# A home I recently completed



## MesquiteMan

The name of the forum is "Other Things We Make" so I guess no one will mind if I show off the latest home I completed! As most know, I am a custom home builder. I build high quality, extremely green, super energy efficient homes. This home was completed a few months ago and is a real show place that I am pretty proud of. I designed the home and did most of the trim work myself.

Front view






Rear view





Rear entry





Entry niche trimmed out in pecky pecan that I harvested from the site, milled, and processed into T&G





Another view of the niche





Front door





Living Room





Master Bath





Door into the study





Another pecky pecan niche that I made





All of the cabinetry was custom built from lumber that I harvested and milled from the site. It is pecan with a pecan stain and catalyzed lacquer

Kitchen















This is a custom tile mosaic installed for the backsplash. The Owner's own a company called Swift River Pecans and the property is located on the river. They are HUGE river people. This is a depiction of the river with a Pecan tree. Not my style but the Owners LOVE it.











Thanks for letting me show off a little!


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## tbroye

Curtis

Wow, beautiful.  How big a house is it?  Love the exterior stone work and cabinets are out of this world.  The would be 2M+ house here and year or two ago.


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## MesquiteMan

It is 6,000 sf +/- under roof and 4,000 sf +/- living. I built it cost plus and it came in around $676,000 without the land. Things are a lot cheaper here in Central Texas than CA!


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## workinforwood

Beautiful house Curtis.  It's like a modernized mini-castle.


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## Hayseedboy

WOW!!!  Very very nice!!!  I would love to visit that one.

Larry


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## ldb2000

That is an awesome house Curtis . The wonderful stone work outside and the beautiful woodwork inside , you should be very proud of yourself .


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## george

WOW ! Better not showing this to my wife. 
Great job !!!


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## el_d

Wow, Pretty impresive. Is it on the Guadalupe?


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## stevers

You should be proud Curtis, that is absolutely gorgeous. I am "Impressed". Looks like something you'd see on HGTV or something. You got one over on Norm, Tom and the fellas. Wow!!


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## mrburls

*VERY IMPRESSIVE CURTIS* 

I like the pecan wood you used in the house. What was some of the widest boards you were able to use? Did you have the wood kiln dried? 

Keith "mrburls"


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## TAFFJ

It must be a great feeling to design and build such a beautiful building. Congratulations!


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## Glenn McCullough

Curtis, that is the second nicest rear entry I've ever seen, I am not allowed to photograph the nicest, but both are in a class of their own. 
Really, incredible master work. Now I know why your pens are so impeccable.


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## leehljp

Wow! SUPER! Talented, Skillful, great designing too! NICE!


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## woodboys

That's an amazing house you did. And here all this time I thought all you could make was pens and pen blanks. Nice job.


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## Constant Laubscher

Very nicely done!!!
I shall take a few of those if you through in a couple of cactus blanks with order.


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## altaciii

Wow!  Curtis that is nice.  How long was the construction, ground breaking to turn key?  Great job.


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## rdunn12

Wow that is a beauty.I love the cabinets.Awesome work man!!


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## Druid

No words to describe how beautiful & impressive the home is, really nice work!


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## Daniel

Curtis, Having build houses myself. i am very familiar with how much work, and extra work, you put in on that. Very nice and definitely a "Show Place". as for price. even here in reno condos start at around $230,000. I almost fell on the floor to think someone could buy that house for that price. You need to come visit Lake Tahoe for about a year long vacation. Build somebody something for around 5 mil while your at it. Your work would fit right in.


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## dgscott

Like everyone else, I'm awed by the obvious quality of the work. It's a truly beautiful home. Thanks so much for letting us see it.
Doug


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## FloridaDon

Curtis,

You have every reason to be proud.  That house should be on a magazine cover!

Just one question - did the $676K include one of your pens? 

Florida Don


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## Verne

You buy a pen and get the house!! Truely a piece of art. We would expect no less from you Curtis. What, no "worthless wood"?
Vern


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## Monty

Fantastic. Just one question. What's the function of the string/cord in the living room picture?


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## wdcav1952

Curtis, that is an awesome house!  I really like the idea of using on site lumber.  So many houses are  made by scraping the land clear, burning all wood, and so on.  It is fantastic to see a house made the way you did this one.


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## GaryMGg

Great craftsmanship Curtis; that's a lovely home and a good use of the local resources.
Thanks for sharing.


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## kruzzer

Wow, that's not a house that's a castle.... great stuff.  Uh.. it came with matching pen and pencile set .... right??


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## Mudder

Beautiful work Curtis,

I also like the back splash, it's a real eye catcher.


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## jeff

Outstanding! What a feeling of accomplishment you must get from that.


