Dennis Meyer
Home design - traditional home design idea in Other

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

Example of a trendy family room design in Delhi

Oakland, CA: Addition and remodel to a rustic ranch home. The existing house had lovely woodwork but was dark and enclosed. The house borders on a regional park and our clients wanted to open up the space to the expansive yard, to allow views, bring in light, and modernize the spaces. New wide exterior accordion doors, with a thin screen that pulls across the opening, connect inside to outside. We retained the existing exposed redwood rafters, and repeated the pattern in the new spaces, while adding lighter materials to brighten the spaces. We positioned exterior doors for views through the whole house. Ceilings were raised and doorways repositioned to make a complicated and closed-in layout simpler and more coherent.

Complicated juncture here - a ridge line and two valleys coming together.
Mid-sized elegant gray two-story concrete fiberboard exterior home photo in Denver with a shingle roof and a black roof

No project is too small – or too big – for DTV Installations. We proved the latter with an enormous and complicated project for a Staten Island homeowner, who needed the full range of equipment and installation services we provide. Once we agreed on the scope and details of the project with the homeowner, we worked hand-in-hand with a team of carpenters and electricians to get all of the work done in two weeks.

Our client planned to spend more time in this home and wanted to increase its livability. The project was complicated by the strata-specified deadline for exterior work, the logistics of working in an occupied strata complex, and the need to minimize the impact on surrounding neighbours. By reducing the deck space, removing the hot tub, and moving out the dining room wall, we were able to add important livable space inside. Our homeowners were thrilled to have a larger kitchen. The additional 500 square feet of living space integrated seamlessly into the existing architecture. This award-winning home features reclaimed fir flooring (from the Stanley Park storm), and wood-cased sliding doors in the dining room, that allow full access to the outdoor balcony with its exquisite views. Green building products and processes were used extensively throughout the renovation, which resulted in a modern, highly-efficient, and beautiful home.

BEFORE PHOTO OF THE BACKYARD- Here is the backyard before we came in and removed the small pergola and added the new patio cover. Notice the pink brick on the home. We updated that as well. The complicated roof line made this a very difficult project.

This is a extremely complicated project which is part of a whole home to the stud re-imagining, but it deserves its own portfolio tab. To start with this room began life as the second floor of a two story living room. We created the step down by traying a portion of the living room ceiling below, and the walls, ceiling and floor are two layers thick with noise proofing compound between. The room is wired for 7.2 surround sound on the main TV and there are floor plugs underneath the sofas. the cabinetry is knotty alder and the cabinets under the tv extend in to a wall cavity that houses the homes data center. The outside wall contains 2 in wall liquor cabinets that have sliding doors for optimum storage. The entrance is hidden by a Murphy Door hidden in a bookshelf.

Envision a spacious family home nestled against Boulder’s Flatirons, where modern tech meets playful fun. Level One is a 7,100 SF haven for a family of five, blending green building with light and views to create a space that's efficient, joyful, and perfectly tied to the land. Our clients dreamed of a bright, open home like an Apple Store, with big glass walls to soak in the scenery. They wanted mass-timber for a natural look, exposed systems to show the home's smart inner workings, and room for guests, fitness, and relaxation. A sloped site can complicate building and efficiency, but we used insulated foundations and smart insulation to keep energy use low and the structure solid. Exposed elements saved on finishes while adding a unique, honest charm. The concept mixes strength and whimsy – timber panels for walls and floors that double as decor, with a sloped ceiling framing epic views. Playful additions like a slide and climbing walls turn everyday spaces into adventures for the whole family. Mass-timber builds a sturdy core, with charred wood siding for weather and fire protection. Triple windows, extra insulation, and solar panels make it energy-smart, cutting bills and boosting sustainability in Boulder's climate. Warm and functional, with custom wood storage that flows naturally. Open main areas connect living with views, while bedrooms offer cozy lofts. A pool, steam room, and gym bring wellness home in a fun, engaging way. Since early 2023, Level One has been a lively family retreat that saves energy and sparks joy. It honors Boulder's beauty with thoughtful design, creating a home full of light, connection, and lasting comfort for generations.

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

The roofline on this project was one of the most complicated ones we've ever taken on. The array of roof valleys and hips make the timber frame a perfect 'lid' for this exquisite beach house. The designers and builders attention to details, ensuring that timber details align with trim details and window layout really payed off on the end result. The client, an engineer retired from a successful career in the timber business, was most particular about the wood work, resulting in a home that really showcases craftsmanship and quality wood products.

