Photo by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds
This is an example of a landscaping in San Francisco.

Fujitsu unit mounted near the ceiling in a sunroom.
Beach style sunroom photo in New York

We transformed a former office space/house into the perfect getaway. Work included lifting the structure several feet in the air, and re-constructing all the interior spaces to accommodate three private guest suites, each complete with their own bathroom. The beachy, casual vibe carries throughout the spaces, thanks to the owners' (an architect/artist duo) creative vision. The Santa Rosalia guest house is now the perfect space for launching a PNW getaway, with Edmonds' storefronts, bookshops, coffee, and beaches just steps away. Builder: Blue Sound Construction Designer: Aaron Bush of Workshop AB2C Photo:Alex Hayden

The existing landscape was filled with colorless Yew evergreens and poor soil conditions. These areas are somewhat shady and now include Azaleas, Endless Summer Hydrangea, Grefsheim Spirea, Weeping Hemlock, Japanese Maple Bloodgood and Hicksii Yews that do not spread. The small pear tree is a Jaczam and will flower in Spring and have ornamental small non edible pears in the fall.

The path to the back door is shown. The air-conditioning unit is concealed with a short lattice fence. Note how the curves in the patio add a dynamic flow to the path.

This growing family needed more living space in their 1926 St. Paul, MN Bungalow, and had great potential in their unfinished attic for a new master suite. Castle began working with the city to grandfather some existing conditions in, like the steeper stairs and lower ceiling height to comply with building codes. New insulation, interior walls, electrical, heating, and a full interior finish was planned. The finished space incorporates traditional millwork matching the lower level of the home, a custom built-in bookshelf, new white doors, and pre-finished white oak hardwood floors in a rich Licorice stain. The dark floors and oil-bronze accents throughout the space really anchors the room and completes an overall bright color pallet with high contrast. In the new bathroom, a cement tile floor was selected to tie in the homeowner’s classy flair. Switching the finishes to polished brass inside the bathroom really brings a lux and regal feel to the space. Paired with traditional subway tile, white vanity, refurbished vintage medicine cabinet, and neutral walls, the new bathroom is elegant, yet understated. One of our favorite features is the use of the two existing dormers. One dormer was converted into a new walk-in closet with custom glass closet doors, so the light can still shine into the bedroom. The 2nd dormer, we left open for a quaint sitting and reading nook. See full details (including before photos) at http://www.castlebri.com/attics/project-3299-1/ Designed by: Emily Blonigen

Inspiration for a victorian two-story exterior home remodel in Seattle

Bouteloua curtipendula / sideoats grass New York Botanical Garden Photo: Kristine Paulus, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-2.0 Generic

For this project the house itself and the garage are the only original features on the property. In the front yard we created massive curb appeal by adding a new brick driveway, framed by lighted brick columns, with an offset parking space. A brick retaining wall and walkway lead visitors to the front door, while a low brick wall and crisp white pergola enhance a previous underutilized patio. Landscaping, sod, and lighting frame the house without distracting from its character. In the back yard the driveway leads to an updated garage which received a new brick floor and air conditioning. The back of the house changed drastically with the seamless addition of a covered patio framed on one side by a trellis with inset stained glass opposite a brick fireplace. The live-edge cypress mantel provides the perfect place for decor. The travertine patio steps down to a rectangular pool, which features a swim jet and linear glass waterline tile. Again, the space includes all new landscaping, sod, and lighting to extend enjoyment of the space after dusk. Photo by Craig O'Neal

The composition of layers, the palette of shades, and the use of natural materials (concrete and granulate) give this stone his warm feel and romantic look. The Odyssee stone is 100 percent frost-resistant and can therefore be used indoors and outdoors. With a variety of sizes it's easy to make that realistic random looking wall. Stone Design is durable, easy to clean, does not discolor and is moist, frost, and heat resistant. The light weight panels are easy to install with a regular thin set mortar (tile adhesive) based on the subsurface conditions. The subtle variatons in color and shape make it look and feel like real stone. After treatment with a conrete sealer this stone is even more easy to keep clean.

