Modern French chateau inspired kitchen features custom cabinetry and white oak flooring in a traditional chevron pattern. A generous marble island provides ample prep space alongside appliances suitable for a chef. Carefully curated details include an antique crystal doorknob for the pantry and solid brass hardware.

Embracing the natural elements of this circa 1960’s Condo development in Stowe Vermont was a priority for our clients. We worked closely with a great design team and our clients to create this simple, but beautiful minimalist retreat. Our clients, both authors, wanted a place to withdraw from the endless distractions and fast pace rhythms of the city. Custom made cabinets, bookshelves and built ins helped off set the sandblasted CMU block walls and ground concrete floors. A beautiful handcrafted stairwell was a center piece connecting the three floors. A handcrafted integrated concrete sink in the master is was another testament to the mixed mediums used to create this space. We embraced exposed conduit and commercial grade light fixtures throughout which helped add to the overall minimalist feel of the space. There is a beautiful rawness to this project which everyone came to admire.

Identical arched openings allow passage from the living room, through a short hall, to the study or the master suite. At far right is the window into the atrium. The spiral staircase leading to the casita can be seen in the study. High on the wall is one of the ductless mini-split units that heats and cools the home. Photo by V. Wooster

Living room design in a Tribeca Loft in New York City
Living room - mid-sized eclectic loft-style light wood floor living room idea in New York with brown walls, no fireplace and no tv

The homes in Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill, NC are representative of the popularity and explosive growth of American Home Ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WW II. They were designed and built to foster the benefits and sense of “community”, where families could come together and share theirs and their children’s lives. They are typically in very desirable locations within their larger communities, and remodeling them with modern amenities, increasing the performance and efficiency of them, and having them Green Certified (independent third-party verified) makes them extremely attractive to buyers, and helps to raise other property values within the neighborhood. Green Certified Remodeled Homes offer significant value and advantage in the marketplace over similar homes in their area, which is especially important as a new, younger era of home buyers enter the market. Current trends suggest that younger (as well as many “seasoned”) homeowners are interested in smaller, more efficient (and thus affordable) homes situated closer to shopping, their work, entertainment opportunities, and access to the economic and environmental benefits of mass transit. These older homes also offer an additional value that is continuing to gain visibility and appreciation in the market place. They were built from lumber from slower-growth trees (denser and harder wood), and as such offer superior structural support compared to the same home built using lumber from today’s faster-growing (softer and less-dense wood) trees. Robin and Kent had lived in their 2-story Gambrel Roof home in Heritage Hills since 1994. The house was structurally sound, due in large part to the old-growth (and denser) yellow pine that was used in its framing. They loved the quiet neighborhood, its sense of community and amenities, and their home. It suited their life-style and needs; and they had decided that they would remain in the home. It was showing its age, and was in need of general repairs and maintenance, and its energy, water, and indoor air quality performance was continuing to increase their ongoing cost of ownership. Robin loved the screen porch that looked out on their private and nicely landscaped back yard, but she wanted to be able to use it in the colder months of the year. She was unsatisfied with the kitchen and the mud room / laundry room, and the darkness of other living spaces. A previous water leak in the laundry room had resulted in a large patch of mold that had compromised flooring, wall board, and insulation and contributed to the homes reduced indoor air quality. The home lacked insulation in the crawl, and inadequate insulation in the attic. The single HVAC unit had been replaced a few years earlier with a more efficient unit, but with a single programmable thermostat control on the first floor and aging and un-insulated ducting, the second floor was often over-heated in the summer months. The original wood windows had begun to deteriorate and were drafty and inefficient, and the original wood-burning fireplace was an open conduit for escaping conditioned air as well as an inlet for wood-smoke smelling air being pulled into the home. The siding had been replaced a few years earlier with a cement-fiber product, but the exterior wood trim was compromised and beginning to look unsightly. Its original architecture had been altered over the years in ways that presented ongoing maintenance and durability issues, as well as disrupting the elegance of the original design. Kent has worked for over 30 years in the Environmental Sciences field, and is considered to be a national expert in understanding the sources of, and human exposure to pollutants in indoor environments. He had always been very conscious and cautious about the effects on indoor air quality that the construction, furnishings, and products used in home had on him and his family. Project Goals Increase the performance of their home by improving energy efficiency by at least 40% and lowering their natural gas and electric utility costs. Increase the performance of their home by reducing water usage by at least 40% and lowering the water utility costs. Increase the comfort of their home that was being compromised by an inadequate HVAC design, inadequate insulation, inefficient and compromised wood windows, and copious air intrusions and drafts. Improve the healthiness of the homes indoor air quality that was being compromised by an open wood-burning fireplace, and prior water intrusion that had allowed colonies of mold to thrive. Create a new Kitchen, Family Room, Home Office, Mudroom, and Laundry Room that featured some of the latest designs and trends and harmonized with the rest of the homes charm. Increase the usefulness and aesthetics of the screened porch by creating a warm and inviting semi-conditioned 3-Season Room that extended the times during the year that it was comfortable. Introduce day-lighting into areas of the home that were dark and uninviting. Brighten and harmonize all of the interior finishes. Protect and restore the exterior of the home with superior-performing products and finishes. Achieve Gold Level Green Home Certification in conformance with the ICC 700-2012 National Green Building Standards (NGBS).

