This was a ground-up construction project a few years following the 2003 California Wildfires that took the old barn, which wasn't much to look at, thankfully. 

This one is closer to the ranch house that we renovated previously as well as bigger and multi-functional with two stories built into a stone hillside.

The base level is for parking, shop + storage while the second story is for family gatherings. It’s a great place for events and a safe, fun hangout for teens.

I was instrumental in framing the barn and the construction of its heavy timber trusses. To see additional projects from this same property, including The Arbor, CLICK HERE.

My family loves Ramona CA. The wide open spaces...warm, dry air...wind in the trees, and babbling creeks running through it all.

This 100+ acre property, in particular, is a special place where I spent about three years (over the course of more than a decade) working on various building projects.

Having been instrumental in the renovation of the main house many years prior, I was more than happy to serve in the same capacity on the ground-up construction of a caretaker's home and custom two-story barn to replace those lost in the California Wildfires of 2003.

So, when there came an opportunity to expand on this ranch's charm with a sprawling arbor among the orchard and shady oaks, I was thrilled to be invited back for that project as well.

If you get invited to do a creative job in a beautiful spot in between big builds (especially for a special repeat customer), you always say, YES.

Partnering up with long-time friends and builders, the Arbor project was a true collaborative undertaking. We worked together to create a casual, inviting space that was a Napa Valley-like winery experience for the grown-ups.

The Arbor was also conveniently located next to the orchard for guests to enjoy berry-picking, and the horse corral that doubled as a dirt track for the kids, so they could be watched over on their electric 4×4’s.

The family holds period large-scale events with live music, art exhibits, and down home cook-offs. But, there needed to be a better place to sit beyond the usual camping chairs.

The custom arbor had to be long enough for at least a dozen picnic tables. The owners wanted the columns wrapped in stone, swings on either end, and electricity + lighting for night-time gatherings under the stars. We also built a nearby storage building to match the arbor to hold gardening + party supplies, and help simplify event clean-up.

Later, I was involved in building a guesthouse on the hillside for weekend stays followed by custom wood bridges over the creek, and a simple, rustic outdoor theatre for bands + kid’s performances near the arbor. I’ve included a few photos of those here as well.

To see the barn project, CLICK HERE.

For 18 months, I lived on this remote job-site with the owner of Laidlaw Building & Development. We partnered up to manage the ground-up construction of the cliff-side luxury home pictured here.

A long-time dream of private clients on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, this unique high-end home was built following Hurricane Iniki. We were hands-on with all the custom woodworking including those intricate ceilings, and exterior siding + stone work.

The design (somewhat eccentric) was meticulously envisioned by the owners. They aimed to capture many views, bring in a lot of light, and incorporate the natural elements. They wanted the home to blend in with the surrounding island landscape and gracefully age (and wood silver) over time.

Led as superintendent the ground-up construction of this custom luxury ocean-view home in Del Mar, CA., on behalf of Streamline Development. This included cast in-place concrete exterior walls (also pictured).

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!

Headed-up building projects + custom framing on behalf of award-winning Solana Beach, CA-based Wardell Builders. The main project was a two-year renovation of an ocean-view home in Del Mar, CA, which would preserve the Spanish design of the home while blending it with the addition of a new wing to match the original footprint. Instrumental in the custom framing and led the custom woodworking as well (hand-hewn beams + rafter tails).