Search results for "Building authentic" in Home Design Ideas

Photography by Carlos Esteva.
When this private client, a married couple, first approached Álvarez-Díaz & Villalón to build ‘the house of their dreams’ on the grounds of their sprawling family estate, the first challenge was to identify the exact location that would maximize the positive aspects of the topography while affording the most gracious views. Propped up on scaffolding, juggling digital cameras and folding ladders, the design team photographed the property from hundreds of angles before the ideal site was selected.
Once the site was selected, construction could begin.
The building’s foundation was raised slightly off the ground to disperse geothermal heat. In addition, the designers studied daily sunlight patterns and positioned the structure accordingly in order to warm the swimming pool during the cooler morning hours and illuminate the principal living quarters during the late afternoon. Finally, the main house was designed with functional balconies on all sides: each balcony meticulously planned ~ and precisely positioned ~ to
both optimize wind flow and frame the property’s most breath-taking views.
Stylistically, the goal was to create an authentic Spanish hacienda. Following Old World tradition, the house was anchored around a centralized interior patio
in the Moorish style: enclosed on three sides ~ yet
open on the fourth (similar to the Alcázar of Seville) ~ to reveal a reflecting pool ~ and mirror the water motif of the home’s magnificent marble fountain. A bell tower, horseshoe arches, a colonnaded,vineyard-style patio, and
ornamental Moorish mosaic tilework (“azulejos”) completed this picturesque portrait of a faraway fantasy world of castles, chivalry, and swordsplay, reminiscent of Medieval Spain.
Shortly after completion, this showcase home was showcased on the TVE Spanish television series Spaniards Around The World (Españoles Alrededor
Del Mundo) as a prime example of authentic Spanish architecture designed outside the peninsula. Not surprising. After all, the story of a fairy-tale retreat as
magical as this one deserves a happy ending.

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info.
Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com
Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

Product: Authentic Limestone for Exterior Living Spaces.
Ancient Surfaces
Contacts: (212) 461-0245
Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com
Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com
The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' design style as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates into 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a fully functional outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, BBQ, fireplace or Jacuzzi pool spa all out of old reclaimed Mediterranean stone pieces is no easy task and shouldn’t be created out of the lowest common denominator of building materials such as concrete, Indian slates or Turkish travertine.
The one thing you can bet the farmhouse on is that when the entire process unravels and when your outdoor living space materializes from the architects rendering to real life, you will be guaranteed a true Mediterranean living experience if your choice of construction material was as authentic and possible to the Southern Mediterranean regions.
We believe that the coziness of your surroundings brought about by the creative usage of our antique stone elements will only amplify that authenticity.
whether you are enjoying a relaxing time soaking the sun inside one of our Jacuzzi spa stone fountains or sharing unforgettable memories with family and friends while baking your own pizzas in one of our outdoor BBQ pizza ovens, our stone designs will always evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that one only gets while being on vacation is some exotic European island surrounded with the pristine beauty of indigenous nature and ancient architecture...
Find the right local pro for your project

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info.
Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com
Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.

This is one of several custom made gates for a Tuscan Villa style home in Newport Beach, CA. Dynamic Garage Door worked closely with the proud homeowners to achieve a rustic style gate that transmitted the essence of Tuscany's rugged riviera homes. The gates features world-class European hardware including mortise style locks with roller catches and decorative iron pulls that feel authentic to the touch because they were made much in the same way tradition has dictated for centuries.
The goal was to achieve an architectural gate design that would harmonize, not compete, with the home's earthy elements including the rock walls and neutrally toned color scheme. We chose oak as our reclaimed barn wood species for its brown tones that differ from your typical pine species which give you a silver appearance. Oak give off a warmer, brown coloration that is closer to the tonalities found in Tuscan homes.
Nothing gives is more impressive than reclaimed bar wood gates because of the unique lumber characteristics that were given by mother nature over decades and centuries, nothing that can be achieved over night. Dynamic Garage Door craftsmen are highly skilled in preserving these lumber surfaces and keeping them intact. We developed designs and techniques that keep each piece authentic and true to its charming age. Just like wine, reclaimed wood will get better and better over the ageless decades and centuries to come. There is literally no maintenance on our reclaimed wood gates because each passing year is a new layer of gorgeous character that will pass the test of time over and over again!
As an added bonus and value to our already high-end gate designs, we craft each one of our gates on galvanized steel frames which will ensure our gorgeous gates will not only look fabulous but last a lifetime!
Contact us today for prices and perhaps design ideas you might not thought of yet or with your own ideas that others have declined to build for you.
Consultation Center: (855) 343-3667

Mid-sized beach style formal and enclosed light wood floor living room photo in Boston with a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and white walls

