Author: Ted Ihde

Wide boulevards, with lots of parks.

Two of the goals at the onset of a Florida idea. An idea held by a visionary who would go on to become quite instrumental in the origin of Venice, Florida.

An idea. That idea? To construct a Florida town consisting of those wide boulevards. And lots of parks.

That is what Dr. Fred Albee had in mind when he purchased his Florida acres from a local landowner early in the 20th Century.

Turning his Florida idea into his Florida plan…

To transition his undeveloped Florida land – I.e.: Albee’s idea – into what would go on to become Venice, and into a developed community, since he now owned his land, Fred Albee decided that he would best be able advance his vision by bringing in a prominent landscape architect.

Fred Albee needed a formal, organized plan. To bring his idea to life. So Albee did go on to bring in his landscape architect. Albee brought in a landscape architect whose professional career began way up north. Along the East Coast. In Cambridge, Massachusetts.

To be more specific, Albee brought in a landscape architect whose career began in Harvard Square. This landscape architect from Massachusetts that Fred Albee brought in? John Nolen.

John Nolen, upon completing earlier coursework at Wharton – at Wharton, where Nolen’s academic focus had been centered upon economics – later enrolled in Harvard University. It was while Nolen had been attending Harvard that he honed an intent to pursue landscape architecture. His craft, a craft Fred Albee later sought out. To advance his Florida idea.

John Nolen’s penchant for planning and design was fine tuned through experience Nolen attained while building his Harvard Square landscape architecture business. Distinct outdoor design emanating from Massachusetts. New England craftsmanship that Fred Albee would later rely upon as he embarked upon a career in Florida real estate development.

Whereas Fred Albee brought John Nolen to Florida to provide planning – as well as design – for Albee’s idea, the early build-up of what would go on to become Venice, Florida progressed without Fred Albee in “the director’s chair.”

Albee? Exit stage left. Now taking center stage? A labor union. And train people.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers…

Organized in 1863 in the United States and Canada, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers – still an active union today – decided that they wanted to diversify their holdings by getting into Florida real estate. So, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers proceeded to acquire Fred Albee’s Florida land from Fred Albee. This, the land on which Albee had based his idea for what would go on to become Venice.

Through Nolen’s keen touch when it came to design, through Nolen’s city planning acumen, that land Fred Albee sold to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers would go on to become, rather quickly, needless to say, developed.

With the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers Florida land acquisition, John Nolen – originally brought to Florida by Fred Albee – was retained. Retained by the locomotive union. Retained for the very same reason John Nolen was brought to Florida in the first place. To design a Florida community.

So these new Florida real estate developers – I.e: the locomotive labor union – were at the forefront of what would go on to become a town – Venice.

The year was 1925 when these earliest stages of Venice development began to take hold. And in no time, through the guided eye of the man whose expertise lay in city planning and landscape architecture – that man, John Nolen – the labor union’s idea became an organized blueprint. Then, the idea became hotels. Homes. Paved roads. And commercial space.

These, the earliest stages for what we now know to be, Venice, Florida.

When it comes time to build your new outdoor kitchen, pressure treated lumber will be one of your building materials. Pressure treated lumber for your framing. Pressure treated lumber for your studs.

Pressure treated lumber is combustible. You’ll be adding appliances. So, when you are building your outdoor kitchen, it’s a good idea to purchase liners. Your liners will be installed before your appliances go in. 

Liners protect lumber from heat. Heat which will be generated when you enjoy benefits bestowed upon you when you fire up the grill out back. In your new, custom-built outdoor kitchen.

Appliance liners can be delivered – onsite – by the manufacturer. With pre-cut holes already built into the liners. These pre-cut holes accommodate your gas line. And your electric line. Concerning yourself with how you will be plugging in your new wine cooler, once your outdoor kitchen has been completed, is a concern which you simply will not have.

In regard to liners you can use with your appliances, Utah-based Blackstone, or Ontario, Canada-based Napoleon, or EdgeStar (one of the retail brands under Virginia-based Ferguson) are some of the popular choices that I see today.

We started with lumber, which brought us to appliance liners. Due to the fact that lumber is combustible. Let’s segue back to lumber. To one of the major components involved in building your outdoor kitchen: framing.

When it comes to framing your outdoor kitchen, 24” framing – I.e.: 24” on center – is a likely selection. With this type of framing, your wall studs will be 24 inches apart. As measured from the center of one stud to the center of the next stud.

