Tailoring to the Modern Buyer

The latest project from Thomas James Homes (TJH) delivers the rustic feel and design of a farmstyle home with a touch of desire for luxurious living. Located at 15236 Dickens Avenue in the Cambrian neighborhood of San Jose, Calif. TJH designed the home with the ultimate indoor-outdoor living experience in mind, while still promising both certainty and quality.

“From the flexible floor plan and Accessory Dwelling Units, to the indoor-outdoor living and energy-efficient construction, every detail was designed to work as one cohesive home,” said James Mead, Chief Executive Officer of Thomas James Homes. “By integrating architecture, engineering, construction and design into a single disciplined process, we are able to deliver homes with predictable pricing and timelines that feel thoughtful, well-built and dependable from start to finish.”

San Jose is the heart of the Sicilian Valley surrounded by a historic downtown scene of dining, boutiques and events, as well as an outdoor escape in the Los Gatos Creek Trail. This site selection allows for TJH to be aligned with their history of leveraging unfavorable lots into desirable projects.

Behind the Builder 

TJH has focused on building design-driven homes across Northern and Southern California for nearly ten years, adhering to its well-earned reputation as the nation’s largest single-lot builder. Founded by Tommy Beadel and James Quan in 2006 and originating in Aliso Viejo, Calif., TJH has built over a thousand homes and expanded across the entire state’s bay area, Colorado, Arizona and the Pacific Northwest.

Their team is composed of industry veterans with vast home building experience, combining land sourcing, architecture, permitting, construction and landscaping under one roof. This assembled team allows the company to transform outdated properties in desirable locations with an all-in-one efficiency.

Diving Deeper in Design 

Thomas James Homes partnered with Bassenian Lagoni Architect for a detailed design with the needs of the homeowner in mind. Gouvis Engineering was brought on not only to make the home comfortable and eye-catching, but also energy efficient. Solar panels from GAF Energy were installed to ensure emission-free, renewable energy throughout the home.

TJI designed the gourmet kitchen as the heart of the home. This kitchen features a large island countertop from MSI Surfaces, a dining nook with both a butler’s and walk-in pantry. The bathrooms were thoughtfully planned out, including a spacious walk-in shower, a free-standing tub and modern, stainless faucets from Kohler, as well as quality cabinetry with ample storage provided by Jewel Box Cabinetry.

The star of the show is the master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. The luxurious grand suite has abundant natural light that emits from the large Anderson windows, a spa-like bath and a walk-in closet. Tucked into the far end of the primary suite is what TJH calls, “The Primary Retreat,” a cozy nook designed to be a quiet escape from the rest of the house. From a private study to a secluded library, this multi-use space was designed by the company to enable flexible living.

Built for Optimization

Thomas James Homes designed the home to account for families of different sizes or planning to expand. The total lot size is over 8,000 square feet. Over 3,000 square feet accounts for the two-story, five-bedroom and four-and-a-half-bath home. The floor plan highlights an open space concept in the great room, accented with a separate living room and dining room near the entry. The open concept is carried out throughout the home, with extra multi-use spaces spread throughout and a two-car garage. The loft is another key feature, overlooking the two-story space and adding volume to the home, with its axis and stairs aligning with the entry to create a focal point.

The home was built to the most efficient state building code in the U.S., California’s Title 24. To adhere to the energy efficiency standards, TJH worked with HERS raters to ensure the insulation, air leakage, HVAC systems and ductwork were properly installed and compliant.

Rather than go against the fluctuating house market, the company optimized it, determining the home’s pricing on the market rather than a fixed price. The earlier the house is bought, the less the homeowner pays, with the pricing structure allowing TJH to pass on the savings to the homeowner. The company chose this pricing strategy to make buying a home in desirable areas more affordable.

For Thomas James Homes, their most recent project’s design reflects their top notch craftsmanship, high-quality utilization of lot space and their personalized aesthetic, which transcends time.

Photos courtesy of Thomas James Homes

By Taylor Moore. Taylor is an editorial assistant at Builder Media she can be reached at taylor@builder.media

This story is featured in the February issue of Builder and Developer, read the print version here.