Sponsored
Plain City, OH
Kuhns Contracting, Inc.
Central Ohio's Trusted Home Remodeler Specializing in Kitchens & Baths

Fernanda Zulzke gifted São Paulo with an authentic experience by preserving the original 1920s tiles and architecture of the building. Many broken tiles were replaced, and missing ones were carefully sourced to breathe new life into a long-forgotten space. The floor tiles received the same care, though they posed an even greater challenge, as the original baseboard pieces could not be found even in the city’s largest tile archives. Beyond mere maintenance, the decoration aims to show visitors that history and its imperfections bring beauty, vitality, originality, and exclusivity to a space—a combination that can never be replicated, a luxury in its essence.
In the realm of restoration, the solid wood bathroom doors were personally tended to by Flávio Galli, a skilled designer and expert in raw materials, who followed the guidelines of the Parque da Água Branca manual. Four days of cleaning, sanding, and varnishing brought the doors back to life. In terms of carpentry, damaged baseboards and frames were crafted by Construverde using the building’s original wood—a true gift that Fernanda Zulzke was determined to offer the public and the park.
Completing the bathroom’s composition, imported wallpapers from Cordão Decor and a Roman curtain in cambric demonstrate the decorator’s ability to honor history while making bold, unexpected choices. Few can combine vintage, classic, and diverse colors and patterns in such a small space, transforming it into a light and fresh work of art, like the eucalyptus resting atop the marble and classic encyclopedias.

This Spanish Colonial–inspired home blends timeless architecture with warm, curated details that celebrate both craftsmanship and character. The exterior is finished in a smooth alabaster stucco, creating a soft, luminous backdrop that highlights the home’s classic lines and elegant proportions. A concrete barrel tile roof in a rich San Antonio blend of terracotta tones adds depth and authenticity.
Natural wood trim introduces warmth and contrast, complementing the striking black iron metal doors that anchor the façade with a sense of strength and artistry. Copper gutters provide a refined finishing touch.

A classic West Side loft in Hell’s Kitchen, Gallery’s main task was to renovate the large kitchen. The clients like to entertain, so in addition to remodeling the aesthetic, we expanded the footprint of the island and built an entirely new bar at the opposite end of the kitchen. Some design choices are a natural fit for the space. In this case, that meant leaning into the industrial vibe of the exposed concrete while bringing in some character with the material choices.
INDUSTRIAL CHIC
With an industrial aesthetic in mind, gray was a natural color choice for the fully custom Miralis cabinets. The backsplash was designed in a subway brick pattern, but rather than the typical porcelain or marble, a clay tile in a white matte tone resembling cement was chosen to further coordinate with the exposed concrete.
Stacked cabinets were installed to accommodate the tall loft ceilings. For contrast, we incorporated glass front cabinetry with lighting in some areas. The resulting marriage of concrete, glass, and wood is well-matched for an industrial chic loft kitchen.
Further highlighting the homeowners’ love of entertaining, we also built an entirely custom bar at one end of the space, featuring open shelving in contrasting wood tones with underlighting and a custom mirrored backsplash for an authentic bar feel.
ADVENTURES IN APPROACHING COLUMNS
Loft renovations tend to come with two common needs: how to fill all that space tastefully and how to work with those ever present columns. In the case of this loft kitchen renovation, it suited the industrial aesthetic not to wrap the concrete column as one typically would, but rather to leave it exposed, accentuating the raw character of the space. Partially as a result, the island expanded too, creating more room for functional additions such as a built-in microwave, wine fridge, and more open shelving to match the bar, outlined with a countertop overhang to optimize counter space and chair storage.
ANCHORED IN SYMMETRY
With a loft space as unusually large as this one, an ideal design strategy, especially when high ceilings are involved, is to anchor the kitchen on opposing sides. Here, one side is anchored by a large floor-to-ceiling pantry, while the other is anchored by the counter-depth fridge with cabinetry above. The connecting element is the counter space in the middle, resulting in the visual impact of a long kitchen run within the open floor plan of a loft.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS
- Entirely custom-built bar with custom mirrored backsplash templated specifically for this project
- Large, oversized island with seating all around, open shelving, and built-in microwave
- Subway backsplash tiles in clay rather than porcelain or marble
- Olympian white marble countertops
Considering a kitchen loft renovation in New York? Our expertise is in renovating all kinds of New York Spaces, from gut renovations of historic landmark buildings like brownstones and townhomes to kitchens and bathrooms in lofts and other apartments in managed buildings. Contact us to find out if our full-scale design-and-build approach is right for your project.

Recycling and reusing as many materials as possible was a way to bring the past and present harmoniously together. Recycled windows and doors were used, and even a section of the original beaded tongue and
groove wall in the laundry. Everything needed to be authentic to the original design, and existing materials were used whereever possible.

