Sustainable Green Building: Cellar Ridge Custom Homes - McMinnville, Oregon
In Their Words..
"I love John! The finished basement of our 1920's home flooded in 2009, and we lost an entire floor of (shoddy) living space. We spent a year or two talking with various experts and contractors only to encounter more bad news and daunting obstacles. When Carson and John came on the scene, their positive attitude and energy was a huge relief. When a game-changing problem was encountered once we were already past the point of no return, that positive and friendly attitude did not waiver. John was available by phone, by text, by email, and in person for each exciting (or terrifying) step, and that made all the difference with our remodel.
The carpenters who became familiar faces at our house were equally approachable. Just when I thought they might run from 'the wife' when I would head downstairs with a question or request, they were friendly and listened thoughtfully.
Our project presented many opportunities to ruin a working relationship and begged for lazy short-cuts. But at each turn, John and the Cellar Ridge tem worked to find the right solution for our house and kept the lines of communication open. As a result of their commitment to quality, our basement is full of features that give me great pleasure to use, to look at, and to remember the collaborative spirit that brought them about. Cellar Ridge is a credit to Yamhill County."
— Jenny Johns
"John and Carson are not only true visionaries but have the skill and persistence to bring ideas to reality. After a massive snowstorm nearly flattened one of the Granary District buildings in 2008, John and Carson went out of their way to bring forth ideas for rebuilding and reusing what was otherwise a complete teardown. Not only did we reutilize a major portion of the existing structure, our end product completely exceeded our expectations. When sometimes 'concept drawings' elevate expectations only to have the final product fall short, Cellar Ridge delivered a building far beyond what we thought we would be getting. Not only is it one of the most amazing buildings in McMinnville, but they did it on time and on budget. Since that first project we have continued to engage the services of Cellar Ridge for new projects and they always impress us with their creativity and quality."
-Kelly McDonald, Granary District Properties, McMinnville, OR
"What a
process from start to finish this project was for us. We were somewhat doubtful
on that Autumn day we brought Cellar Ridge into the house we had not yet
purchased. We wanted this stark old house to work for our family, but it seemed
as though there were several lifetimes of work to be done in order to bring it
back to life. Yet with every photo that Carson snapped while wearing a wide
grin and with every, "we could move this here" and "we could
open that up there" that John and Carson uttered, our excitement grew.
That first
day turned out to be very representative of our relationship with Cellar Ridge.
They continued throughout the entire project to keep us afloat with new
excitement at every turn. And there were many turns. They helped us prioritize
the plans to fit our needs and budget. They trudged along with us through the
murky, ever changing waters of The Bank.
They remained optimistic yet realistic
when we had a vague idea of changes or additions we wanted to make; they would
talk it over with their team and we would end up with our idea, only so much
better than we could have imagined.
Their
employees are professional, creative and talented. They supported and
encouraged the reuse and repurposing of many materials, which is important to
us personally and helped to keep an authentic feeling, true to the spirit of
the house.
Because of
Cellar Ridge's high level of commitment to excellence and excitement in
rejuvenating an old house, it is now the place we thoughtfully call home."
With
gratitude,
Rachel, Ryan
and Henry
"We at McMinnville Public Market can't express enough gratitude to Cellar Ridge Construction for their skill, passion and technical savvy in the renovation of our new facility. Their vision and creativity firstly prevented the demolition of an old building deemed beyond repair. Their building science acumen then led to a clearly defined plan which addressed stabilizing the structure while improving efficiency and repurposing most original materials. The process was a pleasure and the results are amazing. Thanks guys!"
-Shannon Thorson, Manager, McMinnville Public Market
"John Mead built a high quality, highly innovative, energy efficient, solar, "net zero energy" home for my wife and I in 2009. His strong knowledge of engineering principles, his drive toward finding innovative, workable (and attractive) solutions to what we wanted in the home, and his deep background in construction technologies and emerging techniques are what makes himself and his firm special. The home has already been featured in several magazines. I'd reccomend John to anyone who wants a quality (beautiful and easy on the Planet) home!"
— Doug Boleyn
When
we finally decided to finish our bonus room, it was with trepidation
that we braced for inconvenience, surprises and unresponsiveness. We
were pleasantly surprised that our experience with Cellar Ridge Custom
Homes did not involve this. Carson was very responsive to working with
us, even though our ideas were sometimes half-baked and evolving as we
went. In addition, they managed to complete the project quickly (only a
month and a half) and on budget. The results are fantastic. We have
received nothing but complements on our remodel and were very pleased
with the result. We would certainly do another project with Cellar
Ridge and Carson, and would wholeheartedly recommend their services.
— John Linder
We would like to express our heartfelt
thanks to the entire staff of Cellar Ridge Custom Homes. When we set
out to build a new home in our new state of Oregon we faced many
challenges. Carson and John were very patient and helpful throughout.
