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As an architecture and design writer, I have spent years touring and showcasing beautiful homes, but always from the outside looking in, more than occasionally suffering fits of house envy.

The whole idea of finding a piece of land, clearing the trees and creating one’s own little Taj Mahal seemed like the ultimate way to achieve one’s personal vision of domestic bliss.

Sure it makes for a big challenge, but you only go around once, etc. etc. One the other hand, fixing up and enlarging what already exists seemed like a compromise, hardly a grand architectural statement. Renovation was worthwhile, for sure, if you’re talking about Monticello, but from my editorial Olympus, I deemed renovation to be mainly a sentimental exercise that represented a much lower order of magnitude on the design scale.

Builders and architects of new buildings were the real masters. Restoration contractors were…well, forgive my naiveté, but they made me think of aluminum siding men; certainly not the same order of professional. Then it became time with the arrival of our second child for us to actually expand what we had, or buy new. No more looking in the window at other people’s homes from the comfortable vantage point of the magazine.

Now this would be the real thing. And my wife and I did some heavy soul searching: Taj Mahal or a little rehab; big vision or a little tinkering. And little by little we started thinking renovation. How would we ever find another 1850’s house with the kind of character that ours had, with all the neighbors we loved right in the middle of the big city?

Forgettaboutit!

The floorboards, the molding, all these details gave us what a new house takes years to obtain: character. Character was what we really wanted, along with light, space, and a bright orange couch.

So it was a complete turnaround. No more day dreaming of Taj Mahals. We would stay and tinker.

Now, a year later, the job is done and we have a totally remodeled and beautiful house.
It feels very new. And my attitude has completely changed about renovation, thanks to our architect Marshal Audin, and our contractor David Glod of GLOD Restoration & Renovation.

These two had the marvelous ability to work with our family’s needs and at the same time work within the structural requirements of the house.
We wanted a room to do one thing, and the house was going in another direction. To get everything in synch was the real magic, worthy of a Renaissance master.

Now that I’ve seen GLOD in action and their work is complete, I am convinced their renovation skills are more profound in a sense than the skills required for building anything new.
David and Marshall needed years of experience to enable them to retain the character of the house that was here originally, respecting every cased arch, built-up crown,  high base molding, and idiosyncratic pilaster. At the same time they had to have a feel for modernizing and opening up the spaces, ingeniously concealing all the necessary hi-tech and mechanical stuff from view.

My feeling now is that to be a great renovator you need to have a spirit and character as large as the house you’re working on. The end result can be just as significant a personal statement as anything spanking new, and, just think, you rip up a lot less trees from Momma Earth.

And if the Taj Mahal ever needs renovation I would gladly recommend Marshall and David; for the Taj and even for something a little smaller like our 2,500 square foot townhouse!

Here, then, are some notes from our initial interview with David before we renovated. But if that’s the direction you’re headed, as opposed to building new, I suggest you skip the proceeding and simply call him yourself.

Louis Postel: How did you get started in construction?

David Glod, GLOD Restorations & Renovations: My father was in the business and I worked with him since I was young. After college, I went back to the trades and started my business in 1985.

LP: What did your Dad teach you?

DG: He taught me the importance of quality work and that was the basis for which you were to do all things.

LP: Can you give me an example?

DG: In general it’s the importance of doing things well, because that’s what lasts. The question isn’t only what it will look like when you are finished, but what will it look like 5, 10, or 20 years later? So we could side a house with a pine clapboard and paint it, or we can side a house with pre-primed cedar and the day you are finished they both look great and most people could never tell the difference, but in three or four years the pine siding will be peeling and possibly twisting and the cedar should be fine.

LP: So what do you do?

DG: Part of my job as President of the company is to instill in my employees this notion of quality, and that when they are installing a two by four in a wall they’re not just banging a nail. They are constructing a wall that’s part of the house that they are building. It’s important that everyone understands the whole, and all the parts have a relationship to each other.

LP: Does this include your subcontractors, or do they just go in and out?

DG: Yes, absolutely. That’s why we feel it’s important to have all the subcontractors involved in the process of design as soon as possible. We not only want them to understand what they’re doing but we believe they bring something to the table as a plumber or an electrician.

LP: What’s an example of a typical challenge?

DG: As in the traditional condo on the Charles that you see here on the site, there were many constraints in regards to location of existing heating ducts. Instead of boxing the duct work in the corner of a room we trayed the ceilings and installed accented cove lighting in the tray, thereby taking what was a design problem and creating a design feature. So to look at this particular ceiling you wouldn’t know there are heating ducts inside, although an architect or a designer might have a notion of where the heating duct can go, it is the HVAC installer that has to put it in. His or her contribution early on will alleviate problems.

LP: But how would you treat an old house like ours?

