How To Build Your Own House

Photos

Bird's eye view of land parcel Drone view of hillside View from land facing South towards Pacific Ocean View of land before eucalyptus tree chopping Clearing out 80 eucalyptus trees - an invasive species Leftover branches falling into where our garage would be Bald East slope after eucalyptus clearing Bald and muddy land before grading work begins CAT machine grading driveway and garage Chipping away at the slope in the backyard Clearing the entire site for foundation South facing view of marking up the foundation for the garage Aster Jones staking out the garage and rainwater catchment barrels area Garage phase 1 Garage phase 2 Garage phase 3 Retaining Wall Phase 1 Retaining Wall Phase 2 Great wall of Santa Cruz Revealing of the Great Wall of Santa Cruz Concrete Jungle Entry Stairway - Packing dirt Entry Stairway - Wood board forming Entry Stairway - Pouring concrete Framing of the main house View from hill Centered view from the hill View from the driveway Front of the main structure Roof framing going up on the main house Sunny view of main house Inside the great room View of the East side of house Prepping for Stucco Windows and Doors ready for install Can lights going into the ceiling Creating part of the driveway Doors and windows installed in main house Windows installed in Workshop Penguin Palace Spa material palette Bathroom countertop material Kitchen material palette Penguin Palace Spa Building Metal Standing Seam Roof Close-up of Metal Standing Seam Roof Fresh Concrete Pour in Main House Fresh Concrete Pour in the Great Room Radiant Heating Pipes being laid down Radiate Heating Manifold Radiant Heating Lines Wiring that we did all ourselves (Electrical, Visual, Audio, Communications, etc) Insulation - looks like big plush marshmallows Insulation going into the Studio Insulation going into the Eaves Final concrete pour over radiant floor Wading through concrete as its poured Final concrete pour complete Wall and ceiling insulation in the main house Wall and ceiling insulation in studio Drywall installed in sides of studio Stained wood (ash) ourselves - beautiful grain! Wood going into the eaves of the roof Beautiful ash wood in the eaves of the roof on the main house Knotty Alder with a golden matte glaze finish used for all interior doors White Ash with a golden glaze finish White Ash with a golden glaze finish installed as the front door into the main house Stucco freshly finished using the color Stonebriar (Sherwin Williams 7693) and All Weather Architectural slider doors Showing the back face of the Studio with four clerestory windows for additional lighting and ventilation Front face of the Studio which sits on top of the garage View of main house and courtyard from the backyard hill Redwood deck attached to the Studio and protecting the two 5000 gallon rainwater barrels sitting underneath the deck Side view of the garage and the Studio Upward facing view highlighting the eaves of the main house. The dino egg light is the accent feature leading one to the front door of the main house Front facing view of the main house highlighting the ash wood in the eaves and expansive windows and doors that allow the maximum amount of sun and light in View of the compound and the surrounding neighbourhood from the top of the hill Evening views of the main house and the Studio. The lights flanking the slider door cast a glow upwards and downwards Evening views of the garage with lights that cast a glow upwards and downwards Evening view of the french door to the master bedroom with lights that cast a glow upwards towards the eaves and downwards Exterior view of the east side where the bedrooms and Penguin Palace are. You can see the batwing design of the roof from this view View from the east side of the house which faces the valley and the Monterey Bay Evening view of the east side of the house Penguin palace spa with green tiles oriented vertically to look like bamboo and white tiles to provide a feeling of freshness and light Penguin palace spa with floor to ceiling windows to bring nature in while bathing and showering. The sunken pit is where the infinity tub will sit Penguin palace spa in all its natural glory - Locust wood flooring is sustainable and sturdy to be used as decking for the shower. La Paz Mexican pebbles line the sides of the infinity tub Inside of the great room. Concrete floors with radiant heating to keep the toes warm. Expansive slider doors and windows to allow maximum amount of sun and light in Inside of the great room. Hexagon theme throughout the great room - suspended hex light fixture over the eventual dining or lounge area Black hexagon backsplash going all the way to the ceiling. Butcher block walnut countertops and walnut accent on top of the white oak cabinets where future lighting art and plants will live Wild turkeys meandering around the property at the front of the compound Wild turkeys meandering into the courtyard near the BBQ, right in time for Thanksgiving View of the courtyard from the inside of the main house View of the stairs and our neighbourhood of eucalyptus trees when exiting the compound View of the front of the compound Evening view of the front of the compound during a misty night where the solar lights cast an ambient glow around the property