A wine cellar that literally takes your breath away when you walk through the door. The Barrel ceiling with custom forged staves takes you inside the barrel. The Waterfall racking on both sides gives dimension to the room with a wine barrel as the focal point. The lighting valance around the room supports the lighting which illuminates that warm glow. A cork floor provides a unique look as well as protection for those bottles that may accidentally fall. The back of the custom door was completely covered by corks. The pull out computer drawer supports the computer inventory system attached to the individual metal wine tags attached to the racking. Photo taken by Inviniti Cellar Design taken by Inviniti Cellar Design

The designers of this home brought us a real challenge; to build a unsupported curved stair that looks like stacked lumber. We believe this solid oak curved stair meets that challenge. LED lighting adds a modern touch to a rustic project. The widening effect at the bottom of the stair creates a welcoming impression. Our innovative design creates a look that floats on air.

This 600sm/6500sf Mid-Century Modern villa features a unique central atrium running the length of the home, connecting the Main Entry and the Second Entry, creating a light filled, slot canyon effect. The formal and family spaces are distinct yet still connected by this two-story central atrium, awash with a gentle filtered light from above. There is an attached yet closed off service kitchen with attached maids quarters, linked with easy access to the 16 person formal dining room and adjacent majlis. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms plus a separate large Master Suite, uniquely accessible by the open sided glass bridge-walk, leading to the very private Master Bedrm and the private reading nook. We have done two color studies, one utilizing the beautifully orange rusted steel known as CorTen steel, while the other study shows a snow white EIFS exterior insulation and finish system offering super-high insulation values and zero maintenance as it never needing painting and it never cracks! (one of our favorite exterior finishes~ especially in hot climates!)

Constructed in two phases, this renovation, with a few small additions, touched nearly every room in this late ‘50’s ranch house. The owners raised their family within the original walls and love the house’s location, which is not far from town and also borders conservation land. But they didn’t love how chopped up the house was and the lack of exposure to natural daylight and views of the lush rear woods. Plus, they were ready to de-clutter for a more stream-lined look. As a result, KHS collaborated with them to create a quiet, clean design to support the lifestyle they aspire to in retirement. To transform the original ranch house, KHS proposed several significant changes that would make way for a number of related improvements. Proposed changes included the removal of the attached enclosed breezeway (which had included a stair to the basement living space) and the two-car garage it partially wrapped, which had blocked vital eastern daylight from accessing the interior. Together the breezeway and garage had also contributed to a long, flush front façade. In its stead, KHS proposed a new two-car carport, attached storage shed, and exterior basement stair in a new location. The carport is bumped closer to the street to relieve the flush front facade and to allow access behind it to eastern daylight in a relocated rear kitchen. KHS also proposed a new, single, more prominent front entry, closer to the driveway to replace the former secondary entrance into the dark breezeway and a more formal main entrance that had been located much farther down the facade and curiously bordered the bedroom wing. Inside, low ceilings and soffits in the primary family common areas were removed to create a cathedral ceiling (with rod ties) over a reconfigured semi-open living, dining, and kitchen space. A new gas fireplace serving the relocated dining area -- defined by a new built-in banquette in a new bay window -- was designed to back up on the existing wood-burning fireplace that continues to serve the living area. A shared full bath, serving two guest bedrooms on the main level, was reconfigured, and additional square footage was captured for a reconfigured master bathroom off the existing master bedroom. A new whole-house color palette, including new finishes and new cabinetry, complete the transformation. Today, the owners enjoy a fresh and airy re-imagining of their familiar ranch house. Photos by Katie Hutchison

Transform your mundane post with cost effective faux wood column covers from Barron Designs. Crafted by hand in the US from real wood so they look extremely realistic. Barron Designs crafts our decorative wood column wraps by hand mitering and assembling 3 sides of the column. The 4th side is not attached, making it easy to slip the U-shaped piece around a structural beam then attach the 4th side using adhesive and/or finish nails. Optional base and crown moulding is available for a stunning finishing touch.

This 600sm/6500sf Mid-Century Modern villa features a unique central atrium running the length of the home, connecting the Main Entry and the Second Entry, creating a light filled, slot canyon effect. The formal and family spaces are distinct yet still connected by this two-story central atrium, awash with a gentle filtered light from above. There is an attached yet closed off service kitchen with attached maids quarters, linked with easy access to the 16 person formal dining room and adjacent majlis. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms plus a separate large Master Suite, uniquely accessible by the open sided glass bridge-walk, leading to the very private Master Bedrm and the private reading nook. We have done two color studies, one utilizing the beautifully orange rusted steel known as CorTen steel, while the other study shows a snow white EIFS exterior insulation and finish system offering super-high insulation values and zero maintenance as it never needing painting and it never cracks! (one of our favorite exterior finishes~ especially in hot climates!)

