Perched above the beautiful Delaware River in the historic village of New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania sits this magnificent custom home designed by OMNIA Group Architects. According to Partner, Brian Mann,"This riverside property required a nuanced approach so that it could at once be both a part of this eclectic village streetscape and take advantage of the spectacular waterfront setting." Further complicating the study, the lot was narrow, it resides in the floodplain and the program required the Master Suite to be on the main level. To meet these demands, OMNIA dispensed with conventional historicist styles and created an open plan blended with traditional forms punctuated by vast rows of glass windows and doors to bring in the panoramic views of Lambertville, the bridge, the wooded opposite bank and the river. Mann adds, "Because I too live along the river, I have a special respect for its ever changing beauty - and I appreciate that riverfront structures have a responsibility to enhance the views from those on the water." Hence the riverside facade is as beautiful as the street facade. A sweeping front porch integrates the entry with the vibrant pedestrian streetscape. Low garden walls enclose a beautifully landscaped courtyard defining private space without turning its back on the street. Once inside, the natural setting explodes into view across the back of each of the main living spaces. For a home with so few walls, spaces feel surprisingly intimate and well defined. The foyer is elegant and features a free flowing curved stair that rises in a turret like enclosure dotted with windows that follow the ascending stairs like a sculpture. "Using changes in ceiling height, finish materials and lighting, we were able to define spaces without boxing spaces in" says Mann adding, "the dynamic horizontality of the river is echoed along the axis of the living space; the natural movement from kitchen to dining to living rooms following the current of the river." Service elements are concentrated along the front to create a visual and noise barrier from the street and buttress a calm hall that leads to the Master Suite. The master bedroom shares the views of the river, while the bath and closet program are set up for pure luxuriating. The second floor features a common loft area with a large balcony overlooking the water. Two children's suites flank the loft - each with their own exquisitely crafted baths and closets. Continuing the balance between street and river, an open air bell-tower sits above the entry porch to bring life and light to the street. Outdoor living was part of the program from the start. A covered porch with outdoor kitchen and dining and lounge area and a fireplace brings 3-season living to the river. And a lovely curved patio lounge surrounded by grand landscaping by LDG finishes the experience. OMNIA was able to bring their design talents to the finish materials too including cabinetry, lighting, fixtures, colors and furniture

We infused this small home office with a gray color palette to boost the clients concentration. Pops of deep magenta and green were added to infuse lighteness to her rather monotonous work.

To the manor born… or at least it will feel like it in this elegant yet easygoing French Country home designed by Visbeen Architects with a busy family who wants the best of the past and the present in mind. Drawn from both French and English traditional architecture, this two-story 5,463-square-foot home is a pleasing and timeless blend of two perennially popular styles. Driving up the circular driveway, the home’s front façade impresses with its distinctive details, including a covered porch, iron and stone accents, a roofline with multiple peaks, large windows and its central turret capping two bay windows. The back is no less eye-catching, with a series of large central windows on all three floors overlooking the backyard, two private balconies and both a covered second-floor screen porch and an open-air main-level patio perfect for al fresco entertaining. There’s magic on the inside too. The expansive 2,900-square-foot main level revolves around a welcoming two-story foyer with a grand curved staircase that leads into the rest of the luxurious yet not excessive floor plan. Highlights of the public spaces on the left include a spacious two-story light-filled living room with a wall of windows overlooking the backyard and a fireplace, an adjacent dining room perfect for entertaining with its own deck, and a open-plan kitchen with central island, convenient home management area and walk-in pantry. A nearby screened porch is the perfect place for enjoying outdoors meals bug-free. Private rooms are concentrated on the first-floor’s right side, with a secluded master suite that includes spa-like bath with his and her vanities and a large tub as well as a private balcony, large walk-in closet and secluded nearby study/office. Upstairs, another 1,100 square feet of living space is designed with family living in mind, including two bedrooms, each with private bath and large closet, and a convenient kids study with peaked ceiling overlooking the street. The central circular staircase leads to another 1,800 square-feet in the lower level, with a large family room with kitchen /bar, a guest bedroom suite, a handy exercise area and access to a nearby covered patio. Photographer: Brad Gillette

