaces. High on the list was an intimate, amenity-filled garden bordering their hexagonal master suite. Landscape architect Kris Horiuchi designed a...

Desert passage.
November 1, 2004... Hanging out in the spa takes on a new meaning in this Phoenix, Ariz., custom home. Architect Neal Jones designed the entire house in a semicircle with the radius point originating in the center of the 300-square-foot pool. In a dramatic move,...

Modest retreat.
November 1, 2004... This spa easily holds six people, but its isolated courtyard locale exudes intimacy. The 9-by-16-foot fully enclosed courtyard is an extension of the master bath. Only a gate to the front porch hints that someone other than the homeowners might...

Better living--outdoors: make the backyard part of the house.(In Depth)
November 1, 2004... Thanks to Southern California's mild, dry climate, outdoor living and entertaining have always been popular here. In the past, those sorts of activities often took place on a simple backyard patio. But in recent years, there's been a trend...

The force is with you: pool design with gravity in mind.(Problem Solved)
November 1, 2004... The laws of nature play a role in every aspect of our lives. We can either work with these forces, or against them. When it comes to gravity, pool builders must do both. Sometimes builders can use gravity to their advantage. In other...

Street escape: privacy in a courtyard oasis.(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... For clients who travel for business more than they are home, a house that feels like a vacation home is a must. Three busy streets framing a one-third-acre lot with four derelict houses and piles of junk wasn't exactly an auspicious beginning...

Court side: living large on a small lot.
November 1, 2004... Building lots get more precious smaller and pricier--all the time. And when clients pay clearly for their dirt, they don't want any of it to go to waste. The plan devised, for a wedge of a lot overlooking Baton Rouge's L.S.U. Lakes shows how a...

Stainless appeal.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... Twelve outdoor cabinet base models, constructed of heavy-duty stainless steel, are designed to accommodate the manufacturer's 30-, 40-, and 53-inch-wide outdoor grills as well as warming drawers, side burners, and woks. Drawers feature...

Cobbled path.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... Pietrassa series through-body porcelain tiles feature a worn cobblestone appearance and come in field tiles of 8 and 16 inches square. Decor tiles with painted motifs are also available. Pietrassa comes in solid colors of anthracite, mauve,...

Fire and water.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... A fire pit and water fountain all in one, the Ring of Fire's 89,000-BTU gas burner sends flames licking in and around its multiple water spouts. The pit can be installed in a container, flush-mounted into a deck, or built into a custom...

Double wall.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... The double-sided Anchor Highland Stone freestanding wall matches the maker's Highland Stone retaining wall blocks but allows freestanding straight or curved walls to be created with the same appearance on each side. The rough-hews blocks come...

Wild woven.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... Available in eight iridescent colors. Weave glass mosaic tiles come in a slim rectangular shape in five woven patterns. Designed for interior or exterior wet applications, the tiles can be applied to walls, floors, backsplashes, and pool...

Ice buckets.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... Producing and storing up to 35 pounds of ice per day, the Outdoor Ice Machine 30iM-SS is constructed of 304 stainless steel and is UL-listed for outdoor use. The zero-clearance, under-counter appliance can be installed in cabinetry and features...

Water world.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... The irriGuard rain and freeze sensor, designed to control home irrigation systems, works with most sprinkler systems to disable watering functions when not necessary. The outdoor rain and temperature sensor, sprinkler controller, and wireless...

Light bright.(Outdoor Products)
November 1, 2004... DualBrite two-level lighting operates at 20 percent brightness when activated, using only half the bulb's energy potential; when the motion sensor detects movement, the fixture activates to full light level and stays on for one, five, or 10...

New PoolPC[TM]--water quality management system.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... * Designed specifically for residential pools and spas on-ground, aboveground & portable). * Battery-powered controller monitors water quality and recommends exact dosing amounts * Easy to-use read control panel displays exact water...

Create customized entertainment centers.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... * With the BULL BRAMA series outdoor barbecues, you can create a customized entertainment center equipped with numerous features, accessories and material selections. * These barbecues fit handsomely within outdoor island built systems....

New pool liner visualization tool.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... * New, electronic tool helps homeowners "visualize" how their pool liner pattern choice will look in their pool! * Web-based program that allows homeowners to 'drag' a pattern into a pool and SEE how that pattern will look over a large area...

Epicure 36" built in grill with built in warming ovens.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... * Brilliant features abound like the industry's first built-in halogen lighting system, illuminating me cooking surface well after the sun goes down. * Power reigns throughout including three commanding u-burners. * Our warming oven,...

Pool enclosures.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... * Garden Prairie custom designs enclosures to provide a light, crisp garden environment. * They are made to require minimal maintenance while providing maximum durability. * The powder coat, colored aluminum frames and falters are...

New Little Dipper slide by S.R. Smith.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... * At only 4 ft-5inches tall, the new Little Dipper slide has a low-profile design that easily integrates into any backyard design * The slide is made completely of plastic with a ladder and runway that are easily mounted to most decks. ...

Super Vision's Galaxy Light.(Backyard Living)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2004... Super Vision's Galaxy Light is a color changing LED replacement lamp that screws Into most existing pool or spa housings. An on-board chip controls the 10 different color changing and single color modes by a flip of the existing pool light...