Without a comprehensive understanding of the building’s history and its architecture, a contractor will perform unstudied modifications that may compromise the integrity of a significant historic property.  Cultural landscape has as much of a historical significance as the buildings if not more.

“A building without landscape is a building on dirt”. Imagine Balboa Park without its magnificent landscape. The identification, documentation, analysis, evaluation, treatment and maintenance of historic sites… help ensure that the resource is available for the education and enjoyment of future generations. ZMK Design team makes certain that the element of cultural landscape is preserved during restoration project and, if the cultural landscape is missing or tainted, ZMK will restore and bring it back its former glory.

It’s the same finesse that separates a professional golfer from an amateur, developed through years of knowing what to look for and where to look, in addition to knowing which tools to use and how to use the tools.

And most importantly, the restorer must have the ability to tap into the mind of the original creator of the home. 

I mentioned my current home, the historic, early California-style King Ranch House.  One half of the home is designed with bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways, and closets on a raised foundation with crawl space under. The remaining half is stamped & stained concrete in the living room, dining room and kitchen.

The beginnings of stained and stamped concrete

Stamped & stained concrete was a technique at its infancy in the 1920’s.  Much of the techniques were executed with a series of tools that are no longer available today.

A modern technique with modern tools could not replicate the same design.  I created several templates and molds of concrete and multiple tools with endless attempts to replicate the exact match.  Finally after many failed attempts, it all came together and with the desired results. I don’t know if I’ve replicated what the craftsmen did in 1927, but I think I’ve made them proud.  It’s sad to say that much of craftsmen techniques from that time have been erased by history.  A lost art that we as restorers strive to preserve and bring back to life.

As you embark on restoring your home, here are some handy tips to help you find a project that rings true to everything you wish for your house:

Learn as much as you can about the style and architect of the property: it will give you a wonderful perspective on the “why” and the “how” behind your home.

Why is it that the bedrooms closets are small?
Because folks in that time had one third the amount of clothes we have today.

Antique dumb waiter

How did the architect and builder decide where to place a dumb waiter?

Larger homes, like mansions, often showcase antique dumb waiters located close to the kitchen. The location limited the number of servants around the dining table, giving diners privacy and intimacy during mealtime. Thomas Jefferson is credited by some as the inventor of the dumb waiter.

You’ll be surprised at all of the hidden stories your home holds.

For instance, I discovered that Edwin King, the creator of my home was famed for his silent films Tarzan movies in the 1920′s.

An Edwin C. King production

He wanted a home that reflected much of the architecture of the western style ranches.  He hired the Wright Company to build the ranch for him.  It is believed that the Wright Company built most of the Hollywood’s western-themed sets to give the illusion of real towns with western style buildings during movie shoots.

History also tells that Edwin King was influenced by the charm of those movie sets and characters, which is why he chose to have that style in his home.

What does this all tell you? Don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions!

When I began restoring my home, I went to a variety of sources for help.  My main source were historians Ron & Dale May of Legacy 106.

Another way of learning more about your home is strolling through your neighborhood, taking in ideas from the restored homes nearby.

And of course, if you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out and write me an email or give me a call at 619-654-9419.

The King Ranch House that I call home

Built in 1927 by Edwin King, a Hollywood silent film producer, my home was registered as the “King Ranch House”.

Like previous historic homes I’ve purchased, this home, taught me about the early California ranch style architecture and I learned to appreciate Edwin King’s vision for his home. I’ve come to understand his patience, artistry, and the beauty in his chosen land to build this home.

The condition of the home was dire and was starving for attention and for someone to save it. I’ve heard it said before, and with this home the saying rang true: “the house spoke to me”.

What is really interesting about this home is that many thought that it was an adobe style construction and some thought that it was a Cliff May design. My initial thoughts were quite different. At first glance the home appears to be a Spanish Colonial Revival.

