Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Entertainment Center Design -

We've designed and built countless entertainment centers over the years, but the old designs need some updating. Flat screen televisions are an obvious change to the design criteria, but the way that we interact with our electronic devices has also changed considerably. Unlike watching a moving in surround sound, surfing the internet or playing video games isn't done from the couch on the other side of the room. So not only has the entertainment center design changed, but the entire furniture arrangement in the room needs a look.
This modern entertainment center design can be modified to fit into a more traditional home. It's built with regular lumber and plywood, and covered with laminate flooring or similar pre-finished wood product.

The unit hangs on the wall but appears to be floating out from the surface. Space behind allows wires to hang and hookup to all of the equipment without being seen. 

LED light strips can be hidden around the perimeter to enhance the floating effect and puck lights can recess into the upper shelf.

See a short video on our YouTube channel.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Steps to Your Dream Home - 01 Property Evaluation

You may want some input before purchasing some property. Choosing a building lot in a good location can have a major impact on construction and lifestyle matters. We can help you analyze and compare available properties over a wide spectrum of considerations.


Community - All three of the major green certifying organizations put emphasis on the community aspect associated with the location of a property. Location within a community and the assets of the community itself impact: cost of living; quality of life; recreational activities; travel time; quality of schools and available amenities.

Market Value - While we are by no means experts at real estate evaluation, we do have a long history and knowledge base in the community. Additionally, we have several contacts within the real estate community and can help you with recommendations. Property values are closely tied to appeal of the location and in a community there can be a substantial variance between properties even within relatively close proximity.

Zoning - It's important to understand the restrictions imposed by the local government where a property is located. Just knowing the right questions to ask or potential hazards to avoid can have a substantial impact upon the scope of construction that may be allowed. Winter Park in particular has demanding requirements that can be quite confusing for first-time researchers.

Orientation - The shape and characteristics of a property should influence the design of a home. An understanding of the solar arc of the sun has substantial impact of the energy use and comfort of a home. Home design influenced by orientation can, reduce noise and energy use; increase privacy and comfort and; enhance views.

Site Planning - The footprint of the can be established after determining the buildable are of the property. Setbacks are the distance that the structure must be set back from the property boundaries. These are established by the permitting jurisdiction and can be quite confusing to and inexperienced designer.

Construction - Characteristics of a property can affect the cost to build upon it. Soil quality; accessibility; slope and elevation variance, and; vegetation and trees, can all affect the cost to build. Sometimes the most appealing properties have challenges that mandate special attention and expertise to avoid construction problems.

Each of these characteristics can be expanded upon with lessons and experience from recent projects. We consider ourselves "experts" on the unique requirements of Winter Park and have recent experience in The City of Orlando, The City of Maitland and Orange County. We've helped our customers dozens of times during the evaluation phase of property selection and would be pleased to help you with yours.