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.…
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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…

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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).

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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

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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…
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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…
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Bill Reid Owner, Cupertino Kitchen Design/RemodelWest stands by it’s name regarding slanderous Rip Off Report

Our company has fallen victim to an unfortunate situation with an extremely unethical and vindictive customer.  This past client has filed a fraudulent and slanderous posting on this rip off report website that in of itself is under major scrutiny for it’s alleged illegal practices.  As a seventeen year old company we take our reputation very seriously and was distressed to see such ridiculous statements.  As I have seen positive rebuttals mounting I have learned that we have very supportive customers and appreciate their support.  If you have read this posting I’m hoping that, as an intelligent person, you will see between the lines and come to your own conclusion.  As a company and an individual…
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“Build it Green” – A Profound Opportunity

Recently I attended the Certified Green Building Professional training put on by the non-profit organization Build It Green.  Anytime I attend educational events like these I often walk away refreshed and inspired.  I came away with some profound thoughts on how this movement ties into our business and my life.  I can see the difference between this event and others is applying a philosophy of sustainability throughout our company and my life will happen and will happen now.  The word Green is clearly “the label” but looking past the outer shell of this label the underlying message is living a sustainable life.  This is the difference.  I first was exposed to the concept at the West Coast…
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