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## TowMater

Very impressive Curtis!!

The wife and I are searching for land now and are looking for super energy efficient ideas.

We have settled on the haybale construction method (panels sandwiching haybales), and would love to hear any ideas you have to complement energy efficiency. She really wants a green tin roof, we're researching that part next.


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## MesquiteMan

Verne said:


> You buy a pen and get the house!! Truely a piece of art. We would expect no less from you Curtis. What, no "worthless wood"?
> Vern


 
Actually, now that you mention it....the most expensive pens I have "sold"!.  I made 2 Spalted Pecan cigars from wood from their land and gave them to the Owners to sign the contract with.  Maybe I can claim that I "sold" 2 pens for $675k!


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## L1Truckie

The Master Bath looks like it could double as a deer stand, with the field in the back....or maybe there will be a jacuzzi off the deck for the same purpose???


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## MesquiteMan

Just a little more info on the house to answer some questions...

The house is Ultra Green, sustainably built.  Some of the green features:
-Oriented on site for maximum solar gain in the winter, minimum in the summer
-Complete foam insulation including a non-vented attic
-15 SEER variable speed, Trane XL 15i heat pumps (top of the line Tranes)
-Programmable thermostats
-Whole house air filtration system
-Use of on site materials--Pecan
-Scored and Stained concrete floors instead of tile
-All Energy Star appliances
-Marvin Integrity casement windows arranged to maximize breeze capture
-Very minimal wood use on the exterior to minimize maintenance.  The only wood is the decorative trusses.  Everything else is Hardie cement fiber products
-Sherwin Williams Duration lifetime paint on exterior
-0 VOC interior paint
-Expected monthly energy bill:  $200 compared to $350-400 for comparable sized, less efficeint homes

It took me 15 months to build the home.  Yes, I am slow but I am extremely picky and do it right the first time!  Around here, I am one of the most expensive builders, too, per square foot.  I don't make any more money than the other guys, I just put more into my work and use better quality materials.  As a matter of fact, my margins are lower than most of my "competition" since I am in a small town (50K) and need to stay busy to feed my family.  I committed to building green 5 years ago and will not build something unless it is Ultra Green.  There are plenty of ordinary builder here that can build regular houses!

Thanks everyone for the really nice comments.  I do really appreciate it!!


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## MesquiteMan

Monty said:


> Fantastic. Just one question. What's the function of the string/cord in the living room picture?


 
Haha...the home was "complete" in the pics as far as my contract goes but not 100% complete.  The owners still had some things to do that was not part of my contract.  That cord is the wire for the whole house audio system speakers that had not been installed yet.  Notice the mantel is also missing and there is no landscaping.  The Owners were responsible for the mantel, installation of the audio system, landscaping, and job site trash clean up.


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## MesquiteMan

mrburls said:


> *VERY IMPRESSIVE CURTIS*
> 
> I like the pecan wood you used in the house. What was some of the widest boards you were able to use? Did you have the wood kiln dried?
> 
> Keith "mrburls"


 
I did not build the cabinets in the house.  They were custom built by my cabinet man so he ripped everything to what he was comfortable with.  That said, I think the widest stuff is 6".  I know the entry niche is all 5 1/2".  Yes, the wood was kiln dried.  I got many boards that were 18-20" wide.  One log I milled was 30" diameter and right at the limit of my mill!

The property is 200 acres on the San Marcos River and the Owner is a Pecan Farmer as a hobby.  All of his trees on this property are native and not planted.  He needed to do some thinning so we cut a couple of trees but most came from wind damaged trees.


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## JimB

Fantastic job Curtis. I always knew houses were less expensive in Texas but that house looks like it should go for a lot more.


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## MesquiteMan

I have attached an abreviated plan if anyone is interested.  Beware, it is 444k so those with slower connections may take a while.


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## MesquiteMan

JimB said:


> Fantastic job Curtis. I always knew houses were less expensive in Texas but that house looks like it should go for a lot more.


 
It really should have but I really wanted to build it!  I did it cost plus so I could not lose money but did not really make much either.  It has opened some doors for me, though.  It helped me get the attention of a nationally acclaimed Sustainable Architect in Austin that has since sent me 3 more homes to build.  I have work lined up for 1.5-2 years with him.  Without that, I would be in bad shape like most other builders right now so I guess you can say it paid off!!  Well, that and the Good Lord is looking over me!


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## wolftat

675k ???? That makes me sick. I paid more than that for my little 2800sq.ft. ranch house that is energy unefficient. Maybe I will have to have you come up here when the economy picks up again and I can afford to put on the addition I want.  Great job on the house, I hope the landscaper can keep up with the standards you set.