After research and the consultation from Historians Ron May and wife Dale May of Legacy106, we’ve found that the home is in fact an early California, ranch-style architecture. Once this mystery was solved, I’ve become more in love with the home and take great pride in preserving it for the next owners to appreciate. The Escondido Historic Board nominated the King Ranch House with pleasure and it only took them less than a year.

A few things that I learned through this process, and by working alongside other historic home owners is that we’re wired differently: when we purchase a historic home, we become caregivers of the property.

When I purchased the King Ranch House, I had no experience with its particular architecture and had some idea that it would require a certain amount of money to restore it. I needed to get into the mind of the Edwin King to explore his vision so I can do the right thing in the restoration process.

And yes, even I under estimated the amount of money needed. This goes to show you that no matter how experienced you are in the restoration process, once you embarked on a new venture, you will underestimate the particulars. It’s unavoidable and I always stress to my clients to keep this in mind when you purchase your historic home.

What makes the early California architecture different than the homes I’ve restored in the past is that it’s less fussy and requires very little maintenance when compared to similarly aged homes. It is truly designed for simplicity and relaxing feel. My wife and I hardly leave home on the weekend only because we don’t have to. We have a slice of history and a slice of our own oasis that we enjoy. It’s like a vacation every weekend (minus a full time butler… one can wish, right?).

And funny enough, whether my historic home provides a place to land for two generations or twenty more, it’s been so much more than a financial investment: it’s been an investment in my personal happiness and the happiness of future generations who will enjoy living under its roof.

Many resumes arrive to our office each week. Recently we were in need of hiring rough carpenters for a new project in San Diego. Out of 386 resume reviewed for the position, only 3 seamed most qualified with great references and were hired the next day. Within 2 days they were fired due to lack of competency. Our loyal superintendent told reported that the fundamentals of construction was simply absent from the applicants and that letting them go is justified. It doesn’t take much convincing to recognize the level of competency and experience. It is simply observed by the way a carpenter holds his hammer, to some extent.

I like to think that we in the south west particularly in San San Diego have the competence levels within the likes of our predecessors prior to 1950 but I’m not going to kid myself.  We have few builder/contractor competence here in southern California and I think it’s because of mass building of track housing aimed to make fast cash for the developers. The cheaper and faster they can build them, the fatter the bottom line. This has been going on for decades. This way of thinking produced countless of trade illiteracy work force in our business and countless of badly built homes and building.

I usually don’t like to point out a piece of work and label it as anything at all, let alone label it as ‘bad’. But let’s not keep our mouth shut. In my humble opinion, most builders of today think more is better and dismiss traditional craftsmanship prior to 1950. I must also mention the lack of literacy in today’s architects. Many architects dismiss traditional architecture of the Irving Gill’s and Frank Lloyd Wright’s and the Green & Green’s.

It is of great fortune that we’ve managed to stay busy simply because of our reputation. Word of mouth is most powerful. We strive to follow in the footsteps of the greats in our business and I feel very fortunate to know a few of them.  Keeping the standards high and preserve the fundamentals and the literacy of building construction is our life time goal.

One of the new things we’ve done is create a blog so we can keep you updated on recent construction projects. We’ll write about them and post pictures as we go along, and also add some of our best work into the Projects Gallery.

Thanks for joining us here. If you have any questions we can answer for you, you can fill out the contact form to the right to get in touch with me.

Michel: Thanks so much for keeping us informed on your daily plans. It is a distinct advantage to know what is going on each day on the project. That is so much appreciated.

Pitt – Rancho Santa Fe, CA

We are definitely hiring your company again to do other work on our home. Michel, you and your team have done a superb job with our new addition. It was over the top!

O’Leary – La Jolla, CA

I finally got what I paid for in a remodeling job. What a difference in the job you did on my new Art Deco bathroom. Thanks Michel.

Hall – El Cajon, CA

We had our first dinner party in our newly remodeled kitchen and dinning room and I want to send you this to tell you in writing how pleased we are with your excellent work. We received many compliments from our guests. Many thanks & best wishes.

Cook – San Diego, CA