Jeff Cotton Construction

I just wanted to tell you how much Roz and I love the home you designed for us at Northstar. This was a project we’ve been thinking about for a very long time, and the results -- 18 months after completion -- are everything we could have hoped for.

As you know, we bought the Big Springs lot in 1995, at the first auction of lots for Northstar homeowners. We had owned a house at Northstar since 1989, and planned to build the “dream house” as an important part of our eventual retirement plan. We were not ready to build at that time, but we often visited the lot to look at what the future might bring. On one of those visits, we happened to run into you -- you were then designing a home a few doors away. You asked us to keep you in mind when we were ready to start our project. We are so glad we ran into you that day.

The lot we purchased was one of the choice view lots at the end of the Grouse Ridge cul-de-sac, looking out at the western sunsets above Castle Peak. It had terrific view exposure, but also had major exposure to the weather. In the Summer of 2004, we were ready to move ahead. We interviewed several local architects. You stood out immediately. You had wonderful ideas on the design for the house. You also had a terrific practical sense for the site -- how to use overhangs to address the weather concerns with the winds and snow dumps; how the views would play out depending on exactly where we sited the house; and where to place large windows for maximum dramatic effect without bathing the interior in constant sunlight. As our contractor, Jeff Cotton, later said, “Kurt sees though walls and can visualize the sight line 20 or 30 feet in the air while standing at ground level.”

As we went through the planning process with you, we couldn’t have been more pleased. It really was effortless on our part. You listened to what we wanted, showed us we could do even more than that and came up with a beautiful plan. Many homes in Big Springs are enormous. We told you we did not want a gigantic house, and you designed a spectacular one within our size requirements. At the same time it had everything we wanted, especially a dramatic great room with stone columns, huge wood beams and beautiful lighting, and a master bedroom suite on the top floor with a 270-degree view of the mountains from Castle Peak to Mt. Rose, the treetops and the sunsets and sunrises (one of our guests described it as “like living in a tree
house”).

We actually found the process of the design to be an enormous amount of fun -- something which is very unusual when considering the typical stress involved in the largest new construction project we’ll ever undertake. It was also right on time. We wanted to have the design completed and approved by the County by early Spring so we could start construction as soon as the snows melted and you did just that.

When we were nearing design completion, we asked for your recommendation for builders. You gave us a couple of suggestions, we interviewed them, and then picked Jeff Cotton, who you have worked with for years (including on your office). We couldn’t have done better. Jeff is a gem, and we cannot thank you enough for your recommendation. Between the two of you, no problem could not be solved. You both had excellent ideas on how to turn the design plan into a construction reality. There were no surprises, and again a flawless process.

The house was completed in May 2006. We’ve now lived in it for it for 18 months. You always wonder when doing a project like this what you’ll say after the fact you wished you’d done differently. But I can’t think of anything. We enjoy being in the house every time we’re there. From the grand design to the smallest practical detail -- from the visual impact of the stonework and sweeping views from the living room to the dog shower on the deck -- we wouldn’t change a thing.

Thank you so much for turning our dream into a reality. We could not be more pleased.

-- Michael Plishner