Value Engineering & Design

Project Highlights: -Jim and Lisa were amazing clients and made this project run smoothly by staying far ahead of their decision deadlines. -Unique design with 180 degree radius allowing an open entertaining layout with great views. Energy Efficient Details: Solar, Radiant Heated Concrete Floors, On-Demand Water Heaters, Upgraded Insulation, Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing, rain water collection, and Energy Star Appliances (Thermador). Comfort/Convenience Details: Whole-House Audio/Visual, Built-in Spa, and Steam Shower. .

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When completed this Westside Atascadero courtyard will include a living "pond", fireplace, benches and planter. We are working with the owners request to include as many of the native stones into the hard-scape as possible by wrapping the stairs around existing stones and placing seating stones in the courtyard itself.  The deer and gophers make landscaping virtually impossible, so to soften the large patio 6" bands of planted soil will break up the concrete into approximately 10' x 10' squares.  To add a sense of intimacy to the fireplace area a circle will be created out of benches and another...

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At this week's farmers market I found some beautiful zucchini flowers and great looking tomatoes.  For dinner I cut up some very thick smoked bacon and began cooking it in a sauté pan.  Then I added diced scallions and garlic.  Once cooked I set aside.  In the meantime I cut two medium-sized tomatoes into  1/4 inch cubes added some freshly graded Parmigiano-Reggiano and chopped Italian parsley.  I folded the bacon into the tomato mixture.  Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.  Make enough sauce to stuff the zucchini flowers and sauce the pasta.To prepare the zucchini flowers...

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When going into a renovation sometimes we do not need to replace the existing cabinets and woodwork.  Often, if the existing style is appealing, they might just need a facelift.       . In this project we added new walnut cabinets to other areas of the house.  In the dining room the existing cabinets and woodwork was built well and we could work with the design but we just wanted to update them to match the renovated house.         .   We added a little age to the finish and when you enter the dining room it is very hard to tell that the wood...

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I often get asked by people if now is a good time to build even though the economy and housing are down. It might seem counterintuitive at first but the answer is a resounding yes.  Some of the advantages that are a result of our current economics are: low-interest rates, prices of building materials and labor, and a reduction in the total length of the project.Interest Rates-  They are at historic lows.  The Fed is holding the interest rates low to help battle against the recession.  With America's large national debt and the amount of money we, as a nation, keep spending; we are ripe...

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It is a sign of our times when I can walk in to the San Luis Obispo County Building Department last Wednesday with a fairly extensive set of plans and come Tuesday pick them up for corrections.  This used to be a 6 week process. You can understand that I was pessimistic when they told me they expected to get the plans back to me in 10 days and was a bit worried when I got a call in under 5.  But the corrections were just standard stuff.  Credit to the great job Charles and the crew are doing down there. This is just another reason now is one of the best times to build.  Fortunately,...

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One of my remodel clients in Edna Valley, actually brought this great new green building product to my attention.  She has a friend in LED development who turned her on to Cree LED recessed cans -http://www.creeledlighting.com-. I have never been a huge fan of the quality of light that fluorescents provide although I do appreciate the energy savings.  LED's have always seemed a much more logical solution to me. They are much more efficient, have a huge life expectancy, emit minimal heat, and are much brighter with a better quality of light. Cree Lighting has a recessed LED can that can be installed...

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One of our favorite places to end up for dinner and drinks in Paso Robles is Bernick's www.bernicks.net. If you go you must order the Waffle Fries with Gorgonzola Cream. The other night I decided to make baseball cut top sirloin for a dinner party at the house.  I thought back on this Gorgonzola Cream and  how it would pair perfectly with the steak.  I pan seared the top sirloin and finished them in the broiler.  As they rested I deglazed red wine in the pan, adding shalots, dejon mustard, garlic.  Over a very low simmer I crumbled 16 oz of gorgonzola, 1tbls butter, and a fourth...

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The goal of this blog is to provide a form to share my passions for design and life. The focus will be on Design ~Interior design, showcasing projects we are doing at Odenwald Construction and updates on the building industry~ and Lifestyle ~Food and Wine and life on California's Central Coast.

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