Journal
Build Diaries
Real project walkthroughs from Donovan Smart Living's portfolio. Dimensions, decisions, what went sideways, what the client wishes they'd done differently. Honest postmortems, not highlight reels.
16 articles
Build Diaries
Case Study: A 1960s Mid-Century in Silver Lake — Smart Home Without Gutting the Walls
Retrofitting a classic mid-century post-and-beam for whole-home automation usual...
Build Diaries
Case Study: A New Build in Bel Air — Starting From a Blank Electrical Plan
Starting from a blank electrical plan is the rarest luxury in smart home design—...
Build Diaries
Case Study: The Venice Beach House That Changed Its Mind Mid-Project
Framing was complete when the client called and said they wanted a dedicated hom...
Build Diaries
What I'd Do Differently: Five Regrets From Real Projects
After 200 homes across Los Angeles County, I carry a list of things I'd undo if ...