DG:  Our collaborative process is even more important in historic restorations, because you have even more constraints. First and foremost, one is concerned with maintaining the architectural and design integrity of the structure. And secondly, one often finds structural problems. So, many discussions with designer, architect and subcontractor are necessary for this type of project.

LP: Can you deal with the historical commission for us?

DG: Our team includes former members of local historical commissions and former and current members of local boards of appeals.

LP: We can’t have anyone working in our house before 9 am, so what can we do?

DG: One of the most important notions we instill in our employees is to recognize the fact that we are not just working on your house, but that we are working in your home. It’s important that we be flexible and respectful of people’s needs.

LP: We had a previous contractor who always left the job a mess. With two children, that’s a problem!

DG: Again, we recognize we are working in your home, and a safe and clean environment is as important to us during construction as it is to you. I believe there is a relationship between a chaotic and dangerous job site and mediocre results in construction.

LP: How far away do you work?

DG: We generally work in the Greater Boston area north of Route 9.

LP: We’re looking for at least three bids.

DG: Our collaborative design process excludes bidding. And here’s why: The traditional method is that an architect develops drawings before cost estimates. After the client has spent 12-15% of construction costs on these architectural drawings, the project is then put out to bid. Historically, the three bids could possibly differ as much as 50%. One could easily say, it’s just one contractor trying to charge more than another, but in reality what usually takes place is that contractors are bidding on different things. Secondly, often an antagonistic relationship can develop between architect and builder where one says “I didn’t figure that!” or “that’s not clear in the drawings.”  The point is it doesn’t make a difference who is right or wrong. There are extra costs and the person who loses is the client. Our collaborative design process recognizes that each profession has something important to add to the design process, and that working together from the beginning we can provide a project that is better designed, more cost effective, and with a lot less friction. It’s not in my interest to have an unsatisfied client at the end of the project. When a business like GLOD  RESTORATION & RENOVATION has been built on referrals for twenty years every client matters!

LP: One of the projects on your site looks very modern. Is that your specialty?

DG: No. We specialize in home renovation and restoration, and do not exclusively do one particular type of design.

LP: Are your employees insured?

DG: We carry liability and workman’s comp insurance. Our subcontractors all have their own liability and the expectation is that both employees and subcontractors come to project every day on time, clean, and with a smile.

LP: How does your construction process work from beginning to end?

DG: We begin with an initial meeting that includes an architect, client and myself. Out of that meeting we hope to define the scope of the project. If the client is happy with our discussions, we project a cost for preliminary drawings. We then set up a second meeting to review these preliminary drawings with the client and make any minor revisions if necessary. If the client is happy with this, we create a preliminary cost estimate that we review at a third meeting. If that’s acceptable to the client, we develop a contract, ask for a deposit, and produce working drawings.

LP: When is our point of no return?

DG: Our process is consciously divided into separate entities so that if at any time after a meeting the client is not completely satisfied, that client can end the relationship. These small steps allow the client to really think about what they want and the solutions we propose. We are not here to push a certain solution on you, but instead to give you options.

LP: What if we have already chosen our own interior designer?

DG: Great! Let’s bring him or her into the process from the very beginning.

LP: Will we ever see you on the job?

DG: We are selective in our projects, so I often spend up to 75% of my time on the job. So don’t worry, you may be seeing more of me than you want!

Check out http://www.postelhartz.com/ now!

Further log on to http://designbard.com/ for more information !!

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Music on hold is being used by industries of all types because it is a source of aggravation for customers. But music on hold produced from a good house makes client actually enjoy listening to while waiting to have their calls connected is an invaluable tool for any industrious businesses.

The requirement for high quality affordable music on hold has become an increasingly significant aspect of day to day life for both large and small companies that occasionally have to place the calls from customers on hold. The music companies provide a complete library of royalty free on-hold music perfect for a variety of businesses.

People who call up companies and had been placed on hold have actually ended up enjoying the on-hold music they heard so much that they inquired as to where they could purchase the royalty free music themselves, and, have ended up buying it. The royalty free music id used by every organization as an alternative to background music, mood music or restaurant music. But due needs to be taken that the legal formalities like copyrights and all the required documents are complete before playing the music on hold for the customers. Basically the background music, restaurant music, on-hold music and the choices made for mood music at your place of business can be critical to the success and good will of the company.

Thus the right selection of the music that is the music that is well suited to the particular client can have a direct impact on his mind. Customers with good mood historically not only buy more, but become repeated customers that is become permanent customers for the company. Thus purchasing of pleasant and engaging royalty free music on hold is not only an affordable choice, but can improve the quality of service for customers.

There are companies which offer royalty free background music but charge for the services they provide. Best choice can be made by checking the price on the internet. The selected music can be ordered online very easily. There are libraries which offer the music on monthly charge basis. If the on hold music is ordered from a good music house then putting the customer on hold can be pleasurable and thus avoids annoyance of the customers. Good music on hold develops friendly relations with the callers. On hold music section is composed specifically for telephone music on hold systems.

