Avalon Enterprises: Design for Life

We had the great pleasure of working with Kacey as our architect and general contractor during our recent home remodel and second story addition. Kacey often talked about her mission of turning our home into our dream home but in all reality, this is exactly what she did. Kacey is gifted because she has the innate ability to mentally dissect a property, fully understand the “true” potential of the land/space, and develop it into a masterpiece. One of the most important things that Kacey does is she sits down with you to understand what you want and why. In her mind, it isn’t just about adding a room, knocking down a wall, etc but it is truly about understanding what you want, why you want it, and how you want to use the future space. Kacey takes a very complicated, somewhat daunting process, and make is personable. In doing this, she also identifies trade-offs, while preserving the most important aspects on your wish list.

Kacey’s customer service is impeccable and her crew is incredible. We had the good fortune of living near our project so we witnessed the professionalism and craftsmanship of her crew on a daily basis. Over the 9 month project, our neighbors never complained once but instead often complimented us on our contractor.

Kacey is also timely, driven to succeed, and always keeps your perspective/priorities in mind. She presents options, explains the trade-offs, and helps make sure everything is personally done to the highest detail.

In being both the architect and general contractor, Kacey can ensure that the design on paper is constructed the right way. She is the point contact for everything and she always makes herself available. This really simplified the process and eliminated a lot of confusion/hassle.

All in all, Kacey did a fantastic job! We feel very fortunate to have worked with her and would highly recommend her for your remodel or new construction project. She helped turn a very stressful project into an enjoyable experience that was finished on time and on budget.

Finally, the true proof is in the final result and we can honestly state that every time we wake up in our new master bedroom, pull up to our house, and just walk into it, we smile knowing that we truly love our new home. Plus, we are constantly getting compliments on our new home!

If you work with Kacey, I am 100% confident you will be amazed by her creativity, work ethic, knowledge, customer service, and of course THE FINAL RESULT.

Kacey was our architect for an extensive home remodel project. We took our home down to the studs and also added on. She was fantastic at helping us think through how we live in our home and at reflecting our priorities and desires in the architectural plan that she created. She was very thoughtful about working with small spaces and making them very livable and comfortable. She is a great listener and communicator, is patient, dedicated, and detail-oriented. We are thrilled with the results.

We worked with Kacey and team at Avalon Enterprises for our recent remodel project in Los Altos. Kacey brought a fresh perspective that we simply couldn’t find elsewhere. We were looking to do a modern update on a classic 60’s ranch house, and Kacey/Avalon really delivered for us. Her attention to detail is second-to-none, and Kacey helped us think through every minute consideration imaginable.

We’ve done 3 remodels, and we’ve learned that the key is planning, planning, and more planning. Rushing into the “build” phase prematurely will cost more and not achieve the result that you want. Kacey’s expertise in plan-design-build will guarantee you a result that you will be happy with.
Highly recommended!

The job was wonderfully executed, and we would recommend Kacey Fitzpatrick and her crew to others. The design process was detailed, and each item I requested was included, no matter how small. This included adding details such as exact measurements for cabinets to hold appliances, to a kitchen layout which is very unusual in a traditional residential kitchen, with the serving area separate from the cooking area. I really felt as though our needs were heard and drawn with detail in the design. Furthermore, our house, now a two-story, integrates well into the neighborhood … After living in the house for eight months, we still love it as much as we did when we first moved in. Avalon truly did turn our old ranch house into a dream home.

Again, I’d highly recommend Kacey and Avalon Enterprises.

We just wanted to write you a quick letter and let you know how pleased we continue to be with the Craftsman style home that you designed and built here in Los Altos. In a town of average ranches of uninspired construction quality, our house remains, over six years later, creative, unique and timeless. The design and character of the house constantly draw compliments and admiration from friends and passersby alike. Most new homes just aren’t built with the character, detail and craftsmanship that older homes have. You successfully designed and built a house that looks old, but isn’t. A house that is impressive, yet friendly. I can’t tell you how many times we have heard the phrase, “You live in THAT house? I love that house!”

