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Showing posts from 2016

Fireplaces: Winter's Warmth

With October gone and November now here we are everyday getting closer to winter time and holiday season! Although San Diego is well known for its warm and sunny weather we do get our fair share of cold days. Instead of cranking up the heater on days like why not use a fireplace instead? Fireplaces are a perfect addition, giving off that warm, fuzzy touch that a home needs. Especially with the holiday season coming up, it provides a great opportunity for all your family to gather around and enjoy each others company! Whether it is indoors or outdoors a fireplace will bring comfort for all. Besides what is the point of having a hot cup of tea and a good book with no fireplace to go along with it?

How Much Does It Cost To Build A Custom Estate Home?

There are many different factors to think about when building a custom estate home. When it comes to the cost of a home like this using the living square footage can be misleading and an inefficient way to calculate the true cost. That's why MDD considers key factors when computing home costs. One thing they like to look at is total under roof square footage . This means recognizing areas that are not generally included in living square footage such as: garages, verandas, and workshops. Site specific costs are another thing that we keep in mind. The size, shape, and topography of a lot dramatically affect the cost. Exterior enhancements like: pools and spas, length of a driveway, fencing, and landscaping are large cost drivers in a homes overall cost. The living areas of the home can be quite a cost too. Each area of the home is unique based on finishes and amenities requested, making some rooms, like kitchens and bathrooms, more expensive than others. As a home grow

Coming Soon: Alta Del Mar Lot 94!

Alta Del Mar Lot 94 is almost ready! We are very excited to present this completed custom estate home that is about to go on the market in just a couple weeks. Priced at $3.195M this home is one of the last in the Del Mar Mesa. 5,100 sf. single story estate home with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, and guest living, fully landscaped, 4-car garage, outdoor veranda with a fireplace, and a sports and entertainment room. It overlooks the coastal Carmel Valley and is surrounded by lush vistas and canyons with views of the Grand Del Mar and the Pacific Ocean at sunset. Here is a behind the scenes look of the building process:     

Construction: Staircase

The construction of a home is a very exciting time! It is an intricate and precise process. Watching the transformation from skeleton to a fully furnished home is truly amazing. Not many get the opportunity to visit a job site to see the whole building process. Two-story homes are especially unique when it comes to their infrastructure. Ever wonder what a staircase under construction looks like? Take a look belo w! Stair climing burns more calories per minute than jogging, so it is important that they are built and put in correctly and with accuracy. Construction is an important step of a home's beginning and only one of many parts that come together to make it a whole. Staircase under construction at one of our projects:

Entertainment Rooms

Recorded your favorite show and the living room TV is taken, where else could you go? That's why a separate entertainment room is just the thing! Over the thirty years of designing and building for hundred's of clients, we have found that building extra space for entertainment purposes has been very popular.   It's hard not to see why because these rooms are perfect for anything you want to create! We have seen an assortment of game rooms, music rooms, library's and art rooms etc. It is just what is needed if multiple functions are taking place at once within a home, and giving your guests a chance to be settled without much disruption if needed. A bit smaller than a living room, it shares enough space for anyone to hang out and have a good time! If dad needs to watch a football game, the kids have friends over, or grandma invited her knitting circle, don't worry! That's when these rooms would come in handy.

Outdoor Living

San Diego is famous for many reasons and there are multiple advantages to living here, one of which is the beautiful weather we experience almost year round. What better way to enjoy sunny San Diego than getting outdoors? You can even do this from your own home! Outdoor verandas provide you with the opportunity to enjoy the warm, sunny atmosphere without leaving the comfort of your  house.  MDD excels at designing and creating features of the home such as these, tailoring it to your needs. Outdoor verandas are so much more than a  place to sit down. They can include an outdoor dining area, outdoor kitchen/BBQ, as well as a living area to relax and talk, sit by the fire, or watch TV!

It's in the Details

The amount of detail that goes into building a home is astounding!  MDD is in the middle of constructing one of the last available custom homes in San Diego's Alta Del Mar community on the Del Mar Mesa. Here are just a few of the details that are going to make the home on Lot 94 absolutely amazing! We are installing the stone veneer around the intricate brick detailed window sills of these black framed windows.     Furniture grade cabinets have been installed in the Master Bathroom, as well as tile flooring in a herringbone pattern.  Next come the sinks and slab countertops! This is the great room, taken from the family looking toward the kitchen and dining area.  You can see the customized step-ceiling and art niches.  The kitchen flooring is being installed.  This estate is available for presale now and is estimated to be ready for move-in this October! For more details, visit www.mddhomes.com   

Art Niches and Mosaics

One aspect that contributes to making your house a home is art. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences, but no matter what they are MDD makes sure you have a spot for it. A unique design feature in McCullough homes are the art niches that appear throughout for you to display your most treasured pieces. Perfect for hanging pictures or placing home decor these art niches allow you to express your style in a way for everyone to see. With these extra spaces you have the opportunity to add to the characterization you want for your home.         Pretend you are in Italy! Many of our clients have decorated their walls with colorful mosaic tiles. These abstract designs give a whole new perspective to our hallways and certainly does not go unnoticed. Compare d to a painting or picture this unique art work creates an atmosphere of beauty towards detail that compliments our homes so well.                             