Photo: Kayla Pearson © 2016 Houzz
1950s dining room photo in Chicago

As a Premier Home Builder. Sharkey Custom Homes Inc. has spent the last 18 years building beautiful and original homes to Lubbock TX and surrounding areas. We are committed to building homes of the highest quality while simultaneously making sure our customers needs are met or exceeded. When you choose to build the home of your dreams with us, you can rest assured that you will be treated with the respect and integrity that you and your future home deserves. Sharkey will be there at each step to make certain that your experience is a wonderful one. We also offer Remodeling, Architects, Interior Design, and Landscape Design. Home Building, Remodeling, Design, Architects, Interior Design, landscape design, Land, Lots, Pools, Painting, Patios, Floor Covering, Granite, Wallpaper, Fireplaces, Lighting, Appliances, Roofing, Chimneys, Iron Doors, Railing, Staircase, cabinets, trim carpentry, Audio, Video, theaters, fountains, windows, bathroom fixtures, mirrors, hardware, crown molding, tubs, sinks, faucets, ceiling fans, garage doors, heating, air conditioning, shutters, texture, faux finish, vent hood, tile, porcelain, clay, stucco, stone,travertine, concrete, fencing, waterfalls,

Request Free Quote This Glencoe, IL inground swimming pool features a full-end set of steps. The pool measures 20'0" x 40'0", and has an automatic safety cover with custom walk-on stone lid system. Concrete pavers surround the pool and provide ample seating area. Indiana Limestone coping collars the pool. The exposed aggregate pool finish is Tahoe Blue color.

photography by Jonathan Reece
Mid-sized elegant gray two-story wood exterior home photo in Portland Maine with a clipped gable roof

Tom Pawlesh photo, used by permission.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The client requested a large (19 foot wide by 15 foot projection) two-span retractable waterproof patio cover system to provide heavy rain, hail, heat, sun, glare and UV protection. This would allow our client to sit outside and enjoy their garden throughout the year, extending their outdoor entertainment space. For functionality they requested that water drain from the rear of the system into the front beam and down inside the right end post, exiting at the bottom from a tiny hole and draining into the flower beds thus preventing rain water from simply dropping off the front of the unit. The entire system used one continuous piece of fabric and one motor. The uprights and guides meet together at a smooth L-shaped angle, flush at the top for a perfectly smooth profile. The system has a Beaufort wind load rating Scale 10 (up to 63 mph) with the fabric fully extended and in use. A grey hood was also used to prevent rain water, debris and snow from collecting in the folds of fabric when not in use. A running profile from end to end in the rear of the unit was used to attach the Somfy RTS motor which is installed inside a motor safety box. Circular concrete footers were installed in the grassy area in front of the unit for mounting the 3 posts. To allow for a flat vertical mounting surface, a ledger board using pressure-treated wood was mounted the full 19-foot wall width, as the client’s house was made of uneven, thick stone. PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT: The client’s intention was for installation of a retractable waterproof patio cover system to provide heavy rain, hail, heat, sun, glare and UV protection for their backyard patio area. What is unique or complex about the project? This project was difficult for two main reasons: 1. Very large installation fasteners needed to be used to install through the above referenced ledger board and deep in to the stone structure of the house. 2. The motor cable needed to be placed through deeply drilled holes as the stone wall house wall is 15” thick. Drilling through en-even stone was definitely a challenge. PROJECT RESULTS The client was delighted with the results. The retractable patio cover system now makes it possible for the client to use a very large area in the rear of their house 24/7, 365 with the exclusion of snow. Since the client was very happy, they will be covering the ends, front and sides with our motorized vertical drop zippered awnings. Gable ends will also be covered with fixed fabric panels. Enclosing the entire area will allow the customer to heat the space in the winter and air condition the space in the summer.