Transform your mundane post with cost effective faux wood column covers from Barron Designs. Crafted by hand in the US from real wood so they look extremely realistic. Barron Designs crafts our decorative wood column wraps by hand mitering and assembling 3 sides of the column. The 4th side is not attached, making it easy to slip the U-shaped piece around a structural beam then attach the 4th side using adhesive and/or finish nails. Optional base and crown moulding is available for a stunning finishing touch.

Transform your mundane post with cost effective faux wood column covers from Barron Designs. Crafted by hand in the US from real wood so they look extremely realistic. Barron Designs crafts our decorative wood column wraps by hand mitering and assembling 3 sides of the column. The 4th side is not attached, making it easy to slip the U-shaped piece around a structural beam then attach the 4th side using adhesive and/or finish nails. Optional base and crown moulding is available for a stunning finishing touch.

Transform your mundane post with cost effective faux wood column covers from Barron Designs. Crafted by hand in the US from real wood so they look extremely realistic. Barron Designs crafts our decorative wood column wraps by hand mitering and assembling 3 sides of the column. The 4th side is not attached, making it easy to slip the U-shaped piece around a structural beam then attach the 4th side using adhesive and/or finish nails. Optional base and crown moulding is available for a stunning finishing touch.

With sleek, contemporary styling, the living room boasts a curved wall with a textural copper-and-silver finish and five very tall, narrow windows. The room itself was all the inspiration I needed to envision big, bold and bright decorative hardware and trim, but the modern furniture and the eye-catching metallic-copper coffee table provided additional inspiration. Because the clients don’t like floor lamps and because they entertain frequently, I suggested back-lit crowns to reflect light off the ceiling. They loved the idea, but then came the challenge. Incorporating LED lighting in the design sounded easy enough, but a certified electrician had to be consulted to ensure safety and security. After spending considerable time learning about installing lights within the crowns, I set about designing how the lights needed to be placed to have the most dramatic effect. Two rows of lights were installed. The upper row shines upward to create a curved light on the ceiling, which enhances the height of the windows, creates a rhythm suggestive of the curve of the accent wall, and mimics the pebble-like shape of the table. The second row of lights shine downward, creating beams of light on the drapery sheer for dramatic effect and helping illuminate the room. Dimmer switches were installed so the clients can adjust brightness. A decorative trim of diamond crystals was attached to the center of the crowns to create visual interest and add a touch of luxury – a detail that was repeated on the tiebacks. The sheer draperies hanging under the crowns are very close in color to the walls, reducing the contrast between the wall and the draperies, which helps give the room a more open and expansive look and feel. The clients are delighted with the end result and said that when visitors see the room for the first time, they never fail to comment on the amazing lights in the window treatments.

This 600sm/6500sf Mid-Century Modern villa features a unique central atrium running the length of the home, connecting the Main Entry and the Second Entry, creating a light filled, slot canyon effect. The formal and family spaces are distinct yet still connected by this two-story central atrium, awash with a gentle filtered light from above. There is an attached yet closed off service kitchen with attached maids quarters, linked with easy access to the 16 person formal dining room and adjacent majlis. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms plus a separate large Master Suite, uniquely accessible by the open sided glass bridge-walk, leading to the very private Master Bedrm and the private reading nook. We have done two color studies, one utilizing the beautifully orange rusted steel known as CorTen steel, while the other study shows a snow white EIFS exterior insulation and finish system offering super-high insulation values and zero maintenance as it never needing painting and it never cracks! (one of our favorite exterior finishes~ especially in hot climates!)

