Golden Visions Design

I hired Larry to do an extensive remodel/addition on a bluff location in Santa Cruz. It's a complicated project with coastal requirements, non-conforming setbacks, and a 75-year-old original structure. I have a background in architecture/engineering so I'm probably not the easiest client Larry's had (doctors are the worst patients) but working with Larry has been a pleasure and a true collaboration. I interviewed several architects/designers for this project, and Larry was the only one that, on the first phone interview, had already done his homework, knew the site, the zoning, and was already prepared to talk with me about soft costs for the project. We then had a multi-hour site visit where he shared his ideas about the design and the site. After I hired Larry, his relationship with local subs was completely invaluable in getting what we needed for the first plan review, as it was shortly after the CZU fires, and the long list of services we needed (soils, geology, site, arborist, etc.) were backlogged for months. As the project moved forward, Larry showed his experience (and patience) in dealing with the myriad of agencies and sometimes absurd requirements (yes, Coastal Commission, I'm referring to you). Given my background, I was asked along the way by several friends if I really needed to hire a designer. My answer was always the same. "The house is a little better because of me, but a LOT better because of Larry." I totally recommend him!

Having Larry on our design team was the best decision in curating our vision for our ADU build. He displayed attention to detail, clear communication and cooperation well with the city to obtain our permit with ease. With a well thought layout you feel right at home the moment you step inside. Cozy and timeless this space will be enjoyed for generations to come.

We started working with Golden Visions Design in 2008 when they designed a home for us in Bonny Doon. Larry would listen to our thoughts and ideas and put them to paper. Most recently Golden Visions designed our ADU. Larry works extremely well with the County and made the permit process seamless. He collaborates well with the other members of the construction team, engineers and contractors. Thumbs up!!

Working with Larry to create a green design for our home CZU wildfire rebuild has been a great experience. Not only are we thrilled with the final design, but the dedication and experience that Larry brings into his work creates a set of plans that the county finds easier to approve and gives the builders the detail they need to more forward smoothly. Larry was always ready to answer our questions, work to incorporate our ideas where possible and was very sensitive to our budget. I highly recommend Larry and Golden Visions Design and I cannot wait for our build project to be complete so we can move into our new home!

I had the pleasure of working with Larry on the rebuild of my home lost in the CA wildfires. Larry was far more than a home designer, he was my valued consultant for each step of the project. He helped me navigate all the various vendors I had to deal with clearing my land and prepping for rebuild, as well as how to navigate Santa Cruz County government process / officials. He has worked in the area so long, he has great professional relationships with many of the local contractors and vendors, something my project has benefitted from more than once (example: while others were waiting months, we got moved to the front of the line for soil testing because he made a call to the soil engineer, who he has worked with many times.). He is reliable, personable, and his rates are quite reasonable. Note: In the end, we choose not to rebuild and instead relocate out of state, so we didn't finish the design phase. However, the initial design he did for us was well laid out and clean-lined, per my requirements. I absolutely love his design style! I researched house designers and architects to the hilt before choosing Larry -- none could come close to the aesthetic beauty he brings to homes!

Larry Golden of Golden Visions Design designed a beautiful home for us in Santa Cruz, California. It will be our retirement home, but will have plenty of room for visitors to come stay with us to enjoy the beach. Larry spent time with us discussing what we wanted for our new home, and we looked at homes he had designed. We also looked at pictures of homes on Houzz and other sites to come up with the general style and function for exterior and interior. Larry then took all that input and designed our home. As the process proceeded, Larry consulted with us and made adjustments in the plans as needed. Larry has been extremely detailed in his design work, and brought in top-flight consultants to assist in designing the energy components and other critical elements of the plans (structural, soils, egress, light, ventilation). This attention to detail in the planning phase streamlined the planning review at the city. We are now eagerly awaiting the building permit, and Larry has helped us move through that process with the city planners.

We could not have picked a better designer than Larry Golden. He is thorough in his explanations, and listens closely to our needs. We needed to expand a very small bungalow, but didn't want to lose the charm and feel of the original. Larry designed an addition that included a new living room with lots of windows, a third bedroom and a second bath, and added 2 porches! It is impossible to tell where the old structure ends and the new one begins. While larger, the beautiful new design feels "true" to the neighborhood. Larry does beautiful work. Equally important, Larry makes things happen. He guided us to Dovetail Construction--they were great! Larry included Dovetail in key design reviews, as he kept a keen eye to cost and minimized impact on construction complexity. He is extremely knowledgeable of the regulations, codes and city planners. His expertise guided us through the project with no surprises, and he helped us push our remodel to the limits of what is allowed! We are so happy with the remodel, and continue to receive rave reviews from neighbors and passersby! We loved working with Larry, and in addition to living in a new home, feel that we also have a new friend. We give Larry our highest recommendation -- 5 stars!!

