Designs that Inspire

Grandchildren Sleeping Quarters

Today, we are talking about design elements that inspire. Inspiration can come from many sources and this one comes from function, specifically how a home can really make family time more precious and valuable. When we interviewed these clients, they talked about the importance of having a home that was central to their kids (and, hopefully, future grandchildren). They had one grown child who was getting married soon and another who might be at some point. So, they wanted a home that would accommodate, even encourage, their kids to come and stay with them. ?Austin, being central to Texas, was the ideal location for all of them to meet. Plus, waterfront was available and is, besides being a great investment, attractive to the kids. This all culminated in a desire to build a custom home. So, we were commissioned to do just that.

One of the design elements that we recommended to them was the grandchildren sleeping quarters. Although they hadn’t given much thought to it, we told them about the different stages and, well, challenges of having young children while visiting Mom and Dad’s house. They were determined to make this a home that would be inviting to the whole extended family and encourage them to stay as long as possible. So, by designing the grandchildren sleeping quarters just down the hall from their parents, we were giving the parents a good night’s sleep. Let’s face it, if the parents sleep well and have a quiet place to rest even during the day, they will stay longer.

Courtyard

Another design element we felt was important for young children was the front courtyard, especially for this specific lot. The lot had sloping topography requiring a raised slab in back and the lake at the property line, neither of which were a great place for young children. The front courtyard is enclosed, making it a safe place to play and enjoy. Even the fountain is tall and wide enough to be kid-safe.

If you would like to see more photos of this beautiful custom home, click here.

Basic Pest Control Tips For Your Home

Here in the Austin area – just like any other area of the country – we deal with a variety of pests that try to invade our homes. However the two we are most familiar with, thanks to their destructive natures and sheer number of them in our area, are the scorpion and the winged carpenter ant.

The striped bark scorpion is the species of scorpion most often seen in Central Texas. While it is not usually deadly, like any member of the arachnid family (which includes ticks, mites, and spiders as well as scorpions), its sting is painful and can cause an allergic reaction in some people. It can survive without feeding for six months, and usually enters structures seeking water and shelter. Our local variety of scorpion is distinctly associated with dead vegetation, fallen logs, and human dwellings. It is common for this scorpion to climb trees and walls, and they often are found in the attics of homes. During periods of hot weather, scorpions may move into living areas to escape the high temperatures in attics.

The winged carpenter ant, while commonly mistaken for a termite, is second only to the termite in the amount of damage it can impose on a home. Adding to the confusion is that it is not uncommon for both the winged carpenter ant and the termite to swarm at about the same time. However, it is vital that they be identified accurately, because control measures differ greatly for the two insect groups. Carpenter ants are social insects that live in colonies, primarily in wood. They hollow out wood to build their nests, making their galleries and chambers velvety-smooth as if a carpenter had sanded the surfaces. Their tunneling in wood and foraging for food and water lead to their “pest” status in or around homes.

Carpenter Ant vs. Termite

The first line of defense against any pest is to control the environment, making it as uninviting as possible. In the case of these two pests, many of the suggestions are the same.

• Remove all trash, logs, boards, stones, bricks and other objects from around any buildings on your property. Because the scorpion is nocturnal, during the day it hides under stones, in piles of rocks, in cracks in masonry, in wood piles and under the bark of trees.

• Keep grass closely mowed near structures. Prune bushes and overhanging tree branches away from the structure. Tree branches can give scorpions – and other pests – a path to the roof.
• Store garbage containers in a frame that keeps them above ground level.
• Never bring firewood inside the house unless it is placed directly on the fire.
• Plug weep holes in stone or brick veneer structures with steel wool, copper mesh, pieces of nylon scouring pad, or small squares of screen wire. (Steel wool will rust when wet, so it should be used only on dark-colored facades.)
• Keep window screens in good repair. Make sure they fit tightly in the window frame.

Beyond the environmental control, there are also insecticides that are effective for controlling many types of pests, including carpenter ants and scorpions. Carbaryl (Sevin ®), chlorpyrifos (Dursban ®), diazinon, propoxur (Baygon ®), or any of the synthetic pyrethroids (permethrin, cypermethrin, cyfluthrin, etc.), lambda-cyhalothrin, deltamethrin, propoxur, or bifenthrin. Look for products containing these active ingredients, and them around the foundation of the house and up to 1 foot above ground level on the exterior walls. Also apply pesticides around doors, window eaves, and other potential points of entry. Indoor treatments should be directed at potential points of entry, corners, cracks, and crevices where scorpions hide. Follow directions on the package for dosage, mixing, and application methods, or call a pest control service to do the work for you.

Our thanks to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for providing much of this information!

Home Makeovers: Jenkins Custom Homes Edition!

You asked for it, and we responded!

During the Parade of Homes in October, many of you asked us if we had a home makeover service.  We heard many of you say that you love your home’s location and basic design, but it just needs that little somethin’ somethin’.  Well….just in time for the holidays, Jenkins Custom Homes announces our “Home Makeover: Jenkins Edition” now serving exclusively Westlake and Lakeway!

Services include:

• Party Make-Ready and Resale Make-Ready (“Painter for a Day” as low as $350).  This can include paint touch-up, handyman services, sheet rock repair, decorating services, cleanup, and much more.  Don’t stress out about those holiday parties.  Just call us, and we will handle everything!

• Outdoor Living and Pool Additions.  Let us extend your living space right into the outdoors.  We have won numerous awards for our outdoor living design and construction, and outdoor living is quickly approaching the #1 desired feature by potential home buyers today.

