Architect: Patrick Kane Photographer: Carolyn Bates In many regards, little has changed at New Hampshire’s Squam Lake in the nearly 35 years since the classic movie On Golden Pond was filmed there. The lake is still a generational favorite for family getaways and vacations in a traditional setting. But now, beautifully designed and strikingly contemporary residences are being constructed among the classic old cabins. A good example is the new Squam Lake House that is the year-round vacation retreat for a large and active family. Design for the 3,500 sq. ft. residence was significantly influenced by the site. The south-facing house follows the natural topography along the shoreline to maximize views and the passive solar effect. The building includes three linked masses called “wigwams” that include family bedrooms, communal living spaces and guest areas. “A part of the narrative was to reference the Native American culture of the area,” according to designer Patrick Kane, principal, Kane Architecture, East Hardwick, VT. “The large architectural zinc panels on the façade were meant to be reminiscent of the Abenaki Tribe wigwams which were made of large slabs of bark." Approximately 7,500 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK prePATINA blue-grey Standing Seam Panels were utilized in both roof and façade applications. Low or no maintenance was a key factor in the design from the beginning. “The owner didn’t want to own a single bucket of exterior paint,” Kane said. “We considered several metals initially but quickly settled on the RHEINZINK. We really liked the color of the prePATINA blue-grey. It has color qualities similar to the beech trees on the site and we really wanted the building to blend into the natural environment. We also liked the embodied energy. So we basically selected the RHEINZINK because of its environmental benefits and the unique color. ”With its passive solar effect, triple glazing and superior insulation, the structure provides outstanding energy efficiency. “The hot tub takes more energy than it requires to heat the entire house,” according to Kane.The Standing Seam Panels were installed by European Custom Sheet Metal (formerly Vintage Sheet Metal), Salem, NH. RHEINZINK distributor Beacon Sales, Brockton, MA, fabricated the architectural panels.

http://www.ccabinet.com Understated Elegance for Historic Saratoga Home Project Details Designer: Ray Roberts Cabinetry: Wood-Mode Framed Cabinetry Wood: Perimeter – Maple; Island – Quarter Sawn Oak Finishes: Perimeter – Nordic White; Island – Nut Brown Door: Perimeter – Regent Recessed Inset; Island – Alexandria Recessed Inset Countertop: Perimeter – Soapstone; Island – Calacatta Marble Perhaps one of my favorite projects of the year, this historic home on Broadway in Saratoga Springs deserved the finest of kitchens. And that it always fun to design. The real challenge here was to capture an understated elegance worthy of the history of the home, the street, the town itself. This particular refinement meant having the sum of the parts be greater than the whole…meticulous focus on every detail to create something grand but livable, historically appropriate but adapted for today’s modern family, luxe but quietly graceful. Some of the details include a beautifully detailed wooden hood, a rolling ladder to access the double stacked upper cabinets which feature antiqued mirror inserts, a substantial, grounding quarter sawn oak island in a contrasting nut brown finish as well as historically appropriate hardware contrasted with modern fixtures and lighting.

My client's 'new build' home was an opportunity to transform nearly every finish from basic to elevated and personal. The design embraces a cohesive story and leans into a growing sophistication in the client's taste. Black and white anchor the Great Room from end to end, providing a strong natural balance. Colorful furnishings reflect the family's personality with creativity and lots of joy. The rooms are meant to be comfortable for family members of all ages, pets, and guests.

Example of a classic exterior home design in New York

In many regards, little has changed at New Hampshire’s Squam Lake in the nearly 35 years since the classic movie On Golden Pond was filmed there. The lake is still a generational favorite for family getaways and vacations in a traditional setting. But now, beautifully designed and strikingly contemporary residences are being constructed among the classic old cabins. A good example is the new Squam Lake House that is the year-round vacation retreat for a large and active family. Design for the 3,500 sq. ft. residence was significantly influenced by the site. The south-facing house follows the natural topography along the shoreline to maximize views and the passive solar effect. The building includes three linked masses called “wigwams” that include family bedrooms, communal living spaces and guest areas. “A part of the narrative was to reference the Native American culture of the area,” according to designer Patrick Kane, principal, Kane Architecture, East Hardwick, VT. “The large architectural zinc panels on the façade were meant to be reminiscent of the Abenaki Tribe wigwams which were made of large slabs of bark." Approximately 7,500 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK prePATINA blue-grey Standing Seam Panels were utilized in both roof and façade applications. Low or no maintenance was a key factor in the design from the beginning. “The owner didn’t want to own a single bucket of exterior paint,” Kane said. “We considered several metals initially but quickly settled on the RHEINZINK. We really liked the color of the prePATINA blue-grey. It has color qualities similar to the beech trees on the site and we really wanted the building to blend into the natural environment. We also liked the embodied energy. So we basically selected the RHEINZINK because of its environmental benefits and the unique color. ”With its passive solar effect, triple glazing and superior insulation, the structure provides outstanding energy efficiency. “The hot tub takes more energy than it requires to heat the entire house,” according to Kane.The Standing Seam Panels were installed by European Custom Sheet Metal (formerly Vintage Sheet Metal), Salem, NH. RHEINZINK distributor Beacon Sales, Brockton, MA, fabricated the architectural panels.