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## Mazzywv

Absolutely fantastic house.  It's not a house but rather a work of art.  You should be most proud.  I have downloaded the plan you sent and hope to one day have a house built.  Maybe 5 years from now.  Keep on building, and posting too!!!

Dan


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## JimB

MesquiteMan said:


> It really should have but I really wanted to build it! I did it cost plus so I could not lose money but did not really make much either. It has opened some doors for me, though. It helped me get the attention of a nationally acclaimed Sustainable Architect in Austin that has since sent me 3 more homes to build. I have work lined up for 1.5-2 years with him. Without that, I would be in bad shape like most other builders right now so I guess you can say it paid off!! Well, that and the Good Lord is looking over me!


 
That's great to hear. For a builder to have 2 years work lined up right now is fantastic. I know most independent builders like yourself are struggling right now. Even the big boys like Toll Brothers are having their problems. I'll bet by the time you build the next 3 houses you will have more work lined up and the building market will start to turn around. The future looks bright for you.:good: BTW LOML loves the house as well... next time we build she may give you a call:biggrin:.


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## Ligget

Awesome house Curtis, that is indeed very little money for what you built!


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## edman2

Not bad for a guy from Texas! (native Arkansan here :biggrin. Just outstanding in all respects. God has been good to you.


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## markgum

awesome work. We should have a house warming party at Curtis'. :biggrin:


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## ed4copies

As everyone said, its a beautiful house and excellent work.

I'm amused that the owners wanted to run their own audio.  "Saving money???"

That roof line is beautiful, but I immediately think of ''snow dams" --- guess in Texas that's NOT a big problem, huh???  Had a 8" dusting last night, so we think of these things.

Great work, Curtls --- but, you knew that!!!


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## rick_lindsey

Whoah, when I win the lottery I want you to build my house!


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## hewunch

Curtis, nice work. It looks wonderful. I love that you used wood from the lot. Now tell us how many pieces of pecan you had to throw out due to splitting?


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## Darley

Very nice house Curtis, like the kitchen mosaique, awesome , now where's the work shop?:biggrin:


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## marcruby

And the most important question...

How did you get it off the lathe???

>

Marc


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## redisland

Please let the owners know: I'm available for adoption!   Really beautiful - i love the detail you created and the story behind the wood milled from the location.


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## Dave_M

Beautiful home Curtis.  You should be very proud.  I do have a question though...  Are you going to provide kits or maybe do a write up for the library section because my wife wants one.


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## MesquiteMan

Lanman said:


> Beautiful home Curtis. You should be very proud. I do have a question though... Are you going to provide kits or maybe do a write up for the library section because my wife wants one.


 
I have been working on that tutorial for a few years.  Once I have the process perfected, I will certainly be able to get it finished and posted!  The only problem will be that I will be dead before it gets perfected!


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## MesquiteMan

ed4copies said:


> As everyone said, its a beautiful house and excellent work.
> 
> I'm amused that the owners wanted to run their own audio. "Saving money???"
> 
> That roof line is beautiful, but I immediately think of ''snow dams" --- guess in Texas that's NOT a big problem, huh??? Had a 8" dusting last night, so we think of these things.
> 
> Great work, Curtls --- but, you knew that!!!


 
Actually, the audio was part of my contract but the equipment was done by my audio sub outside the contract.  I don't really want to have to warranty dvd players and whole house audio systems!


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## titan2

MesquiteMan said:


> I have attached an abreviated plan if anyone is interested. Beware, it is 444k so those with slower connections may take a while.


 
*Yep, that was a slow 1sec download (took longer to print the first page....LOL).....and well worth it!!! What a beautiful home! You did yourself proud there my friend!!!!*

*Barney* :bananen_smilies022:


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## MesquiteMan

titan2 said:


> *Yep, that was a slow 1sec download (took longer to print the first page....LOL).....and well worth it!!! What a beautiful home! You did yourself proud there my friend!!!!*
> 
> *Barney* :bananen_smilies022:


 
Just got to gloat about your fast connection, huh? :biggrin:  Mine is fairly fast but not that fast.  Thanks for the nice comments on the home.  I really enjoy what I do and put my all in my work.  You might say I am just a little bit of a perfectionist!

Glad you enjoyed the plan too!


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## ranchonodinero

Outstanding job!  My wife loves the mosaic on the backsplash-tell me about the floors please.  Looks like tile?  The barn door to the study is a nice touch.


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## Dario

Very nice work Curtis.  

You know there is a market for that here in Austin don't you?:wink::biggrin:


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## GoodTurns

Beautiful house!  I work for a homebuilder and we have our work lined up for the next 1.5 to 2 WEEKS!  I've heard the "everything's bigger in Texas", but that step to the back entry is amazing!


