Home and Garden Guide Spring 2012

April 27, 2012

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Photo by Richard Wisdom

APRIL 27, 2012

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Contractor builds big reputation on small screen JUSTIN LAFFERTY

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hen general contractor Kenny Turnage says he built his business from Fireplaces add a special touch to any room in the house

the ground up, he means it.

Almost three years ago, the city of Antioch hired Turnage’s business – K2GC – to demolish a dilapidated East 18th Street building that had become a magnet for graffiti, vagrants and feral animals. Turnage, who had been operating out of a smaller office in Brentwood, saw potential in the place and worked with the city to purchase the land.

Turnage and his workers tore down the structure and built their offices in about six months. The company has become known throughout the Bay Area for its work in rebuilding and remodeling homes, and even earned camera time on HGTV. “They actually contacted us,” Turnage said. “The first time I got a phone call from them, I thought it was a joke. … They called back, and actually it’s been a very good working relationship.”

ON THE COVER: K2GC CEO Kenny Turnage displays the “before” photo in front of his Antioch office, which he and his workers built.

Photo courtesy of K2GC

K2GC (which stands for Kenny Turnage II, General Contractor) has made two appearances on the HGTV show “Curb Appeal.” A TV crew followed workers as they renovated a drab house in Richmond.

Later, K2GC transformed a boring domicile in Alameda into a lively home, right in front of HGTV’s cameras.

Though the first runs of these episodes have already been aired, they’ll be replayed on Thursday, May 3 at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. “(HGTV) puts out that they’re going to be in an area, and people nominate the ugliest house on the block,” Turnage said. “If they get picked, then they get a $20,000 makeover on the front portion of their home.”

While the beautification process is what

makes for entertaining viewing, K2GC handles everything from full-scale renovation to smaller jobs such as kitchen and bathroom remodels.

The Diamond Certified company, founded roughly nine years ago, also deals heavily with extreme cases, such as houses suffering from flood or fire damage. K2GC earned notice from the KRON 4 TV show “Best of the Bay” for repairing and modernizing an Antioch home after it was ravaged by fire.

Construction has been a lifelong labor of love for Turnage, who started working in the family business when he was 12.

“They did fire and water damage repair, and basically my uncle and my father had an old-school farmer mentality where you had children for labor,” Turnage said. “Within

about the first year, I really enjoyed what I was doing and had my mind made up that this is what I wanted to do.”

About nine years ago, Turnage started K2GC out of his home office. Now he leads a staff of 21 employees, taking on jobs all over the Bay Area.

Though the company has grown, Turnage still maintains a passion for his East County roots. The Antioch High School alumnus is active in several community efforts, such as sponsoring and coaching youth sports teams. Turnage sponsored former Liberty High wrestler David Klingsheim when the grappler earned a trip to take on the best in the nation in North Carolina.

After Turnage heard that a Hannah Montana concert in Oakland four years ago was sold out – mainly to scalpers – he bought a luxury box and gave away tickets to local kids. “We try to help out in any way we can,” he said.

Find out more about K2GC’s appearances on HGTV at: ♦ www.hgtv.com/curb-appeal-the-block/ayoung-familys-boring-blank-facade-isreinvented-into-a-charming-cottage/index. html. ♦ www.hgtv.com/curb-appeal-the-block/aboring-beige-bungalow-is-given-new-life-witha-spanish-eclectic-transformation/index.html.

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HOME & GARDEN

Creative Yards brings the vacation home RUTH ROBERTS

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s a young boy growing up in Brentwood, Mark Acasio learned early on how to

make a job his own.

“Back in the day, Brentwood was such a small community that you could literally walk around town with a lawnmower and knock on doors,” said Acasio, 44. “I started out mowing lawns to help out my parents, and I guess it just took off from there.”

Today, Acasio is the owner and operator of Creative Yards of Brentwood and for the past 23 years has been bringing his enthusiasm, expertise and one-of-a-kind creations to East County residences.

