Design
Design
Floodproof on a Floodplain
An impressive addition to the IDEA Home series, the NEWLOOK Experience Home is a master class in engineering and creative design, with builder Michael Freiburger out-thinking an exceptionally tricky lot
Custom Builder
3 Questions Answered About Reliable Energy in Home Construction
Energy expert Bryan Cordill makes a case for why and how propane is an answer to growing concerns about reliability and resilience in home construction
Business
Custom Builder to Talk Color Design with Becki Owens at IBS
At this year's IBS, renowned designer Becki Owens will sit down with host James McClister, editor of Custom Builder, to discuss a variety of topics from basic color play in design to the Allura Spectrum palette, a collection of Sherwin-Williams colors curated for the benefit of pros
Business
PERC Highlights Sustainability and Efficiency at IBS with 'Clean Build Conversations'
Hear from industry standouts Matt Blashaw and Anthony Carrino at this hour-long Show Village event
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Leadership
Sound Success
From its postcard-perfect vantage point overlooking Puget Sound, this striking custom home in Blaine, Wash. is a dream fulfilled for its active retiree owners who plan to enjoy their dramatic surroundings and ultra-accessible floor plan with family and friends for years to come. Designed by Seattle-based architect, Nils Finne, the home is remarkable not only for the extraordinary team work that...
Leadership
Lab Living
Some people can't help but take their work home with them. Take, for instance, Charles Page, who trades in his house every five years for a new one. For this Chicago architect and builder who has been creating dream homes in Chicago's North Shore suburbs for more than 40 years, the thrill isn't just that of reinventing himself twice a decade; it's business as usual.
Leadership
Business Evolution
As years roll one into the next, successful businesses evolve to reflect changing market conditions. The December issues of the newsstand business magazines all include articles — most likely cover stories — on how to prepare for prosperity in the New Year. The message: what worked in 2004 must evolve — change — into a new business strategy to ensure the same level of su...
Leadership
A House Without Right Angles
Architect Matt Schlueb, principal of Schlueb Architecture, recently designed his own home in Pittsburgh, Pa., with virtually no right angles. Villa Vuoto features 2,600 square feet of living space, three levels, and simple and compounded curves, sloping walls and circular rooms. Designed to provide a stimulating environment for the architect's young son, the project was a prototype for explorin...
Leadership
Creating a Community Theme
A sense of place matters just as much to luxury home buyers as the details of the floorplan and the quality of the finishes. To deliver on this desire, custom builders can borrow a page from their production builder counterparts. Here Terry Smith of architecture firm Bloodgood Sharp Buster gives a quick tutorial in creating a community theme.
Leadership
Insurance Woes Top Concern List
The price of general liability insurance and the ongoing shortage of carriers willing to write such policies for builders pushed these issue to the top of NAHB's annual critical issues surveys. On a scale of one to five, where one equals not at all critical and five equals very critical, general liability insurance cost scored 4.
Design
Going Beyond Big
Great design means fit and finish, not square footage. Get ideas on how to win consumers in the West - and the rest - with these elegant elevations and intricate interiors.
Design
All Kitchens Great and Small
Great design means fit and finish, not square footage. Get ideas on how to win consumers in the West - and the rest - with these elegant elevations and intricate interiors.