Graced with an abundance of windows, Alexandria’s modern meets traditional exterior boasts stylish stone accents, interesting rooflines and a pillared and welcoming porch. You’ll never lack for style or sunshine in this inspired transitional design perfect for a growing family. The timeless design merges a variety of classic architectural influences and fits perfectly into any neighborhood. A farmhouse feel can be seen in the exterior’s peaked roof, while the shingled accents reference the ever-popular Craftsman style. Inside, an abundance of windows flood the open-plan interior with light. Beyond the custom front door with its eye-catching sidelights is 2,350 square feet of living space on the first level, with a central foyer leading to a large kitchen and walk-in pantry, adjacent 14 by 16-foot hearth room and spacious living room with a natural fireplace. Also featured is a dining area and convenient home management center perfect for keeping your family life organized on the floor plan’s right side and a private study on the left, which lead to two patios, one covered and one open-air. Private spaces are concentrated on the 1,800-square-foot second level, where a large master suite invites relaxation and rest and includes built-ins, a master bath with double vanity and two walk-in closets. Also upstairs is a loft, laundry and two additional family bedrooms as well as 400 square foot of attic storage. The approximately 1,500-square-foot lower level features a 15 by 24-foot family room, a guest bedroom, billiards and refreshment area, and a 15 by 26-foot home theater perfect for movie nights. Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography

Ecoscape's botanist, Sue Rigdon, finalized the plant list for this project making sure the material would be fire resistant, critter-proof (against rabbits, ground squirrels, deer, and elk), and water wise. This species of Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) is hardy to -30 degrees and 6500ft elevation. This shrub also provides good wild bee forage!

To the manor born… or at least it will feel like it in this elegant yet easygoing French Country home designed by Visbeen Architects with a busy family who wants the best of the past and the present in mind. Drawn from both French and English traditional architecture, this two-story 5,463-square-foot home is a pleasing and timeless blend of two perennially popular styles. Driving up the circular driveway, the home’s front façade impresses with its distinctive details, including a covered porch, iron and stone accents, a roofline with multiple peaks, large windows and its central turret capping two bay windows. The back is no less eye-catching, with a series of large central windows on all three floors overlooking the backyard, two private balconies and both a covered second-floor screen porch and an open-air main-level patio perfect for al fresco entertaining. There’s magic on the inside too. The expansive 2,900-square-foot main level revolves around a welcoming two-story foyer with a grand curved staircase that leads into the rest of the luxurious yet not excessive floor plan. Highlights of the public spaces on the left include a spacious two-story light-filled living room with a wall of windows overlooking the backyard and a fireplace, an adjacent dining room perfect for entertaining with its own deck, and a open-plan kitchen with central island, convenient home management area and walk-in pantry. A nearby screened porch is the perfect place for enjoying outdoors meals bug-free. Private rooms are concentrated on the first-floor’s right side, with a secluded master suite that includes spa-like bath with his and her vanities and a large tub as well as a private balcony, large walk-in closet and secluded nearby study/office. Upstairs, another 1,100 square feet of living space is designed with family living in mind, including two bedrooms, each with private bath and large closet, and a convenient kids study with peaked ceiling overlooking the street. The central circular staircase leads to another 1,800 square-feet in the lower level, with a large family room with kitchen /bar, a guest bedroom suite, a handy exercise area and access to a nearby covered patio. Photographer: Brad Gillette

Main Line Kitchen Design’s unique business model allows our customers to work with the most experienced designers and get the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing.. . How can Main Line Kitchen Design offer both the best kitchen designs along with the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing? Our expert kitchen designers meet customers by appointment only in our offices, instead of a large showroom open to the general public. We display the cabinet lines we sell under glass countertops so customers can see how our cabinetry is constructed. Customers can view hundreds of sample doors and and sample finishes and see 3d renderings of their future kitchen on flat screen TV’s. But we do not waste our time or our customers money on showroom extras that are not essential. Nor are we available to assist people who want to stop in and browse. We pass our savings onto our customers and concentrate on what matters most. Designing great kitchens!

