Example of a beach style freestanding desk study room design in San Diego

Created for a couple moving to a smaller house and lot in order to “down¬-size” after their children had left home, this garden’s design presented many challenges. The wife, an ardent gardener, had a long wish list: a water feature; specific plants (including a river birch, a gingko tree, oakleaf hydrangeas, plants to attract butterflies, and trilliums), fragrance, a small patio, and a potting shed. She also wanted to eliminate grass from any part of the property, and to have space to plant annuals (in containers and other areas). In short, she wanted a small “dream garden” created from a site that even she characterized as “disastrous-looking” at the outset. The wife wanted pathways that would allow her to visit all parts of the garden. The patio space did not need to be sizable because of the high deck off the back of the house, but the views from the deck were important. We accomplished all of the clients' goals, and designed a series of small "garden rooms" in the backyard to create the illusion of a larger space. We also designed a "faux potting shed" front to screen the area under the deck and incorporated a raised planting bed for annuals and herbs, which was featured in an article in Fine Gardening the following year as an inventive way to disguise an eyesore in the landscape. This garden received an Award of Distinction in 2009 from the DC/MD/VA Landscape Contractors Association. A view of the back yard one year after planting.© Melissa Clark Photography

The 'before' shot of this period home covered in lead based paint that we stripped off.
Inspiration for a timeless exterior home remodel in Seattle

Cogs Construction and Design, Inc. was approached by a customer who had a rotten pressure treated deck that needed to be replaced. The homeowners are very environmentally conscious and wanted to do their part to avoid any toxic runoff into the lake their property abutted. The homeowner researched various materials for their project and decided to rebuild with aluminum decking. The aluminum decking was appealing to the homeowners because it will never rot and it will collect the water runoff that can be directed into a trough system. This project had a couple of engineering hurdles; the property was on a severe slope with a failed retaining wall and the upper deck was 16 feet from the ground with very little land from the house and the water. After the structure was rebuilt, we installed the new aluminum decking and railing system. The decking interlocks into one another and creates a dry area beneath the deck when it rains. This product is a great alternative to wood or composite decking for anyone who has a 2nd story deck and needs a dry area below or would like to control water runoff from their deck. Give us a call to discuss the advantages of aluminum decking. photo credit: Cogs Construction

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

Example of a transitional staircase design in Chicago

Red Egg Design Group | New custom pink terrazzo counter tops complement the original pink sink and pink tile backsplash, | Courtney Lively Photography

Photos courtesy of Paul Dyer Interior Design by Regina Callan of RBR Development
Transitional living room photo in San Francisco

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

Mid-sized elegant l-shaped travertine floor and beige floor kitchen photo in Philadelphia with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, granite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

If you’re seriously considering renovating, chances are it’s an idea that’s been floating in the back of your mind for quite some time. A kitchen renovation, especially, isn’t a decision you make overnight as it’s a large investment you’ll have to look at every time you step foot inside your home. In this blog, we’ll describe the steps you should go through to set yourself up for a successful project. You can view the blog either from the QR code attached or this link: https://mayflowerva.com/how-to-plan-for-a-kitchen-remodel/

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

From The Washington Post: "Developer Ahmad Khreshi of Northern Virginia-based Home Perfection Contracting isn’t afraid to take risks when building a house. He embraces the unexpected, challenging his architect, interior designer and builder to experiment with new techniques. This house in McLean, Va., is his most ambitious project to date. Instead of remodeling an existing house such as the one that was featured as a House of the Week in 2016, Khreshi built an entirely new one. Khreshi worked with architect Peter VanderPoel and designer Karen Bengel to create a modern house that borrows from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of incorporating the house in the landscape. The house has three distinct masses — garage, living and bedroom — and three levels, each one set at a different ground level. The layout of the structure is one aspect of the design. Another is the influence of Mondrian style, named for Piet Mondrian, a modern abstract artist who popularized paintings with colorful arrangements of squares and rectangles. “We wanted something different,” he said. “That’s what we are on the hunt for. We needed the house to stand out from the rest [of the houses], yet belong to the neighborhood.” Designed first by hand and then by computer, the asymmetrical window pattern is laid out in the Mondrian style, which is repeated in the asymmetrical design of the Hardie board (fiber-cement siding) on one side of the house. The opposite side and the middle section are a combination of brick and yakisugi carbonized-wood siding. The yakisugi siding is heat-treated in a way similar to an ancient Japanese technique, with the wood burned to give it a carbon layer that protects it from insects and decay." Read the full article on The Washington Post here.

Learn seed starting basics and get a jump start on growing the flower garden of your dreams. In this striking guide you will find everything you need to grow, harvest, and arrange stunning seasonal blooms. With equal parts instruction and inspiration, Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden welcomes you into Erin Benzakein’s abundant, bloom-filled world, and is a feast for every flower lover’s eyes and soul. Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden. Written by Erin Benzakein with Julie Chai. Photos by Michèle M. Waite. Published by Chronicle Books.