Today we are about three weeks from completion.  The studio project has been an interesting project as I balance costs, time, and adhering to green building practices as much as possible.  Our subcontractors and suppliers have been overwhelmingly cooperative and it has been refreshing dealing with them on this very creative project. 
Applying Tung Oil

Applying Tung Oil

tung-oilReclaimed Clear Heart Redwood Put to use in new studio!  Cost ZERO (with some sweat equity). Somewhat of a pet project for me, reclaiming and using approximately 500 lineal feet of clear heart redwood from one of our projects has been very rewarding.  I haven’t researched what this material might cost if you could even find it but I would estimate $10-12 a foot.  The cost we have into it is $500 to have a local shop re-mill the material for the design I developed.  The material was heavily painted on one side and during demolition I flipped the boards over and was astonished at the quality of the material.  I instantly set the material aside doomed for the landfill and proceeded to find a home for it.  Ultimately I decided to use it for our workstations in the studio.  As a person who is the “anti cubical” I combined the use of redwood, aluminum, and a reclaimed antenna tower to create works spaces for our design staff.  After milling the redwood I decided to use 100% natural tung oil from Milk Paint Company to finish the material.  I applied 2-3 coats which achieved a deep luster finish.  [wpvideo GNp15nr8]Real Plaster Finish applied to walls.   At the front of the new studio there was original slump stone that dated the interior of the space to the ’70’s.  Because I am trying to create a contemporary design studio I was challenged to come up with an affordable idea that was practical and aesthetically pleasing.  Our sheet rock contractor proposed using a veneer plaster and I jumped at the opportunity.  Although not an inexpensive solution I felt it was important to conceal the slump stone while at the same time demonstrating to our clients the beauty of plaster.  We went ahead and used a material tinted with a Benjamin Moore color.  It is gorgeous. Exposed ductwork adds to the contemporary space.  Two roof mount HVAC units provide heat and cooling to the space and I decided to replace these with high efficency energy star units.  Turns out I have a tax credit coming back this year for doing this.
Velux Sun Tunnel

Velux Sun Tunnel

The rear of the space was dark and dingy so a priority from the beginning was to do whatever I could to solve this problem.  The solution came quickly and I decided to install two Velux commerical sun tunnels.  One is placed in the center of our conference room where designers work wiht clients to present designs and select materials and the other is located in a contemporary display at the rear.  These units bring in quite a bit of light which will minimze use of artifical light.
About the author

Bill Reid

Founder and Owner of Remodel West, a residential design and construction firm, originally established as Cupertino Kitchen Design in 1992. I have created a very progressive company with a high level of quality standards. Over the years, the company has built revenues to 8.5 Million and scaled operations as we rolled with the times. By re-branding the business in 2007 to Remodel West, we aimed to better align our name with the scope of work performed. I am a Certified Graduate Remodeler through NAHB and Certified Green Building Professional through Build It Green and most recently Certified Renovator through the EPA which is now a federal requirement. My primary goals are to design and build more eco-friendly projects, to do projects for those clients seeking high quality. My professional background stems from twenty-six years of hands on experience beginning in 1985 in cabinetry design and sales, and progressed to my involvement with a startup company from 1987-1991. In 1992, at age 26, I started Cupertino Kitchen Design/RemodelWest. My strengths are creating a vision for our company, planning, and empowering our employees to accomplish our goals. Sue and I have been married 26 years with three wonderful children, Jessica, Michael and Adam and of course our dog Ellbee. We live in Los Gatos and enjoy visiting our home in Lake Almanor, fishing, brewing beer, reading and relaxing.

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