This design is a Gulf-side 2nd home in a historically designated area. The simple goals for the home are to create a small interior 3 bedroom 2 bath house, efficient in space and low on maintenance, while maximizing the exterior spaces. The more complicated goals include designing a house that can be open when occupied and closed when not as it is 300’ from the Gulf of Mexico and must be secure from storms. The clients requested that the house could be boarded up as part of the design. They wanted the house to look inviting even when it was closed for a storm. A Grand ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to emerymcclure architecture Designers: Michael McClure and Ursula Emery McClure with Sarah Young From: Lafayette, Louisiana

We removed to outer walls to open up the kitchen. The small space if functional and beautifully designed. Thermador appliances, accents of matte black lighting, stools and table complicate the blonde wood and matte white cabinetry.

Sharon Contemporary Harmony was the main objective for this addition project and a great deal of attention is paid to the overall composition. The addition takes cues from the existing and ties new and old with an open, light-filled design that further connects the home to the site and achieves a feeling of spaciousness. Large windows are the cornerstone of this home and the use of symmetry helps keep the massing in balance. The addition includes a new kitchen, family room, breakfast and dining areas, new deck, expanded master suite on the second floor and a new three-car garage. The biggest challenge was to strike the best balance of privacy (especially in the master bathroom) and exposure to views of the outdoors. Complicating the task was the need to maintain the almost floor to ceiling windows while accommodating kitchen cabinets and a large walk-in shower. In the bathroom particularly, we take a creative approach to privacy and sun control without compromising the large windows. Contemporary homes place a huge emphasis on entertaining, particularly outdoors. This home will feature an outdoor fireplace connected to a large deck, perfect for casual entertaining.

This was a big complicated layout of a house with really good bones....We originally were going to update the master bathroom and quickly there after ended up completely gutting the entire house and adding more square footage too. The client took a chance and was greatly rewarded. Their home has such a beautiful flow now.

This was a big complicated layout of a house with really good bones....We originally were going to update the master bathroom and quickly there after ended up completely gutting the entire house and adding more square footage too. The client took a chance and was greatly rewarded. Their home has such a beautiful flow now.

Your drains are an extremely important part of your plumbing system. They connect every part of your plumbing system, so if they become clogged or blocked, you’ll see problems throughout your entire home. Clogged drains can lead to poor water flow, and they’ll cause complications with all of your plumbing fixtures. Our Big Bear drain cleaning specialists can help you if clogged or dirty drains are causing problems in your home. We’ll make sure your drains are working exactly like they should: quickly and effectively. For a trustworthy plumber and a quality drain cleaning job, give us a call today. Professional Drain Cleaning Bear Valley Plumbing and Heating has been serving the Big Bear area for more than 3 decades, and our main priority over that time has been to give each of our customers the most professional service available. Our Big Bear drain cleaning experts are all professionally trained, so we can guarantee you’ll be receiving the best in quality plumbing and workmanship. We’ll work quickly to get your drains cleaned as soon as possible, but we’ll never choose speed over quality work.

For this project, the goals were straight forward - a low energy, low maintenance home that would allow the "60 something couple” time and money to enjoy all their interests. Accessibility was also important since this is likely their last home. In the end the style is minimalist, but the raw, natural materials add texture that give the home a warm, inviting feeling. The home has R-67.5 walls, R-90 in the attic, is extremely air tight (0.4 ACH) and is oriented to work with the sun throughout the year. As a result, operating costs of the home are minimal. The HVAC systems were chosen to work efficiently, but not to be complicated. They were designed to perform to the highest standards, but be simple enough for the owners to understand and manage. The owners spend a lot of time camping and traveling and wanted the home to capture the same feeling of freedom that the outdoors offers. The spaces are practical, easy to keep clean and designed to create a free flowing space that opens up to nature beyond the large triple glazed Passive House windows. Built-in cubbies and shelving help keep everything organized and there is no wasted space in the house - Enough space for yoga, visiting family, relaxing, sculling boats and two home offices. The most frequent comment of visitors is how relaxed they feel. This is a result of the unique connection to nature, the abundance of natural materials, great air quality, and the play of light throughout the house. The exterior of the house is simple, but a striking reflection of the local farming environment. The materials are low maintenance, as is the landscaping. The siting of the home combined with the natural landscaping gives privacy and encourages the residents to feel close to local flora and fauna. Photo Credit: Leon T. Switzer/Front Page Media Group