They listened to our needs and our requests and incorporated these into
our plans. We started with an idea and ended with our dream. We cannot
thank them enough for making the construction process actually fun. We
enjoyed sharing our insights, ideas, and own touches to the project and
Cellar Ridge’s willingness to incorporate these. The construction went
smoothly, quickly, and was within budget for the project (a point
important to us, but most important to our bank!). All of the
subcontractors were professional, courteous, and skilled. We would
recommend Cellar Ridge to anyone considering construction or remodeling.
We look forward to the opportunity to work with them in the future!
Carson and John call our house the “Not-so-Big” house but to us it is
the biggest and most beautiful house ever! Thanks to everyone at Cellar
Ridge! They have truly built “our” home.
— Lori Pillsbury & Tim Elliot
“158 Days—2 Homes Built! The Valley’s Edge project groundbreaking
ceremony occurred May 27th, 2008. The series of photographs highlight
progress made during the summer and early fall. Construction on the
homes was completed on schedule on October 31st, 2008. Congratulations
to John Mead and Cellar Ridge Custom
Homes for a great job!”
— David Weigan, Executive Director January, 2009
There is no praise high enough for the work Cellar Ridge did on my
home. My husband, daughter and I had been living in the house since
2000. It wasn’t until Cellar Ridge completed a major remodel last year
that it became our home! I love everything about the work they did: the
subcontractors were fabulous; the green options we chose work
wonderfully; they stayed within budget; and the job was completed on
schedule . . . actually, it was ahead of schedule! I think the highest
compliment I can give is that we were friends with Carson and John
before we hired them . . . We now consider them family!
— Mary Stern
Our house remodeling project was huge. We lifted our house twelve feet off the ground, dug out the old foundation and put in a new basement. Carson Benner of Cellar Ridge was the first contractor who ever came back for a second look at the project. Every other contractor we contacted shook their head and never came back. Carson kept coming back and figuring out ways to make it happen. Cellar Ridge and their sub contractors did amazing work on a very difficult project, and did it on time and on budget. They even allowed me to do some of the work to save money. I recommend them to everyone I know who is looking for a contractor . . . Oh, and did I mention that they're green? We never had a dumpster on sight, recycled almost everything that came out of the house and very little construction waste as well. I love these guys.
Joy and Peace!
— Pastor Mark C. Pederson
To: Cellar Ridge Custom Homes (JOHN, DAD, CARSON, HEATH, & LAURA)
From: Extremely SATISFIED Customers (Kim and Daryll Alt)
As I write this, the sun has just broken through on a soggy spring morning, lighting up my office space. This letter is a long overdue letter of thanks and appreciation for your vision, hard work, constant concern, professionalism, knowledge, and caring guidance through the process of remodeling our home.
It is truly a delight to awaken each morning and look around the ‘new’ house we live in that you so diligently delivered, within our budget, beyond our expectations, and in alignment with our lifestyle and desires.
I will always very highly, enthusiastically, and without reservation offer your services to anyone who inquires.
More than just engaging in professional services, we feel as though we have gained friendships. Our heartfelt THANKS!
Wishing all of you and your loved ones , continued success, joyful living, and blessings everyday.
— Kim and Daryll
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter is to highly recommend Cellar Ridge Custom Homes for any of your construction needs. John Mead has done an outstanding job at meeting our needs and desires for our house project. My wife and I have had a unique experience during our home construction which resulted in having to find a new general contractor in the middle of our construction process. We interviewed several potential contractors. Mr. Mead took time in each room of the house to listen to our desired use and appearance of the rooms. We felt the interview with Mr. Mead was far more complete compared to the other contractors. Since hiring Cellar Ridge Custom Homes, our project has been running smoothly. Mr. Mead has been running a tight schedule to get our home completed in a timely manner. He has approached us many times with questions so the house will be completed the way we have envisioned it. He has also given us time to make decisions so we have never felt pressure or rushed to make a decision before we have been ready.
Mr. Mead runs his business in a very professional manner. We have been given written documentation for every decision that has been made. If a change is made, it is discussed, documented, and signed by both parties. At the end of every month Mr. Mead conducts a tour through the house to show what has been accomplished and what work will be starting next. He is available by phone for a majority of the time, and if he is not, he is sure to call back within a reasonable amount of time. Mr. Mead also responds to emails in the same manner. John Mead is conscious about the materials he uses in his homes. He strives for an energy efficient home. John is always doing research to find materials that you as a customer needs or wants and is able to offer many choices. His crews have also been very clean and have done quality work.
While Mr. Mead has far exceeded our expectations with all he has done for us and our project, we have been most impressed with his character. He is reliable and trustworthy. He works hard and truly enjoys helping people achieve their dreams of a home. Mr. Mead is a great listener and gives sound advice. John also has a great sense of humor and has a very positive attitude.
We hope this letter is clear in recommending Cellar Ridge Custom Homes.
"I love John! The finished basement of our 1920's home flooded in 2009, and we lost an entire floor of (shoddy) living space. We spent a year or two talking with various experts and contractors only to encounter more bad news and daunting obstacles. When Carson and John came on the scene, their positive attitude and energy was a huge relief. When a game-changing problem was encountered once we were already past the point of no return, that positive and friendly attitude did not waiver. John was available by phone, by text, by email, and in person for each exciting (or terrifying) step, and that made all the difference with our remodel.
