We won!

We are pleased to announce we received the 2021 Chrysalis Award in the Outdoor Living category! The Chrysalis Awards program began almost 30 years ago, and recognizes the nation’s best work in fourteen general categories of residential and commercial remodeling. “We are honored to received another prestigious design award from this organization. And it a testament to the talents of our design team as well as the team to execute it,” commented Tammy Lewis.

For this project, the objective was to provide the family with a backyard to retreat and rejuvenate in. Due to the large 2-acre lot, a lack of privacy from the road, and a fast moving river on property, the homeowners defined the primary outdoor living space by adding a backyard fence within a fenced-in property. With efficient use of space, various gathering spaces are connected via flagstone and landscaping to include: detached home office, private master deck with outdoor shower and hot tub, putting green, fire pit, seating area, dining area, and outdoor kitchen with pizza oven.

BEFORE

AFTER

Take a tour of the backyard here!

Take a sneak peek of our premier project under development in the exclusive community of Tehama

With over 10,000 square feet, this beauty of a home is 2+ years in the making, with another year to go. We invite you along to view our progress.

The walls are forming, and progress is in the air. With our commitment to sustainability, we used Fox Blocks, recycled styrofoam with a concrete core

It truly is all fun & games at this house, it will feature a Bocce Ball court as well as a 100 yard, 9 hole putting green!

How did we make this happen? Through our proven process honed over 25+ years of industry experience, we are able to execute with excellence, projects of any size, from a kitchen remodel to a custom, state-of-the-art, new home build.

Stay tuned for more behind the scenes footage of our masterpiece coming to life!

Heart of Carmel

As part of our involvement with the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, and through Lewis Builders President, Scott Julian’s participation in Leadership Carmel, we are proud to share with you support of their legacy gift to the City of Carmel, a temporary art exhibit; Heart of Carmel.

In addition to structural design, planning, and permitting, Lewis Builders volunteered to install the hearts, painted by local artists, throughout downtown to unify our community. The hearts celebrate public art, engage community interest and promote exposure to local businesses, describes Leadership Carmel a group who seek to increase their knowledge of the Carmel Community and grow professionally as leaders.

The hearts will be auctioned off the last week of August and funds will be used to support our future leaders through scholarships from the Carmel Woman’s Club and the Carmel Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

To learn more about sponsorship opportunities and ways you can be involved visit: carmelchamber.org/leadership-carmel-class-project

Philanthropy Build Project Begins in Salinas

“Giving back is just a part of who we are. It's a part of our core values,” explains John Lewis, CEO of Lewis Builders describing a philanthropy build project he has set into motion for Joseph Escalante, a Salinas resident now confined to a power chair after a major accident over 15 years ago. Learn more about Joseph and the project in the video above.

“At Lewis Builders we have the unique ability that we have the intellectual expertise when it comes to accessibility, we have the architectural design elements and of course we have the building expertise to really change someone's life by changing their space,” says Lewis.

Knowledge of Joseph, his mother Sandy, and Joseph’s equipment needs, led the design team to look at their existing home and presented the idea to convert their attached garage into a fully accessible studio apartment.

After an extensive permitting process with the City of Salinas we are approved to begin work!

We are reaching out to our friends and families and including our vendors and trade partners to help get this done! Something as simple as pulling weeds or planting flowers or picking up a paintbrush. In these unprecedented times we are experiencing a boom in home construction and renovation. Contributing funds may be one of the most valuable ways to help as labor and material costs have risen significantly.

A very special thank you to the following Trade Partners who have already committed their support:

Goldstone Masonry - Accessible Entry Ramp

Division Painting - Painting

CRP Plastering - Drywall and Stucco

Slama Door - Doors

Dusk Industries - Electrical Labor & Material

Don Chapin - Driveway Apron Labor & Material

Old Town Carpet & Floors - Flooring material

List of needs:

Framing
Decking
Demolition
Plumbing labor & material
Foundation work
General labor

Want to help? Sign up at lewisbuilder.com/getinvolved

Introducing the Lewis Family Farm!