Eat-in kitchen - transitional u-shaped medium tone wood floor eat-in kitchen idea in Calgary with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartzite countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Photo: Lindsay Reid Photo
Urban open concept light wood floor living room photo in Other with beige walls

IQ Business Media Inc. wishes to expand the programming of their business brand by connecting with their audience in more dynamic ways and further enhance their position as a viable partner to national and international design markets. Bringing diverse stakeholders together to facilitate ongoing dialogue in the areas of design and architecture is a key goal of the organization. Design Solutions: Quality of space and brand delivery provide state-of-the-art technology in all the spaces. Spaces can adapt to support the project and business needs. Onsite staff act as a conduit for culture, community, connecting people, companies, and industries by sharing expertise and developing meaningful relationships. Therefore, the spaces are flexible, easy to reconfigure, and adapt to diverse uses. Software: Revit with Enscape plugin, Photoshop. Designer Credit: www.linkedin.com/in/mahsa-taskini

Photo: Jordana Nicholson © 2016 Houzz
Mid-century modern home office photo in Other

The issues that annoyed the family in this condo are common to new condo units: Low ceilings covered with a popcorn finish, small rooms, low light in the bedrooms and living room, and no ceiling light fixtures. Concrete ceilings are not only difficult to drill into to install fixtures, installing wiring behind them for such fixtures is impossible. There are often conduits for building services embedded in the concrete along with structural steel reinforcements, so drilling without x-raying first is dangerous. Laqfoil stretch ceiling provided a solution to all of these issues for this condo unit. A high gloss finish was chosen, as the reflections visually double the height of the space. Installing a stretch ceiling also naturally conceals the popcorn ceiling behind it, but in this case, was also used to conceal the wiring necessary to add ceiling lights in every room. The wiring was simply attached to the existing popcorn ceiling. Laqfoil stretch ceiling is supported around the perimeter only, by tracks, or profiles which are only about 0.75" thick. The ceiling membrane itself is less than one millimetre thick. We also added a small vector graphic, printed in each corner of the living room ceiling, for a unique aesthetic effect. We constructed a suspended bulkhead above the island and covered it with red high gloss membrane, to visually separate the kitchen and living room while keeping the design's open concept. This also provided a supporting structure for 3 mini chandelier pendant lights. A red rose depicted on a black and white textured ground was chosen for the kitchen ceiling and applied using digital wide format printing technology, to tie the red, black and white colour scheme with the kitchen cabinets' texture.