The things we appreciate most about our house of course include its extraordinary design, livable floor plan and quality of construction. However, it’s the smaller things that were obviously obsessed over during design and construction that really grab us — the bench seat in the upstairs hallway, the bay window in the kitchen, the beautiful tiles in the fireplace, the quarter-sawn white oak floor with inlays, the front door and entry, the stone fireplace in the living room, the way natural light filters into the center of the home, and the way the moldings fit together. And it’s times like our annual Holiday Party – when the house is all lit up, decorated and full of life – that the house really shines the most. Thank you for creating this beautiful place we call our home. If we could build from scratch, without hesitation we would build the same house all over again.

In working with Kacey, I was impressed with her forthrightness in working out problems thus alleviating potential misunderstandings; her attention to detail, and her uncanny ability to adhere to a time-line while remaining flexible to changes. And I learned, in talking with suppliers and sub-contractors, that Kacey has earned their respect. The owner of one subcontracting firm told me, “When I do a job for Kacey, it takes me longer because she requires I add a step to my process. Most contractors will just let you do it your own way but Kacey sets her own standards and they are quite high.” I am happy with the work done on my house and would definitely hire Kacey again and recommend her to anyone looking for a good contractor.

Kacey has many amazing attributes that she brings to every project but the quintessential element is how she personalizes everything to ensure that your dreams become a reality. Kacey is also an amazing general contractor and a consummate project manager. We feel this is essential. Kacey will take you from conception through the construction process, while maintaining a constant focus on the details and of course, your budget.  In addition to Kacey’s “eye for detail” and creative vision, we were also very impressed with her project portfolio and experience. Kacey has an excellent reputation, focuses on green design, and has an extensive list of satisfied customers, of which we are definitely now one!

From our first interaction until well after the official close of their contractual duties, the staff at Avalon has been nothing but professional, friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. While all remodeling processes come with their rough spots, Avalon made sure we were inconvenienced as minimally as possible, and they made sure that we understood and agreed with all steps in the process. It was clear that they did not cut corners, and were truly interested in keeping us happy with the work. I would recommend Avalon heartily to anyone interested in helping their house be more like they dream it could be.

Avalon Enterprises has assisted us with two house remodels, and as result we highly recommend their design and construction services for both large and small projects.

The first home we purchased was an adorable 1920’s bungalow having a lot of potential, but badly in need of updating. Our budget was limited, so knowing where to start and how to achieve the most value for our remodeling dollar was critical. Kacey worked with us to understand our needs and goals, and provided overall guidance, steering me away from expensive, low value projects, and towards the projects that would help to build value of our house. We had a lot of ideas and Kacey was particularly helpful at recommending what would be practical, and would enhance the value of our home, without unnecessary, non-value added spending.

Avalon started with a smaller project, retrofit of all the windows, following with a kitchen remodel, with much consulting and guidance along the way for other remodeling projects. The kitchen remodel was particularly challenging as the space was limited and required creative input as to how to maximize the small space. The results were on time and a dramatic improvement consistent with the original character of the home, especially impressive given the space and constraints. In addition, they were great communicators, providing a MS project timeline and weekly updates.

With our second home, Avalon provided consulting services for major kitchen, bath and whole house remodels. They provided assistance and suggestions for making our remodel greener, including material, appliance, and lighting selections. Avalon’s input on many aspects of the design provided for a more livable space for our family.

Throughout both home projects, Kacey really took the time to understand what our family needed from a space, and adapted her suggestions to meet our needs, whether it was lifestyle considerations or budgetary. What I find to be particularly unique about the Avalon approach, is the design focus. Kacey provide small suggestions along the way that were not large cost additions, but provided for a really unique feel to the house. Everyday there are numerous features of our house that thanks to Avalon, make it feel both really special and really practical.

After a long and detailed search for a general contractor for a new home project, we selected Kacey based on the following key attributes. She is an extremely professional individual with a sincere drive for excellence and quality in her work. She is very knowledgeable in her craft and patient while working with clients to help them achieve exactly what they want. Kacey is also a very resourceful business person and was very flexible while working with us making it a very enjoyable experience.

