Cole has spent years renovating his home, a former power plant. He credits the man that lived there before him with saving the large glass-paned doors and u-shaped alcoves where bundles of electric wires once exited the space. The original warning sign was faded and barely legible before Cole had an artist restore it several years ago. The collection of old tools speaks to Cole’s landscaping career.

The main room was once the heart of plant operations and was filled with large equipment. Today, it's a 40-by-40-foot living room. The focal point is the massive fireplace built by Foster (the previous long-time owner) and adorned by Cole with a PG&E plaque that he purchased at a junk shop. The wood is burned in a giant prune pot, which Cole discovered on the property. "The fireplace is the kind of debaucherous fixture that you would find in a baronial manor," says Cole.