Acasio specializes in designing custom yards that are both functional and beautiful, offering homeowners their private piece of paradise. From tropical to rustic, water features to rock gardens, Creative Yards does it all – from conception to construction.

For those thinking about taking the landscape plunge but are novices at the game, Acasio believes the simplest place to start is at the beginning.

“I always tell my clients that the first thing to do is draw out what they want and what kind of budget they have,” he said. “Do they want water features, lots of trees, plants that

Photos by Richard Wisdom

Mark Acasio, owner of Creative Yards in Brentwood, above, is also known as the face – or hairy suit – of Oakland Raiders mascot Gorilla Rilla, inset. are easy to care for or something more exotic?

They don’t have to know exactly, just an idea. I can create anything. Then I can come and help them develop that plan based on their yard

size and walk them through the phases from beginning to end.”

As for trends? According to Acasio, the shift is toward families staying home and enjoy-

ing their yards. “The main thing people are doing because money is tight is turning their yards into their vacation,” he said. “Because of the economy, more and more people are stay-

APRIL 27, 2012 ing home. So I help make their yards their own private resorts.”

Since Acasio and his family are longtime Brentwood residents, he’s a familiar face around town. But Oakland Raiders fans might be surprised to know that the mild-mannered Acasio should be familiar to them for another reason – as the face of Raiders mascot Gorilla Rilla.

“People don’t always make the connection because I don’t work in the gorilla suit,” laughed Acasio, who has been the Raiders’ faithful booster for the past 16 years. “But when they do, it’s fun. The gorilla is all good.”

And it’s all good for Acasio, who continues to take satisfaction in transforming yards into beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations – and get dirty in the process.

“I get paid to play in the dirt and make people happy,” said Acasio. “I’m a lucky man, yes I am. I not only get to stop and smell the roses, I get to plant them, too.”

For more information, call Creative Yards at 925-513-1012.

To check out more trends in gardening this season, visit www.bhg.com/ gardening/gardening-trends/ top-garden-trends.

HOME & GARDEN

Photo courtesy of Creative Yards

Tropical yards are popular with homeowners for their functionality as well as their beauty.

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Photo by Michelle Mista

Planting marigolds with your tomatoes can help protect your tomatoes from certain types of pests.

Edible from page 6B rainwater.

According to Perez, it’s not too late in the season to start your own edible garden. “We’re lucky living in East County,” she said, noting that late April and early May are good times for planting tomatoes, peppers, corn, carrots, herbs and fruit trees.

“Know your soil” is Perez’s top tip for beginner gardeners. Perez pointed out that while Oakley soil tends to be sandy, Discovery Bay soil is characterized by heavy clay. Her next top tip is to work closely with nursery professionals who know the area. Having served East County for so long, Perez Nursery professionals know the area’s soil types and can help you choose soil amendments.

Container gardens are popular for those with limited space, such as apartment dwellers or gardeners with poor soil. “You can plant in just about any container. Just make sure it has good drainage,” advised Perez. Many vegetables – even fruit trees – grow well in containers. You can even plant multiple plants in one container.

For absolute beginners, Perez suggests herb gardens. Herbs are especially suitable for container gardening, are useful in the kitchen, and many are drought tolerant, perfect for hot East County summers.

Edible plants can also be planted for their aesthetic virtues. Instead of planting see Edible page 14B

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APRIL 27, 2012

Advice From People Who Filed Bankruptcy

by Joan Grimes, Esq. I have been asking people who come into my office if they have any advice/regrets about their actions prior to filing bankruptcy. Here is their advice: 1. Seek Legal Counsel. Don’t wait to find out your options. Almost every person said they wish they had come in sooner. Many have said they would have done things differently had they known the law and options available.

