Building Custom

For the most part, most all homes start out with the same elements in the structure - concrete foundations and 2x4 or 2x6 framing members, truss roof lines. Granted, many people do not want, or cannot afford, truly custom homes. The mission of the contractor is to build a home he/she can make a decent profit, and it is the mission of the client to get the best house they can for the money they are spending. It is at this point contractors and clients begin to pull in opposite directions.

I have walked into literally hundreds of so called "custom homes" only to see your typical hollow core $69 door units used for every interior doorway therein. And the thousands of feet of builder standard trim and moulding used in so called "custom" homes is staggering. Custom should mean just that - seeking out the talents of true artisans and craftspersons to lend something unique and unexpected.

My point is, if you are paying a contractor for custom, make sure you are getting custom, or at least better quality than spec home hollow core door units. We live in such a "throw it away" society, that our standards have actually lowered as to what we consider quality. It may be useful to you to employ a design professional simply to explore and compare your budget and quality preferences.

Jay Leno made a good point in a recent interview when asked about restoring his cars. He said (paraphrasing), "Labor and technology are now inverse. It used to be that labor was cheap and technology was high; now it is labor that is high and technology that is cheap." This effects the cost of our homes as well. Hiring a talented laborer who will build a home well, is not cheap. I read about a company in Arizona who was looking for labor in a landscaping company. They were paying $35+ an hour to have someone dig dirt, and even more surprising, they had no applicants. The point is, rising labor costs are also driving up the cost of homebuilding, which in turn, forces contractors to put in $69 hollow core door units. Know what you are getting.

Our company only designs one of kind spaces for residential and commercial interiors, so we have a very strong feeling about what "custom" entails. We do not subscribe to the stock and standard pieces that can be seen in every spec home in America. Surprisingly, our clientele seek us out for this very reason. The kitchen island you see above is one example of custom. The carved fleur-di-lis detail is not "stuck on." It is carved into the wood on all four sides of the island. This piece will not be replicated for any other client - it is solely designed for this particular client and specially made for them. The light fixture is not a builder standard either. And the granite detailing is a laminated composition to give it more substance and unique character. The space says quite simply, "Elegance."

If it is custom you want, then know what to expect.