Golden Visions Design gets highest possible recommendation. Larry is awesome! He is passionate about design and is truly in touch with creating your dream home. He will spend the time to understand your individual wants and needs to help you design your precious, sanctuary! Larry understands the ever changing world of permits which helps immensely! His experience and knowledgeable shows throughout the process, yet with no arrogance about being so skilled at his craft. He is communicative and easy to talk with. I was working on a ADU as a owner builder with very little experience. Larry was patient and helped me understand many aspects of the design and building process. Thanks to Larry for being so personable and kind. Larry really saved the day. I was having a unsavory experience with a different designer. The original designer I hired had little knowledge of permitting rules which was extremely limiting to my project and had no regard for what I wanted racking up hour($) and making communication difficult. Larry was referred to me just in time! He opened up the possibilities for my home and made the design process fun and exciting. He is so passionate about design and has your best interest in mind. He will design with beauty but also practicality leaving you with a gorgeous space that functions best for you. Forever grateful! Thank you Larry!

Larry worked with me and my wife on a remodel that started out being pretty straightforward, but after we started, we decided we wanted to do more work which greatly increased the scope and complexity of the project. Larry has been a great partner throughout the whole process from conception to execution. My wife and I both have strong ideas about what we want in aesthetics and function, but I found the process of collaborating with Larry on design elements really benefitted from the ideas and experience he brought to the table. He always worked with us through the inevitable compromises you have to make with the reality of budget and the existing house construction to come up with something that worked really well for us. I especially appreciate his attention to detail, which saved us untold time and money in dealing with building code and permitting rules. More than once he was able to work out hiccups with the planning department quickly and keep us on track. He has great relationships with contractors, engineers and surveyors as well which has been really helpful as well. Overall I would very much recommend Larry for any kind of design project and would be happy to have the chance to work together with him again in the future.

When we started this project - updating a 100+-year-old house in Santa Cruz - we knew just enough to be dangerous (that is: a little, but not enough). Larry stepped in with a perspective that was both historical and contemporary, aesthetic yet functional. He identified things in our current situation that were functioning poorly (and even dangerously), he educated us about current code requirements, he listened to our concerns about cost, he patiently addressed our hundreds of questions and concerns, he offered different alternatives, and we ended up with a great design (for a complete re-model) that was less costly than what we would have gotten from an architect. He was very accessible, responded quickly to email and phone calls, and is a great communicator. We recommend him highly, and with great enthusiasm. Would happily work with him again.

Larry did an amazing job helping us design our dream house. Larry listened to our input and combined it with ideas of his own to create a home that is exactly what we imagined. He not only spent an extraordinary amount of time with us during the design process, he was there for us throughout the building process. He takes on his projects personally and professionally. I highly recommend working with Golden Visions Design.

I want to share what an enjoyable experience we had with Golden Visions Design. We hired Larry to design our remodel (new addition and removal of walls inside). My husband and I had never gone through a home remodel/addition prior to this project and Larry walked us through every step. Larry was excellent at listening to our vision for the house and incorporating that into a final design that will be functional, beautiful and the new house we hoped for. Larry's plans are very detail oriented and he is knowledgeable about the do's and don'ts as it relates to SC city requirements. Larry knows how to get a project through the city! He is also well connected with all the engineers, inspectors, etc you will need for a large design project and he introduced us to our builder. Larry was kind, courteous, responsive and most of all patient. It was a real pleasure to work with him. Overall we are very pleased with the outcome of our design and Larry's ability to deliver on time with engineering plans and city permits. We strongly recommend Golden Visions Design for any of your design needs.

We would like to take this opportunity to recommend Larry Golden of Golden Visions Design to anyone looking for an experienced top-notch professional building designer in the Bay Area and Santa Cruz County. I am a Building Contractor and have worked with Larry and his designs on numerous projects. When it came time for my own Addition Remodel project I knew exactly who to work with. I know how important it is to have concise, detailed, and well thought-out plans. Our project is unique with multiple restrictions and requirements, a real challenge. Larry's connections with County and local professionals made all the difference, and he was always available to answer any and all questions. My wife Carol is thrilled by the outcome of Larry's design. She likes the new look on the outside, especially the window configurations and placements. The inside now has an easy flow where Larry has incorporated our requests and ideas with his creative eye and Feng Shui principals. Larry's design took full advantage of what our property has to offer.

