KitchenLab Interiors’ first, entirely new construction project in collaboration with GTH architects who designed the residence. KLI was responsible for all interior finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and design including the stairs, casework, interior doors, moldings and millwork. KLI also worked with the client on selecting the roof, exterior stucco and paint colors, stone, windows, and doors. The homeowners had purchased the existing home on a lakefront lot of the Valley Lo community in Glenview, thinking that it would be a gut renovation, but when they discovered a host of issues including mold, they decided to tear it down and start from scratch. The minute you look out the living room windows, you feel as though you're on a lakeside vacation in Wisconsin or Michigan. We wanted to help the homeowners achieve this feeling throughout the house - merging the causal vibe of a vacation home with the elegance desired for a primary residence. This project is unique and personal in many ways - Rebekah and the homeowner, Lorie, had grown up together in a small suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Lorie had been Rebekah's babysitter and was like an older sister growing up. They were both heavily influenced by the style of the late 70's and early 80's boho/hippy meets disco and 80's glam, and both credit their moms for an early interest in anything related to art, design, and style. One of the biggest challenges of doing a new construction project is that it takes so much longer to plan and execute and by the time tile and lighting is installed, you might be bored by the selections of feel like you've seen them everywhere already. “I really tried to pull myself, our team and the client away from the echo-chamber of Pinterest and Instagram. We fell in love with counter stools 3 years ago that I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on, thank god, because then they started showing up literally everywhere", Rebekah recalls. Lots of one of a kind vintage rugs and furnishings make the home feel less brand-spanking new. The best projects come from a team slightly outside their comfort zone. One of the funniest things Lorie says to Rebekah, "I gave you everything you wanted", which is pretty hilarious coming from a client to a designer.

Welcome to your Southwestern Adventure. Nestled on over two acres this Incredible Horse Property is a ''Ranchers'' dream! Gated front pergola covered courtyard, 92''x48''x3'', and cedar door w/speakeasy. Stunning inlaid floor t/o with stone design in foyer and coat closet. Unique kitchen features Viking appliances, double ovens, food warmer, 6 burner gas stove top, built-in Miele coffee maker, vegetable sink, pot filler, insta hot water, breakfast nook/bar seating, pantry, skylight, and granite/glass countertops with custom cabinetry. Open concept family room to kitchen. Wood burning fireplace, large upper lit viga beams, and French door to pool. Amazing Atrium with skylight and fountain all opening up to family rm, dining rm, and game room. Pool table in game room with wood burning fireplace,built-ins, with back patio access and pool area. First bedroom offers Murphy bed and can be easily converted from office to bedroom. The 2nd bedroom with large closet and private bathroom. Guest bedroom with private bathroom and large closet. Grand master retreat with attached workout room and library. Patio access to back patio and pool area. His/Hers closets and separate dressing area. Private spa-like master en suite with large shower, steam room, wall jets, rain shower head, hydraulic skylight, and separate vanities/sinks. Laundry room with storage, utility sink, and convenient hanging rod. 3 Car garage, one extra long slot, swamp cooler, and work room with built-ins or use as an extra parking spot for a small car or motorcycle. Entertaining backyard is a must see! Colorful and fun with covered patio, built-in BBQ w/side burner, sin, refrigerator, television, gas fire pit, garden with 2'x15' raised beds and work area. Refreshing pool with water feature, Jacuzzi, and sauna. Mature fruit trees, drip system, and circular driveway. Bonus 2nd patio, extra large wood or coal burning grill/smoker, pizza oven, and lots of seating. The horses will love their 7 Stall Barn including Stud Stall and Foaling Stall. Tack Room, automatic flyer sprayer, automatic watering system, 7 stall covered mare motel. Turn out or Riding arena. Pellet silo and covered trailer parking. Security system with motion cameras.