Growing up in Salinas as the son of a berry farmer, John Lewis knows his way around a farm. When purchasing this home in Carmel Valley, he instantly saw the potential to cultivate the land.  The vision of this quarter acre family garden has been to produce enough to share with employees of Lewis Builders and our test year has been a success!

We recently invited employees and their families to get their hands in the dirt to help ensure coming success and share in the yield. The bounty includes honey, eggs, all types of herbs and greens, artichokes, berries, zucchini, ornamental flowers and more.

The garden will continue to serve as a gathering space for team building experiences and a harvest party is coming up soon!

Our remodeled cottage in Carmel-by-the-Sea wins Master Design Award from Qualified Remodeler

The Qualified Remodeler Master Design Awards competition recognizes remodelers, architects, builders, kitchen and bath specialists and other professionals for outstanding project design and construction...and we won! We were honored to receive the 2020 Silver Award for Residential Interior in the 42nd annual awards.

Continue reading to hear the story behind the award winning project!

Envisioning and Executing Potential
written by Lisa Watson

Although the San Francisco Bay Area couple, Tim and Catherine Ramos, weren't entirely sure what they wanted in a vacation home in the legendary community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, they did know how they wanted to live in it.

When their Realtor introduced the couple to the cottage identified as “Pico” on the garden gate, they imagined it was too small to suit their needs. Yet they were instantly enamored of the verdant setting and seascape views accessible from every part of the property—except the house.

John Lewis, of Lewis Builders Design/Build firm, sensed something more.

When he looks at a property, Lewis sees beyond what is present to envision its potential. As he listened to his clients voice their interests and objections, he turned over the real estate flyer and began sketching the contemporary floor plan of a beach bungalow, without sacrificing the aesthetic of the 1960s cottage.

The Ramoses purchased the property.

“The entrance to the home is one of its most important visual and structural elements,” said Lewis Builders Director of Interior Design, Cari Hill. “We replaced a set of patio doors with a double window in complement to another pair of windows across the front. We installed a Dutch door at the entrance, with a windowpane grid to let in light, preserving a key architectural element appearing throughout the neighborhood, while maintaining the character of this house.”

Inside, the Lewis Builders team made a 1,600 sq ft house feel more like 2200 square feet of usable space, without actually increasing the square footage. They could have updated the kitchen where it was, yet to open up the space and suit the family-friendly lifestyle of the owners, they created a contemporary open-concept kitchen in the main living area. They replaced French doors with a retractable glass wall, extending the living space of the home out onto the deck, which they expanded by 4.5 ft, increasing the vantage on the seascape, framed by trimmed trees.

“When a residential construction project goes poorly,” said Tim Ramos, “you live with it every day, as the defects keep the memory ever present. We have just the opposite as we enjoy every feature of our home.”

Lewis Builders Announces New Partners

“I would like to announce a very exciting advancement in our company’s trajectory. Scott, Kenny, and I are taking on additional partners. This expansion of our ownership in key departments is going to help Lewis Builders exponentially grow in the same way as when I first took on Scott and Kenny as partners 4 years ago.

Please join me in congratulating each of them.” - John Lewis, CEO

Damien Georis
Vice President of Pre-construction & Design

Cari Hill, CKBD
Director of Interior Design

Matt Kremer
Director of Operations

Blake Stocker
Director of Business Relations

Outdoor Living at "Castle House" a Historic Renovation Project in Carmel-by-the-Sea

This month we share a small piece of an extensive historic renovation project commonly referred to as the "Castle House", an English Tudor built in 1925. The owners came to us for a whole home remodel inside and out, which presented it's fair share of challenges as a historic building.

"John (Lewis) is a much needed force in a process that often can get very bogged down," noted Kierstyn Berlin, Creative Interior Designer at Lewis Builders listing the planning and permitting departments, the vendors, the subcontractors, the clients and in this case the historical review board. "He likes to be efficient and he wants things to go quickly."

