Summertime at The McCharles House & Gardens

The lovely McCharles House in Old Town Tustin is kicking off their summertime AMERICANA "SOMEDAY GET-TOGETHERS" - a series of events being offered in the day and early evenings on select days, offering delicious fare, great conversation and a wonderful time.

The McCharles House is a historic 1885 Queen Anne Victorian, painted in vibrant colors, and situated in an idyllic garden setting.  It has been featured in a number of shelter publications, and offers great inspiration and ideas for old-home lovers and the like.

For more information and for reservations, click HERE. 

Good Home Construction, CA Lic. #852240 333 El Camino Real, #101, Tustin, CA 92780 714-743-5053 info@goodhomeconstruction.com www.goodhomeconstruction.com

Descanso Gardens

With the summer season quickly approaching, it's time to start thinking about outdoor living spaces and gardens.  If you happen to be in the Southern California area, one place to check out for some great ideas and inspiration is the Descanso Gardens.  Of course, it's hard to compete with 150 acres of land; nonetheless there are pockets of small garden settings that would be fitting for a more modest-sized home.

Here are some ideas we liked:

Stuccoed Column Entrance with Exposed Brick and rough-hewn lumber on top for the trellis.  This would look great as an entrance into a garden.

Simple wood garden bench with canopy. 

Railroad ties as a garden bed border.

Another idea for a garden bed border - rough sticks tied together.

Cemented river rock for a patio. 

Iconic red Japanese bridge.  Perfect for Japanese-themed garden settings.

Also, the original mansion that the founder of Descanso Gardens built back in the 1930s showcases fine regency-styled architecture.  Here are a few pictures of the front and side of the mansion.  Just love the elaborate fretwork framing the side entrance and the arbor!

Good Home Construction, CA Lic. #852240 333 El Camino Real, #101, Tustin, CA 92780 714-743-5053 info@goodhomeconstruction.com www.goodhomeconstruction.com

2010 Anaheim Beautiful Award for Historic Preservation

Congratulations to our clients who recently won the 2010 Anaheim Beautiful Award for Historic Preservation.  When they purchased their classic 1920's California bungalow a few years back, the original siding had been stuccoed over, all the pillars had been removed and replaced with 1970's brick columns, and a 1980's-era wood door with a fan-shaped window served as the front door.

Photo Taken Circa 1970s

Since then, we have helped their preservation goals by reconstructing the exterior with wood pillars, concrete bases and caps, replaced missing cedar shingle siding to match what was original there (hiding under the stucco), constructed wood screens for the doors and windows, and reconstructed the front door window to have a period-appropriate look.

Luckily these efforts have not gone unnoticed.  Neighbors and community members had voted for their house to win this year's prestigious award.


To see more pictures of the exterior work we have done on this house, click HERE to go to the previous post.


Good Home Construction, CA Lic. #852240 333 El Camino Real, #101, Tustin, CA 92780 714-743-5053 info@goodhomeconstruction.com www.goodhomeconstruction.com

Help This 1940's Kitchen Win Rejuvenation's 2nd Annual "Make Your Home" Contest!

Remember this kitchen we renovated last year (see picture below)?  Edie, the homeowner of this lovely kitchen, has entered Rejuvenation's 2nd Annual Make Your Home Contest, and has asked us and anybody else we know to vote for it.

So, we thought it would be great exposure for her to post the voting page here.  Please take a moment to go to this page and vote for Edie's kitchen:  http://www.rejuvenation.com/advice_ideas/contest/entrant.html?rid=169&pic=1


GOOD LUCK EDIE and may your kitchen win!!

For more pictures of Edie's kitchen, see this previous post.

Good Home Construction, CA Lic. #852240 333 El Camino Real, #101, Tustin, CA 92780 714-743-5053 info@goodhomeconstruction.com www.goodhomeconstruction.com

Help Support Our Local Tustin Preservation Conservancy

The Tustin Preservation Conservancy is a local support organization dedicated to educating, advocating and facilitating historic preservation in the Old Town Tustin community.

To help support their efforts, local restaurant The Beach Pit BBQ is donating 15% of total proceeds to the TPC from all lunch and dinner sales this month (using the attached flier).  The Beach Pit BBQ, located just down the street from our soon-to-open studio and showroom, serves up some serious BBQ and home-styled fare.

If you love historic preservation and BBQ, then why not stop by for a show of support!

Flea Market Fundraiser this Saturday, May 15th - Shop for a Good Cause

This coming Saturday, May 15th, the Founders Veterinary Clinic is hosting its 2nd Annual Flea Market for Fleabags and Dog Wash.  There will be many treasures to hunt for, including books, furniture and all kinds of household goodies AND you can bring your dog along for a dog wash while you shop!

All proceeds go to the Pet Pal Sponsorship Program, which provides food, care and shelter for many homeless pets.


What a perfect way to spend a Saturday, shopping while supporting a great cause!

Location: Founders Veterinary Clinic, 330 N. Brea Blvd., Brea, CA
Date: Saturday, May 15th
Time: 9AM until 3 PM

Want to be on This Old House TV?

We just received the following release:

THIS OLD HOUSE® PLANS FIRST-EVER RENOVATION  IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Home Improvement Series Seeks Project Submissions

CONCORD, Mass., (May, 3, 2010) - For the first-time ever, the Emmy® Award-winning television series This Old House is looking for a historic home to renovate in Los Angeles County.  The TV crew is hoping to find a dynamic family with a classic old house in need of help, with plenty of things to save and update.  However, the project's scope must be "just right" - not a whole house, but more than just a kitchen.  The renovation must be able to be completed in about five or six months, with construction potentially beginning as early as August 2010 and finishing by January 2011.  The ideal project should already be underway with architectural plans and/or have the ability to be "fast-tracked" to the building phase.

The selected project will be featured on multiple This Old House episodes airing on PBS in early 2011. The deadline for submissions is June 14, 2010.

Please note that the renovations are completely funded by the homeowners and not by This Old House, though the show coordinates product discounts and donations where possible.  All donated items are considered gifts, on which the homeowners pay taxes.

This Old House is reviewing proposals now.  To be considered, submit the following:

·    Brief description of the renovation project - be sure to also include house style, location and year built
·    Low-res digital pictures of the home's interior and exterior
·    Brief description of the current owners
·    Low-res digital pictures of the homeowners
·    How much you plan to spend
·    When you need to start and conclude the project

Please e-mail proposals to pickmyhouse@thisoldhouse.com or submit them via regular mail to: This Old House Project Proposals, P.O. Box 130, Concord, Massachusetts 01742.

Select homeowners will be contacted by show producers for further interviews.  Due to the volume of proposals received, This Old House will not be able to respond personally to everyone or return submitted materials.

GOOD LUCK!!!


Good Home Construction, CA Lic. #852240 333 El Camino Real, #101, Tustin, CA 92780 714-743-5053 info@goodhomeconstruction.com www.goodhomeconstruction.com