Larry Golden designed for us a 1000 sqft ground-level extension to our existing 1-bedroom top-of-the-garage apartment. Larry took all our inputs and came up with a very nice design. One requirement was to open up the house toward the back of our very long back-yard. The result is a large living/dining/kitchen room with vaulted ceiling and large windows that light up in the evening sun. Larry's communication during the project was very good, a big plus as we were living part time in Europe during the design period. Larry's knowledge of all the rules and regulations for the Santa Cruz county were essential for getting the permit. We would definitely recommend Larry for anyone with a substantial project in the Santa Cruz area.

I hired Larry Golden to design my 500 sq.ft. addition/remodel, and I'm delighted with the results! Larry came to my house quite a lot during the design process with detailed renderings, great advice, and gentle explanations of why a few of my ideas were not going to work to well. He is a really good listener and extremely patient! He was a carpenter for many years before he became a designer. I think that informs his work and is one of the reasons I relate to him so well. Larry is still engaged with my project, answers questions promptly when I call or email and stops by to offer council and encouragement! When this project is complete, we will be adding an ADU in our back yard and Golden Visions will be designing it. Larry is very easy to work with and is really a good guy!

Larry is one of the most professional and nice architects I have worked with. He helped me design my Modern Craftsman home in the Seabright area of Santa Cruz. Keeping the integrity of the house style was crucial...the home has been in my family since 1929. Tearing down the old and rebuilding the new was the dream...and Larry and Howland Built are making it happen. Larry worked VERY well with the City of Santa Cruz and was there every step of the way. His relationship with the City helped the permit process flow smoothly. I highly recommend partnering with Larry. He is a gem!!

Larry Golden has been my design professional for three projects (remodel, accessory dwelling unit and 2540 sq ft new house) in 10 years. For various reasons, the new house was designed in 2010 but languished until 2016. Larry is professional and thorough, thoughtful and considerate, hard-working and dedicated. He's able to translate my vision into his "Golden" vision. Larry first asked if I liked outdoor living spaces, which help us identify a direction; we decided a Craftsman-style house would suit me and our neighborhood. While I have used three different contractors for these projects, Larry vouched for them all and each provided the expertise I wanted for the builds. Larry works very well with the builders. The new house foundation has just been poured and estimated completion is June 2018. There are many energy (extreme insulation), clean air (whole house fan) and comfort features (radiant heat) designed for this house, not to mention the beautiful style and charm a Craftsman exhibits. I can't wait to see the finished product. Larry Golden is a design professional of the highest integrity.

Larry Golden of Golden Visions Design provided excellent architectural services for our second floor addition. Larry invested a significant amount of upfront time listening and understanding our project goals. He successfully guided us through the complicated design and construction permitting steps; creatively altering our design as needed to meet the somewhat ambiguous City requirements. Now that project has entered the construction phase; Larry remains engaged, following up to answer questions and ensure that we are meeting permit requirements. My wife and I recommend Golden Vision Design for any home improvement project.

I am a General Contractor and am currently working on a very high end build with Larry. This will be my third project that he has designed. Larry is always a pleasure to work with. He brings a great deal of creativity, design knowledge, and understanding of the work it will take to accomplish his drawings. However, I think what really sets Larry apart is his open minded approach to the process of the project and maintaining an attitude of teamwork. I would highly recommend Larry and do on a regular basis.

Larry Golden of Golden Visions Design , designed a stunningly beautiful Mediterranean home for me and my family. ( photos to come) Larry is hard working, conscientious and his attention to detail is second to none. He listened to what I wanted the space to be and he offered creative ideas. Larry gave me great advice every step of the way and provided me with 3D renderings. He takes pride in his work and will go the extra mile. Larry is easy to work with and is always available when you need him. I would highly recommend Larry to anyone who wants someone that is skilled, dedicated and will design a beautiful space for you and your loved ones that is just your style.

I worked with Larry early on when I was just starting to provide design services for my remodeling clients. The clients were often frustrated when they had a designer draw plans that exceeded their budget (and I was frustrated too!). One of the reasons I liked working with Larry because he had been a carpenter and he understood structural issues. The project required a lot of walls to be eliminated to open up the home and Larry did a great job.

