New Home by Remodel West

A Tatami Room Originally uploaded by RemodelWest
We just completed this project in Los Altos California. It invloved a re-design, complete demolition down to foundation, additions, and re-construction of the home. The theme is Asian contemporary. This project along with another will be featured in a national book this year. Visit our Flickr site to see the rest of the project.…

Studio Project: FSC Lumber Material for the framing.

 

Framing has begun in the new studio this week and it is quickly taking shape.  In keeping with as green a project as possible I decided to use lumber that was harvested from sustainable forests.  FSC certification for lumber is how one can insure that the material being used is genuine.  For those who may not be familiar with FSC it stands for Forestry Stewardship Council.  This is a worldwide organization that provides a vehicle to certify forests and suppliers.  FSC is recognized as the authority in this area and insures that forests are managed in ways that protects our environment while insuring a supply of materials for the future.  As we progress down this road using sustainable materials is just one of many steps to…

Anatomy of Green Project

 By Bill Reid, Owner Remodel West   Much discussion goes on about green building but how does one go about applying the principles? Green Building is not just about solar panels and trendy materials but about applying logical responsible building practices that help our health and environment. Remodeling a home provides a multitude of opportunities and it starts with the removal of old materials known as deconstruction.  Here is a real life example of how a homeowner and contractor can put their green building philosophy to work.
 

 

This property is located at our home in Lake Almanor California. We will call is out Osprey Project named after a native bird in the area (see our mascot picture that I took on the property).

Remodel West breaks ground on new studio in Saratoga CA.

Our new studio will accomplish several goals, as mentioned in a previous post allowing our customers to benefit in many ways. We are looking forward to a fresh exciting change in our working environment while positioning us to present our new green building agenda. So welcome to our studio project. I plan to post progress information and photos for those followers. Keep in mind that a main goal is to create an eco friendly studio by implementing design and construction practices in as many things we do as possible.  
So here it goes. 

On the property there was an old abandoned antenna tower that was used for a paging company. It hasn’t been used in years and this spurred my first idea. I want to create an environment

RemodelWest decides to re-locate business to Saratoga California.

After much consideration I have decided to move the studio to our building in Saratoga.  The building is a total of 13,000 square feet in an ideal location right in our customers backyard.  There are combination of goals and motivations that have influenced my decision.
  • We would like to create a studio environment that is more conducive to our progress towards sustainable design and construction.
  • We would like the flexibility to grow into adjacent spaces.
  • I would like to position our company to be as competitive as possible while not compromising the quality of our service.
  • We would like to participate in a tight knit community.
I think from the outside looking in many people will think I am crazy to abandon such…

Remodel West contemplates new location to build eco friendly studio

An interview

Bill Reid, owner of RemodelWest aka Cupertino Kitchen Design, is considering relocating his seventeen year old design and construction business to Saratoga California.  Over the years the company has become wise by growing, evolving and adapting to homeowners desires and economic booms and declines.  In fact a large reason why Mr. Reid has been undergoing a name change to Remodel West is that they have out grown the Cupertino Kitchen Design name.  Offering comprehensive design and construction services for any residential remodel project it only made sense to let the public in on the secret.  Furthermore a most recent change in response to client demand the company has been morphed into two separate

GreenPoint by Bill Reid owner RemodelWest – LED Lighting

GreenPoint by RemodelWest

Energy Conservation and

LED Lighting

Bill Reid, CGR, CGBP

President

 

LED lighting is making its way into the mainstream of construction and remodeling projects today.  As the next generation of lighting for the home LED lighting is a big step from typical recessed incandescent lighting you probably have in your home.  If you have remodeled over the past few years the new building code has required a certain percentage of fluorescent in your kitchens and baths which has lead to install of fixtures that do not give off a desirable color of light or also known as CRI (Color Rendering Index).  Halogen bulbs will reach a CRI of the maximum of 100 where LED’s by Cree or reaching 94-96 and fluorescents

Leverage these times with reputable remodeling firms

Today’s economic climate presents great opportunities for homeowners to receive the best value in remodeling.  It’s not unlike timing the market.  My past experience is people wait to get started when the market is well on it’s way to recovery.  What people don’t realize is that it takes months to plan a project properly  and by the time the project is ready to start prices and schedules are back in full swing.  Smart homeowners start planning NOW, representing a small percentage of the cost, and start construction when their ready.  Professional design and construction companies are motivated to maintain their core strength- their people- during slower times as they…

Bill Reid aquires CGBP (Certified Green Building Professional) certification from Build It Green.

With growing global environmental concerns the construction industry has become a key player in helping to solve the issues we face.  Build It Green ,a Northern California non-profit, has taken a leadership position in bringing residential remodeling and new construction businesses up to speed and Remodel West aka Cupertino Kitchen Design has joined.  In fact, local city and county jurisdictions are adopting their Green Point rating system.  Soon all large remodel projects and all new construction projects will require a certain amount of “Green Points”.

A large agenda of Build It Green is to educate industry professionals on the definition of Green Building and how to implement these practices.  As part of