This design is a Gulf-side 2nd home in a historically designated area. The simple goals for the home are to create a small interior 3 bedroom 2 bath house, efficient in space and low on maintenance, while maximizing the exterior spaces. The more complicated goals include designing a house that can be open when occupied and closed when not as it is 300’ from the Gulf of Mexico and must be secure from storms. The clients requested that the house could be boarded up as part of the design. They wanted the house to look inviting even when it was closed for a storm. A Grand ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to emerymcclure architecture Designers: Michael McClure and Ursula Emery McClure with Sarah Young From: Lafayette, Louisiana

For this project, the goals were straight forward - a low energy, low maintenance home that would allow the "60 something couple” time and money to enjoy all their interests. Accessibility was also important since this is likely their last home. In the end the style is minimalist, but the raw, natural materials add texture that give the home a warm, inviting feeling. The home has R-67.5 walls, R-90 in the attic, is extremely air tight (0.4 ACH) and is oriented to work with the sun throughout the year. As a result, operating costs of the home are minimal. The HVAC systems were chosen to work efficiently, but not to be complicated. They were designed to perform to the highest standards, but be simple enough for the owners to understand and manage. The owners spend a lot of time camping and traveling and wanted the home to capture the same feeling of freedom that the outdoors offers. The spaces are practical, easy to keep clean and designed to create a free flowing space that opens up to nature beyond the large triple glazed Passive House windows. Built-in cubbies and shelving help keep everything organized and there is no wasted space in the house - Enough space for yoga, visiting family, relaxing, sculling boats and two home offices. The most frequent comment of visitors is how relaxed they feel. This is a result of the unique connection to nature, the abundance of natural materials, great air quality, and the play of light throughout the house. The exterior of the house is simple, but a striking reflection of the local farming environment. The materials are low maintenance, as is the landscaping. The siting of the home combined with the natural landscaping gives privacy and encourages the residents to feel close to local flora and fauna. Photo Credit: Leon T. Switzer/Front Page Media Group

This Spring Valley yard was an incredibly complicated build. With over 5 stories of elevation change in the yard from the front to the back of the property, creating a sense of consistency and integration was a challenge. The expansive yard demanded a lot of thought be put into the cohesive design elements to make one's area flow with ease from one place to the next. The lengthy water feature, multiple patios and planting areas, all were linked with a multiple allen block retaining walls and sienna stone stairs. Photo Credit: Jamen Rhodes

Your drains are an extremely important part of your plumbing system. They connect every part of your plumbing system, so if they become clogged or blocked, you’ll see problems throughout your entire home. Clogged drains can lead to poor water flow, and they’ll cause complications with all of your plumbing fixtures. Our Big Bear drain cleaning specialists can help you if clogged or dirty drains are causing problems in your home. We’ll make sure your drains are working exactly like they should: quickly and effectively. For a trustworthy plumber and a quality drain cleaning job, give us a call today. Professional Drain Cleaning Bear Valley Plumbing and Heating has been serving the Big Bear area for more than 3 decades, and our main priority over that time has been to give each of our customers the most professional service available. Our Big Bear drain cleaning experts are all professionally trained, so we can guarantee you’ll be receiving the best in quality plumbing and workmanship. We’ll work quickly to get your drains cleaned as soon as possible, but we’ll never choose speed over quality work.

Taragano Design & Build completed this deck as part of a whole house remodel in Walnut Creek, California. The deck sits at interior floor level with no step down. That detail is worth the framing complication it causes, because a threshold you can walk across without looking is what makes people actually use the yard. A single step is enough to make a deck feel like somewhere you go rather than somewhere you are. Placement was driven by the existing pavilion and pool at the far end of the property. Rather than compete with them, the deck was kept close to the house and sized for seating only. The lawn between the two becomes the connection instead of dead space, and the yard reads as three separate places to be. The glass wall opens the dining room directly onto it, so the deck functions as an extension of the room behind rather than a destination requiring a decision to go outside. Licensed general contractor, CSLB #1143420. Diamond Certified.

This is a perfect example of how we work, and why our clients choose to work with us once they meet us. Kitchen remodel is not only about buying Cabinets. It’s much, much more than that. It’s finding the right people who can think on the fly/outside the box. Who can design/re-design and execute the details even when they have to make delicate and complicated decisions in the field to help keep the project on time. White solid Wood Cabinets, double crown moldings, Drawer microwave, pot filler, and large 30” undermount stainless steel sink with a tall faucet to anchor it. Bold backsplash tiles, elegant 36” professional hood, light rail moldings, pull out Drawers and organizers inside of the cabinets, LED lighting on dimmer switches all combined with new matching wood flooring made this kitchen stand out in this space. Cabinets, Countertop and design were provided by RAJ team, along with other collaborative team work between our recommended General Contractor and our client. The entire team was awesome and the project was beautifully executed!