Tracks are specifically mastered and post produced specially to sound good on the narrow frequency bandwidth and limited audio quality of phone handsets. Stereo format is used to supply the tracks so that they can be burnt easily on the compact disc.

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Have you ever thought that a simple sandwich can get you and your employees in a bond that can tie you up forever? Well yes, a sandwich can bond you to camaraderie. This is why the Boston team building activities are unique yet educational. Boston team building activities deems that even a sandwich making bash can do a lot for enhancing the team work requisites.

Team Building Boston activity which involves the unique way of celebrating the sandwich making bash is one of its kinds. Here, you can either divide the group in teams and can be allocated various sandwich making chores and then the others could rate them on their chef skills and vice versa. It is a fun-filled savoring activity wherein you can enjoy the hot and spicy tang with loads of gelling up with your team members. An activity with a little competition, a whole lot of pleasure-filled enjoyment and overall the time spent together with your office buddies is just the thing needed to boost your energy levels with a sense of gap-closure and camaraderie.

Team Building at Boston recognizes that an excellent team rapport is a must for a boosting the morale and working competently in an organization which can help the organization to work swiftly only with a proficient team around. Hence, the Boston team-building activities furnish these requirements and adorn to improve the communication gap within the team members.

The sandwich making bash thus helps to portray these qualities among the team workers and gives them a clear picture of the team’s existing strong points and Achilles’ heels.

So try out the Boston team building’s very own sandwich making bash and help your team members to seal the communiqué gap.

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ROCKLAND, MA…

There’s a misconception among many consumers that buying “green” refers strictly to products made of natural materials. While that’s part of the equation, there’s much more to it. Like appliances and lighting that last longer and use less power to run. Or plumbing that requires less water. At DirectBuy of Boston South, members not only have the opportunity to purchase the full spectrum of green products under one roof, but they also can save some “green” buy paying manufacturer-direct prices.

Some of the green products available to DirectBuy members include:

Faucets and plumbing fixtures that offer low consumption

Natural cork flooring and underlayments

Flooring made of renewable natural bamboo

Lighting and ceiling fans with Energy Star ratings

Energy Star compliant kitchen appliances, washers and dryers

Cabinets treated with low-voc, LEED-compliant stains

Bedroom, dining room, living furniture manufactured by members of the Sustainable Furniture Council; many of these pieces are made from natural fibers, use eco-friendly foam and contain organic, halogen-free fire retardants.

“Consumers are always being encouraged to make ‘greener’ purchases, but there’s no real road map as to where to make these purchases and whether or not what they do buy is green,” said John Massaria, owner of DirectBuy of Boston South. “The green products our members can buy through DirectBuy have been rated by recognized authorities like Energy Star, LEED and the Sustainable Furniture Council, so you know the green purchase you’re making is part of the solution.”

Energy Star ratings refer to the U.S.-government backed program ranking the energy efficiency of products. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a voluntary green building rating system, which is a consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance sustainable buildings. The Sustainable Furniture Council is a non-profit balanced coalition of manufacturers, retailers and consumers offering a public tagging program to identify good “green” choices.

“We all know we should be making greener purchases, particularly when it comes to products we use in our everyday lives like lighting and appliances. Unfortunately, making those wiser choices can be quite costly. By making all these green options available at DirectBuy, we give our members the choice to save money and valuable natural resources,” said Massaria.

Since 1971, DirectBuy has helped consumers enjoy enormous savings on home furnishings, home improvement items, entertainment and outdoor products, and accessories, by providing an avenue to purchase directly from the manufacturer. DirectBuy of Boston South, conveniently located at 11A Commerce Road in Rockland, Massachusetts, offers consumers a comfortable, welcoming setting where they finally have the financial control of buying direct.

Consumers interested in becoming members may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House in the Rockland location by contacting DirectBuy of Boston South at 781-878-8846 or by visiting www.directbuybostonsouth.com.

About DirectBuy

Since 1971, DirectBuy has helped hundreds of thousands of families enjoy a better quality of life, enabling them to buy directly from more than 700 manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Buying direct enables members’ hard-earned money to go much further, while having the selection and choice not available at any retail store. DirectBuy of Boston South opened in 2006 and prides itself in providing excellent member service, access to confidential prices, local suppliers and unparalleled selection, all of which help make members’ dream projects a reality.  It’s a comfortable setting, where you finally have the financial control of buying direct. DirectBuy of Boston South is one of more than 160 locations throughout North America.

Consumers interested in becoming members may obtain a Visitor’s Pass to attend an Open House in the Rockland, Mass. location by contacting DirectBuy of Boston South at 781-878-8846 or by visiting www.directbuybostonsouth.com.

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