• Garage Makeovers (what a great gift idea for the man of the house!).  Maybe the garage needs to be organized, cleaned up, and shelves built, or maybe you would like to paint his favorite Nascar race car next to his parking spot.  Whatever the need, we have the pros to make it happen.

• Garage Enclosures (Media Room, Guest Room, Golf Room, Trophy Room…..the possibilities are endless).

• Complete Makeover (transform your home into an award-winning Jenkins Home!)

If you are interested in one of these services or have one of your own, please contact Adrian at (512)461-8436 or email us at your earliest convenience.  If you would like to learn more, check out our website at http://remodeling.newhousebuilder.com/.

Top 8 Design Considerations for Your Outdoor Living Space

There are many facets to good outdoor kitchen and living design. At Jenkins Custom Homes, we have a copyrighted “Lifestyle Analysis” process in which we ask questions about how our clients plan to live in the spaces of their home, including the outdoor spaces. Our design team then creates their unique home, complete with the outdoor kitchen. Here are some of the questions we ask our clients to help determine what they will need in the way of an outdoor living space.

Livability

How serious are you about grilling? How often will you be preparing meals outdoors? Would you like to be able to prepare the entire meal outside? With the variety of appliances available, this is entirely possible.

Appliances

We recommend Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to all our clients because they offer the greatest quality and selection.

Orientation

Where will the afternoon sun be in the summer and in each of the seasons? This is a critical component to orienting the outdoor kitchen, as you do NOT want the afternoon sun right in your eyes when you are grilling. Instead, you want to be standing in the shade with a ceiling fan above you. This will discourages insects from hanging around as well.

Cross-ventilation

Which way does the breeze blow? Grills produce a lot of heat and smoke so be sure you have good cross-ventilation.

Time Spent Outdoors

How much time will your family actually spend outside? Do you enjoy looking at the outdoors from the inside, or do you enjoy being outside? This will help you evaluate whether you need a TV or fireplace outside, or even possibly incorporate the entire outdoor experience into an indoor/outdoor game room. Or maybe you prefer a solution that allows for enjoyment of the outdoors when the weather is nice but utilizes a screen system that closes out the bugs and captures as much as 90% of the home’s air conditioned air when the screens are closed. In the photo to the left, you can just see a hint of the screen system in the slots within the columns, but otherwise can’t tell they are there.

Choose Your Style

What type of materials will you use? Is your primary objective longevity, or beauty, or perhaps functionality? Will you use stone and stucco, with stainless doors and drawers or marine grade lumber with African mahogany doors? We recommend a natural stone tile counter top for covered areas or solid surface counter top such as granite for open air outdoor kitchens.

Flow and Access

Think about the flow of traffic on a daily basis, when it is just your family at home. What shape works best? L-shape or U-shape? Or perhaps something more custom, like a cart you can roll out when you grill? A note about access from the kitchen: we find that a pass-through from the kitchen to the outdoor space really cuts down on the number of trips to and from the kitchen.

Entertaining

Finally, when you host a get-together, how many guests will you have in your home and what ages will they be? Think about where you might have a bartender if you have a really large party. Think about your sister-in-law who drinks too much…maybe you need a soft chair in the shade (near the bar) for her so she doesn’t fall and hurt herself. Each situation is different, and only you know your situation.

Resources:

• http://Blog.NewHouseBuilder.com
• http://www.NewHouseBuilder.com
• http://www.wolfappliance.com
• http://www.kivahome.com/

Thrill The Grill

Do you love cooking on the grill but are tired of the typical grilled fare? Are you planning a Memorial Day gathering but haven’t quite nailed down your menu?

Then, you are invited to join us for the Outdoor Cooking event of the season:

at the Rough Hollow Yacht Club & Marina Pavilion (MAP IT)

May 21st 4:00 – 6:00 P.M.

Be prepared to be entertained and informed by Sub-Zero & Wolf Executive Chef, GARTH BLACKBURN, as he presents his tips and techniques for grilling fabulous foods! Then, unlike watching it on TV, you will have the opportunity to taste what he has prepared. It will be an evening to remember!

The Custom Builder of the Year for the state of Texas, Jenkins Custom Homes, will speak briefly on designing the perfect outdoor kitchen, and you will have a unique opportunity for a sneak peak at their 2010 Parade Home under construction right now in Rough Hollow, immediately following the cooking event.

There will be a door prize by Sub-zero and Wolf.

Sponsored by:
Jenkins Custom Homes
Rough Hollow
Kiva Kitchen & Bath
Sub-Zero and Wolf

Hot Links From The Home Blog, Second Edition

I subscribe to various feeds from other blogs and websites. Here are a few of my favorite links from the past few weeks.

• If you are in the market for a new cooktop, take a look at this new gas/ induction combination that KitchenAid is now selling in Europe!
• Looking for something fun and different hanging in your home? Love Gummy Bears? Why not combine the two??? I stumbled across this recently and thought it was nothing if not unique. (Of course, you know what they say – if you have to ask how much it costs, you probably can’t afford it!)
• If you love the modern look and are searching for the perfect vanity for your home, you might consider this Brillante vanity. I don’t think I have ever seen anything quite like it before – it’s completely made of glass!
• I really got a kick out of this blog post. Be sure to read the comments, as well.
• Finally, with summer on the horizon, Jandy has just released this:

“Introducing Jandy’s new AquaLink® Touch™, designed with the style and features today’s consumers demand in a technologically advanced controller. AquaLink Touch’s smart, intuitive user interface, customizable features and attractive styling present the best touch panel experience for the pool industry today.” (source: Jandy)