Customer Testimonial "My wife and I had a book collection that had outgrown the inexpensive bookcases that had followed us from our small downtown apartment to our new home in Over-The-Rhine. After researching different possibilities on the internet, we contacted Greg to discuss having built-in bookcases installed in our library/office, which is a fairly narrow space where we had little room to spare. Greg was very friendly and professional in the initial meeting, and provided helpful suggestions for the project while being completely amenable to our initial vision. Once we agreed upon the design, Greg gave a very reasonable price, and provided us with a very workable timeline as to when he could complete the project in his shop and have them installed. On the day of the installation, Greg's team was able to quickly transfer the four bookcases up a staircase with some fairly tight turns. Amazingly, there was no damage to the walls, stairs, or bookcases in the process (a complication that I was fully anticipating based on the layout of our home). The complete installation, including electrical work and painting, was accomplished very quickly. My wife and I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out, and the library has become our favorite room in the house. Greg's craftsmanship, professionalism, and friendliness throughout the project were extremely refreshing. His artistic vision really sets him apart. We're already considering using him for a future project!" - Hannah and Andy Photography by Michael Schneider

A luxurious en suite bath was created within this classic 1925 Portland bungalow by reconfiguring the second story’s original small bedrooms and tiny half bath. In this welcoming new urban boho space, eclectic finishes mingle harmoniously, integrated through subtle repetition of shapes and materials. A furniture-style vanity sets the tone for this luxurious space, introducing materials, colors, shapes, and textures that repeat throughout. Individual walnut hexagons join to create distinctive vanity doors, offset beautifully by horizontal-grain drawers. Topping the cabinetry is a simple concrete countertop with integral sinks. An expansive framed mirror above enlarges and brightens the room. Within the mirror, sconces float, their globes a nod to the hexagons below. Champagne bronze fixtures reflect the warm walnut glow. Nestled into the back corner, a stunning shower features waterjet tiles in a double herringbone pattern, each precisely cut and laid to maintain design integrity at every surface transition. Teak floor tiles and a pebbled niche hint at the classic spa experience. Across from the shower, a large hexagonal window provides a treetop view from the free-standing tub below. The gentle oval of the tub and the beaded chandelier above provide a pleasing contrast to the strong lines surrounding it, as do the softly-shaded pebbles in the full-length niche. Shiplap wainscotting wraps the room, creating an illusion of height in the compact space. Subtle flooring and soft green walls create an understated backdrop for the bold mix of materials, unifying them into a serene oasis. Asking a century-old home to accommodate a modern luxury bath is a tall order. Asbestos-laden plaster and flooring had to be abated. The subfloor had to be leveled and reinforced to increase strength and prevent deflection. Water lines and multiple electrical circuits had to be brought across and up without disturbing a beautifully-paneled ceiling, something we accomplished by firring out stair walls to hide the chases. Our client had visions of a leafy view from her tub, but the new layout eliminated existing windows. Placing a new window was complicated by deep eaves and flat soffits. By pushing the header into the roofline, however, we were able to accommodate a picture window. The flat soffit was replaced by an inverse hip lined with stained tongue and groove cedar, tying it to the bathroom finishes. Bringing materials up a narrow staircase became truly challenging when it was time to install the big items. However, strategic removal of drywall around the landing got the job done. Our attention to detail is showcased in the shower tile, where precise cuts were required at surface transitions to maintain the integrity of a complex double herringbone lay. The project was delivered on time. Savvy layout choices minimized spending on structural changes. Because we were dealing with dormer space, head height was an issue. Raising the ceiling would have been complex and expensive so our design accommodated the constraints – tub on the low outside wall, shower on the full-height interior wall. The vanity spanned the spread, accommodating our petite client on the exterior side and her taller husband on the interior side. An under-eave closet was closed off to create room for both a freestanding tub and a separate shower. Rather than building replacement storage elsewhere, we simply added a new door into the closet from the primary bedroom. This was made possible by absorbing the short hallway separating the existing bed and bathroom into the primary bedroom. This new layout also created an en suite relationship between the primary bedroom and the new bath. We saved additional dollars by selecting a furniture-style vanity rather than using custom cabinetry, and the countertop with integral sinks provided a cost savings over a more traditional quartz countertop with undermount sinks. Affordable shower tiles allowed us to put more money into a dynamic tile layout. The project was delivered within budget.