With sweeping views of the Willamette river and Mt. Hood, this Atwater Place condo was designed with a balance of minimalism and livability in mind. A complete kitchen remodel brought a dark interior kitchen to the light and a full furnishings package welcomed Los Angeles transplants home to their new modern and bright residence. Our clients, a retired camera operator for both feature films and television and a producer/production manager on numerous television series including Weeds and The Middle, relocated from their traditionally-styled LA bungalow to Portland in the Summer of 2014. The couple sought a design departure from their long-term California residence and a fresh start for their new life in the South Waterfront. With only two pieces of sentimental furniture and a handful of artwork included in the plan, we set out to create a comfortable and clean-lined furnishings package complimenting the broad southeast views. Organically shaped upholstery pieces juxtaposed with angular steel and wood tables create a soft balance in the open floor plan. Several custom pieces, including a dining table designed by our studio and a custom hand-blown glass chandelier crafted by Scott Schiesel with Lightlite compliment timeless pieces from Knoll, Herman Miller, and B&B Italia. The kitchen is designed to reflect light and create brilliance in a space that is otherwise naturally dark. A material balance of stainless steel, back painted glass, quartz composite, lacquer, and mirror all play their part in creating a vibrant cooking environment. We collectively decided to forgo the traditional island pendant for a linear commercial fixture that provides tremendous light to the prep surface and creates an unexpected architectural element. The mirrored prep island creates the illusion of open space while concealing casework and wine storage on the working side of the kitchen. It is worth noting that this project was designed and installed almost entirely while our clients were still living in LA and wrapping up professional obligations and selling their home. This afforded us the tremendous opportunity to send our clients to showrooms not available in Portland to view key pieces before final specification. Textiles and finish samples were approved via mail and communication took place over e-mail, telephone, and an occasional office visit. This unique process lead to a successful result and a beautifully balanced living environment. Josh Partee Photography

Klopf Architecture, Arterra Landscape Architects and Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Designed and built a new warm, modern, Eichler-inspired, open, indoor-outdoor home on a deeper-than-usual San Mateo Highlands property where an original Eichler house had burned to the ground. The owners wanted multi-generational living and larger spaces than the original home offered, but all parties agreed that the house should respect the neighborhood and blend in stylistically with the other Eichlers. At first the Klopf team considered re-using what little was left of the original home and expanding on it. But after discussions with the owner and builder, all parties agreed that the last few remaining elements of the house were not practical to re-use, so Klopf Architecture designed a new home that pushes the Eichler approach in new directions. One disadvantage of Eichler production homes is that the house designs were not optimized for each specific lot. A new custom home offered the team a chance to start over. In this case, a longer house that opens up sideways to the south fit the lot better than the original square-ish house that used to open to the rear (west). Accordingly, the Klopf team designed an L-shaped “bar” house with a large glass wall with large sliding glass doors that faces sideways instead of to the rear like a typical Eichler. This glass wall opens to a pool and landscaped yard designed by Arterra Landscape Architects. Driving by the house, one might assume at first glance it is an Eichler because of the horizontality, the overhanging flat roof eaves, the dark gray vertical siding, and orange solid panel front door, but the house is designed for the 21st Century and is not meant to be a “Likeler.” You won't see any posts and beams in this home. Instead, the ceiling decking is a western red cedar that covers over all the beams. Like Eichlers, this cedar runs continuously from inside to out, enhancing the indoor / outdoor feeling of the house, but unlike Eichlers it conceals a cavity for lighting, wiring, and insulation. Ceilings are higher, rooms are larger and more open, the master bathroom is light-filled and more generous, with a separate tub and shower and a separate toilet compartment, and there is plenty of storage. The garage even easily fits two of today's vehicles with room to spare. A massive 49-foot by 12-foot wall of glass and the continuity of materials from inside to outside enhance the inside-outside living concept, so the owners and their guests can flow freely from house to pool deck to BBQ to pool and back. During construction in the rough framing stage, Klopf thought the front of the house appeared too tall even though the house had looked right in the design renderings (probably because the house is uphill from the street). So Klopf Architecture paid the framer to change the roofline from how we had designed it to be lower along the front, allowing the home to blend in better with the neighborhood. One project goal was for people driving up the street to pass the home without immediately noticing there is an "imposter" on this lot, and making that change was essential to achieve that goal. This 2,606 square foot, 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom Eichler-inspired new house is located in San Mateo in the heart of the Silicon Valley. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Klara Kevane Landscape Architect: Arterra Landscape Architects Contractor: Henry Calvert of Calvert Ventures Photography ©2016 Mariko Reed Location: San Mateo, CA Year completed: 2016

BC&J Architecture designed a floating home that is now located at its permanent location on the Willamette River in Portland. The home was constructed at a Marina an hour from the final home location. Upon completion, the home was floated up the Willamette River to the current site. The homeowners were looking for a river side, cottage style house well suited to entertaining. At 2,100 square feet, the home has an open floor plan with a large kitchen opening to a dining room and the living room with views onto the river. Upstairs, the master bedroom extends toward the river under a large centered dormer. On the opposite side of the master bedroom is a bonus room under a symmetrical dormer that will serve as guest quarters when adult children and grandchildren visit.