photos by Pedro Marti This large light-filled open loft in the Tribeca neighborhood of New York City was purchased by a growing family to make into their family home. The loft, previously a lighting showroom, had been converted for residential use with the standard amenities but was entirely open and therefore needed to be reconfigured. One of the best attributes of this particular loft is its extremely large windows situated on all four sides due to the locations of neighboring buildings. This unusual condition allowed much of the rear of the space to be divided into 3 bedrooms/3 bathrooms, all of which had ample windows. The kitchen and the utilities were moved to the center of the space as they did not require as much natural lighting, leaving the entire front of the loft as an open dining/living area. The overall space was given a more modern feel while emphasizing it’s industrial character. The original tin ceiling was preserved throughout the loft with all new lighting run in orderly conduit beneath it, much of which is exposed light bulbs. In a play on the ceiling material the main wall opposite the kitchen was clad in unfinished, distressed tin panels creating a focal point in the home. Traditional baseboards and door casings were thrown out in lieu of blackened steel angle throughout the loft. Blackened steel was also used in combination with glass panels to create an enclosure for the office at the end of the main corridor; this allowed the light from the large window in the office to pass though while creating a private yet open space to work. The master suite features a large open bath with a sculptural freestanding tub all clad in a serene beige tile that has the feel of concrete. The kids bath is a fun play of large cobalt blue hexagon tile on the floor and rear wall of the tub juxtaposed with a bright white subway tile on the remaining walls. The kitchen features a long wall of floor to ceiling white and navy cabinetry with an adjacent 15 foot island of which half is a table for casual dining. Other interesting features of the loft are the industrial ladder up to the small elevated play area in the living room, the navy cabinetry and antique mirror clad dining niche, and the wallpapered powder room with antique mirror and blackened steel accessories.

The homes in Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill, NC are representative of the popularity and explosive growth of American Home Ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WW II. They were designed and built to foster the benefits and sense of “community”, where families could come together and share theirs and their children’s lives. They are typically in very desirable locations within their larger communities, and remodeling them with modern amenities, increasing the performance and efficiency of them, and having them Green Certified (independent third-party verified) makes them extremely attractive to buyers, and helps to raise other property values within the neighborhood. Green Certified Remodeled Homes offer significant value and advantage in the marketplace over similar homes in their area, which is especially important as a new, younger era of home buyers enter the market. Current trends suggest that younger (as well as many “seasoned”) homeowners are interested in smaller, more efficient (and thus affordable) homes situated closer to shopping, their work, entertainment opportunities, and access to the economic and environmental benefits of mass transit. These older homes also offer an additional value that is continuing to gain visibility and appreciation in the market place. They were built from lumber from slower-growth trees (denser and harder wood), and as such offer superior structural support compared to the same home built using lumber from today’s faster-growing (softer and less-dense wood) trees. Robin and Kent had lived in their 2-story Gambrel Roof home in Heritage Hills since 1994. The house was structurally sound, due in large part to the old-growth (and denser) yellow pine that was used in its framing. They loved the quiet neighborhood, its sense of community and amenities, and their home. It suited their life-style and needs; and they had decided that they would remain in the home. It was showing its age, and was in need of general repairs and maintenance, and its energy, water, and indoor air quality performance was continuing to increase their ongoing cost of ownership. Robin loved the screen porch that looked out on their private and nicely landscaped back yard, but she wanted to be able to use it in the colder months of the year. She was unsatisfied with the kitchen and the mud room / laundry room, and the darkness of other living spaces. A previous water leak in the laundry room had resulted in a large patch of mold that had compromised flooring, wall board, and insulation and contributed to the homes reduced indoor air quality. The home lacked insulation in the crawl, and inadequate insulation in the attic. The single HVAC unit had been replaced a few years earlier with a more efficient unit, but with a single programmable thermostat control on the first floor and aging and un-insulated ducting, the second floor was often over-heated in the summer months. The original wood windows had begun to deteriorate and were drafty and inefficient, and the original wood-burning fireplace was an open conduit for escaping conditioned air as well as an inlet for wood-smoke smelling air being pulled into the home. The siding had been replaced a few years earlier with a cement-fiber product, but the exterior wood trim was compromised and beginning to look unsightly. Its original architecture had been altered over the years in ways that presented ongoing maintenance and durability issues, as well as disrupting the elegance of the original design. Kent has worked for over 30 years in the Environmental Sciences field, and is considered to be a national expert in understanding the sources of, and human exposure to pollutants in indoor environments. He had always been very conscious and cautious about the effects on indoor air quality that the construction, furnishings, and products used in home had on him and his family. Project Goals Increase the performance of their home by improving energy efficiency by at least 40% and lowering their natural gas and electric utility costs. Increase the performance of their home by reducing water usage by at least 40% and lowering the water utility costs. Increase the comfort of their home that was being compromised by an inadequate HVAC design, inadequate insulation, inefficient and compromised wood windows, and copious air intrusions and drafts. Improve the healthiness of the homes indoor air quality that was being compromised by an open wood-burning fireplace, and prior water intrusion that had allowed colonies of mold to thrive. Create a new Kitchen, Family Room, Home Office, Mudroom, and Laundry Room that featured some of the latest designs and trends and harmonized with the rest of the homes charm. Increase the usefulness and aesthetics of the screened porch by creating a warm and inviting semi-conditioned 3-Season Room that extended the times during the year that it was comfortable. Introduce day-lighting into areas of the home that were dark and uninviting. Brighten and harmonize all of the interior finishes. Protect and restore the exterior of the home with superior-performing products and finishes. Achieve Gold Level Green Home Certification in conformance with the ICC 700-2012 National Green Building Standards (NGBS).

