Featured on the 2nd Annual Literacy Program Kitchen Tour! Info below...
|
This too shall pass...
Building Character (instead of houses)
|
There is an old addage that suggests "not to say anything, unless you have something good to say." Maybe that explains the deafening silence from JFP newsletters. Wow...If this is not a Great Depression, it certainly "was" greatly depressing.
Most of us in construction and real estate and many other industries have had a really tough go of it. It's been a challenging time financially and emotionally for everyone. But maybe things are beginning to change. Maybe we've reached the proverbial "bottom", or maybe we're just getting better at having less, and needing less. One thing I have noticed for sure is that tough times may not necessarily build character, but it definitely reveals character.
And it's that character that I would like to comment on. All of my employees, subs, suppliers and clients deserve special recognition for weathering this recession with their integrity, goodwill, and good humor intact. As my D.O.D. (dear old Dad) always reminds me, "this too shall pass!" And he's right. I would like to thank my Dad, clients, and coworkers for leading the way!
I've also received some recent wisdom from one of my beloved mountain bike magazines that has been truly inspirational. A mountain bike rider wrote in for advice on how to overcome his fear of riding "rock gardens." The editor's response was that he might want to get a prescription for Triactin... as in "try acting" like a man, you wimp. So, I'm looking into a prescription for that also!
~John |
Literacy Program Kitchen Tour
Don't miss it!
|
The 2nd Annual Literacy Program Kitchen Tour is a great way to support the Literacy Program and see
some amazing kitchens. The 6 luxury kitchens on tour can give you some inspiring new design ideas for your own home. Not only that, but raffle tickets are
available at each of the tour sites. You can win some great prizes. A $25 Tour Book admits two. For more information, call (831) 427-5077.
Check out the kitchen designed by Cyndi Mosher of Beyond the Box and built by yours truly! We're very proud of this West Side addition and remodel which transformed a plain tract house with a tiny kitchen into a beautiful, eco-friendly Cook's delight!
|
| Green Tips
Is Less the new More?
|
 If I remember correctly, (which happenns less often these days), the recent past was all about Conspicuous Consumption. And then the bubble blew up, the planet heated up and the economy shriveled up. What blows up, must settle down, which makes me wonder if the '10's will be known as the era of Conspicuous Constraint, or Audacious Austerity, or perhaps Flagrant Frugality. As the pendulum swings towards the next unknown (and it will probably swing too far, if history is any indication), I find myself taking a serious look at the gap between what I want and what I need. I'm not anywhere near enlightenment or sainthood, (I still NEED most of the stuff I really don't need), but I am thinking more and more about repairing, remodeling or making do with what I already have, rather than piling more stuff on the trash-heap of goods I so conspiciously consumed and tossed in the not so distant past.
Somewhere between the Inconvenient Truths and all the trendy Green-a-palooza hype, I've picked up a little awareness. Water is getting scarce--I don't let that faucet run like I used to. My cabinets look worn--maybe a re-finishing is all that's needed. I actually feel GOOD about recycling, instead of just annoyed and wracked with guilt.
Awareness is a powerful thing, because it starts within and influences how we then move out into our world. I'm moving a little more CARE-fully these days. This just might be the start of my era of Gradual Green-ness.
--Maureen (a.k.a."More-green")
|
Project Updates
Value, Quality and Service
Just in time for summer--We replaced a ho-hum patio with a larger, incredibly elegant "Elk Mountain" flagstone patio, complete with a built-in woodfired pizza oven from Mugnaini Imports. After getting past the intitial challenge of learning to cook with wood, these long-time and much loved clients are enjoying their new outdoor "addition", and they're eating well, too!
The end of spring also brought along the end to a really fun kitchen remodel for some really great clients in Rio Del Mar. The new mahagony colored lyptus cabinets, gorgeous granite countertops and strategically placed skylights brought a sense of light and casual elegance to this older, ranch style home. Cyndi Mosher of Beyond the Box was once again the Designer Extraordinaire behind this one.
On the drawing board:
We are just about to start work on a sweet little home in Paradise Park. Tucked under the redwoods on an impressive (steep!) slope, this old cottage will benefit from a light-filled addition and some good ol' fashioned sprucing up. We're excited about being a part of the transformation process.
|
|
Shout Out
DR Drywall Dan Russ (that's the "DR" part) has been our sheetrock subcontractor forever. His crew of hangers and tapers are the very best in town. Besides that, they are the nicest group of guys you'd ever want to work with....and that comes from the top. Dan is a pleasure to work with. His prices, his service and the quality of his work are all the best. He's more than our "sub," he's our good friend...and those blue eyes have won over more than a few anxious clients who may have concerns about sheetrockers actually stepping foot in their homes. Check out Dan's website at www.drdrywall.net.
Thanks for everything, Dan!
|
|
|
We look forward to better serving you in your home building or remodeling needs. Continue on to our website to learn more about us and see pictures of our work and please feel free to contact us with any comments or inquiries.
And don't forget we provide the same great service and attention to detail for our real estate clients. Because we are a small office, we have the ability to provide very personalized and focused service. Give us a call and ask about our very competitive commissions.
We always appreciate your referrals. Thank You!
Sincerely,
John Fuchs
John Fuchs Properties: Construction and Real Estate
758 Rio Del Mar Blvd.
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 688-8008
|
|
|
|
