Whether you’re preparing to put your house on the market or interested in increasing your home equity, strategic amenities and upgrades can increase your property’s value. Research conducted by Zillow and The Harris Poll in November 2022 found “that 65% of sellers who have sold a home within the past two years take on at least two home improvement projects to prepare their home for sale” (Zillow).
Read MoreOnce uttered only by progressive designers, the phrase “adaptive reuse” seems to have worked its way into mainstream conversation these days. This is a positive evolution for an industry that can be quite wasteful when not intentionally sustainable. In the US, we “generated over 600 million tons of construction-related waste in 2018” (EPA) which includes concrete, asphalt, wood, and other building wastes. The EPA estimated that in 2018 “construction and demolition projects filled US landfills with almost 145 million tons of waste.” (See blogpost … for California’s efforts to reduce construction waste).
Read MoreAs a design + construct firm we select and order building materials with our clients every day from marble slabs to wood flooring. Did you ever wonder how these construction materials are made?
Read MoreRecently, a co-worker journeyed along the Pacific coast from Los Angeles to Seattle on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight. From her sleeper car, Jessica and company gazed at the Pacific Ocean along the central coast, and snow-covered peaks of Mount Shasta. She likened her Roomette to an RV, where every space is smartly utilized -- two comfortable seats by day transformed into beds by night, large picture window, a shelf doubled as a step stool to the upper berth, and storage was tucked under the seat.
Read MoreAn ancient iPhone, an old TV set, remotes that belong to tech you no longer even have in your home, all those extra power cords in the junk drawer…. This year don’t just discard those unwanted electronic items. Several locations and organizations throughout the city make recycling e-waste easier than ever.
Read MoreWe’ve all heard the pitch: Buy an EV car, switch to electrical appliances, install solar panels– environmentally responsible changes consumers are encouraged to make to help combat climate change. But it isn’t always that straight forward.
Read MoreWe are proud to be a Santa Monica Certified Green Business since 2018. We worked hard for this accolade. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk, and our office and our projects show it! This Earth Month we want to show off.
Read MoreMy assignment seemed simple – research and write about incentives for “green” home upgrades in celebration of Earth Month. We hear all about city, state and federal rebates and tax credits homeowners, and even renters, can receive for “going green.” However, after spending hours reading various articles, government websites and utility company programs, I was completely frustrated and more confused than ever! Which programs were available to me? How does one qualify? Do they actually work?
Read MoreWallpaper can be a creative and inexpensive way to transform a room. Wallpaper allows you to express your individual style in ways that painted walls alone cannot, adding a touch or personality, energy and imagination. Here are some on-trend wallpapers that caught our eye.
Read MoreInnovation, comfort and style were all on display in Las Vegas last month when our SK design team attended the International Builders Show and Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. Here are some products that were big winners with our group.
Read MoreThis past weekend we moved the clocks ahead, and besides losing an hour of sleep, we all know this means spring is around the corner. As spring is a time of growth and bloom, March is the perfect time to “spring” into action in your garden.
Read MoreMeet Natalie Cervantes, a 29-year-old single mother of four who is an Electrical Inside Wireman (Local Union IBEW 11), and Catherine Dillon, who learned basic welds from her father and is now a welder and Eighth Period Apprentice (Ironworkers Local 433).
Read MoreIn honor of Black History month, we are celebrating the oldest African American CME (Christian Methodist Episcopal) church west of the Mississippi, Santa Monica’s Phillips Chapel. Built at its current location at 4th and Bay Street in 1908, the church is remarkable for both its architectural style and deep roots in Santa Monica’s African American community.
Read MoreThe “Pineapple Express” on Sunday, February 4th, and Monday, February 5th, brought record rain falls to Southern California. With an atmospheric river drenching the region this week, this February is the fourth wettest one in Los Angeles since 1878, according to WNBC News!
Read MoreIn honor of the Chinese New Year, we are celebrating the oldest surviving Chinese building in Southern California, Los Angeles’ Chinese American Museum (CAM). It is the first such museum in the region dedicated to the Chinese American experience, history, and culture.
Read MoreFrom geometric pendant lights to elegant wall sconces, this Valentine’s Day, when candlelight is not enough, set the mood with our favorite lighting fixtures.
Read MoreLove is in the air this month so we thought we would share some bathtub designs that we love (you thought we were going somewhere else with this didn’t you?). What could be more indulgent than soaking in a claw footed vintage bathtub? How about soothing aching muscles in a jetted tub? Here are some bathtubs that will inspire you to pamper and treat yourself this Valentine’s Day.
Read MoreWant to feel more energized, productive, and less stressed? Some believe harmony, balance, and overall wellness can be achieved through the ancient technique of feng shui. Designing using the principles of feng shui became popular in the west after President Nixon’s historical visit to China in 1972, and remains popular today.
Read MoreFrom eating better to exercising more, we all strive for healthier lifestyles, especially this time of year. Whether you are constructing a new home or looking to make simpler adjustments, design can impact and support healthy habits and overall physical wellness.
Read MoreDesigning spaces with mental health in mind is on the rise; from at-home gyms to spa-like bathrooms, in-home wellness rooms are trending now more than ever. People desire their homes to be an oasis, a place that allows us to escape the stress of daily life, a place of calm (well, at least after the kids go to bed!).
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