A large but pedestrian back yard became a glamorous playground for grown-ups. The vision started with a motion pool and cabana. As the design progressed, it grew to encompass the entire yard area. The Cabana is designed to embrace entertaining, with an interior living space, kitchenette, and an open-air covered hearth area. These environments seamlessly integrate and visually connect to the new garden. The Cabana also functions as a private Guest House, and takes advantage of the beautiful spring and summer weather, while providing a protected area in the cold and wet winter months. Sustainable materials are used throughout and features include an open hearth area with fireplace, an interior living space with kitchenette and bathroom suite, a spa tub and exercise pool. Terry Poe Photography

Million Dollar Listing’s celebrity broker Ryan Serhant reached out to Decor Aid to stage a luxurious Brooklyn condo development. The only caveat was that our interior designers had 48 hours to come up with the design, concept, and source all the furniture. Always up for a challenge, we partnered with Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams to create this contemporary gem. Staying true to their contemporary vision, our interior decorators sourced all pieces through MGBW. Starting in the living room, we placed the Gunner Sofa, a piece that offers clean-lined living. The thin arms and slanted profile emphasize the modern elegance of the home. Through the use of various contemporary patterns and textures we were able to avoid the one-dimensional ambiance, and instead, the apartment’s living room feels detailed and thought out, without making anyone who enters overcrowded with home decor. The Melrose cocktail table was sourced for its sleek, stainless steel and glass design that contrasts with more substantial pieces in the space, while also complementing the contemporary style. The glass design gives the illusion that this table takes up less space, giving the living room design a light and airy feel all around. The living space transformed into something out of a decor catalog with just the right amount of personality, creating a room that follows through with our starting design, yet functional for everyday use. After the living room area, we set our eyes on designing the master bedroom. Our interior decorators were immediately drawn to the Celina Floating Rail Bed, it’s opulent nailhead trim, and dramatic design brings fresh sophistication to the bedroom design, while also standing out as a timeless piece that can complement various trends or styles that might be added later on to the bedroom decoration. We sourced the Roland Table Lamp to add texture, with its elaborate ribbed design, that compliments the air of masculinity the Carmen Leather Ottoman add while contrasting with the light, sleeker pieces. This difference in weight left us with a bedroom decoration that lives up to the trending modern standards, yet a space that is timeless and stylish no matter the decor trends. Once we finished and the project was completed, our senior designers took a step back and took in all of their hard labor. Decor Aid was able to make this newly built blank space and design it into a modern wonder small brooklyn apartment. The MGBW furnishings were all hand-picked to keep an even balance of complementing and contrasting contemporary pieces, which was one of our more critical apartment decorating ideas. The apartment home decor brings to life this modern concept in a way that isn’t overbearing and shows off their style making the space in every sense an accurate reflection of a chic contemporary style.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours, Inc. Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Lake Burton Area . Knowing the areas and resources of Lake Burton is our specialty Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre man-made lake with 62 miles of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a five-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The series of lakes starts with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls and the eastern arm of Lake Tugalo (the western arm is formed by the Chattooga River. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. Now, they only provide peak power supply. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10 mile section of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton Dam was closed on December 22, 1919 and the lake started to fill. The dam is a gravity concrete dam, with a height of 128 feet and a span of 1,100 feet. The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet wide by 6.6 feet high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet is 108,000 acre-ft, of which 106,000 acre-ft is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts (two units).Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. Lake Burton gets its named from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200 but now lies below the lake's surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton and was situated along the road from Clayton, Georgia to the Nacoochee Valley. Andrew Jackson Ritchie served as the postmaster for the area for several years. Gold was first discovered in Rabun County where Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River come together and was the reason for the town's founding in the early 1800s. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the western side of the lake. Lake Burton is home to several species of fish, including Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, White Catfish, Walleye, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers who together make-up the Lake Burton Civic Association, a local organization who goal is to maintain the lake through volunteer clean-ups and other such events. Let a Lake Burton resident and expert show you the way The Lake Burton Civic Association is an active homeowners association for residents of the Lake Burton area and sponsors many events throughout the year such as: burton, custom, envision, georgia, lake, mountain, nc, north, photography, web, western, Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, Seed Lake,Virtual Tours.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours, Inc. Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Lake Burton Area . Knowing the areas and resources of Lake Burton is our specialty Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre man-made lake with 62 miles of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a five-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The series of lakes starts with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls and the eastern arm of Lake Tugalo (the western arm is formed by the Chattooga River. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. Now, they only provide peak power supply. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10 mile section of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton Dam was closed on December 22, 1919 and the lake started to fill. The dam is a gravity concrete dam, with a height of 128 feet and a span of 1,100 feet. The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet wide by 6.6 feet high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet is 108,000 acre-ft, of which 106,000 acre-ft is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts (two units).Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. Lake Burton gets its named from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200 but now lies below the lake's surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton and was situated along the road from Clayton, Georgia to the Nacoochee Valley. Andrew Jackson Ritchie served as the postmaster for the area for several years. Gold was first discovered in Rabun County where Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River come together and was the reason for the town's founding in the early 1800s. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the western side of the lake. Lake Burton is home to several species of fish, including Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, White Catfish, Walleye, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers who together make-up the Lake Burton Civic Association, a local organization who goal is to maintain the lake through volunteer clean-ups and other such events. Let a Lake Burton resident and expert show you the way The Lake Burton Civic Association is an active homeowners association for residents of the Lake Burton area and sponsors many events throughout the year such as: burton, custom, envision, georgia, lake, mountain, nc, north, photography, web, western, Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, Seed Lake,Virtual Tours.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents. Early History The earliest St. Simons Island Village record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini. Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned. Colonial History As Fort Frederica early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat. Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service. Plantation Era By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war. Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton. Between Ebos Landing the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing. One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863). Another Retreat Plantation large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves. The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall. The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church. Civil War and Beyond The St. Simons Island Lighthouse outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned. After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations. By St. Simons Lumber Mills 1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross. The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island. Twentieth Century The St. Simons Island Pier and Village opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development. In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s. The St. Simons Island outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents. Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa. Since Epworth by the Sea 1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant. Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