This hillside home in Piedmont, CA was remodeled to change the style from a 1940's rancher with eight foot ceilings and dark interiors, into a modern geometric composition with vast white interiors for casual living and generous daylighting for displaying the artist-owner's works. In a city known for rigorous and difficult design review, an addition, two variances, and a full stylistic change were unanimously approved on the first round. All sloped roofs and attics were eliminated and replaced by a series of stacked and overlapping flat roofs. This made the house taller on the inside and shorter on the outside, which helped earn design review cooperation in the community. Windows were concentrated toward the rear yard views or moved up high on the side walls for daylight and privacy, benefitting the owners as well as the neighbors. At the start, the owner husband was so enthusiastic and engaged in transforming his house into something modern that he presented the architect with a scaled foamcore model, rather than the usual magazine clippings and wish list. He participated in the design decisions throughout the process. The owner wife is the artist who did all the artwork in the house. She had been craving a display space with large walls and good natural light. Both of them loved the location and great views. The project was an opportunity to transform the style of an older traditional home into a modern one, while solving numerous problems. By rebuilding the 1800 ft2 top of the 3-story home it was possible to change the style of the whole building, since the lower floors were a neutral base, and also to change the lifestyle of the owners, who wanted to move their master suite upstairs and live primarily on the top floor as empty nesters. Going into the project, the architect knew there were multiple encroachments into the setbacks and potential privacy issues with close by neighbors. He approached this as a complex puzzle made up of architectural and political pieces which all had to fit together elegantly. It took many careful moves, small and large, to arrive at a serene and cohesive result that tied old and new together seamlessly. The design-build contractor worked closely with the owners and handled all of the construction phase documents and design adjustments, adding ideas of their own to make the project really sing. The project was a collaboration in three acts. The owner had a strong design concept from the start. The architect developed it into a realistic project and garnered the design approvals. Then the contractor executed brilliantly

This study was completed in Nolensville, Tennessee after an in-depth discussion with the RSU Design Team. A private room of this magnitude and functionality have everything you need to help you concentrate on the most pressing of tasks at hand. As you enter the room through the french doors your eyes are immediately drawn to the hardwood flooring which is accentuated by the wainscot panelling. The detailed craftsmanship of the custom molded mantel, showcasing the cambria hearth/ fireplace, provide this room with a formal yet cozy setting to encourage intimate discussions. The focal point of this room is the intricately designed shelving and cabinetry located directly behind the desk.

The couple requested that an alcove be converted into a homework space for their two children. They hoped for 2 separate desks plus storage space. The space is 5’-6” x 8’-6”. The long wall has a large bank of windows and a 12” x 12” electrical chase running along the floor under the windows. The children are aged 4 and 7 right now, and the space needs to accommodate them as they grow. The space could not accommodate two back-to-back desks with sufficient circulation space. Thus, the corner space was leveraged for both desks and storage. The custom designed desks provide plenty of layout space and elbow room for the student along the front edge. The deep corners are fitted with custom wall units for storage. More storage is found above, below and between the desks. The desk and deep corner storage units are designed to accommodate the children’s growth. The desks have a second set of legs to raise them to standard adult height. The corner units have an open storage space at the bottom that becomes hidden under the desk top when the desk top is raised in the coming years. The design provides a finished look now, when only one desk top is raised, and when both desks are eventually raised. The design also encourages concentration. The desks face away from each other. Cabinet placement ensures that chairs won’t bump into one another when pushing away from the desk. The balance between neutral and colored surfaces is designed to provide enough color to attract a child’s interest, but not enough to overstimulate or distract. Photo by Alex Steinberg Photography

