Blending luxury design with the precision of commercial development, Salt Shed delivers dream homes with confidence and assurance
Crafting stunning custom homes across California, Salt Shed draws on years of commercial and luxury residential experience to provide its clients with ultimate efficiency and value. The company has always been driven by a people-first approach, as Director of Design and Purchasing, Amber Parvis, begins: “Salt Shed was born seven years ago. Our founders, Matthew and Mickey, had worked together previously on various projects across Southern and Northern Caifornia. They found that the market was absent from true design build firms, and collaborated to bring the vision of true seamless project management to the market.
“After the fire devastation in Northern California, people were looking for more than just a rebuild, they were looking to create a truly defensible space. Bringing the fire resiliency that goes into commercial buildings, we were able to apply that knowledge to our residential designs and offer clients greater peace of mind. We started off with a lot of rebuilding work, in areas that had been impacted by the fires.
“The homes we worked on were for people who had lost everything in the disaster. Our mission was about more than beauty, or even livability, it was a promise: we won’t let this happen again. That’s how Salt Shed got started. We were able to build something positive out of a lot of hardship, and we’re very proud of the work we’ve done.
“Since then, we’ve continued to develop in our community, creating beautiful bespoke properties all across Northern California’s wine country. We’ve also stayed true to our roots. Following the recent fires in Southern California, we plan on taking our expertise further South and assisting with the rebuild efforts there as well.”
Alongside its admirable rebuilding initiatives, Salt Shed works exclusively on custom home projects. Amber discusses how the company sets itself apart: “One thing that makes us quite unique is our commitment to total transparency. Our clients get a copy of every single invoice related to their project, we do monthly budget updates, and monthly schedule reports to ensure they always feel in control of their investment. Everything is very clear and consistently communicated.
“Financial transparency is such a huge factor when it comes to client satisfaction and building client relationships. When you’re spending a substantial amount, it is important to know where it’s going. Without that knowledge, the whole process can become stressful.
“Again, we draw from our commercial experience in this aspect. A lot of design and build firms will provide a rough square foot cost and generate their initial estimates using that. We work a bit differently, we use AIA standards, as well as material quantity take offs down to the concrete yards that will be used, to get a more granular look at the cost of a project. We also consider current market rates and any fluctuations before offering a figure. This way, we’re able to provide an estimate that is not only very detailed, but very accurate.
“We don’t want our client going into the build without understanding the true cost. We like to proceed, knowing all the possible issues that could arise, and how we could overcome them. It helps avoid difficult situations and allows everyone to go into the project fully informed.”
Built to endure
Homebuilding is just as much about the journey as it is the destination. Salt Shed’s dedicated team does everything in its power to make that journey a good one, as Amber affirms: “We prefer to keep our business within the small to midsize range. This way, the entire project team can be actively engaged from conception to completion. From our initial client calls when we’re conducting our concept discovery, we will have the entire project team engaged to when we turn the home over.
“Even the founders will be on the call. We include our Director of Construction, our design team and our administrators. Having everyone in one place helps the client feel more confident and supported, and it also gives everyone an understanding of what the project should be from the very beginning. We don’t hand off our clients from person to person, we all stay with them throughout the entire process. We can confidently say: we’re here for you, and we’re the ones who will be delivering your dream home.
“Our goal is to not only deliver a much higher quality product, but it’s also to make the process fun and easy. We want to reduce stress wherever possible. This means coordinating all our different efforts, from structural works and civil engineering to architectural design and interiors.
“We also have administrative teams working diligently on permits, ordinances, entitlements, and so on – which means the client only has to speak to us to know everything they need to know about the project.”
Having found meaning and purpose in the work they do, Salt Shed’s team looks forward to the coming years. As Amber concludes: “Looking ahead, it’s important that we remain a medium sized builder, because it’s so central to our identity as a business and our ability to keep our promise to our clients, delivering homes that are built to endure and designed to last.
“Ultimately, we’re more than a team — we’re a family, united by a shared vision and trust. Our commitment is to surround ourselves with people who believe in our mission. We are dedicated to creating thoughtfully designed, beautiful modern homes for both the northern and southern markets. By staying true to our core values and unwavering integrity, we ensure our continued success and meaningful impact.”