Urn and fountain Features for your Austin, Central Texas, Houston, Southeast Texas Landscape We offer Urn and Fountain Water Feature Design and Installation in the Austin and Central Texas area including Bastrop, Elgin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Manor, Buda, Lakeway and San Marcos. We also serve the Houston and Southeast Texas area including Rosenberg, Richmond, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, and Manvel. Urn and fountain Water Features are perfect for smaller areas or places where you're just not looking for a natural looking waterfall. A disappearing water feature can be created using almost any vessel you can imagine. These features are perfect for small courtyards, front yards, or commercial properties where liability is a concern. They are a great way to 'get your feet wet' with water features without the commitment of a pond. We have created fountainscapes using urns, ceramic vases, natural stone columns, even a concrete cowboy boot! The water fills up the vessel and then spills over, disppearing into a bed of decorative gravel. the water is then recirculated through the feature again and again. For more information on urn and fountainscapes, please visit As an added bonus for those of you looking to go in a more 'green' direction, most pondless water features can be used in conjunction with the RainXChange rainwater caturing system. In fact, you can get up to 12 LEED points by incorporating our system into your design. The RainXChange system captures rainwater and stores it underground in a hidden reservior while recirculating it through an urn or fountain feature or even a pondless waterfall. For more information on the RainXChange system, please visit Contact us to get started on your urn or fountain water feature 512-782-8315 or 281-668-4077