The new retaining wall, build from New York quarried Granite, is complete with conduits & drainage pipes. LCM PLUS custom engraved the address onto a granite plaque built into the the new pillars which complete the appeal.

Front beds two months post-installation. Please forgive the tree stakes and the landscape lighting conduit (not installed as of the day this picture was taken).

double rain shower in Master bath
Large urban master gray tile and cement tile concrete floor, gray floor, single-sink, exposed beam and brick wall bathroom photo in Kansas City with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, gray walls, a vessel sink, wood countertops, brown countertops and a floating vanity

“The Falls” at Snohomish Cascade, located in Snohomish, Washington, is a planned community of three divisions that was developed by Donald Leavitt from March 2, 1988 – August 9, 1989. The community is a family friendly neighborhood with cul-de-sacs, a waterfall, parks, trails, Totem Falls Elementary School, and nearby shopping. The HOA contacted Northwest Outdoor Lighting in the fall of 2019 for a landscape lighting quote. They had old lighting that was constantly being damaged or buried under foliage. After renovating their electrical and signage, they finally called to say they were ready for the new outdoor lighting we quoted. We installed 6w LED uplights and washes with all wiring in conduit. We highlighted the totem poles, trees and the new sign for easy visibility at night. The water fall falls 15-20 feet from top. It took our team one day to complete the lighting installation and now the whole street corner is welcoming and bright!

Chic is a French word associated with stylishness, while Rustic means related to, or suitable for the country.Together, Rustic Chic is an interior design alchemy, the chic suggesting culture, fashion and trendiness, while the Rustic element idealizes a natural pastoral charm. This style tends to reclaim the old, and reinvent materials characterized by imperfect finishes. Rough-hewn finishes, marks, divots, scratches and imperfections are purposeful. The materials themselves often provide historical reference (either real or imagined) and are incorporated to balance hardness (think steel, iron and brick) with the softness of modern furniture and softgoods. Exposed brick walls can be a key component of this look, but wallpapers can do the job if you aren’t fortunate enough to have the real thing. Scaffold planks, exposed conduit, timber and fencing can be added to create a depth of character; and when paired with modern styled furnishings and accoutrements – this is a fresh, nostalgic minded trend that we’ll be seeing well through 2020

All of the lineset hidden behind a paint ready conduit. Bet you didn't see it!