"This project was really unique because it was a historic restoration of an old English Tudor home without having a landscape very well delineated that supported the house, that extended the lines and the forms and the materials out into the site," said Michael Bliss, Landscape Architect hired to design the outdoor space.

Because of the historical status of the home our designers were required to retain certain exterior design elements for the house. "I was secretly very very excited that the existing original steel windows were going to be restored. It was a lot of extra work but to replace steel windows, you simply can't do it anymore" said Berlin.

All original doors were kept and restored and several areas of stone work on the home's exterior were seamlessly repaired to a perfect match.

“The fire pit and semicircle bench really complement the opposing turret and draws you outside from the living room, master suite or guest house" said Scott Julian, President of Lewis Builders. The design can easily accommodate 10 people comfortably.

Windows and doors were added to create a much more interactive space with the exterior.

"This was our first time working with Lewis Builders and it was really an amazing experience. They're at the top of their game, really professional" explained Bliss, appreciating the level of communication and diversity of the Lewis Builders team. "It was a pleasure being incorporated into their team in a way that really felt like we were integral to the process, that our voice was respected and the project was so much more successful because of that."

We hope to bring you more of this landmark project in the near future!

Women in Construction Week

In March we learned of Women in Construction Week, "an occasion to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in the construction industry and to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry" says the National Association of Women in Construction...so we celebrated on social media with quotes from some of the women on our team!

"I am honored that our design-build team has such powerhouse women, that our company has attracted and retained amazing women who inspire me. I deeply respect and appreciate the women who are such forces in our company." - Tammy Lewis, Chief Administrative Officer⠀⠀⠀

"Most contractors are male. Just 9.8 percent of the construction industry is women. I’m happy to be among them and to spearhead the support for other women entering the industry, not just as designers but women project managers or subcontractors." - Cari Hill, CKBD, Director of Interior Design⠀⠀

"As a Korean woman, I am a minority, which can present challenges in a male-dominated industry. But I am seeing more and more women go into architecture and design, and there is a lot of room for the female perspective in this space. I enjoy working on designs for Lewis Builders projects on the Monterey Peninsula. I grew up here and am very aware of the local architecture and lifestyles that influence how people use their space." - Rebecca Skelin, Lead Designer⠀⠀⠀

Project Completion! An Ultra-Modern Farmhouse "Haven" in Carmel Valley

A whole home remodel in Carmel Valley is complete.

The owner's came to us wanting to take a dilapidated house, in a great location in Carmel Valley and make it a space for their family to grow while entertaining friends and colleagues. What came to be is a Modern Farmhouse design, paying homage to it's outdoors, with hints of our past Mid-Century inspired projects.

Take a walk through in the video above!

Light and nature stream into the living room through accordion glass doors and gable windows. The existing wood burning fireplace was kept, updating it with a black finish and framed with mantle, cabinets and a recessed television.

While the double island concept is not new, it certainly is super functional. They have become our client's favorite part of entertaining and are used for daily family meals.

The hide-away pantry came out great and functions as a full service pantry with sink, prep area keeping the kitchen uncluttered of the coffee maker, microwave, blender, and more.

The original redwood siding from this 1951 home was repurposed and used to make stunning cabinets and barn doors. We began by stripping the redwood siding, that was then torch-burned and brushed, followed by several layers of finish sealants.

Dining room features a walk-up beverage bar and this functional, temperature controlled wine enclosure that beautifully displays up to 180 bottles of wine. Both of which provide soft ambient lighting in the evening.

How important has dedicated space for work/study from home become?! Hallway and bedroom built-ins satisfy this necessity.

Master bedroom features an open ceiling allowing for more gable windows as well as double sliding doors and a barn wood accent wall. Bath incorporates black hardware and farm sink details and features a curb-less shower with backlit niche and a frosted full width window. Skylight above providing additional daylight over the vanity.

We'll share the beautiful exterior of this home in upcoming news. Stay tuned!