We teamed up with an investor to design a one-of-a-kind property. We created a very clear vision for this home: Scandinavian minimalism. Our intention for this home was to incorporate as many natural materials that we could. We started by selecting polished concrete floors throughout the entire home. To balance this masculinity, we chose soft, natural wood grain cabinetry for the kitchen, bathrooms and mudroom. In the kitchen, we made the hood a focal point by wrapping it in marble and installing a herringbone tile to the ceiling. We accented the rooms with brass and polished chrome, giving the home a light and airy feeling. We incorporated organic textures and soft lines throughout. The bathrooms feature a dimensioned shower tile and leather towel hooks. We drew inspiration for the color palette and styling by our surroundings - the desert.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Envision Virtual Tours and High Resolution Photography is your best choice to find just what you are looking for in the Lake Burton Area . Knowing the areas and resources of Lake Burton is our specialty Lake Burton is a 2,775 acre man-made lake with 62 miles of shoreline located in the northeastern corner of Georgia in Rabun County. It is the first lake in a five-lake series called the Tallulah River Watershed that follows the original course of the Tallulah River. The series of lakes starts with Lake Burton as the northernmost lake followed by Lake Seed, Lake Rabun, Lake Tallulah Falls and the eastern arm of Lake Tugalo (the western arm is formed by the Chattooga River. The lakes are owned and operated by the Georgia Power Company to generate hydroelectric energy for Georgia's largest city, Atlanta. At one time these lakes were the largest producers of electricity in the state of Georgia. Now, they only provide peak power supply. The lake was built in a deep valley located along a 10 mile section of the Tallulah River. The Lake Burton Dam was closed on December 22, 1919 and the lake started to fill. The dam is a gravity concrete dam, with a height of 128 feet and a span of 1,100 feet. The spillway is equipped with eight gates 22 feet wide by 6.6 feet high. The total capacity at an elevation of 1,866.6 feet is 108,000 acre-ft, of which 106,000 acre-ft is usable storage. The generating capacity of the dam is 6,120 kilowatts (two units).Lake Burton is the highest Georgia Power lake in Georgia. Lake Burton gets its named from the town of Burton, which was the second largest town in Rabun County with a population of approximately 200 but now lies below the lake's surface. The town (and the lake) was named after local prominent citizen Jeremiah Burton and was situated along the road from Clayton, Georgia to the Nacoochee Valley. Andrew Jackson Ritchie served as the postmaster for the area for several years. Gold was first discovered in Rabun County where Dicks Creek and the Tallulah River come together and was the reason for the town's founding in the early 1800s. The Lake Burton Fish Hatchery and Moccasin Creek State Park are located on the western side of the lake. Lake Burton is home to several species of fish, including Spotted Bass, Largemouth Bass, White Bass, Black Crappie, Bluegill, Redear Sunfish, White Catfish, Walleye, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellow Perch. The residents of Lake Burton are a mix of permanent residents and seasonal vacationers who together make-up the Lake Burton Civic Association, a local organization who goal is to maintain the lake through volunteer clean-ups and other such events. Let a Lake Burton resident and expert show you the way The Lake Burton Civic Association is an active homeowners association for residents of the Lake Burton area and sponsors many events throughout the year such as: burton, custom, envision, georgia, lake, mountain, nc, north, photography, web, western, Lake Burton, Lake Rabun, Seed Lake,Virtual Tours.

We laid out all of the essentials with maximum function. Once we had a the layout finalized, we started looking for specifics. The color palette we came up with is grounded in neutrals with blush accents to add a touch of baby girl. We always want to maximise function in a room, so all our bigger purchases are gender neutral and convertible so they can be used when our clients have their second baby. We left plenty of empty space in the middle of the room for the essential tummy time and block building.

Urn and fountain Features for your Austin, Central Texas, Houston, Southeast Texas Landscape We offer Urn and Fountain Water Feature Design and Installation in the Austin and Central Texas area including Bastrop, Elgin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Manor, Buda, Lakeway and San Marcos. We also serve the Houston and Southeast Texas area including Rosenberg, Richmond, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, and Manvel. Urn and fountain Water Features are perfect for smaller areas or places where you're just not looking for a natural looking waterfall. A disappearing water feature can be created using almost any vessel you can imagine. These features are perfect for small courtyards, front yards, or commercial properties where liability is a concern. They are a great way to 'get your feet wet' with water features without the commitment of a pond. We have created fountainscapes using urns, ceramic vases, natural stone columns, even a concrete cowboy boot! The water fills up the vessel and then spills over, disppearing into a bed of decorative gravel. the water is then recirculated through the feature again and again. For more information on urn and fountainscapes, please visit As an added bonus for those of you looking to go in a more 'green' direction, most pondless water features can be used in conjunction with the RainXChange rainwater caturing system. In fact, you can get up to 12 LEED points by incorporating our system into your design. The RainXChange system captures rainwater and stores it underground in a hidden reservior while recirculating it through an urn or fountain feature or even a pondless waterfall. For more information on the RainXChange system, please visit Contact us to get started on your urn or fountain water feature 512-782-8315 or 281-668-4077

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   This project started out as a kitchen remodel but ended up as so much more. As the original plan started to take shape, some water damage provided the impetus to remodel a small upstairs hall bath. Once this bath was complete, the homeowners enjoyed the result so much that they decided to set aside the kitchen and complete a large master bath remodel. Once that was completed, we started planning for the kitchen! Doing the bump out also allowed the opportunity for a small mudroom and powder room right off the kitchen as well as re-arranging some openings to allow for better traffic flow throughout the entire first floor. The result is a comfortable up-to-date home that feels both steeped in history yet allows for today’s style of living. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Mike Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Our client has two very active cats so to keep them off the counters and table; we created a cat walk out of reclaimed barn boards. On one wall they go up and down and they can go up and over the cabinets in the kitchen. It keeps them content when she is out for long hours and it also gives them somewhere to go up.

