Valley Home Builders in Person

Ever wonder what we look like?  Here we are at the CA Home, Garden, & Gourmet Show this past weekend.  We're in our revamped booth.  The new island has cabinetry by Woodenbridge and Blue Flowers granite from All Natural Stone.

L to R: Julie, Kerstin, Arman, Mark

Whole House Remodel

This family of four had lived in their two bedroom, one bath Sunnyvale house for many years.  Their teenage boys were tired of sharing a bedroom.  The family room was actually an enclosed patio that had been converted into living space.  Built directly on a slab, it was cold and damp in the winter and much too hot in the summer.  An old bathroom, a small kitchen that had seen better days, and overall lack of usable space topped their list of concerns. They liked the neighborhood and wanted to stay.  Remodeling made sense.

Custom cabinetry, pantry and wine storage.

They moved out and embarked on a major renovation of the entire home.  Just about every inch of space was remodeled.  Their kitchen now sports custom cabinetry, granite counters, and opens onto a spectacular great room.

Kitchen opens onto great room with vaulted ceiling.

Their new bathrooms are sleek and modern; the master bath tub is surrounded in Bardiglio Gris marble and wouldn't look out of place in a luxury hotel.  In addition to spacious closets, the home has a wine storage room for their extensive collection.

Master bath.

Click here or on any of the captions to see the entire album.

Schedule a free consultation with us to learn about remodeling options that fit your budget, timeline, and lifestyle.

Wine Me?

Rebecca Suriano makes original handpainted wineglasses.  They're as colorful and fun as the artist herself.

What's the story behind Wine Me?  I am a natural born artist and reformed rebellious party girl. I didn’t always know which path to take in life, but I always knew I had an entrepreneurial streak.  My "ah-ha" moment came at a lecture by my favorite author, Elizabeth Gilbert of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame.  When Gilbert shared the words "obey what is clear," I felt as though she was speaking directly to me. I had to turn my dream of starting my own business into a reality.  There’s nothing I love more than sharing a bottle of wine in the company of good friends. One evening I thought to myself, "Why just drink? Drink in style."  So I started painting wineglasses as a hobby.  I knew I had a marketable product when I couldn't keep up with demand.  In October 2010 Wine Me? was born after many hours of my labor as a server in the restaurant industry.

What kind of paint do you use?  Glass paint. Martha Stewart just came out with an amazing new line of paints. They are fantastic. Very vibrant and great quality. She's my hero!

Is each order custom or can people choose from a catalog of designs?  Each order is custom. Except when I do festivals. I just make an abundance of popular designs. There will be a catalog in the making and should be out sometime in 2012.

Handwash or dishwasher?  Handwash in warm water.

Your photo albums on Facebook showcase a huge variety of designs. Tell me about some of your more unusual orders.  My most unusual order was also the first custom order I had ever taken. The background of the glass was painted as the world and had a dragonboat, iceskates, and ice luger, a diver, a kite, and well, you get the point, it was quite unusual.


Do you paint other types of glassware besides wineglasses?  Typically I only work with wineglasses and beer mugs, but if it's glass, I'll paint it!


Want more space for your special wineglasses?  Schedule a free consultation with us to find out how you can transform your house into the home you've always wanted.

Savvy Cellar

Jennifer Ayre and Brent Harrison own Savvy Cellar in Mountain View.  Whether you're a casual connoisseur or a serious collector, Savvy Cellar knows wine.  In our recent interview Jennifer covered everything from developing your palate and designing wine storage for your home to what she's pouring for the holidays and more.

Tell me about Savvy Cellar: We're a wine bar and shop featuring wines rated 90-points or higher by leading wine critics.  Most retail for $39/bottle or less. We also offer a unique selection of artisan beers and ciders. You can pair your wine or beer with delectable small plates of high quality artisan cheeses, charcuterie, flatbreads, accompaniments and desserts. Our wine bar menu changes monthly.  All the wines we serve are available for purchase. We have red, white, sparkling and dessert wines from California and around the world. Not sure what to buy? Our sommeliers can recommend something that suits your preferences and budget. 

If you want to expand your knowledge of wine; how should you start? By sampling our many wine flights you can  educate your palate and discover new flavors.  Let our sommeliers guide you through a themed flight of three wines.  It's a low cost, low risk way to learn your preferneces.  Taking a class is another option.  Savvy Cellar was voted "Best Wine Classes in the SF Bay Area" by readers of SFGate and BayList three years in a row!

Photo by Beth Mostovoy

What are the benefits of joining the Savvy Cellar Wine Club?  Club members receive two bottles of wine per month - all are at least 90 points and have been selected by our Sommeliers.  You'll get detailed wine tasting and aging notes, food pairing recommendations, discounts on all wine bar and retail purchases, two for one pricing on our classes, preferred rates for private events, and members-only parties.

What's new at Savvy Cellar for the holidays?  We're pouring wonderful wines that are excellent choices for all your holiday entertaining.  Stop by and try a glass.  Our December menu includes our housemade Pomegranate Bellini, 2009 Fort Ross Chardonnay, 2006 Luna Merlot, and NV Trentadue Chocolate “Amore” Port-Style Wine and many, many more sparkling, red, white, and dessert wines.

How should you store wine at home if you don't have a wine refrigerator or designated storage space?  In the fridge if you're going to drink it within a month - that goes for reds too.  Or in any cool dark place - maybe a closet or basement.

We have clients who will be doing extensive remodeling and have the luxury of creating a space specifically for storing wine.  Your suggestions?  Start with a service fridge in your kitchen.   If you have more space, add a wall in your dining room devoted to wine bottle storage - it looks great and is functional too.   It you have even more space, plan a small cellar in your basement.  There are pre-fabricated options as well as custom design.

If you'd like to get ideas on how to incorporate wine storage into your remodeling project, give us a call to schedule a free consultation.