We all want a bathroom that would be a reflection of our personal style and be able to deliver the comfort we need at the same time. If your bathroom is a part of your master bedroom, it is critical to blend the design. This is a good way for you to plan your bathroom layout around the idea of what’s functional.

We all want a bathroom that would be a reflection of our personal style and be able to deliver the comfort we need at the same time. If your bathroom is a part of your master bedroom, it is critical to blend the design. This is a good way for you to plan your bathroom layout around the idea of what’s functional.

Demo and ground-up construction of a single-family NetZero infill home. 2,385 sf of precisely aligned, horizontally and vertically harmonious, intentionally designed living space. Every room faces the enveloping garden, with natural light filling the entire home through European steel-framed windows. Constant-run cedar planks designed to mature and metamorphose. Handmade soaking tub. Four unique stone elements featuring fossilized details. Color palette designed to celebrate the carefully curated art collection. Front public space is separated from the rear private area by a large pocketed door, effectively dividing the home in half. Three strategically planted trees, craned-in critically to create intentional shading, one planted in the middle of the deck. Solar panels servicing all the electric appliances. Handmade and finished oak floor with three different board sizes creating a dynamic pattern. Leather and fabric panels in the rooms.

This project was an exercise in minimalism — how it can be embraced and incorporated at multiple levels. Typical of San Franciscan Victorians, the dark interior of this home was segregated and circulation spaces were narrow and dark. The stairs to the upper level was an afterthought and tucked away. By removing the walls and rebuilding the stairs, we shifted the focus of this home’s interior and made the stairs the focal point. This project pays homage to the stairs, a critical element in the function and tone the home sets. As a transitional element, it carries the user from level to level, function to function, and mindset to mindset. The goal of this remodel was to invite the user upstairs and offer a more integrated transition to the upper level while at the same time using it to create a shaft of light into the inner recesses of the living space below. As one ascends the stairs, the floor gradually disappears revealing a naked structural spine as the stairs reaches the upper level. The dormer addition offered ample headspace and invites columns of light to penetrate below. The cantilevered floor and shadow play this offers, dynamically marks its imprint on both levels. Ancillary and storage spaces tucked away neatly and delicately – reminding us that expression should not be at the expense of function. Delicate and clean food preparation areas — now integrated with the rest of the home — invite us to celebrate this expression of unity.

When you are steps from the Hollywood Beach, you’re undoubtedly in a premier location. This is where Hyde Beach Luxury Resort is situated, and this amazing property has enlisted the talents and experience of SPACiO to build out the condo Sales Center. It’s a critical initiative, as this condominium complex, when complete, will have 41 floors that encompass 407 premier luxury units overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The team created a space that reflects the lavish nature of the condo units to give potential buyers a great sense of their new home. The Sales Center illustrates the impeccable wood flooring, a modern kitchen, and distinctive lighting…all complementing the essential beach motif.