Mr. Mescher – Home Owner Shares Story “I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that I am extremely pleased with the work that Columbia Roofing did in replacing the roof on our Kent Island home. The house has a complicated roof structure with multiple gables and a quarter round conical roof which spans between two vertical walls in the back. We choose a 50 year Owens Corning shingle and to assure a good job, we only obtained quotes from roofing companies that received outstanding reviews. We were pleased when the Columbia production crew roofed the house without issue and brought the full visual effect of slate using the 4 tab asphalt shingle with its distinctive keyway. When it came to the conical roof, we were faced with the possibility of having to install a metal roof in lieu of maintaining the slate like appearance that was so prominent on the other roof sections of the house. Our preference was to maintain the appearance of slate on the conical section similar to that seen on the old slate roof cathedrals. While this is easy to say, I can now appreciate how difficult it is to do. To honor our wishes, Ben Alsop came to the house and worked through the complicated layout necessary to use the same 4 tab shingles on the conical section. To do the job properly, every single 4 tab shingle had to be cut into individual tabs. Each tab was then taken up on the roof where the keyway was aligned to vertical through a system of straight lines drawn from the point of the conical roof to the starter shingle at the roof’s edge. Each tab had to be cut again (often multiple times) after the tab alignment was complete. To assure the accuracy necessary to maintain the visual effect, Ben took it upon himself to personally perform the roofing of the conical section. Ben is a manager for Columbia Roofing who no longer performs the physical roofing work after coming up through the ranks of the roofing trade. His personal dedication to getting this job done for us in a way that is simply stellar could not go without acknowledgement. Ben is not only a craftsman, he is an artisan whose skill set can clearly be seen in the pictures that I have attached. I want to thank Columbia Roofing for a job well done and particularly I want to thank Ben for taking the time and putting in the effort to truly make this a stellar installation.”

Mr. Mescher – Home Owner Shares Story “I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that I am extremely pleased with the work that Columbia Roofing did in replacing the roof on our Kent Island home. The house has a complicated roof structure with multiple gables and a quarter round conical roof which spans between two vertical walls in the back. We choose a 50 year Owens Corning shingle and to assure a good job, we only obtained quotes from roofing companies that received outstanding reviews. We were pleased when the Columbia production crew roofed the house without issue and brought the full visual effect of slate using the 4 tab asphalt shingle with its distinctive keyway. When it came to the conical roof, we were faced with the possibility of having to install a metal roof in lieu of maintaining the slate like appearance that was so prominent on the other roof sections of the house. Our preference was to maintain the appearance of slate on the conical section similar to that seen on the old slate roof cathedrals. While this is easy to say, I can now appreciate how difficult it is to do. To honor our wishes, Ben Alsop came to the house and worked through the complicated layout necessary to use the same 4 tab shingles on the conical section. To do the job properly, every single 4 tab shingle had to be cut into individual tabs. Each tab was then taken up on the roof where the keyway was aligned to vertical through a system of straight lines drawn from the point of the conical roof to the starter shingle at the roof’s edge. Each tab had to be cut again (often multiple times) after the tab alignment was complete. To assure the accuracy necessary to maintain the visual effect, Ben took it upon himself to personally perform the roofing of the conical section. Ben is a manager for Columbia Roofing who no longer performs the physical roofing work after coming up through the ranks of the roofing trade. His personal dedication to getting this job done for us in a way that is simply stellar could not go without acknowledgement. Ben is not only a craftsman, he is an artisan whose skill set can clearly be seen in the pictures that I have attached. I want to thank Columbia Roofing for a job well done and particularly I want to thank Ben for taking the time and putting in the effort to truly make this a stellar installation.”

Mr. Mescher – Home Owner Shares Story “I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that I am extremely pleased with the work that Columbia Roofing did in replacing the roof on our Kent Island home. The house has a complicated roof structure with multiple gables and a quarter round conical roof which spans between two vertical walls in the back. We choose a 50 year Owens Corning shingle and to assure a good job, we only obtained quotes from roofing companies that received outstanding reviews. We were pleased when the Columbia production crew roofed the house without issue and brought the full visual effect of slate using the 4 tab asphalt shingle with its distinctive keyway. When it came to the conical roof, we were faced with the possibility of having to install a metal roof in lieu of maintaining the slate like appearance that was so prominent on the other roof sections of the house. Our preference was to maintain the appearance of slate on the conical section similar to that seen on the old slate roof cathedrals. While this is easy to say, I can now appreciate how difficult it is to do. To honor our wishes, Ben Alsop came to the house and worked through the complicated layout necessary to use the same 4 tab shingles on the conical section. To do the job properly, every single 4 tab shingle had to be cut into individual tabs. Each tab was then taken up on the roof where the keyway was aligned to vertical through a system of straight lines drawn from the point of the conical roof to the starter shingle at the roof’s edge. Each tab had to be cut again (often multiple times) after the tab alignment was complete. To assure the accuracy necessary to maintain the visual effect, Ben took it upon himself to personally perform the roofing of the conical section. Ben is a manager for Columbia Roofing who no longer performs the physical roofing work after coming up through the ranks of the roofing trade. His personal dedication to getting this job done for us in a way that is simply stellar could not go without acknowledgement. Ben is not only a craftsman, he is an artisan whose skill set can clearly be seen in the pictures that I have attached. I want to thank Columbia Roofing for a job well done and particularly I want to thank Ben for taking the time and putting in the effort to truly make this a stellar installation.”