These wonderful clients returned to us for their newest home remodel adventure. Their newly purchased custom built 1970s modern ranch sits in one of the loveliest neighborhoods south of the city but the current conditions of the home were out-dated and not so lovely. Upon entering the front door through the court you were greeted abruptly by a very boring staircase and an excessive number of doors. Just to the left of the double door entry was a large slider and on your right once inside the home was a soldier line up of doors. This made for an uneasy and uninviting entry that guests would quickly forget and our clients would often avoid. We also had our hands full in the kitchen. The existing space included many elements that felt out of place in a modern ranch including a rustic mountain scene backsplash, cherry cabinets with raised panel and detailed profile, and an island so massive you couldn’t pass a drink across the stone. Our design sought to address the functional pain points of the home and transform the overall aesthetic into something that felt like home for our clients. For the entry, we re-worked the front door configuration by switching from the double door to a large single door with side lights. The sliding door next to the main entry door was replaced with a large window to eliminate entry door confusion. In our re-work of the entry staircase, guesta are now greeted into the foyer which features the Coral Pendant by David Trubridge. Guests are drawn into the home by stunning views of the front range via the large floor-to-ceiling glass wall in the living room. To the left, the staircases leading down to the basement and up to the master bedroom received a massive aesthetic upgrade. The rebuilt 2nd-floor staircase has a center spine with wood rise and run appearing to float upwards towards the master suite. A slatted wall of wood separates the two staircases which brings more light into the basement stairwell. Black metal railings add a stunning contrast to the light wood. Other fabulous upgrades to this home included new wide plank flooring throughout the home, which offers both modernity and warmth. The once too-large kitchen island was downsized to create a functional focal point that is still accessible and intimate. The old dark and heavy kitchen cabinetry was replaced with sleek white cabinets, brightening up the space and elevating the aesthetic of the entire room. The kitchen countertops are marble look quartz with dramatic veining that offers an artistic feature behind the range and across all horizontal surfaces in the kitchen. As a final touch, cascading island pendants were installed which emphasize the gorgeous ceiling vault and provide warm feature lighting over the central point of the kitchen. This transformation reintroduces light and simplicity to this gorgeous home, and we are so happy that our clients can reap the benefits of this elegant and functional design for years to come.

When we imagine the homes of our favorite actors, we often think of picturesque kitchens, artwork hanging on the walls, luxurious furniture, and pristine conditions 24/7. But for celebrities with children, sometimes that last one isn’t always accurate! Kids will be kids – which means there may be messy bedrooms, toys strewn across their play area, and maybe even some crayon marks or finger-paints on walls or floors. Lucy Liu recently partnered with One Kings Lane and Paintzen to redesign her son Rockwell’s playroom in their Manhattan apartment for that reason. Previously, Lucy had decided not to focus too much on the layout or color of the space – it was simply a room to hold all of Rockwell’s toys. There wasn’t much of a design element to it and very little storage. Lucy was ready to change that – and transform the room into something more sophisticated and tranquil for both Rockwell and for guests (especially those with kids!). And to really bring that transformation to life, one of the things that needed to change was the lack of color and texture on the walls. When selecting the color palette, Lucy and One Kings Lane designer Nicole Fisher decided on a more neutral, contemporary style. They chose to avoid the primary colors, which are too often utilized in children’s rooms and playrooms. Instead, they chose to have Paintzen paint the walls in a cozy gray with warm beige undertones. (Try PPG ‘Slate Pebble’ for a similar look!) It created a perfect backdrop for the decor selected for the room, which included a tepee for Rockwell, some Tribal-inspired artwork, Moroccan woven baskets, and some framed artwork. To add texture to the space, Paintzen also installed wallpaper on two of the walls. The wallpaper pattern involved muted blues and grays to add subtle color and a slight contrast to the rest of the walls. Take a closer look at this smartly designed space, featuring a beautiful neutral color palette and lots of exciting textures!