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## jttheclockman

Beautiful job and you should be proud of it. I tell you this, when I hit the lottery I am going to hire you to design my house and my shop of course. Great job. Very rewarding when we can stand back and say I did that. Even on the small scale as pen turning it is rewarding.


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## MesquiteMan

ranchonodinero said:


> Outstanding job! My wife loves the mosaic on the backsplash-tell me about the floors please. Looks like tile? The barn door to the study is a nice touch.


 
Here are a couple of closer picture of the floors












It is scored and stained concrete.  They use a saw to lightly score the concrete foundation and then stain and seal it.  It is a very invironmentally friendly floor since there is no significant additional materil used other than some stain and wax.  No tile, carpet, etc.


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## wolftat

Curtis, I looked the plans over pretty well and I like the little added touches like the shower coming in from the garage/porch area, but seems to me that there is someting missing that is very important.....................Where is the shop?


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## MesquiteMan

The shop is in a 2,000 sf metal building about 200 feet away that was already there.  No lathe in it, though!


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## L1Truckie

Absolutley stunning!  I like more of a Mission style for my pref, as Im sure you build all styles but that is absolutely beautiful Curtis. I know your proud as you should be!  I would like to see (as well as others im sure) some other of your custom homes.  Just dont put a link to it on amazon  lol


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## coach

I love Texas Hill Country Style!


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## wolftat

MesquiteMan said:


> The shop is in a 2,000 sf metal building about 200 feet away that was already there. No lathe in it, though!


 Thank god, you were starting to scare me.....LOL
 I have a spare lathe if they need one.


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## exoticwo

Outstanding job on the house Curtis!!

I wonder who turned the little turned box with a black Finial that's sitting on the Kitchen Island?


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## sdemars

*$600,000.00 ! ! ! !*



MesquiteMan said:


> It is 6,000 sf +/- under roof and 4,000 sf +/- living. I built it cost plus and it came in around $676,000 without the land. Things are a lot cheaper here in Central Texas than CA!




My God, you could have built a 10,000 square foot Air Conditioned Shop completely equipped with MiniMax, FESTOOL, etc . .  & still had money left to put a double wide behind it . . .

But, since the deed is done . . . . must say your work is spectacular . . . .  

Steve


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## ahoiberg

super, super! i'd be proud to own that one!


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## chuck1250

move to Abilene we need more builders like you


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## TellicoTurning

Thanks a lot Curtis, I showed your house to my wife and now she wants to move back to Texas. LOL

That is a breath taking place... Couldn't tell you which part I liked the most... Ooooh and Awe all around.     Wish I could afford something like that.  Also love the San Marcos area.. would be lot closer to my son in Bastrop.


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## PenPal

*Curtis*

I am completely impressed by your design and completion of this home.Here in Canberra a very modest home would cost with land something like 450.000 of our money a house such as this well over the million.

When as a fourth year apprentice Electrician we lived in a 11feet square shed for a year while we built our house the total cost was 7000.00, moved away for 5 years in 1972 and sold for 11000.00. We married in 1955 when I was 20, the land value there is now in excess of 700000 Dollars. We have a daughter and family who live in Logan Utah who find the forever winter there quite exhausting and dangerous who find with houses around 140000 it would be very difficult to return here and buy a home.

There was such craftsmanship you have shown you should be really proud and reading between the lines I sense a very honourable man as well, your sense of fair dealing is to be admired by us all, thank you. It can be quite daunting for us to communicate from Australia when so many of your ie Americanisms and our Australianisms can have different interpretations.  One thing is certain I know quality when I see it. I grew up in a world that shook hands on deals and honoured them.

To me this forum lives with honest men like yourself.

Peter.


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## Ozzy

Beautiful home Curtis. I knew that it had to be here in central Texas. I have also downloaded your plans and when me and loml get around to having a home built, we will definately call you.

Again, that is a beautiful home. Thanks for sharing.


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## VisExp

Curtis, your work and attention to detail are outstanding.  You have every right to be proud of your work!  I really like the fact that lumber cut and milled from the land was used in so much of the construction of the house.


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## cnirenberg

Curtis,
The kitchen is awesome. I love the tile/stone work.  Good thing my wife isn't a member here!


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## 1080Wayne

Lovely work , Curtis . And now we know why you are on this site between 11PM and 1AM ! And why you are able to sell your blanks for so little . Thanks for sharing .   Wayne


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## RHossack

And you still have time to cast, turn a pen or three ...


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## airrat

Very nice Curtis.  That would be a dream home for me.


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## Leather Man

That is beautiful Curtis. One question though. How did you get all that in your pressure pot? WOW.
Ben


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