2. Don’t borrow or take money from your 401k, IRA, Savings Account, Children’s Saving Account, Deferred Compensation to cure a default on a mortgage. So many people regret borrowing or taking a distribution from their retirement plan. Unfortunately, many people don’t know that this money, if borrowed, must be repaid in full or it will be considered income and taxed accordingly. In addition, this tax cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. It is heart breaking to see people take money out of their retirement to stay current on the mortgage, to only lose the house at a later time, but are still responsible for tax liability of the distribution.

3. Don’t borrow money from family or friends to stay current on mortgage or other bills. Family and friends want/expect to be repaid irrespective of whether you file bankruptcy. In the eyes of the bankruptcy code, your family and friends are just another lender and will not receive preferential treatment.

4. Don’t juggle credit cards to pay mortgage. Cash advances and balance transfers may cause problems in a bankruptcy. In addition, depending on the type of real estate debt you have, a short sale or foreclosure may be possible without a bankruptcy. However, if you run up your credit cards trying to keep the house, a bankruptcy may be inevitable.

5. Don’t leave house until property forecloses or short sale is complete. Almost every person that has left their home prior to the foreclosure or short sale being completed regrets the decision. Once you stop paying on the mortgage, your rent is “free” with the exception of paying the Homeowners Dues and keeping insurance

on the property. Further, since you are still responsible for the maintenance of the property until the foreclosure or short sale, you might as well enjoy it and save some money. No reason to pay rent any sooner than necessary.

6. Don’t let your cultural pride stand in the way of you making sound financial decisions. There is nothing to be ashamed of. You did not make this economic meltdown.

You are not responsible for the economic collapse facing the Bay Area. The economy of your parents’ generation is not the same as today.

7. Don’t co-sign for anyone. No one can promise the future. So many clients regret co-signing for a friend or relative. Co-signing for cars, furniture Time-Shares and homes seemed like a good idea, but times change and suddenly there is a default. Worst of all, don’t co-sign on Student Loans. The default rate by students who have had a friend or family member co-sign is much higher and YOU CANNOT DISCHARGE CO-SIGNED STUDENT LOANS IN BANKRUPTCY! If you do not have sufficient income to pay your bills as they come due and owing, you should seek legal counsel before withdrawing any monies from a retirement account, savings account or taking a loan against your home or car. These are difficult times, but do not miss the help and protection provided by the Bankruptcy Code and California law by waiting too long.

Just because this ship is underwater does not mean that you should give up your life vests that you will need to keep you afloat!

WE ARE A DEBT RELIEF AGENCY. WE HELP PEOPLE FILE BANKRUPTCY. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PROVIDED AS LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON IN MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING A VOLUNTARY DEFAULT, SHORT SALE, FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBTAINING TAX & LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. GRIMESBKLAW.COM (925)323-7772. © 2011 Joan Grimes – Advertisement

DIG into spring It’s time to drag out the work tools, clean out last season’s pots and containers and get planting. And this year, as always, DIG (Delta Informal Gardeners) is here to help.

On Saturday, May 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Society of East County Growers hosts its 24th annual plant sale at 700 Creek Road in Brentwood. The popular event features thousands of plants for sale – from perennials to annuals – all grown by DIG members.

Prices range from $1.50 for 1-gallon annuals to $5.50 for 5-gallon plants.

For more information, visit www.deltainformalgardeners.org.

APRIL 27, 2012

HOME & GARDEN

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Easy, inexpensive home decorating redecorating your home from

scratch can cost a lot of time and money.

But there are headache-free, costeffective ways to completely revamp your rooms. Make interior design a cinch with these simple tips: Rearrange If you’re feeling cramped but not in the market for new furniture, rearrange your current configuration to create more space or give the room a new feel. Moving larger furniture against the walls will open up the central floor space. Leave ample space between furniture for foot traffic, especially for pets or children.

Make an honest appraisal of your knickknacks and adornments. Less can be more.

Get rid of the clutter for a sleeker look that requires less dusting.

A well-placed mirror is a quick way to make the room feel twice as big.