I have a house that is over 110 years old. I wanted to keep to the integrity of it. There are many issues that come up when working on "older" homes. We are/were remodeling our existing unfinished attic to a media room including a "snack bar", bathroom, TV viewing area and reading nooks. It was a pleasure working with Larry and my contractor. I mention this b/c in the long run there was and will be a savings of time and money by Larry working closely with the contractor to ensure that there will be no surprises once we start this project. Larry came up with many creative ideas on how to comply with building codes in the City Santa Cruz and still stay true to the integrity of the house. Larry has a good eye for design and I appreciated his willingness to share his opinion when I needed a second opinion. Larry was readily available (via phone or email) when I needed questions answered during the design process. I would strongly recommend Larry (Golden Visions Design) for anyone wanting a building designer that is detail oriented, creative, collaborative and knowledgeable about state and City of Santa Cruz building codes".

Project Location: San Jose, CA 95124 I couldn't have been happier with a designer. My project consisted of a major remodel of my home's interior. I started this project thinking I knew "exactly what I wanted." Larry was very supportive of my ideas, but he was not afraid to make suggestions--many of which I adopted. I greatly appreciated that Larry was willing to offer alternative solutions to my ideas, even if I thought I knew it all! The end result is better than I envisioned. Larry's entire process was seamless, from our first meeting all the way through final permits. Larry was so amazing to work with that I (a Realtor) recommend him to all of my clients and colleagues. -Nicole V.

My wife and I are a family of 5. We had a 2 bedroom bungalow in Santa Cruz that from the 1950's that was in desperate need of an update. We had a vision to add onto our property, that would allow us to make this house our forever home. We worked with Larry at Golden Visions Design throughout the initial design and permitting process. Larry was skillful at working with us to clarify our list of wants and needs and presented us with host of options that would allow us to achieve our goals. Larry's experience as a contractor allowed us balance our project with our finances. Ultimately, we were able to settle on a design for the addition of a master suite, and a complete redesign of the kitchen and living room. Following the initial phase of design, Larry provided guidance and his expertise as we navigated the permitting process at Santa Cruz County permitting office. Throughout this process Larry patiently listened to our list of questions, concerns and helped to allay our fears. We were grateful for his expertise, guidance and assistance while we navigated this project successfully.

We had the pleasure of working with Larry and Golden Vision Designs on our 2,300 sq. ft. addition. Larry was able to take a rough floor plan and turn it into something amazing. Using his computer he was able to provide virtual walk throughs that gave us a better understanding of the spaces and their utility. When it came to the outside design we provided him with pictures of a building we liked in Santa Monica. He was able to extract the design elements and apply them seamlessly to our house. His design far exceeded our expectations. To this day It’s hard to work in our front yard without getting compliments on how great the house looks. Larry was instrumental throughout the process. His understanding of the interworking of the City allowed us to painlessly navigate the permit process. His knowledge as a carpenter enabled him to review the Engineer’s work and suggest changes that reduced costs. During the construction he worked as our advocate with the general contractor. Working with Larry was one of the high points of our project. We would highly recommend Larry and Golden Vision Designs!

Golden Visions Design and Larry Golden created the plans for our remodel in Santa Cruz and we couldn't be more pleased with the house. Larry "got" our design sense right away, provided sage construction advice along the way keeping our project on budget and generated plans that sailed through the permitting and now the inspection processes. You often hear about remodel projects being very stressful, but I'm convinced that Golden Vision's remodel design made the entire project manageable, streamlined and very satisfying. My wife and I consider this our dream house and couldn't have done it without Larry's expertise.

We are extremely glad that we chose to work with Larry. Our project came out better then our wildest dreams and Larry played a huge role in making that happen.

Our customers demand a high level of service and professionalism when they decide to remodel their home. That is why we recommend Golden Visions Design directly with our customers. Larry Golden has consistently delivered beautiful designs beyond expectations with exceptional people skills throughout the process. A great building design professional not only understands the person they are designing for but also listens to what is important to them and their family. Larry is an expert at finding the best solutions to any given project and delighting his clients with his design sensibilities.