Classic coastal three story beach house. Featuring architectural shutters, windows, square detailed columns, cedar shingles, and two balconies with covered front porch entrance. Distinct railings and trim details.

Sponsored
Westerville, OH
Custom Home Works
Franklin County's Award-Winning Design, Build and Remodeling Expert

This new, custom home is designed to blend into the existing “Cottage City” neighborhood in Linden Hills. To accomplish this, we incorporated the “Gambrel” roof form, which is a barn-shaped roof that reduces the scale of a 2-story home to appear as a story-and-a-half. With a Gambrel home existing on either side, this is the New Gambrel on the Block.
This home has a traditional--yet fresh--design. The columns, located on the front porch, are of the Ionic Classical Order, with authentic proportions incorporated. Next to the columns is a light, modern, metal railing that stands in counterpoint to the home’s classic frame. This balance of traditional and fresh design is found throughout the home.

Progressive Design Build was determined to provide this family with a special place that fits their unique lifestyle, complete with an authentic looking Tiki Bar. And, who wouldn’t want this perfect, instant escape on their own lanai?
We created this bar to look like it was a permanent piece of furniture, but it is actually entirely removable! This custom outdoor Tiki Bar was built using Cypress wood in a dark walnut stain. Aesthetically defined by tiki culture décor, the interiors and exteriors were also built with bamboo and real palm thatch. Functionally, this bar is fully powered with built-in electrical and also includes an under-counter mini refrigerator to keep drinks cold and flowing.

Locally sourced Connecticut fieldstone envelops the sprawling first floor.
Huge traditional blue three-story stone house exterior idea in Other with a hip roof and a shingle roof
Huge traditional blue three-story stone house exterior idea in Other with a hip roof and a shingle roof

Sponsored
Columbus, OH
Hope Restoration & General Contracting
Columbus Design-Build, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling, Historic Renovations

Product: Authentic Limestone for Exterior Living Spaces.
Ancient Surfaces
Contacts: (212) 461-0245
Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com
Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com
The design of external living spaces is known as the 'Al Fresco' design style as it is called in Italian. 'Al Fresco' translates into 'the open' or 'the cool/fresh exterior'. Customizing a fully functional outdoor kitchen, pizza oven, BBQ, fireplace or Jacuzzi pool spa all out of old reclaimed Mediterranean stone pieces is no easy task and shouldn’t be created out of the lowest common denominator of building materials such as concrete, Indian slates or Turkish travertine.
The one thing you can bet the farmhouse on is that when the entire process unravels and when your outdoor living space materializes from the architects rendering to real life, you will be guaranteed a true Mediterranean living experience if your choice of construction material was as authentic and possible to the Southern Mediterranean regions.
We believe that the coziness of your surroundings brought about by the creative usage of our antique stone elements will only amplify that authenticity.
whether you are enjoying a relaxing time soaking the sun inside one of our Jacuzzi spa stone fountains or sharing unforgettable memories with family and friends while baking your own pizzas in one of our outdoor BBQ pizza ovens, our stone designs will always evoke in most a feeling of euphoria and exultation that one only gets while being on vacation is some exotic European island surrounded with the pristine beauty of indigenous nature and ancient architecture...

This Mediterranean-inspired kitchen blends warm wood cabinetry, natural stone accents, and hand-crafted architectural details to create a space rich in texture and Old-World charm. The custom cabinets feature deep, luxurious stain tones that pair beautifully with the stone hood surround and arched cooking niche—signature elements often found in high-end Mediterranean kitchen design. Wide-plank flooring and softly curved ceiling lines add warmth and authenticity, making the kitchen feel inviting and timeless.
A large center island anchors the layout, offering both prep space and comfortable seating for casual dining. Decorative corbels, carved posts, and wrought-iron touches elevate the handcrafted aesthetic while modern appliances blend seamlessly into the design. This luxury Mediterranean kitchen remodel balances elegance and functionality, giving homeowners a warm, character-filled space perfect for entertaining, cooking, and gathering. Text us at (484) 278-1764 or Call us (215) 482-0700 to get more info about Design, Design-Build and other ways we can help you make your dream a reality!

Design Consultant Jeff Doubét is the author of Creating Spanish Style Homes: Before & After – Techniques – Designs – Insights. The 240 page “Design Consultation in a Book” is now available. Please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com for more info.
Jeff Doubét specializes in Santa Barbara style home and landscape designs. To learn more info about the variety of custom design services I offer, please visit SantaBarbaraHomeDesigner.com
Jeff Doubét is the Founder of Santa Barbara Home Design - a design studio based in Santa Barbara, California USA.
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