Main Line Kitchen Design’s unique business model allows our customers to work with the most experienced designers and get the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing.. . How can Main Line Kitchen Design offer both the best kitchen designs along with the most competitive kitchen cabinet pricing? Our expert kitchen designers meet customers by appointment only in our offices, instead of a large showroom open to the general public. We display the cabinet lines we sell under glass countertops so customers can see how our cabinetry is constructed. Customers can view hundreds of sample doors and and sample finishes and see 3d renderings of their future kitchen on flat screen TV’s. But we do not waste our time or our customers money on showroom extras that are not essential. Nor are we available to assist people who want to stop in and browse. We pass our savings onto our customers and concentrate on what matters most. Designing great kitchens! Main Line Kitchen Design designers are some of the most experienced and award winning kitchen designers in the Delaware Valley. We design with and sell 8 nationally distributed cabinet lines. Cabinet pricing is slightly less than at major home centers for semi-custom cabinet lines, and significantly less than traditional showrooms for custom cabinet lines. After discussing your kitchen on the phone, first appointments always take place in your home, where we discuss and measure your kitchen. Subsequent appointments usually take place in one of our offices and selection centers where our customers consider and modify 3D kitchen designs on flat screen TV’s. We can also bring sample cabinet doors and finishes to your home and make design changes on our laptops in 20-20 CAD with you, in your own kitchen. Call today! We can estimate your kitchen renovation from soup to nuts in a 15 minute phone call and you can find out why we get the best reviews on the internet. We look forward to working with you. As our company tag line says: “The world of kitchen design is changing…”

The trusses span the entire great room and we had to get creative with the lighting so that it worked well with the trusses and gave us concentrated light where needed.

Kitchen Over 150K If you ever found yourself shopping for a new home, finding a model home, falling in love with this model home and immediately signing on the dotted line. Yet after a few months of moving into your new home you realize that the kitchen and the layout of main level will not work out for your lifestyle. The model home you fell in love with was furnished with beautiful furniture distracting you from concentrating on what is really important to you. This is what happened to this couple in Ashburn, VA, after purchasing their dream home. The kitchen lacked natural light, while its location was not ideal and was disrupting their daily routine. After a careful review of the kitchen design, a plan was formed to upgrade the kitchen. Their kitchen was moved to a location between the two-story family room and front dining room. To the left of the family room there was a breakfast eating area that was not serving any purpose. Our design incorporated the breakfast area placed along a couple feet from an adjacent pantry space to create this new dream kitchen. By knocking down a few bearing walls, we have placed the main sink area under large backside windows. Now the kitchen can look into their beautiful backyard. A major load bearing wall between the old breakfast room and adjacent two-story family was taken down and a big steel beam took the place of that, creating a large seamless connection between the new kitchen and the rest of the home. A large island was implemented with a prep sink, microwave, and with lots of seating space around it. Large scale professional appliances along with stunning mosaic backsplash tiles complement this amazing kitchen design. Double barn style door in front of the pantry area sets off this storage space tucked away from rest of the kitchen. All the old tile was removed and a matching wide plank distressed wood floor was installed to create a seamless connection to rest of the home. A matching butler pantry cabinet area just outside of dining room and a wine station/drink serving area between family room and main foyer were added to better utilize the multi-function needs of the family. The custom inset cabinetry with double layers and exotic stone counter top, distressed ceiling beams, and other amenities are just a few standouts of this project.