My client's 'new build' home was an opportunity to transform nearly every finish from basic to elevated and personal. The design embraces a cohesive story and leans into a growing sophistication in the client's taste. Black and white anchor the Great Room from end to end, providing a strong natural balance. Colorful furnishings reflect the family's personality with creativity and lots of joy. The rooms are meant to be comfortable for family members of all ages, pets, and guests.

My client's 'new build' home was an opportunity to transform nearly every finish from basic to elevated and personal. The design embraces a cohesive story and leans into a growing sophistication in the client's taste. Black and white anchor the Great Room from end to end, providing a strong natural balance. Colorful furnishings reflect the family's personality with creativity and lots of joy. The rooms are meant to be comfortable for family members of all ages, pets, and guests.

We fabricated the barn doors from basic solid core home depot doors, painted and had our team score 5 lines into them. Cost on both doors was $500.00. I took a large handle meant for entry push type doors.

This customer from the historic city of Cardiff was keen to see what Tile Doctor could do to put some life back into their treasured Limestone kitchen floor that was laid in 2008. My first observations were mainly centred on the horrific condition of the surface which although adequately sealed initially the floor had not received any subsequent maintenance and its condition had deteriorated over time. The light shining in from the patio doors highlighted all the imperfections in the floor caused by surface wear and tear commonly seen in high traffic areas such as a kitchen. Upon closer inspection, there were further problems: the floor was stained and scuffed, and in most places the sealer had worn off completely allowing the dirt to become ingrained into the pores of the Limestone. Additionally the grout was recessed but was now flush with the tile surface due to dirt build-up. There were also areas contaminated with grease and kitchen cooking oil. The Limestone floor tiles were 20mm thick French Limestone, and had been laid very well so there was no requirement to do any tile or grout repairs however to get this floor back to its original condition the surface would need to be reconditioned using the Tile Doctor four stage burnishing system. I started by giving the floor a wash with a medium dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, focusing mainly on the grout lines in order to remove the muck that had built-up there. I used a special stiff grout brush for this activity; it’s quite narrow and ideal for grout scrubbing. This worked well, but the significant build-up of dirt along some of the grout lines meant more work was required. I tackled this problem with a hand scraper assisted with steam. At the end of this process, the whole floor was then rinsed down with water to remove any soil and the resulting slurry was then extracted using a wet vacuum. The next step was to start the burnishing process, which basically involves applying four diamond encrusted floor pads in sequence over the floor. Each pad is a different grade, starting with the most abrasive coarse pad and moving through to the finer grades using a little water to lubricate and rinsing away any slurry between each pad. I eventually finished with the extra fine pad which builds up shine and lustre on the tile; it had taken two days to clean the grout and burnish the Limestone but the floor was much improved and so after a final rinse down I left the floor to dry off overnight with the aid of the underfloor heating. During this time, I also addressed the stained Limestone in the area of the kitchen where the dustbin was situated. This had been a major upset for the customer and I’m happy to report I managed to deal with it. However, it was quite an involved process, so I’ll write about this in a separate post. On the third day I came back to seal the floor, checking first that it had dried sufficiently with a damp meter. Fortunately, the underfloor heating had done a great job of drying the stone and I was able to seal the floor using three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealant. This sealant not only provides a durable seal but also penetrates deep into the pores of the stone protecting it from within and enhancing the natural colours of the Limestone in the process. After the final layer of sealant, I worked over the floor again with the extra fine burnishing pad both to add shine again following sealing, and to ensure that no smear marks were visible as the lighting conditions were unforgiving and highlighted any imperfections. The customer was delighted with the results: so much so, in fact, that they booked me in to restore their Victorian hallway floor as well but that’s a story for another time! Julian Iancono SE Wales Tile Doctor

Private house, Kharkov. Wall painting located at a ladder. Technical solution meant several different works: textured decorative finish, using art imprimatura and directly painting. All this supported the basic idea of the picture: the old castle, surrounded by overgrown Park, the walls, the surface of the pond...The work is done with acrylic paints, fixed, waterproof acrylic varnish.