Custom home in Oak Harbor.
A steep hillside lot in Oak Harbor, a contemporary design by Jim Sykora, and a build that ran straight through the height of the pandemic — gyrating material costs, supply gaps, and schedules upended by illness. Not the gentlest conditions for careful work.
The stairwell to the lower level became the focal point of the great room. Chad sourced the black walnut himself, milled it in his own shop, and installed every piece of trim and railing — joints tight enough that visitors with a discerning eye still stop to comment. For a homeowner whose vision was failing, he designed an LED system routed up behind the tread edges, using contrast and shadow rather than brightness alone to mark each step. The result is a low-vision safety solution that happens to be a genuine architectural feature.
Three-plus years on, the house is performing beautifully — in pointed contrast, the owners note, to several neighboring custom homes that have been beset by significant problems. After more than five years of working together, they call it a five-star outcome by any standard. We are inclined to agree.
The stairwell to our B level is one of the focal points in our great room and Chad personally sourced the black walnut for trim and railings, milled it in his shop and installed all the pieces. Visitors with discerning eyes for detail frequently comment on the beauty of the installation and the fine, tight joints.
