Building a new home or remodeling an existing one is a big undertaking, no doubt about it. Homeowners can easily get overwhelmed with the amount of decisions involved, and are looking to the professionals involved to help guide them in making the right choices. As both an architect and a builder, I’ve seen the gamut of nerve-wracking scenarios that can be costly (or at least unsightly) if not dealt with correctly. A typical new home involves roughly 2,000 decisions–large and small–and a good architect and interior designer will make about 1,990 of them for you. If questions are left unanswered in the construction drawings, you leave it up to the subcontractors to make the decisions, and they typically don’t have a grasp of the bigger design picture that could be affected. Good construction plans should have a system for all the details–from stucco color to wood floor choices, types of interior doors, woodwork design and finishes, lighting, countertop surfaces, etc.–that provides the homeowner some peace of mind that every decision has been well though out by a professional who has designed hundreds or thousands of homes. No one loves a good subcontractor or supplier more than me, but don’t let him make your design decisions.
Leave a commentFlorence home inspires design for client
The front elevation of an Italian-inspired home I recently designed.
Last fall my wife Susan and I traveled to Italy–Florence to be exact. While there, I took over 600 photos in just two weeks if that tells you anything about how much I love this area. One particular residence caught my eye during a day trip outside the city. I was drawn to the roofline of this home and knew it could translate well here. Not long after this trip, I was asked to design a custom home for clients who had also traveled to this region and wanted the feel of authentic Italian architecture. You can see from this front elevation how much I drew on the inspiration of that grand home outside Florence. Translating homes that are often hundreds of years old into architecture that works for modern living is one of the things I love best about my work. This home will begin construction later this year, and I look forward to seeing the translation come to life.
Leave a commentChimney pots work well for outdoor fireplaces
A chimney pot works well as a finishing detail on this outdoor fireplace.
Bishop chimney pot looks great on this Mediterranean style home.
So many people are extending their living spaces to the outdoors with pergolas, outdoor rooms, kitchens and outdoor fireplaces. My chimney pots work equally well on these fireplaces and add a detail that really puts the finishing touch on this element. I wanted to share these great recent photos with you– taken of an outdoor room on a custom home I designed several years ago. I hope you’re inspired to create your own outdoor space. –Jack
Leave a commentOnline community a great place to share ideas.
I recently asked former clients to share photos of their Jack Arnold home with us—and the response has been fantastic. I’m glad to know how proud people are of their home and hope that many more stories and photos will continue to be shared. You can now begin viewing some of those photos in our new homeowner scrapbook on my website: www.jackarnold.com. I’m also excited that my blog is now designed to allow comments from my readers. At the office, we constantly get requests for addresses and contact information of former clients so that potential clients can learn more, drive by the home—even take a tour! For privacy reasons, we do not give that information out. But here at my blog, you are welcome to share this information about your home with others if you so choose—it’s completely up to you. We hope that by opening up a dialogue about how you selected plans, your construction process and final results, others will be inspired and educated as they proceed in the journey toward building their new home. We look forward to your comments–my goal is to post blogs a couple of times a month here. Tell me what’s on your mind and I may just create a post about that topic! Thanks for reading…Jack.
Leave a commentImitation stucco no substitute for the real thing.
My office frequently gets questions from clients regarding why I use stucco so often on our homes and why I recommend true cement stucco rather than synthetic products. Real stucco offers an authentic old world appearance that lends itself well to the style of my homes. Over time, an uneven color palette and some staining develops and adds to the home’s charm and beauty. It’s virtually maintenance free and can be applied to areas such as dormers where stone or brick is not as feasible.
True stucco is a three-layer process that includes setting expansion joints to minimize and control cracking. While the synthetic stucco products on the market today are cheaper and faster to apply than traditional cement stucco, synthetic stucco or EIFS (exterior insulated finish systems) have inherent disadvantages that make me opt for true stucco. Like other home building short cuts that appear less expensive on the front end, fake stucco can actually cost much more than if the superior product had been installed from the beginning. The stucco we use on our homes is supplied by LaHabra Stucco . We typically use a custom stucco mix ratio from their color palette.
Some of our most commonly used LaHabra colors include Chablis, Fallbrook, Misty, Eggshell, Hialeah, Beaufort and Trabuco, or a mixture of two of these colors.
Leave a commentSeize the opportunity–plan your new home now.