Our firm recently worked on a whole home remodel in Marin County and we were asked by our client to make the project “green”. It wasn’t until we were well into our design services that I found out just how green our client intended to take his home – off the grid! Kacey Fitzpatrick was engaged by our client to advise on the energy efficiency of the home as well as other components. I would highly recommend Kacey to anyone! Kacey’s experience as a contractor and her overall understanding of building design were a great asset to our team. Kacey was a pleasure to work with and very professional. All of her recommendations were incorporated in the home that went on to win the “Remodel the Future” award from Build It Green, a Remmie award for best green remodel as well as entire home remodel from the SF National Association of the Remodeling Industry. Thanks for your invaluable help Kacey! I look forward to collaborating with you again.

Kacey was part of the design and implementation team for our green home in Tiburon, California. She helped us select advanced insulation, no VOC paints, sustainable harvested wood products. All in all, Kacey is a great help if you are working on such a project yourself!

Kacey has managed three projects for us.  We highly recommend her and her company Avalon.  The projects have ranged from small (a complicated carport repair) to huge (problematic and artistic family room remodel).  Kacey’s strengths are her integrity, attention to detail, and organization.  She has a nice network of subcontractors and craftspeople on whom she can call for a variety of projects and she manages them well.  We always felt that Kacey was looking out for our interests as if they were her own.  She has a good eye for design, though I value her most for her rigorous execution of the task at hand.  She is realistic in terms of assessing schedules and costs, so don’t expect cheap, super-quick results.  Kacey’s goal is ultimate quality and durability and those don’t come for free.  I made a regrettable mistake early on in our relationship declining her bid in favor of a cheaper one and paid a big price in terms of rework and the exorbitant expense and frustration associated with that.  I will never make that mistake again.

Most importantly, she never shies away from a challenge and gets to the bottom of the issue to solve it.  We discovered some major infrastructural problems during our latest remodel and Kacey did a great job of investigating and researching several state-of-the-art alternative solutions across a price spread and presented us with an excellent cost-benefit-risk scenario.  She gave us her advice but let us have our voice as well to determine the final path.  A remodel or new build is full of surprises, problems, and yes, mistakes.  Any project manager or contractor that tells you otherwise is lying.  So don’t go with someone that paints you pretty pictures and promises miracles.  Go with someone like Kacey/Avalon that will tell you the truth, mean what they say, take responsibility for their work, and make it their business to make sure you are ultimately satisfied and happy.

My wife and I trusted Kacey Fitzpatrick to envision our aging rancher as a craftsman stunner. Her attention to detail, thorough command of design principles and sensitivity to our long and short term goals, resulted in a space that exceeded our expectations. This award-winning designer was an early advocate of building “green” and integrated energy efficient and sustainable products into our remodel. In 2007, she took her knowledge and passion for “green” and established GreenTownLosAltos.org, a non-profit to educate and energize the community to be more sustainable.

Kacey built our house and has remained a good friend, which is a testament to her personal integrity and the quality of her work.

The overall project (4600 square feet of custom, new construction with a number of high end finishes) came in shockingly close to target: 2-3% over the initial budget, delivered early, and substantially the same scope.

We did make a number of changes along the way (both additions and deletions) and we found Kacey to always have integrity in the process. If she missed something that she should have covered in the bid, she absorbed the cost. If we added something net new, it was a fair price.

If we were going to build again we wouldn’t hesitate to have Kacey do the work.

We have worked with Kacey on several projects at our home including both indoor and outdoor design work. Kacey and the other Avalon team members are smart in their planning, very responsive in all communications and thorough in their work. Kacey also manages her subcontractors well so that the homeowner does not get caught between conflicting messages or schedules.

The Avalon designs are environmentally sound and managed on time. It is a complete pleasure to work with Kacey and I would not hesitate to do so again or to highly recommend her to others.

Kacey Fitzpatrick and her team updated and transformed my aging mid-80s style townhouse into a slick, contemporary beauty. The relatively inexpensive surface upgrades such as new floors, trim details and counters Kacey’s team recommended returned huge profits for me when I sold the place. Her knowledge of going “green” and “sustainable” is unsurpassed.