Change your mind You can transform the feel of a room by simply changing what’s on the walls. Rotate your favorite pieces of artwork on a seasonal thematic basis, whenever your kids come home with a

SHORELINE FISHING AVAILABLE ON SOUTH SHORE OF LOS VAQUEROS RESERVOIR Shoreline fishing continues to be available along the reservoir’s south shore, and bait and tackle sales will continue from the south entrance kiosk. The Los Vaqueros Marina building and boat docks are currently closed for construction.

For more information, visit www.ccwater.com or call the reservoir’s south shore kiosk at 925-371-2628. www.ccwater.com Parking fee is $4 per car for ratepayers $6 per car for non-ratepayers.

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change from time to time – but

new creation, or simply when the mood strikes.

To make this an easy process, choose frames that come ready to hang. Lakeside Easy Change Artwork Frames are fitted with sawtooth hangers on the back and include a compartment to store about 50 pictures behind the one on display. More information can be found at www.lakeside.com.

Be bold Give your space a splash of color and pizzazz by painting an accent wall or the molding with a funky or decadent color. It’ll be easy to opt for a bolder color if you’re not painting every inch of your room.

The walls aren’t the only surface that deserves a color treatment. You can add color to the floor with a beautiful area rug. And don’t forget how far a few throw pillows can go to add texture and color to a drab couch.

Liven it up A couple of houseplants will lend any drab room a sense of vitality. Choose a sunlit corner for your plants. Low-maintenance plants that can thrive even under the care of the most irresponsible plant owners include African violets, jade and spider plants.

You don’t need to break the bank – or your back, for that matter – when giving your home’s interiors a facelift. Quick easy changes can make a big impact.

– Courtesy of StatePoint

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Photo courtesy of Family Features

First impressions count when selling your home, and curb appeal is a major factor when it comes to sprucing up your property.

Curb appeal from the ground up

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hen it’s time to sell your home, one of the most important things you can

do is boost its curb appeal.

According to the National Association of Realtors, curb appeal sells 49 percent of all

homes. To help you build curb appeal from the ground up, TruGreen and Jason Cameron, licensed contractor and TV host, have teamed up to give you some simple, doable tips to improve your lawn and landscape.

Water correctly Improper watering can seriously mar your see Curb page 12B

Remodel Seminar T

hinking about remodeling your kitchen or bathroom?

Come learn what every homeowner should know before starting a project directly from the experts.

When: May 5, 2012 Time: 1:00 - 3:00 Where: The Countertop Studio 3850 Balfour Road, Suite I Brentwood, CA Space is limited.

Please RSVP by April 30th.

(877) 748-1310 FREE ESTIMATES

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For more information: http://www.AmyCarpenterInteriorDesign.com

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home’s curb appeal. Check the working condition of sprinkler heads and water lines to make sure they’re working properly. To ensure your manual or automated watering system covers the landscape efficiently, set a 1-inch deep empty food can in the middle of your lawn so you can measure the depth of water collected each watering cycle. In addition: ♦ Don’t overwater. Watering too much can result in shallow plant roots, weed growth, storm water runoff, and the possibility of disease and fungus development. Adjust your watering schedule depending on rainfall, grass and soil type. Trees and shrubs need longer, less frequent watering than plants with shallower roots. ♦ The best time to water is early morning, between 4 and 7 a.m. This helps reduce evaporation, since the sun is low, winds are usually calmer and temperatures cooler.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, watering in midday results in the loss of as much as 30 percent of your water. Always be mindful of local water restrictions. ♦ Take advantage of rain. Let nature water your landscape as much as possible. Rain barrels are a great way to harvest rain for watering your plants later on – and save you money on your water bill.

Complement with color Consider your home’s exterior when selecting flowering plant combinations for plant beds, window boxes or front porch planters. Any color combination works well

against the backdrop of a white house.

Red or pink blooms tend to complement a yellow house best.

Here are some other colorful tips to keep in mind: ♦ For a calming effect, use cooler colors such as blue, green and purple. They blend into the landscape for a peaceful look. ♦ Bold colors add excitement to the landscape. Warm yellows, oranges and reds make the garden lively. Yellow reflects more light than other colors, so yellow flowers will get noticed first. ♦ Not all color needs to come from flowers.