Oakland, CA: Addition and remodel to a rustic ranch home. The existing house had lovely woodwork but was dark and enclosed. The house borders on a regional park and our clients wanted to open up the space to the expansive yard, to allow views, bring in light, and modernize the spaces. New wide exterior accordion doors, with a thin screen that pulls across the opening, connect inside to outside. We retained the existing exposed redwood rafters, and repeated the pattern in the new spaces, while adding lighter materials to brighten the spaces. We positioned exterior doors for views through the whole house. Ceilings were raised and doorways repositioned to make a complicated and closed-in layout simpler and more coherent.

Our clients purchased this older home with three separate additions. The first addition was a slab tie-in. The second two additions were achieved with off-grade floor joist systems. To further complicate this floor, our clients replaced their cast iron waste lines with PVC. We recommended a decoupling membrane for a plank porcelain tile throughout the entire home. Here we ground down the trench work, feathered the transitions, and removed the high spots throughout the floor in preparation for the crack isolation membrane application. We then sealed/primed the cutback adhesives before applying the Ditra.

Paisley Terra Photography
Example of a mid-sized trendy gender-neutral medium tone wood floor walk-in closet design in Vancouver with flat-panel cabinets and medium tone wood cabinets

Beach Front Kitchen & Bath Remodel
Large beach style u-shaped medium tone wood floor open concept kitchen photo in Chicago with an undermount sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, blue backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in Miami

Architect: Andre Tchelistcheff Architects New York. NY Builder: Xhema of Greenwich CT Installer: TRM Enterprises Bridgehampton NY Back story. Northern has worked with both Xhema and TRM many tiles. We have worked with Andre before he branched out on his own. Originally Xhema’s contact was to replace the roof and repair the garage, which as some point had been made into an indoor swimming pool without adequate ventilation. The budget was about $8m and there were 20 drawings. By the time the job was 6 months old the scope of work has expanded to over $30m and over 200 drawings had been produced. Northern was contacted to visit the site and evaluate the existing roof. Although the house had been added to over the years the same tile was used but due to the location of the house the color of the tile varied considerably from the front to the back. Northern identified a large number of custom details which would require us to: 1) Match the existing Field tile in size, thickness (it was actually thicker at the butt and reduced to ½” where the tile is overlapped) , surface texture and the color. 2) Make tiles that are curved in their length to suit the curved rafter on the gabled dormers. 3) Make the curved tiles to suit the low slope octagonal tower. 4) Make the curved tiles and Arris style hips to suit the hipped dormers with the curved rafters. 5) Make the segmented tiles to suit the round turret. 6) Make the custom arris style hip tiles for the octagonal tower. 7) Make the custom Arris style hip to suit the different roof pitches as well as the varying splays at the eaves. 8) Make the custom pieces to suit the swept valleys Simon broke down each section of the roof. He indented all items for each section and agreed the measure etc with the installers. This ‘Project Bible’ became an invaluable tool for the installer, our tile makers and us. We shipped some samples from the original roof to Sahtas who replicated tall the details. I was visiting factory and delayed my return to the Saturday so that the tiles coming out of the kiln late Friday night could be wrapped and packed into newly purchase suit cases. I arrived home late Saturday evening and Simon picked me up Sunday afternoon and drove us down to Greenwich for an 8 am meeting with the clients. When we unpacked the tiles they were still warm and Hilfiger signed off on the color, although his wife suggested we make them a bit darker a ‘as he has a dreadful sense of color!’ We took Vincent Liot, owner of TRM to the factory twice so that he could oversee the prototyping of all the myriad custom pieces. This was an invaluable move as he pre-approved all the pieces before they were shipped. The installation was completed and everyone was very pleased with the final outcome. The Hilfiger’s estate manager told me that a group of friends who were staying the weekend after all the work was completed were heard to ask Mr. Hilfiger ‘I thought you were having a new roof’…to which he responded ‘we did but you can’t tell, which as the plan” …perfect! In refection this is probably the most complicated roof Northern has ever had the pleasure to supply. We learned a lot of very valuable lessons but in future when we are asked how did we do it we will answer ‘that is for us to know and for you to pay for!’

Example of a large trendy gray two-story mixed siding house exterior design in Kansas City with a shed roof and a shingle roof