The Timothy Hyde House, c. 1729, dear to the homeowners for its historic details, but long-lacking the family oriented spaces and living areas essential for today’s extended family lifestyle. Unwilling to compromise an ounce of character, this growing family longed for more practical amenities like a visitor’s private retreat with bedroom, living room and bath, garage parking, a proper master bedroom layout with full bath and walk-in closet, in addition to a new kitchen that would function as the heart of the home. Ultimately the total square footage was doubled and the entire flow of the home was reworked keeping all of the character details intact. The kitchen is the hub, serving up its center island topped off with reclaimed white oak once belonging to a barn built in the 1880’s; jet mist leather granite tops off the remainder of the kitchen. Custom cable lighting was the ingenious solution for the complicated preservation of the original exposed beams and posts in the kitchen. The barn door was custom crafted from original timbers. Many cups of coffee will be enjoyed at the cozy, sun-filled dining nook overlooking the family room and new adjacent deck. The rear, separate entry mudroom with step-up laundry was a long awaited luxury over the previous basement facilities. Moving upstairs, a centrally located bathroom was removed to create a wheelhouse style landing/passage hall, now home to a quiet workspace, featuring original wide plank floors and tailor-made sconces. Baths were added and upgraded including soapstone tops, marble, a glorious soaker tub in the generous master bath, all giving the home a taste of luxury. Bathing in sunlight rests the master suite starring the original beams, cathedral ceilings, and well-suited chandelier. Throughout the home strategically designed built-ins provide a plethora of storage and organization. This 280 year-old Colonial shines on brighter than ever. We are proud to have been part of its long history. Photo by Eric Roth

This is a perfect example of how we work, and why our clients choose to work with us once they meet us. Kitchen remodel is not only about buying Cabinets. It’s much, much more than that. It’s finding the right people who can think on the fly/outside the box. Who can design/re-design and execute the details even when they have to make delicate and complicated decisions in the field to help keep the project on time. White solid Wood Cabinets, double crown moldings, Drawer microwave, pot filler, and large 30” undermount stainless steel sink with a tall faucet to anchor it. Bold backsplash tiles, elegant 36” professional hood, light rail moldings, pull out Drawers and organizers inside of the cabinets, LED lighting on dimmer switches all combined with new matching wood flooring made this kitchen stand out in this space. Cabinets, Countertop and design were provided by RAJ team, along with other collaborative team work between our recommended General Contractor and our client. The entire team was awesome and the project was beautifully executed!

Free ebook, CREATING THE IDEAL KITCHEN Download now → http://bit.ly/idealkitchen This Glen Ellyn couple wanted to transform their dated kitchen into a more family-friendly space to use on a daily basis for cooking family meals and for entertaining friends. The existing kitchen was quite chopped up with strange soffits and different ceiling heights. To make the space flow in a more logical manner, we borrowed an unused desk area from the adjoining hallway and reconfigured a neighboring bath. Getting it to work on paper was fairly straightforward, but there was a bit of complicated beam work involved as the new kitchen flows through what was an old exterior wall. The new ceiling is now completely flush as we were able to hide the support in the ceiling joists. A new, larger window was added at the sink, the doorway to the room was widened and the resulting space creates a more easy flow from dining room to family room. The clients chose white inset cabinets, white marble tops and an apron sink to keep the space feeling simple yet original to the home's Colonial styling. Ship lap siding on the back of the island and at the pantry storage ceiling, a walnut butcher block, and antique brass details give the space an updated look. Professional stainless appliances are functional and beautiful. In addition to a large built-in fridge and 36" range, a second oven is housed in the island for flexibility. The pantry area has a convenience station that houses the family's espresso machine along with the microwave drawer. Another large bank of cabinets in the same area serves as pantry storage for dry goods. The bathroom was also remodeled as part of this project. The full bath has a vanity, shower and convenient baby changing area. The floor is encaustic tile, a type of concrete tile recognizable by its bold graphics. The mirror and lighting add a few modern touches to keep it in line with the Owner's personal style. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD Photography by: Carlos Vergara For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

Complicated design elements all confluence with the stairs, banisters and newel posts. They were planned in proportional relationship and are appropriate to the scale of the stairwell area. With an equal nod to both the aesthetics and function, the stair detail employs finger joints between the stair risers while the larger rectangular pegs along the length of each board contribute solid integrity to the construction design. The edges of all components are softened for touch and visual appeal. Mechanical fasteners are not employed to support the railing or stairs—here, highly engineered wooden mortise, tennons and pegs do the work. On this design point, beauty, function and Japanese influence are brought forward.