CB July 2005

Who better to create a special place to live than the people in the business of building homes that deliver on that definition every day? Working with clients to design their homes on their lots, custom builders guide the creation of memorable places. The question becomes: how do you transfer that one-of-a-kind skill from a home to a community?

As the trends for customizing and personalizing homes grows, builders are turning to concrete as an element for design and stamp of differentiation. More than just flooring material, concrete is being used to create one-of-a-kind countertops, walls, fireplaces, doors — and even houses. Enter concrete specialist Vince Schrementi and architect Grant Currier, who have hewn an entire home out...

Elk's new shingle roofing has married beauty and energy conservation. Keeping in step with the move toward environmentally sensitive products, Elk and 3M partnered to produce the Cool Color Series shingle. While most home design works to bring the outdoors in, the Cool Color Series works to keep harmful sun rays out.

Custom Builder David DeBord reveals what products he won't build without.

KitchenAid has taken the dishwasher down under with its Drawer Dishwasher. Similar to traditional dishwashers, this unit occupies the same amount of undercounter space; however, unlike traditional models, two separate dishwashers — one on top of the other — are hidden in easy-to-pull-out drawers.

Ideal for a kitchen island or prep area, Elkay's Mystic is a four-foot-long curved sink. Designed with the faucet at one end and the drain at the other end, water flows through an 8-inch-wide tapered preparation/work area. The Mystic is available in two lengths — 48 inches and 26 inches, with the 26-inch version able to fit into a standard 30-inch cabinet.

GE's Monogram Walk-In Wine Vault brings luxury into the wine connoisseur's home. Measuring approximately 7 feet 9 inches by 8 feet 8 1/2 inches on the exterior and 7 feet 1 inch by 8 feet 1/2 inch on the interior, the vault is designed specifically to manage and store up to 1,100 bottles of fine wine in a secured environment.

Marrying practicality with style, Bear Creek Glass creates unique sink bowls for the bathroom. Bear Creek offers sinks in four shapes, Classic, Fusion, Ocean and Splash. The Splash model (shown on the top), resembling water, is available in 11 shades and ranges in diameter from 15 to 19 inches in diameter with a depth of 4 to 6 inches.

Homeowners can now make their homes into culinary masterpieces with the help of GROHE's stainless steel cold water pot filler. The pot filler installs on the wall directly over the stove, allowing cooks to fill large pots or to add water to without leaving the stove. The pot filler features a dual pivot joint design, which extends 20 inches for easy use over front or rear burners and then folds...

As it so often happens, a few builders gather together, share a few stories and in the telling of their tales from the business front, all develop a new understanding or a new approach to the age-old business of providing shelter. Sometimes, something more develops, as this month's cover story illustrates.