The owners of this beautiful ocean-view home in Solana Beach, California, wanted a few exterior upgrades that would expand on their existing Southeast Asian accents.

The couple (who took inspiration from their travels to the far east) wanted to extend the theme beyond the previously added Thai mosaic-tiled outdoor shower and kitchen with built-in BBQ.

The custom Thai awnings—not all together unfamiliar to Jon Dore who married his wife on Phuket where his father-in-law lived for decades—provided shade and added character to the already unique home and surrounding exotic tropical gardens.

This was a fun project completed in prep for our first home in Carlsbad, California, to hit the market.

Originally just a shaded lean-to built with reclaimed wood from various projects (and later transforming into an aviary for quail followed by a storage shed for gardening equipment), the She Shed only took shape as it was being reimagined for future buyers.

Having received as a gift from a construction job this set of French Doors that couldn’t be returned after they were customized but before the owner decided to go in a different direction, Jon put them to good use on the She Shed to give it more style + contrast.

So, just like that, a doorway was (free-hand) cut out of the wall with a chainsaw to incorporate the doors.

The She Shed was then staged (for pics + showings) as a Japanese tea room using some of our own decor and kitchen items. It was a key focal point in the outdoor space and smash hit with the buyers.

This was part of the final phase of our remodel to say goodbye to our Southern California home in style.

Over the years, the atrium had gone through many redesigns. But we had always wanted to add awnings with the option of covering them with translucent panels to bring more shade to the center of the home during the hot summer days.

Of course, when you're a busy general contractor, the less critical and more creative projects for your own home tend to go on the back burner.

So, this one was more a gift to the new owners, and it really was. They loved it.

The reclaimed wood came from many projects over the years. We knew one day it would go to something special and here it is.

What’s more, our son helped out, and got to learn some additional building techniques along the way.

Between commercial jobs or high-end home builds, I sometimes led as Superintendent smaller projects to refresh or renovate an interior, modernize a facade or (in this case) transform the backyard pool area of this beautiful ocean-view Solana Beach, CA property into an luxurious outdoor living space that was more befitting of the modern home to which it belonged.

These shorter-term creative projects were usually an accommodation for elite (and repeat!) clients for whom we’d already done substantial work in the past. This particular job was completed through Streamline Development after the company originally built the custom home.

So, when the clients called and asked us to elevate the exterior areas to match, we happily obliged building a custom wood deck tracking to the infinity-edge pool, upgraded the fire features, and built a new custom steel staircase leading to the main house.

It sure was a nice job-site to show up to each day!

I will always be honored to have been hired by world renowned sand sculptor, Gary Kirk, to lead construction of Pelly's Miniature Golf in Del Mar.

After three seasons of building massive sandcastle forms and managing excavation + running heavy equipment on the beach for Discovery Channel's "explosive" television show, Sand Blasters (they blew up the sandcastles as the friendly competition narrowed to its winner), Gary Kirk, founder of the World Sand Sculpting Academy, who led the competition for the show, won the contract for Pelly’s Mini Golf, and he invited me along for the ride.

Collaborating with Kirk, who's sand sculpting and aquatic vision for the course won the contract, I was charged with adding form + function through construction, concrete and plumbing. In partnership, we brought to life his sea creatures + surf scenes. I also enjoyed building the piers, lighthouse and pirate ship that Kirk envisioned as the centerpiece.

It was such a privilege working on this project + reviving the old mini golf property, which I visited as a kid, and spent countless hours skateboarding the pools next door at the historic Del Mar Skate Ranch.

It was a pleasure working with Gary. He was a great man, artist and friend. He is sorely missed..

Photo credit: Gary Kirk