  Free ebook, Creating the Ideal Kitchen. DOWNLOAD NOW   Our clients had been in their home since the early 1980’s and decided it was time for some updates. We took on the kitchen, two bathrooms and a powder room. The layout in the kitchen was functional for them, so we kept that pretty much as is. Our client wanted a contemporary-leaning transitional look — nice clean lines with a gray and white palette. Light gray cabinets with a slightly darker gray subway tile keep the northern exposure light and airy. They also purchased some new furniture for their breakfast room and adjoining family room, so the whole space looks completely styled and new. The light fixtures are staggered and give a nice rhythm to the otherwise serene feel. The homeowners were not 100% sold on the flooring choice for little powder room off the kitchen when I first showed it, but now they think it is one of the most interesting features of the design. I always try to “push” my clients a little bit because that’s when things can get really fun and this is what you are paying for after all, ideas that you may not come up with on your own. We also worked on the two upstairs bathrooms. We started first on the hall bath which was basically just in need of a face lift. The floor is porcelain tile made to look like carrera marble. The vanity is white Shaker doors fitted with a white quartz top. We re-glazed the cast iron tub. The master bath was a tub to shower conversion. We used a wood look porcelain plank on the main floor along with a Kohler Tailored vanity. The custom shower has a barn door shower door, and vinyl wallpaper in the sink area gives a rich textured look to the space. Overall, it’s a pretty sophisticated look for its smaller fooprint. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Michael Alan Kaskel For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Going house hunting to find the dream home is difficult in every aspect, especially in NYC. The first apartment may have a feature that the other has but very rarely will one place have all. Most important is making sure the location and size works and everything else can be incorporated later. As the apartment our clients selected was "move in" condition its surely was not for what they work looking for in creating their dream home. We first started by creating a "wish list" of all of the essentials, which included; open kitchen, walk in closet, office space , larger master bathroom with stand up shower and soaking tub. With creating many different floor plan options, the only way we would achieve this was by sacrificing the 3rd bedroom. At this stage the 3rd bedroom was very easy for them to sacrifice as it gave them all of the wish list for now. In the future ,they could easily take the square footage from the new oversized living room and add that 3rd bedroom if it were necessary. Our first goal in the demolition stage was to remove all existing interior partition walls and start with a fresh new slate. By removing the existing kitchen walls the New Kitchen layout now combines it with the living room. The cabinetry is 2 tone color, flat slab doors for the modern look. State of the art appliances were installed; Integrated panels were installed on the fridge, wall oven, microwave, cook top. The sink is the ultimate chefs prep station sliding butcher block with bowls that slide over the sink. A garage cabinet was installed to conceal smaller appliances. The cantilever counter top adds the additional seating space for guests while keeping the bottom portion open for the view. The existing walk in closet was relocated to achieve the New Master Bathroom, Combining the spaces now gave us the option to add all the features. Floating vanity with double sinks, soaking tub, stand up shower. The glossy rectified tiles used are 12x36 and when installed make the grout line disappear and make it look like a solid wall. The chocolate floor tiles are randomly staggered then wrap up the tub platform and continue up one wall to create an accent. No tile edge was used but all tiles that meet on a 90 degree outside corner are mitered; tub platform, walls and shower niches. Heated floors were installed to keep the feet warm on the cold winter days. In the Master Bedroom we built a bed frame accent wall. Serves for multiple functions; eliminates night stands by using the niches for alarm clock / phone charger station, lights were added inside the niches for accent lights and raised wall paper was used to finish this beautiful feature. Each his and hers niche has an outlet, 4 way switch for the accent lights and 4 way switch for the recessed lights above when they are done reading in bed. Custom steps were built for easy up and down off the bed for the little puppies that could not possibly make the jump up. Other features throughout the apartment include; New bamboo floors throughout. Since the concrete ceiling slab cannot be chopped , soffits and drop ceilings were built throughout the apartment to accommodate recessed lights. Low voltage recessed lights were used with multiple zone dimmers for energy efficiency. Remote operated shades were installed The overall design was for the apartment was modern, simple lines and true elegance. The newly renovated apartment will be enjoyed by them, friends and family for many years to come... edit