Quiet times on the old homestead while I continue to wait on the survey work and geology report to be completed. In anticipation of that, I decided to reach out to what has started to emerge as my favorite modular builder - Stillwater Dwellings. I used a Stillwater home sketch for the rough drawing I made for the geology team to show what I was thinking for the hillside.
Based in Seattle, Stillwater specializes in modern, prefab homes with flexible floor plans that fall more on the affordable side. I wanted a house design that fits into my established neighborhood of Mediterranean, Spanish revival, and mid-century (good and bad) homes - so I didn't want to go too modern, but rather something inspired by the best of mid-century design. Stillwater's overall aesthetic really brings what I'm thinking to life. Also, being a woodworker, I appreciate the way wood is used on the interior. Although I want my house to be a blank canvas on the inside, I don't want it to be sterile, and the warmth that the wood trim and beams used in many of their interior designs strikes exactly the right balance for me.
When I started my research into factory built homes, Stillwater came up early. Even though this project was still just wishful thinking back then, I did attend a webinar they run monthly and it really gave a good overview of their process and design system. More recently, I got a chance to talk with one of the co-CEOs, John Morgan, at the last Dwell on Design show in LA. He seemed enthusiastic and unfazed when I mentioned I was interested in Stillwater but was looking at difficult hillside properties. He recommended I speak with the Southern California project manager, and now that I finally own a piece of land, it seemed like the right time to reach out and learn a little more about their product. I filled out the online form and was connected with Michael Kindzierski. From our call I learned that Stillwater can mange my project from beginning to end and would recommend contractors and anything else needed. Since they factory build the pieces that make up the house, a local team is still needed for foundation, utilities, assembly and finish. They are also pretty flexible in that modification of existing plans come at a variable cost, but most minor things are covered in the initial design fee (8K and up). Also, I can go as far as I want with them on the interior, as I really want to take my time and do a lot of the interior finishing work myself (within reason). So I would not feel like I'm buying an interior package and have to make compromises on what I really want inside with respect to finishes, materials, and appliances.
Everything I've heard so far makes them the strong front runner for my project, and as I get all my property discoveries pulled together, I hope to continue with them into the initial design phase.