San Diego-based builder, ColRich Residential, included
Sandalwood to the master-planned community of La Costa Oaks
in Carlsbad, Calif., delivering homes with comfortable living
and a custom home-type feel. By Carina Calhoun
Photography By Chris Mayer
Combining casual comfort
with detailed design, San
Diego-based and familyowned
builder, ColRich
Residential, welcomed its
latest neighborhood to the
master-planned La Costa Oaks community by
Morrow Development. Sandalwood, located in
Carlsbad, Calif., opened in May 2011, offers homes
with open floor plans and multi-use functionality.
Taking home the 2011 Icon Award for “Best
Detached Community” as well as the 2011 So Cal
Award for “Neighborhood of the Year,” the coastal
community is committed to providing homes for
the way people live today.
Throughout the years, the family-run company
has become an industry landmark, continually
recognized for its high design and attention to
detail in both its product and service. Therefore,
it comes as no surprise that the company creates
communities with family function and lifestyle in
mind, never overlooking livability and comfort.
Currently selling, the homes at Sandalwood
offer four floor plans with up to six bedrooms, five
bathrooms and three-car garages. According to
Graeme Gabriel, COO and co-president of ColRich
Residential, the goal of the community was to
inspire buyers to sell their current home and buy
a new home with progressive floor plans and
quality finishes that truly feel like a custom home.
Gabriel said, “We wanted to continue the same
design trends from our previous community. This
included the interaction of indoor and outdoor
spaces with flexible and efficient floor plans.” And
in an area with exceptional year-round climate,
residents can make the most of the space.
The design process of the community, that will
consist of 67 homes total, remained constant as
the team continually refined the product until the
goals were achieved, according to Gabriel. “We
offer a fresh perspective delivering homes buyers
can afford and want to live in for years to come.”
He added, “We put together an amazing design
team that worked together from day one of the
design process to bring our collective ideas
to life.” The relaxed, open environment of the
homes not only captures the local vibe but also
functionally accommodates the duality of today’s
savvy, on-the-go families.
Architect Michael Woodley, AIA, president
of Woodley Architecture Group Inc., noted that
the homes are “not just your typical stacked
stories that add up to an affordable home with
predictable architecture.” Starting in the high
$700,000s, the architectural details include
outdoor living rooms, dramatic two-story volume
ceilings, large balconies and functional utility
rooms. Woodley added, “New housing needs to be
new. Today’s floor plans need to live and feel more
modern. Sandalwood homes are very different
than what’s available in the marketplace. Overall,
these homes are an explosion of space.”
Sandalwood is designed to reflect today’s
multi-task lifestyle. “We designed Sandalwood
homes for the way residents want to live versus
what ‘shows best,’” Woodley explained. Taking
the term “open floor plan” to another level, the
homes incorporate useful spaces which blend
to represent the latest innovations in home
design. Woodley continued, “Our inspiration
was the Spanish-style context of La Costa Oaks
community, but we took it up a notch and made it
cleaner and simpler. We took the classic elements
of the Spanish theme and modernized it.”
Carefully crafted to provide the highest
standard of quality design down to each detail,
according to Woodley, the kitchens are very open
islands that are eating bars designed for people
to sit and interact with each other. Also, large
utility rooms have outdoor access so families
can accommodate their everyday storage and
alternate access needs; downstairs bedrooms
include a full bathroom; upstairs lofts provide
an alternate space for a game room or media
area; and every master bedroom has the ability
to include a substantial balcony or deck space.
Gabriel explained, “We wanted to take the
concept of openness to another level with more
volume, more windows and pack-away doors
that open on to outdoor spaces that feel like
extensions of the home.”
Incorporating the elements that make up a
coveted community from design detail and a
luxury location to enhanced floor plans and flexible
spaces, Sandalwood emphasizes each feature
and offers residents a home that captures the
essence of livability. Gabriel added, “The integrity
of Sandalwood’s designs reflect the collaborative
process and respect everyone had for each other.”
Carina Calhoun is an editor at Builder
and Developer. She may be contacted at
ccalhoun1@penpubinc.com.
Colrich