"John and Carson are not only true visionaries but have the skill and persistence to bring ideas to reality. After a massive snowstorm nearly flattened one of the Granary District buildings in 2008, John and Carson went out of their way to bring forth ideas for rebuilding and reusing what was otherwise a complete teardown. Not only did we reutilize a major portion of the existing structure, our end product completely exceeded our expectations. When sometimes 'concept drawings' elevate expectations only to have the final product fall short, Cellar Ridge delivered a building far beyond what we thought we would be getting. Not only is it one of the most amazing buildings in McMinnville, but they did it on time and on budget. Since that first project we have continued to engage the services of Cellar Ridge for new projects and they always impress us with their creativity and quality."
"We at McMinnville Public Market can't express enough gratitude to Cellar Ridge Construction for their skill, passion and technical savvy in the renovation of our new facility. Their vision and creativity firstly prevented the demolition of an old building deemed beyond repair. Their building science acumen then led to a clearly defined plan which addressed stabilizing the structure while improving efficiency and repurposing most original materials. The process was a pleasure and the results are amazing. Thanks guys!"
"John Mead built a high quality, highly innovative, energy efficient, solar, "net zero energy" home for my wife and I in 2009. His strong knowledge of engineering principles, his drive toward finding innovative, workable (and attractive) solutions to what we wanted in the home, and his deep background in construction technologies and emerging techniques are what makes himself and his firm special. The home has already been featured in several magazines. I'd reccomend John to anyone who wants a quality (beautiful and easy on the Planet) home!"
When
we finally decided to finish our bonus room, it was with trepidation
that we braced for inconvenience, surprises and unresponsiveness. We
were pleasantly surprised that our experience with Cellar Ridge Custom
Homes did not involve this. Carson was very responsive to working with
us, even though our ideas were sometimes half-baked and evolving as we
went. In addition, they managed to complete the project quickly (only a
month and a half) and on budget. The results are fantastic. We have
received nothing but complements on our remodel and were very pleased
with the result. We would certainly do another project with Cellar
Ridge and Carson, and would wholeheartedly recommend their services.
We would like to express our heartfelt
thanks to the entire staff of Cellar Ridge Custom Homes. When we set
out to build a new home in our new state of Oregon we faced many
challenges. Carson and John were very patient and helpful throughout.
They listened to our needs and our requests and incorporated these into
our plans. We started with an idea and ended with our dream. We cannot
thank them enough for making the construction process actually fun. We
enjoyed sharing our insights, ideas, and own touches to the project and
Cellar Ridge’s willingness to incorporate these. The construction went
smoothly, quickly, and was within budget for the project (a point
important to us, but most important to our bank!). All of the
subcontractors were professional, courteous, and skilled. We would
recommend Cellar Ridge to anyone considering construction or remodeling.
We look forward to the opportunity to work with them in the future!
There is no praise high enough for the work Cellar Ridge did on my
home. My husband, daughter and I had been living in the house since
2000. It wasn’t until Cellar Ridge completed a major remodel last year
that it became our home! I love everything about the work they did: the
subcontractors were fabulous; the green options we chose work
wonderfully; they stayed within budget; and the job was completed on
schedule . . . actually, it was ahead of schedule! I think the highest
compliment I can give is that we were friends with Carson and John
before we hired them . . . We now consider them family!
Our house remodeling project was huge. We lifted our house twelve feet off the ground, dug out the old foundation and put in a new basement. Carson Benner of Cellar Ridge was the first contractor who ever came back for a second look at the project. Every other contractor we contacted shook their head and never came back. Carson kept coming back and figuring out ways to make it happen. Cellar Ridge and their sub contractors did amazing work on a very difficult project, and did it on time and on budget. They even allowed me to do some of the work to save money. I recommend them to everyone I know who is looking for a contractor . . . Oh, and did I mention that they're green? We never had a dumpster on sight, recycled almost everything that came out of the house and very little construction waste as well. I love these guys.
As I write this, the sun has just broken through on a soggy spring morning, lighting up my office space. This letter is a long overdue letter of thanks and appreciation for your vision, hard work, constant concern, professionalism, knowledge, and caring guidance through the process of remodeling our home.
This letter is to highly recommend Cellar Ridge Custom Homes for any of your construction needs. John Mead has done an outstanding job at meeting our needs and desires for our house project. My wife and I have had a unique experience during our home construction which resulted in having to find a new general contractor in the middle of our construction process. We interviewed several potential contractors. Mr. Mead took time in each room of the house to listen to our desired use and appearance of the rooms. We felt the interview with Mr. Mead was far more complete compared to the other contractors. Since hiring Cellar Ridge Custom Homes, our project has been running smoothly. Mr. Mead has been running a tight schedule to get our home completed in a timely manner. He has approached us many times with questions so the house will be completed the way we have envisioned it. He has also given us time to make decisions so we have never felt pressure or rushed to make a decision before we have been ready.