The Council Crest Residence is a renovation and addition to an early 1950s house built for inventor Karl Kurz, whose work included stereoscopic cameras and projectors. Designed by prominent local architect Roscoe Hemenway, the house was built with a traditional ranch exterior and a mid-century modern interior. It became known as “The View-Master House,” alluding to both the inventions of its owner and the dramatic view through the glass entry. Approached from a small neighborhood park, the home was re-clad maintaining its welcoming scale, with privacy obtained through thoughtful placement of translucent glass, clerestory windows, and a stone screen wall. The original entry was maintained as a glass aperture, a threshold between the quiet residential neighborhood and the dramatic view over the city of Portland and landscape beyond. At the south terrace, an outdoor fireplace is integrated into the stone wall providing a comfortable space for the family and their guests. Within the existing footprint, the main floor living spaces were completely remodeled. Raised ceilings and new windows create open, light filled spaces. An upper floor was added within the original profile creating a master suite, study, and south facing deck. Space flows freely around a central core while continuous clerestory windows reinforce the sense of openness and expansion as the roof and wall planes extend to the exterior. Images By: Jeremy Bitterman, Photoraphy Portland OR

The cube crystal chandelier from Visual Comfort provides overhead lighting in the room. A Baker silk sofa sits in front of windows adorned with tone-on-tone paisley silk draperies, hung on a lucite JF rod with cut-lead crystal finials. A lucite-and-glasstop cocktail table from EJ Victor is adorned by simple orchids. Councill Craftsmen commodes flank the white marble fireplace, custom-carved from a single block of marble, and Thomas Pheasant's constellation mirror found a home over the mantle. Lovely Councill club chairs with COM fabric provide additional seating. A white marble table with gold, elegantly curved legs provide a place for family picture and a velvet pumpkin belying the season. A custom, hand-made silk rug from Stark completes the room. Designed by Melodie Durham of Durham Designs & Consulting, LLC. Photo by Livengood Photographs [www.livengoodphotographs.com/design].

Photo by Jeremy Bittermann
Modern exterior home idea in Portland

The cube crystal chandelier from Visual Comfort provides overhead lighting in the room. A Baker silk sofa sits in front of windows adorned with tone-on-tone paisley silk draperies, hung on a lucite JF rod with cut-lead crystal finials. A lucite-and-glasstop cocktail table from EJ Victor is adorned by simple orchids. Councill Craftsmen commodes flank the white marble fireplace, custom-carved from a single block of marble, and Thomas Pheasant's constellation mirror found a home over the mantle. Lovely Councill club chairs with COM fabric provide additional seating. A white marble table with gold, elegantly curved legs provide a place for family picture and a velvet pumpkin belying the season. A custom, hand-made silk rug from Stark completes the room. Designed by Melodie Durham of Durham Designs & Consulting, LLC. Photo by Livengood Photographs [www.livengoodphotographs.com/design].

Floralis Garden Design
Example of a classic exterior home design in Atlanta

Kessler photoghraphy
Mid-sized elegant open concept dark wood floor family room photo in Omaha with gray walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Beautiful pieces from the clients’ international collection of art & decor items complement the sophisticated interiors of this Portland home. Project by Portland interior design studio Jenni Leasia Interior Design. Also serving Lake Oswego, West Linn, Eastmoreland, Bend, Hood River and the Greater Portland Area. For more about Jenni Leasia Interior Design, click here: https://www.jennileasiadesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.jennileasiadesign.com/council-crest-portland-remodel

Photo by Jeremy Bittermann
Modern exterior home idea in Portland

Photo by Jeremy Bittermann
Minimalist living room photo in Portland

Kim Smith Photo
Inspiration for a small timeless enclosed medium tone wood floor living room library remodel in New York with beige walls, no fireplace and a tv stand

Beautiful pieces from the clients’ international collection of art & decor items complement the sophisticated interiors of this Portland home. Project by Portland interior design studio Jenni Leasia Interior Design. Also serving Lake Oswego, West Linn, Vancouver, Sherwood, Camas, Oregon City, Beaverton, and the whole of Greater Portland. For more about Jenni Leasia Interior Design, click here: https://www.jennileasiadesign.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.jennileasiadesign.com/council-crest-portland-remodel

Kitchen - craftsman kitchen idea

The project began with a 1970's, split-level ranch, on a spectacular hilltop site with a view to Mt. Hood. The house was transformed and updated by expanding the living room, renovating the kitchen and interior surfaces, and adding a second level master bedroom suite it now sits comfortably on the narrow site and takes full advantage of natural light and distant views. Improvements to the site include new terraces, walls and stairs, wrought iron railings and a long, linear reflecting pool. The new entry garden and pool provide a quiet transition from the street to the newly canopied teak entry doors. This residence was undertaken by Jim as project architect with Richard Brown Architects, AIA, LLP.

Large transitional vinyl floor playroom photo in Dallas with pink walls

The Cabinet Maker Milwaukee, WI Kitchen $20,000-$40,000
Small elegant eat-in kitchen photo in Milwaukee with multicolored backsplash and black appliances

The Cabinet Maker Milwaukee, WI Kitchen $20,000-$40,000
Inspiration for a small timeless eat-in kitchen remodel in Milwaukee with multicolored backsplash and black appliances

Bulach Custom Rock
Example of a classic exterior home design in St Louis

A local cleaning contractor called us in to work on the Terracotta tiled floors at a council building in Amersham. The Terracotta had not been deep cleaned and resealed for about ten years and the sealer had worn off leaving the tile vulnerable to dirt becoming ingrained in the pores of the tile. The grout had also suffered the same fate and had almost gone black in many areas. This is a common problem with Terracotta which is quite porous and once those pores become ingrained with dirt the tile becomes difficult to clean effectively. The solution is to seal the tile however sealers wear off over time and this was basically the problem. After discussing the issues we agreed on a plan of action to deep clean the Terracotta tile and grout and then re-seal to protect it. Due to the busy nature of the building we agreed to do the work between Christmas and New Year when we knew the building would be empty. We started by applying a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Oxy-Gel which is a strong tile cleaning product that being in a gel form ensures it sits on the tile for longer, giving it a longer effective dwell time so it can really eat into and loose the dirt. After approximately twenty minutes the gel was scrubbed into the tile with a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotary machine. This broke down most of the dirt and removed any remaining sealer. Once the whole floor had been treated in this manner it was rinsed thoroughly with water which was then extracted using a wet vacuum. With the soiled cleaning solution removed I could see the next step would be to spot clean stubborn staining and clean the grout. For this task I used a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean scrubbing it in by hand using stiff brushes and aided with a hand-held steamer to help treat the stubborn staining. Once done the floor was given a final rinse and then as much moisture as possible removed with the wet vacuum. We then left the floor to dry off completely and came back a couple of days later to seal the Terracotta tile. I mentioned earlier that Terracotta is porous; in fact it’s probably the most porous material I deal with, so to fully seal the floor I had to apply eight coats of Tile Doctor Seal and Go which will provide complete and long lasting protection against staining and dirt. Seal and Go also adds an appealing satin sheen to the tile and the new seal will make it much easier to clean in future. The floor tile and grout now look much healthier and I’m sure the council will be very impressed when they go back to work after the holidays. Happy New Year… Andrew Newstead North Buckinghamshire Tile Doctor