Perched above the beautiful Delaware River in the historic village of New Hope, Bucks County, Pennsylvania sits this magnificent custom home designed by OMNIA Group Architects. According to Partner, Brian Mann,"This riverside property required a nuanced approach so that it could at once be both a part of this eclectic village streetscape and take advantage of the spectacular waterfront setting." Further complicating the study, the lot was narrow, it resides in the floodplain and the program required the Master Suite to be on the main level. To meet these demands, OMNIA dispensed with conventional historicist styles and created an open plan blended with traditional forms punctuated by vast rows of glass windows and doors to bring in the panoramic views of Lambertville, the bridge, the wooded opposite bank and the river. Mann adds, "Because I too live along the river, I have a special respect for its ever changing beauty - and I appreciate that riverfront structures have a responsibility to enhance the views from those on the water." Hence the riverside facade is as beautiful as the street facade. A sweeping front porch integrates the entry with the vibrant pedestrian streetscape. Low garden walls enclose a beautifully landscaped courtyard defining private space without turning its back on the street. Once inside, the natural setting explodes into view across the back of each of the main living spaces. For a home with so few walls, spaces feel surprisingly intimate and well defined. The foyer is elegant and features a free flowing curved stair that rises in a turret like enclosure dotted with windows that follow the ascending stairs like a sculpture. "Using changes in ceiling height, finish materials and lighting, we were able to define spaces without boxing spaces in" says Mann adding, "the dynamic horizontality of the river is echoed along the axis of the living space; the natural movement from kitchen to dining to living rooms following the current of the river." Service elements are concentrated along the front to create a visual and noise barrier from the street and buttress a calm hall that leads to the Master Suite. The master bedroom shares the views of the river, while the bath and closet program are set up for pure luxuriating. The second floor features a common loft area with a large balcony overlooking the water. Two children's suites flank the loft - each with their own exquisitely crafted baths and closets. Continuing the balance between street and river, an open air bell-tower sits above the entry porch to bring life and light to the street. Outdoor living was part of the program from the start. A covered porch with outdoor kitchen and dining and lounge area and a fireplace brings 3-season living to the river. And a lovely curved patio lounge surrounded by grand landscaping by LDG finishes the experience. OMNIA was able to bring their design talents to the finish materials too including cabinetry, lighting, fixtures, colors and furniture

Productivity Zone: Home Office Elegance - Home office with newly installed roller shades. Working from home? Your office environment matters. Our roller shades enhance focus and aesthetics. With a sleek design and smooth operation, they’re the perfect addition to your productive haven. Boost concentration, reduce glare, and elevate your work-from-home experience.

Extensions, Additions or entire New Home Construction....Beaconsfield Construction concentrates on achieving a high level of coordination and finish. Photos by Beaconsfield Construction

The industrial style ottoman blends perfectly into a living/working studio space.
Inspiration for an industrial family room remodel in Indianapolis

This couple wanted to make their typical San Francisco backyard into something special. The yard had some nice plants but little useable space or attractive ground treatment. They had built a kidney-shaped planter with block walls as a weekend project a few years back, and they wanted to keep this. We came up with a design that used the kidney-shaped planter as a focal point. We added a lot of useable space with a bi-level concentric circular patio. By constructing the patio on two levels, we were able to keep most of the excavated soil on site instead of bringing it to the landfill. The outer circle consists of interlocking concrete pavers, while the raised inner circle is paved with natural Arizona flagstone. We enhanced the kidney planter by making another circular planter around it from matching wall blocks. The circular tree beds add interest by echoing the circle theme of the yard.

School settings require students to maintain concentration and sit still for long periods of time throughout the day. Needless to say, that can be tough not only for teenagers but adults as well. Harnessing sheer roller shades to cover classroom windows helps ensure sunlight doesn’t become a hindrance in the path of education, but a facilitator of better learning. By diffusing sunlight that enters the classrooms, students don’t suffer the negative cognitive impact of harsh glare that’s strainful on the eyes. Instead, they enjoy the benefits sunlight plays in maintaining alertness and attentiveness. Classroom window shades that provide better privacy also help to keep outside distractions from interfering with the lessons, keeping students focused on the subject at hand. The right use of colorful roller shades can also complement sensory cues for focus created by the classroom environment. Talk to Master Blinds’ design team to see what roller shades can offer your classroom spaces. Get in touch with us at 877-708-5883 to schedule a free in-person consultation with no obligation for more details!