Our kitchen and bath designer, Claire, worked with the clients to design an amazing new kitchen (dubbed Not Your Average Island). The clients’ biggest headache was that the kitchen didn’t function for their family. They were limited with their current seating arrangement, their countertops were filled with appliances, proper storage solutions were lacking and the space was just not working well for them. With the banquette for the children to comfortably do their afternoon homework, additional island seating and enhanced function throughout, our designer Claire completely transformed this space. Her expertise created a one-of-a-kind (definitely not your average) island that was designed specifically for this wonderful family and allowed her to find a home for every piece and part (and more!) the homeowners use every day and the clients love their new kitchen! Photography: Scott Amundson Photography

The main entrance to this home welcomes one through double solid wood doors stained in a driftwood blue wash. Hardware on doors are elegant Crystal knobs with back plate in a polished chrome. The doorway is surrounded by full view sidelights and overhead transoms over doors and sidelights. Two french style porcelain planters flank the entry way with decorative grape-vine sculptured orbs atop each one. Interior doorway is flanked by 2 tufted Louis XVI style half round benches in a beige relaxed fabric. The benches wood details are distressed and further give this understated elegant entry a relaxed and inviting look. This home was featured in Philadelphia Magazine August 2014 issue to showcase its beauty and excellence. Photo by Alicia's Art, LLC RUDLOFF Custom Builders, is a residential construction company that connects with clients early in the design phase to ensure every detail of your project is captured just as you imagined. RUDLOFF Custom Builders will create the project of your dreams that is executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsman, while creating lifetime client relationships that are build on trust and integrity. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area including West Chester, Gladwynne, Malvern, Wayne, Haverford and more. As a 6 time Best of Houzz winner, we look forward to working with you on your next project.

As written in Northern Home & Cottage by Elizabeth Edwards For years, Jeff and Ellen Miller spent their vacations sailing in Northern Michigan—so they had plenty of time to check out which small harbor town they might like to retire to someday. When that time arrived several years ago, they looked at properties up and down the coast and along inland lakes. When they discovered a sweet piece on the outskirts of Boyne City that included waterfront and a buildable lot, with a garage on it, across the street, they knew they’d found home. The couple figured they could find plans for their dream lake cottage online. After all, they weren’t looking to build anything grandiose. Just a small-to-medium sized contemporary Craftsman. But after an unfruitful online search they gave up, frustrated. Every plan they found had the back of the house facing the water—they needed a blueprint for a home that fronted on the water. The Millers first met the woman, Stephanie Baldwin, Owner & President of Edgewater Design Group, who solved that issue and a number of others on the 2015 Northern Home & Cottage Petoskey Area Home Tour. Baldwin’s home that year was a smart, 2000-square cottage on Crooked Lake with simple lines and a Craftsman sensibility. That home proved to the couple that Edgewater Design Group is as proficient at small homes as the larger ones they are often known for. Edgewater Design Group did indeed come up with the perfect plan for the Millers. At 2400 square feet, the simple Craftsman with its 3 bedrooms, vaulted ceiling in the great room and upstairs deck is everything the Millers wanted—including the fact that construction stayed within their budget. An extra courtesy of working with the talented design team is a screened in porch facing the lake (“She told us, of course you have to have a screened in porch,” Ellen says. “And we love it!’) Edgewater’s other touches are more subtle. The Millers wanted to keep the garage, but the home needed to be sited on a small knoll some feet away in order to capture the views of Lake Charlevoix across the street. The solution is a covered walkway and steps that are so artful they enhance the home. Another favor Baldwin did for them was to connect them with Legacy Construction, a firm known for its craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Miller home, outfitted with touches including custom molding, cherry cabinetry, a stunning custom range hood, built in shelving and custom vanities. A warm hickory floor and lovely earth-toned Craftsman-style color palette pull it all together, while a fireplace mantel hewn from a tree taken on the property rounds out this gracious lake cottage.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

A very tight lot with urban sensitivities, but serious flood zone issues. To accommodate FEMA flood elevations and the desire for parking, this elevated home is able to stack cars underneath and present itself on a narrow urban lot to the street. The inviting porch connects the front door to the street while creating privacy and preserving the vernacular Charleston side porch.

This historic 1910 Federal style house was carefully renovated and decorated by SRA in phases while the family － including five children ­­－ lived there. Flow issues created by haphazard additions by previous owners were eliminated with a clear-cut circulation path. Today, perfectly proportioned rooms and open spaces are elegantly connected within the constraints of the existing 7-bedroom, 6-bathroom structure.

This historic 1910 Federal style house was carefully renovated and decorated by SRA in phases while the family － including five children ­­－ lived there. Flow issues created by haphazard additions by previous owners were eliminated with a clear-cut circulation path. Today, perfectly proportioned rooms and open spaces are elegantly connected within the constraints of the existing 7-bedroom, 6-bathroom structure.