An important silver lining in the current housing market is the lower rates for labor and materials that gives homeowners real construction bargaining power. Depending on the location, my clients are able to realize significant savings when building a new home. If you’re not quite ready to begin construction, now is the time to begin researching your future family home—find an architect or a set of house plan portfolios and start to pin down what this next home will be. You’ll be surprised at how long this process can take, so start early with a good set of plans that can guide you and your builder when you’re ready to lay the foundation. Spend a little time planning now, and you’ll be prepared to move forward when the time is right.
Leave a commentReady-made house plans offer savings, custom feel.
Today you’ll find a wide variety of “off the shelf” or stock house plans on the market in almost any style of residential architecture. While not a true custom home, such plans do offer many advantages at a big savings in design fees. First, these plans can be modified to a certain degree to meet individual family needs, such as an additional bedroom, larger garage or master suite. Such changes can often be made by the company selling the plans or by a local architect in your area, but will incur extra time and expenses to make those changes. An off-the-shelf plan also can offer a high-end custom look, depending on the quality of the design, materials used and construction methods. We advise our clients to find a quality, detailed plan that fits their needs and/or site requirements and to hire a builder that has a good reputation for quality in their area. Clients who do not wish to spend the time or the expense on custom home design often are delighted with a plan from a portfolio of plans, such as the ones I offer through my website. We receive countless photos from clients who are thrilled with the home they purchased from us. Not all house plans are created equal, so find a company that sells detailed plans with clear instructions so that contractors can execute the home you and your architect imagined.
Leave a commentChanges to your house plans? Proceed with caution.
As an architect that sells plans for my homes throughout the U.S., I frequently encounter questions regarding changes to our plans. It’s natural that a homeowner will want to do a few changes to meet their specific needs or site requirements, like adding a bedroom, an additional garage bay or expanding the great room. We help clients make such changes every day. What can cause problems, however, is when a client or their builder decides to make changes to seemingly small details that actually have a big impact on the overall home design and functionality. For example, a homeowner may want to change an exterior designed for stucco to stone. While that seems mostly cosmetic and fairly minor, they must keep in mind how this impacts the overhang of the eaves or the foundation that was designed to support stucco, not stone. And if you want to change the ceiling height it can affect the risers on a stairway, or the levels of nearby interior doorways. What seems like a minor change can have a profound domino effect that can lead to seemingly unrelated construction problems. The bottom line? Details in plans are designed a certain way for a reason; if you want to deviate from them, investigate thoroughly all the ramifications. By following a thoughtful system regarding why the change is being made and how it affects the rest of the home, your local architect and/or builder can help you avoid some serious construction pitfalls.
Leave a commentKitchens–the heart and highlight of a home.
There’s no doubt that in today’s homes, the kitchen is both the highlight and the hub. While endless options for cabinetry, appliances, countertops and lighting abound, I’d like to share some of my favorites. In my own home, we mixed old world cabinetry with both marble and stainless countertops. I love a touch of stainless on counters because you just don’t have to worry about them—heat, spills, scratches–they can stand up to a lot of use and abuse. I prefer larger sinks, and one big sink over divided sinks for washing large pots. Farmhouse sinks are also popular and practical, as it sits closer to the body. Pot filler faucets that attach to the backsplash of a range have been popular in recent years, but are not always practical unless you boil lots of water for pasta, lobster and the like. Today I see husbands as interested in kitchen design as their wives are–definitely a sign of modern times. My design mantra applies equally to the kitchen: keep it simple. I see too much carved wood, shiny surfaces and extraneous flourishes in homes that really detract from good design. Prep rooms or sculleries are becoming popular as an area to hide (often multiple) dishwashers, sinks and unsightly messes that crop up in food preparation. In eating areas, I love the use of cozy banquettes, though for some clients they can be difficult to maneuver in and out of. Appliances are certainly more sophisticated and pricey than ever before, and some clients want them hidden behind cabinetry while others want to show them off. The great news for today’s homeowner is there are countless design combinations for kitchens. With some great planning and by following the rule of simplicity, you can create a place everyone wants to gather.
Leave a commentA key home decision is hiring a professional.
I always advise people to start any home project–large or small–by working with a professional. Architects and professional contractors know what questions to ask and can help you avoid the pitfalls that can turn a dream home into a nightmare. Most of my clients are smart, well-educated professionals who excel in their fields of expertise. The problem is that some clients believe their intelligence naturally extends into home design and construction. This mentality can be disastrous. Acting as your own general contractor is a time-consuming, daunting task that leads many couples into rocky unknown territory. Time and again we’ve seen clients run into huge construction snafus simply because they took on a role they were not experienced in, with a price tag to match. Asking for referrals from friends, your local Home Builders Association and American Institute of Architects are all great places to find the expertise you and your new home deserve.
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