Jan Tepper

December 15, 2022

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.

Linda

October 02, 2015

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!

Jim

May 16, 2015

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.

Jack Stanley

January 02, 2015

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.

Jan Tepper

December 12, 2014

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.

Fritz von Ibsch

June 04, 2014

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!

Eli Salameh

March 19, 2014

Larry helped us with the design for our remodel of a 1958 ranch house, and we could not be more satisfied with his work. It was our first remodel, and a much bigger project than we envisioned, but Larry made the process as smooth as can be. Being able to see the plans rendered in 3D made a huge difference in our ability to get a feel how all the different pieces of the puzzle were going to fit together. Having someone to handle everything from design, to drafting, to working with the city, made our lives easier and was worth every penny. Larry struck a great balance between listening to what we wanted from the project and pushing us to think outside of our comfort zones. In the end, our new home is a mix of our vision and his great suggestions, and it looks better than we ever thought possible. We would highly recommend him for your next remodel.

Tem Kuechle

March 24, 2011

I can highly recommend Larry Golden for his knowledgable and honest approach to assisting us in the process of better utilizing the available livable space within the existing structure of our home. During the whole process he listened very well to our ideas and provided practical feedback and guidance as needed.

Renee Morgan

November 07, 2010

Larry came recommended to us and is the designer of our dream home. Working with him was easy and fun. We have accomplished our goals and designed a home which meets all of our needs and beyond. Now we are counting the days until we get to move in!