We had the pleasure of working with Larry to completely re-build an existing home, and add an additional 500 square feet, garage and shop. It was a challenging project due to site constraints and soils issues. Larry was wonderful to work with. He listened and collaborated extremely well with us to create the feel and look we were hoping for. We found that his knowledge of local codes, familiarity with building principles, and eye for esthetics enabled us to create a beautiful home with a great flow. Larry’s price was reasonable and we never felt that he was impatient with our questions. He welcomed our input and suggestions. A big bonus was his use of a CAD system in which he could create 3-D drawings that enabled us to get a better sense of proportion and flow throughout the site. We were out of the area for the majority of the design process, and Larry easily communicated with us via email and phone. Larry has great connections in Santa Cruz and knows who to recommend throughout the building process. He was invaluable in getting our plans through the city without any issues. We recommend Larry without reservation! Great guy, and wonderful designer.

Larry Golden worked with us on drafting design plans for a remodel. He is very thorough and pays great attention to detail. The plans came out beautifully- we can't wait to see them come to life.

My husband and I needed to expand our house from a 2BR/1BA to a 3BR/2BA on a limited budget. Larry was great to work with! He took the time to understand our needs for the house now and into the future. He has a depth of knowledge in how people use and move through living spaces, and how to make the house reflect our personal style. He also gave consideration to how the house was oriented on the lot, how the sun would hit different sides of the house during different times/months, and the feel of the neighborhood - all things I would never have considered. After the remodel was completed, many friends have commented on how well-designed and comfortable the house is. We're very happy with how it turned out.

Larry Golden provided us with exceptional design, architectural rendering, and permitting service. He worked diligently with us to design a truly exceptional remodel for our over 100 year old house. He accurately assess the required permits for our project, developed an on-target project budget, shepherded us through the County and Coastal permitting process, and worked seamlessly with our contractor to make our project beautiful, affordable, on time, and as stress-free as possible. He listens to comments and comes back with innovative solutions. Having subsequently been involved with other construction projects, I have come to appreciate how exceptional Mr. Golden is.

Larry did the design work for us for two phases of construction. The first was a remodel of a 1900 era house that had many building challenges that Larry was able to resolve, such as an odd foot print and very strange roof line. The second was an expansion of that first phase to add square footage. Larry made sure the addition was seamless with the first phase and again he had to manage around the strange roof line. His knowledge of construction and building was a huge help in this process. He also knows the local building codes in Santa Cruz really well and that was invaluable to the process. I recommend Larry for your home design – especially if you like interesting detailing, arches, or have strange building challenges!

Larry Golden helped us design a 500 ft2 second floor addition to our house. He gave us new design ideas, worked with us through several drafts of plans to maximize space use and minimize cost, advised us wisely about City planning constraints and changes in building codes, and worked with both the contractor (Rory Howland) and the structural engineer to provide final plans to the City. He helped it receive a Green Project award from the City. Larry combined professional skill, ability to listen and adjust, and firmness about design parameters. We are very pleased with the outcome which is attractive, usable space that blends seamlessly with what was already here.

My project was to remodel and expand a 1941, 1,000 sq ft home in the historic section of Sunnyvale. My builder had worked with several designers in the past so I met with several of them. When I met with Larry Golden it was a breath of fresh air. The first thing I noticed was how well he listened to the vision I had and to my likes and dislikes. This remained true all the way to the end of the project. He has a way of taking inputs and working them into the plan or offering good alternatives. Larry’s experience as a builder was evident both in the design and in the details of construction. My builder commented on many occasions about Larry’s insight and how he saved us time and money by understanding the practical aspects of building. His use of computer design tools made it so much easier for me to make trade-off decisions as we developed the final design. Larry is a great communicator and he kept me informed at every step of the process. He visited the site many times to review adjustments and issues with the layout. He worked seamlessly with my builder and was instrumental in working with the city to resolve problems. I have been in my new home for over a year now and couldn’t be happier with the final product. Not a week goes by that I don’t open a drawer or look up across a room and think of touches that Larry made possible in the difficult task of turning an old chopped up box into a free-flowing, beautiful and modern home. I recommend Golden Visions without hesitation.

Larry of Golden Vision Designs was able to turn my vision into reality. Before finding Larry I worked with two other designers who were not able to put my ideas and desires onto paper. My project was very large, over 5500 sq. ft., with the constraint that it had to fit a foot print determined by existing landscaping with many mature trees. I had very strong ideas which Larry was able to use his knowledge and experience to guide into a successful design. I have been in my new home for a year now and love it. It is my home and not a designer’s idea of what my home should be. Thank you Larry. f1shufan

Larry Golden worked with us to redesign a space from a 4 car garage to a one car garage, laundry room, family room, bathroom, and bedroom. His design reflected our needs as well as the design constraints of the site and Santa Cruz planning board.