24” on center is advisable when building your outdoor kitchens. There are a few good reasons for this. So let’s speak to a few of those…

With 24” on center – compared to 16” on center – you will use fewer studs.  

With 16” on center, you measure 16 inches from the center of one stud to the center of your next stud. That distance – with 16” on center – is 16 inches. A distance of 16 inches – from the center of one stud, to the center of the next stud – is 8 inches less than you have with 24” on center.

With 24” on center, it’s simple. You need fewer studs. With 16” on center – due to the reduced distance between studs – you use more studs.

Choosing to go with 24”on center enables you to reduce material costs. As well as labor costs. Fewer studs. Fewer hours spent erecting studs.  

One determinant for going with either 16” on center or 24” on center is load bearing walls.

With your home, you have load bearing walls. Your outdoor kitchen won’t have load-bearing walls. No need to go with 16” on center. 24” on center is fine. 

So…a fun recommendation. How about using the savings you get by going with 24” on center to consider adding a “Rolex of a grill” to your enhanced outdoor living space. A Mont Albi.

Bluestone is a natural stone which is found in the United States. First discovered in New York State during the 1820’s, many a pool setting – many an outdoor kitchen – is adorned in the beauty of Bluestone.

Bluestone – removed from the ground by either drilling, blasting or excavating – is weather-resistant. With its aesthetic bluish – grayish tone, the ornate features of Bluestone anoints this “American sarsen” as a popular selection when it comes to outdoor living. And hardscaping. Leading to the ascension of Bluestone as the stone-of-choice for millions of homeowners who embark upon the fun task of crafting a customized design plan for their patio. For their outdoor kitchen. For their walkway.

Bluestone is a type of flagstone. A fine-grained variation of flagstone.

So, what then is flagstone?

Flagstone is the broad term for sedimentary rock that is able to be split into flat, rectangular pieces.

Sedimentary rock – I.e.: flagstone – is formed through the accumulation of deposits. Formed by the fusion of particles. Particles brought together by waterways. For example, by the natural flow of a river.

Flagstone is derived from Middle English vernacular… its birth, traced back to the Old English word, flagge. Which means, turf.

Flagstone is a form of sandstone. The composition of flagstone? Fieldspar and quartz. Bluestone is flagstone. Flagstone is a form of sandstone.

So, what then is sandstone?

Sandstone is sedimentary rock, composed of grains of sand. Grains of sand cemented together.

While sandstone grains are adjoined, the grains in sandstone remain unfused.

Sandstone can be seen alongside rivers, lakes and coastlines. Areas where sand has been carried and deposited. Deposited sand – over time – leads to the formation of sandstone.

Flagstone – which mostly will be either red, buff or blue in color – is bound together by iron oxide. Or by calcite.

The state in which Bluestone was first discovered early in the 19th Century – New York State – is one of the two states which, to this day, supplies the majority of the Bluestone that Americans have come to love when it comes to hardscaping.

The other state being, New York’s neighbor, Pennsylvania.

Bluestone is also excavated in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

Today, there are just a tad under 100 Bluestone quarries in New York State.

Author, Ted Ihde – Ted is a real estate broker, a real estate developer as well as co-CEO of Team With

Heart.

When you are updating your home, let’s say plans and specs for your project will cost $3,000. Within your Schedule of Values (“S.O.V.”), the $3,000 cost for plans and the specs will be labeled as a dollar amount within the project – “plans and specs, $3,000.” Within your S.O.V. this $3,000 cost for plans and specs will also be categorized as a percentage of your overall project.

Let’s say your home updates will cost $125,000 in order to complete. Your plans and specs cost $3,000. So within your S.O.V., plans and specs will be categorized as 2.4% of your overall project. Itemized as a dollar amount – $3,000 – and then itemized once again as a percentage – 2.4% – within your S.O.V.

When you are updating your home, let’s say plans and specs for your project will cost $3,000. Within your Schedule of Values (“S.O.V.”), the $3,000 cost for plans and the specs will be labeled as a dollar amount within the project – “plans and specs, $3,000.” Within your S.O.V. this $3,000 cost for plans and specs will also be categorized as a percentage of your overall project.

Let’s say your home updates will cost $125,000 in order to complete. Your plans and specs cost $3,000. So within your S.O.V., plans and specs will be categorized as 2.4% of your overall project. Itemized as a dollar amount – $3,000 – and then itemized once again as a percentage – 2.4% – within your S.O.V.