McCullough Design Development: SUCCESS in DESIGN/BUILD

(Excerpt of an article on McCullough Design Development from the Union Tribune 7/9/16) After just one short weekend open, McCullough Design Development (MDD), put their most recent finished home in their Seascape Development in Encinitas into escrow.  Success in the design-build field is not uncommon for this San Diego based firm that specializes in custom homes for clients, purchasing individual lots for future residential development, and also building their own home designs for sale at completion.  Having their finger on the pulse of each of these niches of real estate provides a wealth of knowledge and expertise which is paramount in navigating the residential market and providing unending value for their homebuyers and clients. Unique to this Design-Builder is their Estate Showcase Model Home, in the Del Sur area, available to tour weekdays or by appointment.  Not only can one “touch, see, and feel” the quality of the construction, but the  concept of the showcase home

Home Opportunities in Encinitas

Our final home at Seascape in Encinitas went into escrow on the first weekend we had it open!   If you missed your chance to purchase a gorgeous home in our Seascape Development, we do have another lot around the corner that we are planning to build on!  This lot is encircled by a variety of lush palm trees and mature landscaping.  We have plans for a 4,020 square foot single story home with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths.  Our floorplan also includes a formal room that can be turned into an office or additional bedroom and a sports and entertainment room as well as the classic great room, pantry, and two-car garage.  Easily add on a covered grand veranda or outdoor kitchen or additional garages.   We custom design and build, so use our floorplan or come with your own vision and you too could enjoy a gorgeous home in Encinitas.  For more information, visit our website at www.mddhomes.com.

Brand New Ocean View Home Now Available!

We just put the finishing touches on the final available home at our Seascape Development in Encinitas! Enjoy unobstructed Ocean Views from this brand new 4,838 sf. single level home with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, designed to capture stunning sit-down Ocean Views from the main areas of the home, including the great room, master bedroom, and game room.   Located within top ranking schools, freeway close, and less than five minutes to the beach, shopping, and a variety of restaurants.   Selling for $2.195 M.  No HOA or Mello Roos.  Move-in ready!   Open House Saturday, June 18 th 11am-4pm.  1407 Rainbow Ridge Lane, Encinitas, CA 92024. Come see the high quality construction and detail typical of every MDD home.  www.mddhomes.com

Construction is like origami...

Many things in life vary in complexity, including math, origami, and construction.  According to ArchitecturalFees.com, when it comes to construction, "project complexity is directly related to the amount of time an architect has to spend designing and administering a project". If we rank construction projects into levels of complexity, Group 1 are the most simple buildings and include industrial buildings or parking structures. Projects increase in complexity to apartments, convention halls, theaters, and finally the most complicated is Group 5 which includes the Custom Residence.  It is no wonder!  Have you ever considered all of the intricacies involved in a home? From a solid foundation to the roof tiles, homes are expected to last for centuries through harsh environmental conditions and human inflicted wear and tear. There are countless parts to a house that need to work together and numerous skilled laborers involved.  Consider the skills needed: to make sure the w

Winner Winner...

Exciting news!  We placed 3rd in the preliminary 2015 Sub-Zero/Wolf Kitchen Design Contest!  This was just regional, so wish us luck in the national contest! If you haven't seen this kitchen in person, you really should stop by our showcase model home!  It is even more impressive in person!  8330 Artesian Road, San Diego, CA 92122 For directions, days and hours, visit our website at www.mddhomes.com P.S.  You could cook an AMAZING chicken dinner in this kitchen!

Even Better

Often we have renderings done of a home before we build it.   When we finally finish a home, I have to say I am never disappointed!  Our homes always turn out even better than the rendering! One of the next homes we are constructing is located in Alta Del Mar!  This 5,100 sf. estate home is under construction now, but available for pre-sale. It is exciting to see it going up, but you can just imagine how amazing the finished product will really look in a few months! Stay tuned to see how it turns out, or visit our website to find out more about pre-purchasing or designing and building your own custom home with us! www.mddhomes.com