It’s our turn

Gregg and I were recently invited to a networking event at AT &T Park, generously hosted by ALR/ANSR, GFDS Engineers, Studio Becker and Engineered Environments.  After watching  Rachel and Michelle enjoy SF Giant’s ticket gifts this season, it was our turn to partake.  We were treated to a pre-game party at Triples Alley and then to great box seats for the game against the Colorado Rockies.  On one of those rare warm evenings in San Francisco, the weather was perfect for a night game.  It was fun to spend time with many of our friends, including Claudio Ramos (HE Banks), Justin Wright (Engineered Environments), Leslie Siegel (ALR), Dan Pelsinger and Dan Matarozzi (Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders), and Clayton Timbrell (Clayton Timbrell & Company) and seeing so many other familiar faces.  Thanks again to our hosts for including us in such a great event.

Green is the new Black, NOT!

Designer Nightmare #127: You’ve convinced your extremely open minded client to use a pre-dyed wood veneer on all the cabinets, doors and full height wall paneling in his project. This wood veneer when properly finished is stunning. You’ve wanted to use it the minute you flipped through the catalog. Everything is going along just swell. We have one of San Francisco’s finest General Contractors on the job: Dan Matarozzi, Managing Partner of Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders along with Doug Nomiyama Project Manager. With them at the helm, what could go wrong? 

One day while at a site meeting, Rich Anderson the very talented, patient and competent Construction Supervisor, catches you staring at the full height, floor to ceiling custom veneer clad cabinets that’s turned weirdly GREEN. Your heart sinks; is someone here just pulling your leg? NO, this is for real.

But every design problem has a solution. And you know just who to call: the awesome guys at Design Workshops! These guys are amazing, not only do they make the best custom casework in the Bay Area, but they have guys on staff like Randy Robinson (who knows more about wood than anyone I know) and Joseph O. Njoku-Obi who is the most incredible finisher you’ll ever work with and of course Rich Fanti who’s a Project Manager’s Project Manager. I’ve seen these guys do things with discolored wood that should get an award.

In less than two days they came up with a sample that was so close to the original control sample that we didn’t have to tint the entire project. Now they haven’t completed the project as of this writing but just knowing they’ve figure out the special tint formula to counter the green stain will allow me to sleep like a baby tonight.