I was contacted by a client in Kendal to see if I could help with their Black Flagstone basement floor. As you can see from the photographs it was in a bit of a state and the stone looked mostly White rather than Black. I carried out a site visit, to survey the floor and work out the best approach to restore its appearance. After testing a few different products and techniques I worked out an effective restoration plan and discussed this with the owner. Happy with my plan and costing’s we agreed a date to start the work. Being in the basement of the property had its challenges but it would mean we could work socially distanced from the owner. To restore the floors appearance, I started with a set of coarse wire (60 and 120 grit) brushes lubricated with Tile Doctor Remove and Go which is a strong coatings remover. I had considered using milling pads on the tiles to reveal a new surface underneath but that does involve the use of an expensive set of coarse pads and given it was a basement the owners didn’t feel the extra expense would be justified. The wire grits work well on rough stone floors when attached to a weighted buffing machine and we add some Tile Doctor Remove and Go to the mix. Once clean the floor was rinsed with water and the slurry extracted using an industrial wet vacuum. After cleaning the floor, it looked transformed, some pointing was required so we carried this out after the main clean. The stone was left to dry out for a few days before returning to apply a sealer. For this floor I felt Tile Doctor X-Tra seal would be the best product and applied two coats. I chose X-Tra seal for this job as it ticks a lot of boxes, it’s a breathable oil-based resin sealer which being breathable will allow moisture to rise through the floor. Old floors like this don’t have a damp proof membrane so it is important to choose a sealer that can allow the floor to breath and not let damp build up under the floor where it can reach out to the walls and cause rising damp. I also chose X-Tra Seal as it has a great ability to bring out the colour of the darker stone due to its high oil content, the oil will deter salts from forming if efflorescence is an issue. This is a unique property of this sealer as we never know if efflorescent salts are going to form or not so having this in place as a sealer is a great plus for a Tile Doctor, it is new to the market and is already proving popular on floors like this and for protecting external stone. If the tiles are smooth Tile Doctor X-Tra Seal adds a bit of a sheen to the appearance of the stone however this stone was very rough, so we didn’t manage a shine, but the customer was happy with the matt finish and the slightly honed effect. The floor looked great and much more appealing making the space more attractive and likely to be used. For aftercare I recommended Tile Doctor Neutral Tile Cleaner which will clean the floor without impacting the sealer which can be a problem with many of the stronger products you find in supermarkets. Heidi Taylor South Cumbria Tile Doctor

Bathroom photo in Other

The client’s brief was to create a space reminiscent of their beloved downtown Chicago industrial loft, in a rural farm setting, while incorporating their unique collection of vintage and architectural salvage. The result is a custom designed space that blends life on the farm with an industrial sensibility. The new house is located on approximately the same footprint as the original farm house on the property. Barely visible from the road due to the protection of conifer trees and a long driveway, the house sits on the edge of a field with views of the neighbouring 60 acre farm and creek that runs along the length of the property. The main level open living space is conceived as a transparent social hub for viewing the landscape. Large sliding glass doors create strong visual connections with an adjacent barn on one end and a mature black walnut tree on the other. The house is situated to optimize views, while at the same time protecting occupants from blazing summer sun and stiff winter winds. The wall to wall sliding doors on the south side of the main living space provide expansive views to the creek, and allow for breezes to flow throughout. The wrap around aluminum louvered sun shade tempers the sun. The subdued exterior material palette is defined by horizontal wood siding, standing seam metal roofing and large format polished concrete blocks. The interiors were driven by the owners’ desire to have a home that would properly feature their unique vintage collection, and yet have a modern open layout. Polished concrete floors and steel beams on the main level set the industrial tone and are paired with a stainless steel island counter top, backsplash and industrial range hood in the kitchen. An old drinking fountain is built-in to the mudroom millwork, carefully restored bi-parting doors frame the library entrance, and a vibrant antique stained glass panel is set into the foyer wall allowing diffused coloured light to spill into the hallway. Upstairs, refurbished claw foot tubs are situated to view the landscape. The double height library with mezzanine serves as a prominent feature and quiet retreat for the residents. The white oak millwork exquisitely displays the homeowners’ vast collection of books and manuscripts. The material palette is complemented by steel counter tops, stainless steel ladder hardware and matte black metal mezzanine guards. The stairs carry the same language, with white oak open risers and stainless steel woven wire mesh panels set into a matte black steel frame. The overall effect is a truly sublime blend of an industrial modern aesthetic punctuated by personal elements of the owners’ storied life. Photography: James Brittain

Nick Glimenakis Photography
Example of a large transitional black and white tile and stone tile sauna design in New York

Photo of a small modern partial sun backyard water fountain landscape in San Diego.