Competitive Edge - Photos & Ideas

Project #93 | Captivating Staircase with Light Wood and Black Spindles

This captivating staircase catches the eye the moment you step through the front door. More than a functional connection between floors, it serves as a daily art piece that can be both used and admired by homeowners and guests alike. Floating wood stringers support the structure, while warm wood railings and modern black metal spindles create a clean, contemporary aesthetic. Light-toned wood elements keep the design feeling bright and welcoming, while white risers add additional crispness. The combination of natural warmth and industrial edge proves that staircases can be as beautiful as they are practical. 1976-2026 © Century Stair Company

Project #93 | Captivating Staircase with Light Wood and Black Spindles

Century Stair Company

Vesta Plank Steel Siding

Quality Edge

Architectural Steel Siding for the Home Designed to create an iconic building aesthetic that will look the same as the first day it was installed, Vesta Steel Siding is competitive in every way to the classic and upkeep-heavy, wood shiplap. Long and narrow panels seams create a subtle reveal for a maintenance free solution that’s an investment you can count on.

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Shades of Gray

Connecticut Kitchen Design

This project received the first place regional award for best transitional kitchen in the Sub-Zero/Wolf 2014 design competition. It features: Wood-Mode 84 frameless cabinetry, Square Edge Regency Recessed door with matching drawerhead, maple with Nordic White paint on perimeter, Vintage Slate on coffee bar and island. Custom elements include: zinc bonnet on hood, along with zinc countertops on coffee bar and shelves, and countertop in butler's pantry. The kitchen features multiple islands, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, and lighting by Restoration Hardware.

Somethings Got Ahold of Me Lately

USI Design & Remodeling

This master bathroom renovation in Frisco was completed for a repeat USI Design & Remodeling client as part of a larger first-floor transformation of the home. The original bathroom reflected a very typical North Texas layout of its era — dark stained cabinetry, granite countertops, compartmentalized vanities, a built-in tub adjoining a framed shower, and separated spaces that no longer aligned with how the homeowners wanted to live. As their aesthetic evolved toward a more transitional and contemporary direction, the goal became less about replacing finishes and more about redefining the experience of the room itself. The project needed to feel calmer, more architectural, and far more intentional in how the space functioned visually and emotionally. One of the most important changes was removing the original shower curb and pony wall in favor of a fully open curbless shower with ultra-clear ½-inch heavy glass. Achieving that look required recessing the slab, re-floating the shower floor toward a linear drain, and engineering the space so the room would read as visually uninterrupted from end to end. Throughout the project, many of the design decisions were rooted in restraint rather than excess. The oversized 24x48 Porcelanosa flooring carries very little shade variation, creating a quieter visual field, while the cabinetry was executed in rift-sawn white oak specifically because it produces a far more controlled and consistent finish outcome than more common cuts of wood. In luxury projects, consistency itself becomes part of the refinement. The floating vanity was designed more like custom furniture than traditional cabinetry, utilizing waterfall mitered edges and fully reworked plumbing locations so both homeowners could share in having generous functional countertop space. The original makeup station was repurposed into integrated storage with powered drawers and concealed organization for everyday items such as blow dryers and flat irons. Along the vanity wall, wall-mounted plumbing fixtures were paired with ribbed natural marble surfaces — a detail that required intentional planning long before construction began. Rather than allowing the ribbed material to terminate awkwardly behind the fixtures, the backsplash and stone transitions were specifically designed to resolve those conditions cleanly. Those are the types of details that distinguish highly coordinated design-build work from projects that simply assemble materials together. While the room contains a significant amount of luxury detailing — from the freestanding tub and geoprism marble focal wall to the custom rift-sawn white oak closet doors and elongated mirrors that leverage the 11-foot ceiling heights — the project was always guided by quiet luxury rather than visual competition. Even the water closet enclosure was handled with restraint through the use of a satin-etched glass door rather than another heavy solid opening. The intent throughout was to create a bathroom that feels restorative and serene rather than overdesigned. In our view, the best luxury spaces are the ones that feel composed long after the initial impression wears off.

Amazing Backyard Pond

C.E. Pontz Sons

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.

Shades of Gray

Connecticut Kitchen Design