The courtship between homeowner and tradesman sometimes requires a matchmaker

By Michael Good

In the spring a young woman’s fancy turns to thoughts of… kitchen remodeling.

No, wait, I didn’t get that quite right.

In the spring a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of kitchen remodeling—and the young women who are also thinking about kitchen remodeling. But let’s not forget the not-so-young. Women as well as men. And the baths.

Okay…In the spring, nearly everyone is thinking about remodeling—something.

Even people who have just remodeled. Even people who thought they were so over remodeling. The sun comes out, the rain stops, and the next thing you know there’s an orange extension cord running across your floor. You wake up to the sound of power tools, and the smell of sawdust fills the air. Hope, like a leaky roof, springs eternal.

So in recognition of this season of sawing, here is my highly personal resource list, comprised of people whom I’ve written about in this column, as well as people I’ve worked with or who have worked for me. Of course, this doesn’t mean they’re right for you—you may have different priorities, a different communication style, and different ideas about what comprises quality work and a reasonable price.

Some homeowners are looking for the Wal-Mart remodel—OK quality at the lowest possible price, whatever the social, political and ethical ramifications. I prefer to work with people I like and trust. It’s an old fashion idea, one that goes along with the old fashioned house in which I live. But whether or not you agree, your renovation relationship will be more successful if you hook up with people who understand the unique challenges of working on older homes.

Authentic Fireplaces
Jim Crawford is a third-generation chimney guy, “a vintage fireplace aficionado.” He’s also a bit of a raconteur, and can fill you in on the history of tile in San Diego. Crawford is your go-to guy if you’re looking for someone to replace a few tiles, steer you to the right source for antique tile, identify your tile or restore your fireplace. Phone: 858-274-6134. Website: authenticfireplacesinc.com.

Frank’s Appliance Service Center
If your gas stove is smelling ominous, your burners aren’t firing up or a knob is missing, Frank Jimenez can fix it. There are other companies that restore vintage stoves, and sell completely restored works of art from the 1920s-50s, but if you’re looking for someone local who can quickly get your stove up and running again, call Frank. Phone: 619-298-3872. Cell: 619-200-2632.

Heath Farrell Carpentry
Heath is a carpenter and contractor who does wood window repair, installs replica windows when the originals can’t be saved, and takes care of other carpentry problems unique to 100-year-old houses. He regularly installs windows for San Diego Sash. Phone: 619-787-5814.

Laird Plumleigh
If you want a modern interpretation of classic arts and crafts tile, Laird Plumleigh’s your man. He designs and manufactures field tiles, trim and decorative borders, landscape tiles and Moresque tiles. Plumleigh is located in Encinitas, offers tours of his studio, is a native Californian and surfer, and his tile is infused with a spirit of present-day California as well as the past. Laird Plumleigh Studios is located on 1550 Gascony Road in Encinitas. Phone: 760-942-6051. Website: lairdplumleigh.com.

Raymond Shaw Landscape Design
There are people who you hire to put plants in the ground. They are gardeners. Then there are people who you hire to decide where the plants go, where the garden structures go such as fences, gates, gazebos, paths, bricks and walls, as well as how the hardscape and plants can work together, in perfect harmony, with you and your house. Those people are landscape designers and Raymond Shaw is one. He lives in North Park, has a background in graphic design and teaching, draws colorful, detailed plans that are suitable for framing and is up-to-date on the latest in low-water gardens. Phone: 619-696-9179. Website rayshawlandscapedesign.com.

Schuette Painting & Decorating
Kurt Schuette has a historic house, lives in Mission Hills and understands the travails of owning a home of a certain age. He’s also got a good eye for color, an easy-going manner and good communication skills. Schuette does both exterior and interior work. You can trust him not to mess up your woodwork after it’s been laboriously refinished, a skill many other painters lack. Phone: 619-298-2476. E-mail: [email protected].

Steve Fox Plumbing
When you have a water leak, it’s always an emergency. But when it’s the day before Christmas Eve, and the City has just turned off your water because of a leak at the meter, it’s a special emergency, with a bow on it. When I found myself in that situation last December, I turned to the Service Directory in “San Diego Uptown News” and called Steve Fox Plumbing. Steve rode up the street on a white stallion—okay, it was a service truck—and dug around in the mud at my curb until well after dark. All that really matters is that I didn’t have to face a grim Christmas with a bucket. He also gave me a nice key fob in the shape of a heart. Phone: 619-286-6325.

San Diego Sash
Wood windows can last virtually forever—provided you maintain the paint, finish and putty. If it’s too late for that, if your wood windows are rotted, termite-ridden, bowed, racked or beyond repair, call San Diego Sash Co. Proprietor Shawn Woolery can build authentic replicas of your wood windows, as well as replicate wood trim and doors, from his modern shop while using vintage equipment. San Diego Sash is located at 435 West Bradley Ave., Suite D in El Cajon. Phone: 619-944-8283. Email: [email protected].

Van Dusen Millworking
What makes a Craftsman bungalow unique? The woodwork: the doors, windows, baseboards, mantels, bookcases and china cabinets. People will tell you how these architectural elements are irreplaceable, and to a degree they are, but if you are serious about it, you can get replicas built and installed that will fool everyone but the experts. William Van Dusen has been restoring old houses and garden structures for decades. Van Dusen will help you figure out what your missing bookcase doors looked like and build new replicas to the same specifications. Phone: 619-443-7689. Email: [email protected]. Website: wvdmillwork.com.

Verre Designs
It’s really rare to find leaded glass still intact in old San Diego houses today. That’s not because it was never there, it’s because leaded glass is fragile, heavy and people over the years tended to throw it away, rather than repair it. Lisa at Verre Designs was trained in Europe, has a nice personal esthetic sense, and can replicate broken or missing art glass as well as design something completely unique for your remodeling project. Phone: 858-220-3282. Email: [email protected]. Website: verredesigns.com.