Foliage can significantly enhance your landscape, so look for colorful grasses and plants such as silvery lamb’s ear, variegated hostas and Japanese painted ferns.

Grass versus weeds No matter your weed problems, a lawn care approach that works in one region doesn’t necessarily work in another.

According to Dr. Ben Hamza, TruGreen expert and director of technical operations, TruGreen will design a custom plan to provide your yard exactly what it needs.

“We offer customized lawn care designed specifically to meet your lawn’s needs throughout the year based on climate, grass type, soil condition and usage. And we back it up with our Healthy Lawn Guarantee,” Hamza said.

To get more tips, and to watch Jason Cameron in seasonal webisodes on curb appeal on behalf of TruGreen, visit www.trugreen.com.

– Courtesy of Family Features

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APRIL 27, 2012

HOME & GARDEN

Upgrading your kitchen can increase your home’s value while offering a warm and cozy retreat to the busiest room in the house.

Photo courtesy of StatePoint

Easy kitchen upgrades

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or most families, the kitchen is the most important room in the house. And it’s nearly always the

busiest room when friends and family drop by. But if your kitchen is outmoded or looking just plain drab, some easy, cost-efficient upgrades can make it more inviting without undertaking a major remodeling job.

Walls Wallpaper styles come and go. And if your walls were papered more than a few years ago, you’re probably living with a design that’s no longer in fashion. For a timeless look, strip the dated wallpaper and replace it with a bright new coat of paint. Be sure to choose a color that nicely complements the floors, countertops and cabinets.

For a modern take on wallpaper, look for mosaic tile collections that showcase beautiful tiles and patterns, providing texture for any wall in your house. Trend USA offers patterns ideally suited to give tired accent walls a fresh twist.

Countertops Full kitchen remodeling work can create

chaos in that heavily used environment. But you can update the overall appearance of the kitchen by simply redoing the countertops.

Granite Transformations, a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company, can transform a kitchen in one day by replacing your countertops with heat-, cold- and scratchresistant glass or granite. For an even more elegant look, consider mosaic tiles inspired by traditional Italian glass mosaics.

If you’re nervous about making such a drastic change, fear not: new technologies are making it easier for consumers to visualize potential refurbishments. A new iPad application, iGRANITE, allows you to upload a snapshot of your space and change the colors and textures of every surface of the room.

More details about downloading the app can be found at www.granitetransformations.com.

Appliances No appliance, however durable, will perform optimally forever. When is the last time you replaced your kitchen appliances? It might be time to evaluate if your products are really doing the job.

Replacing major appliances such as stoves and refrigerators might sound like an expensive prospect, but outdated products are not always as energy efficient as newer models.

– Courtesy of StatePoint

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Photo by Michelle Mista

Containers can accommodate various plant varieties.

Edible from page 7B ornamental strawberries for ground cover, use edible strawberry plants. “Strawberry plants have the same beautiful leaves as the ornamentals but with the added bonus of the big berries that they produce,” said Perez.

Likewise, lavender and rosemary are seeing a resurgence of popularity as hedges. These aren’t merely beautiful and fragrant in the garden; when you prune them back, you can use them in the kitchen.

Perez suggests pairing a plant with a beneficial neighbor, such as a tomato plant in a container with marigolds. “The marigolds are beautiful and are a natural deterrent to

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bugs that can harm the tomatoes,” Perez said, adding that many plant pairings act as natural pest and fungal repellents, which helps cut down or even eliminate the use of chemical pesticides in your home garden.

Perez is currently planning a gardening class to help home gardeners learn more about these beneficial pairings for later this season.

Perez Nursery, located at 2601 Walnut Blvd. in Brentwood, is open Mondays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on Irma Perez’s gardening classes, call 925-5161052 or visit www.pereznursery.com.

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