Featured in this collection is John's very own award winning backyard. His garden is a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. The property provides the four basic habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive: water, cover, food and places to raise their young. His garden will be featured in the September issue of San Diego Home and Garden magazine. Stay tuned for John's new book, Garden Sanctuary: Designing for Comfort, Wholeness, and Connection, that takes you on the transformative journey of creating your own personal sanctuary and connection to nature in your own back yard.

Located near the base of Scottsdale landmark Pinnacle Peak, the Desert Prairie is surrounded by distant peaks as well as boulder conservation easements. This 30,710 square foot site was unique in terrain and shape and was in close proximity to adjacent properties. These unique challenges initiated a truly unique piece of architecture. Planning of this residence was very complex as it weaved among the boulders. The owners were agnostic regarding style, yet wanted a warm palate with clean lines. The arrival point of the design journey was a desert interpretation of a prairie-styled home. The materials meet the surrounding desert with great harmony. Copper, undulating limestone, and Madre Perla quartzite all blend into a low-slung and highly protected home. Located in Estancia Golf Club, the 5,325 square foot (conditioned) residence has been featured in Luxe Interiors + Design’s September/October 2018 issue. Additionally, the home has received numerous design awards. Desert Prairie // Project Details Architecture: Drewett Works Builder: Argue Custom Homes Interior Design: Lindsey Schultz Design Interior Furnishings: Ownby Design Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Photography: Werner Segarra

Featured in this collection is John's very own award winning backyard. His garden is a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. The property provides the four basic habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive: water, cover, food and places to raise their young. His garden will be featured in the September issue of San Diego Home and Garden magazine. Stay tuned for John's new book, Garden Sanctuary: Designing for Comfort, Wholeness, and Connection, that takes you on the transformative journey of creating your own personal sanctuary and connection to nature in your own back yard.

This south facing lakefront condo unit our clients purchased, with its terrace and solaria overlooking the water, was virtually in its original state, never having been renovated. Upon beginning construction, the space was completely opened to the stunning view. A contemporary aesthetic was created while implementing warmth with the choice of materials. With this openness came a new set of issues: mechanical travel and connection to existing runs, all inside a typical concrete condo structure. What we think is a true example of design complexity rendering simplicity.

Featured in this collection is John's very own award winning backyard. His garden is a certified wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. The property provides the four basic habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive: water, cover, food and places to raise their young. His garden will be featured in the September issue of San Diego Home and Garden magazine. Stay tuned for John's new book, Garden Sanctuary: Designing for Comfort, Wholeness, and Connection, that takes you on the transformative journey of creating your own personal sanctuary and connection to nature in your own back yard.

Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Denver with shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

This south facing lakefront condo unit our clients purchased, with its terrace and solaria overlooking the water, was virtually in its original state, never having been renovated. Upon beginning construction, the space was completely opened to the stunning view. A contemporary aesthetic was created while implementing warmth with the choice of materials. With this openness came a new set of issues: mechanical travel and connection to existing runs, all inside a typical concrete condo structure. What we think is a true example of design complexity rendering simplicity.

This south facing lakefront condo unit our clients purchased, with its terrace and solaria overlooking the water, was virtually in its original state, never having been renovated. Upon beginning construction, the space was completely opened to the stunning view. A contemporary aesthetic was created while implementing warmth with the choice of materials. With this openness came a new set of issues: mechanical travel and connection to existing runs, all inside a typical concrete condo structure. What we think is a true example of design complexity rendering simplicity.

The Design issue was how to handle this odd-shaped space in the front of the house with 12 for ceilings that connected to the eating area coming in from the garage. the design solution was to have a galley workstation as a food prep in front of windows by the range to create a food prep zone and then pull the clean-up zone back toward the kitchen table. To allow for greater flow, we pierced an additional door thru the wall into the dining living area.

This south facing lakefront condo unit our clients purchased, with its terrace and solaria overlooking the water, was virtually in its original state, never having been renovated. Upon beginning construction, the space was completely opened to the stunning view. A contemporary aesthetic was created while implementing warmth with the choice of materials. With this openness came a new set of issues: mechanical travel and connection to existing runs, all inside a typical concrete condo structure. What we think is a true example of design complexity rendering simplicity.

CJ South
Arts and crafts brown one-story mixed siding exterior home photo in DC Metro with a hip roof

The Design issue was how to handle this odd-shaped space in the front of the house with 12 for ceilings that connected to the eating area coming in from the garage. the design solution was to have a galley workstation as a food prep in front of windows by the range to create a food prep zone and then pull the clean-up zone back toward the kitchen table. To allow for greater flow, we pierced an additional door thru the wall into the dining living area.