The Legendary Rockstar Pool Build — A Backyard Concert Venue and Custom Swimming Pool The Rockstar Pool is one of the most ambitious, imaginative, and large-scale residential pool builds ever completed by Legendary Escapes. Designed and built by Al Curtis, this project was created for a homeowner whose entire life revolves around performance, music, and living boldly. This is far more than a swimming pool. It is a backyard concert venue, a sculpted grotto, a hot tub, a swim-up bar, a VIP lounge, a performance platform, and a fully engineered artistic environment built as a single cohesive experience. A Client With a True Rockstar Life The homeowner’s request was simple in spirit but extraordinary in scale: create a pool environment that matched a life centered on creativity and performance. His background includes jousting at the Michigan Renaissance Festival, on-stage theatrical work, a home rebuilt around music and entertainment, and longstanding connections within the rock world. With a 16-acre horse farm and a passion for bold design, he needed a pool that reflected his personality. His project requirements included a grotto, waterfall, hot tub, swim-up bar, performance area, and multiple lounging zones. Every feature had to feel original, dramatic, and purposeful. The Design Vision Designer and builder Al Curtis immediately recognized that this build needed to be expansive, theatrical, and seamlessly integrated into the landscape. The pool needed to make a statement without obstructing panoramic views of the surrounding farm and open sky. The spark for the design came from an unexpected source: steel grates salvaged from an old carnival tilt-a-whirl ride. This inspired the concept of a floating performance stage built over the pool. What began as a small idea quickly grew into a large-scale platform complete with a concrete stage, integrated lighting, waterfalls, backstage areas, and custom metalwork. As the stage expanded, so did the pool, the patio, and the entire environment—ultimately transforming the backyard into a private amphitheater. Repurposed Materials Used as Art Legendary Escapes is known for incorporating reclaimed materials into artistic, sculptural pool environments. This project includes an extraordinary collection of repurposed components: Tilt-a-whirl steel used as the main stage structure Carnival flooring panels transformed into large fire-feature guitars Trumpet and trombone bells refitted as lighting fixtures Reclaimed street lamps custom-painted for poolside lighting 3D-printed album covers used as illuminated wall panels Concrete replicas of Marshall speakers integrated under the stage Every material was selected to bring character, history, and energy to the space. Artistic Features and Highlights The Rockstar Pool includes numerous custom artistic elements, such as: A ten-foot mosaic “album cover” inset into the pool floor Eight-foot sculpted guitars along the fence line Guitar-shaped fire features Backlit album panels positioned just above the water A “Rockstar” sign paired with sculpted concrete amplifier towers A VIP seating area built from restored tilt-a-whirl ride cars Every corner of the environment contains layered artistic details. Engineering Challenges and Solutions Creating a fully functional concert stage over the deep end of the pool required extensive planning and engineering. Key complexities included: Designing a safe, weight-bearing steel and concrete stage structure Adjusting stage elevation mid-build to achieve optimal height Installing three complete filtration systems concealed beneath the stage Applying ecoFinish throughout the pool, spa, and grotto Rebuilding existing decking and integrating a three-story observation tower Ensuring the massive pool structure preserved the property’s sightlines The technical demands of this project were matched only by the creative vision behind it. The Legendary Team This build was completed by a multi-generational team of craftsmen and artists, including: Al Curtis – Designer and builder Jesse Curtis – Project manager and construction artist Mark Curtis – Filtration systems and plumbing Annie Curtis – Stonework and water features Karen Olson – Tile, stonework, and patio murals Frank DiPiazza – Structural construction and decking Brendan Schafer – On-site support and maintenance dbaker designs – Custom mosaic creation Daren Baker – Custom metal guitars and lighting elements Each contributor played a critical role in shaping the final environment. A Client Who Trusted the Process As with many Legendary Escapes projects, this build evolved organically. The homeowner provided inspiration and trust, allowing the team to respond to the evolving environment. Several features—including the guitar fence, fire elements, and VIP seating area—were conceived and built during the process as the design revealed new opportunities. The Final Result The Rockstar Pool is now a fully functional concert venue, swimming pool, artistic installation, and outdoor living space. It is dramatic, expressive, engineered with care, and truly one-of-a-kind. This project reflects the homeowner’s personality and passion, and stands as one of the most ambitious designs ever produced by Legendary Escapes.

This project was born out of the owner’s passion for cooking. A personal chef to a local family, the kitchen was going to not only be her office, but a training space for students learning her trade. The most important change was to remove a wall and expand the work space by 2 feet. Adding a prep sink, counter seating and a custom pantry were critical appointments. The materials selected are modern, clean and fresh. The expansive island combines a warm grey painted cabinet and is topped by waterfall white veined quartz countertops. The matte black plumbing fixtures and hardware create drama and contrast against the white countertops and modern shaker cabinetry. The oversized black dome pendants lend a restaurant vibe to the peninsula seating. The stacked stone backsplash lends texture and dimension, and it’s lines are echoed in the fireplace façade. Being averse to countertop outlets, a power strip was tucked underneath the wall cabinetry to keep the backsplash unobstructed. A picket shaped tile was featured as an accent over the client’s BlueStar range. The client’s original ventilation hood was also repurposed. A hospitality station was included and features a beverage cooler, glass display cabinetry and set apart with corbel brackets. The fireplace was refaced with new natural stacked stone in warm greys and touches of spice and features a dark stain wood mantel beam. The recessed niche was fitted with matching lighted floating shelves for display.

Alair Homes is committed to quality throughout every stage of the building process and in every detail of your new custom home or home renovation. We guarantee superior work because we perform quality assurance checks at every stage of the building process. Before anything is covered up – even before city building inspectors come to your home – we critically examine our work to ensure that it lives up to our extraordinarily high standards. We are proud of our extraordinary high building standards as well as our renowned customer service. Every Alair Homes custom home comes with a two year national home warranty as well as an Alair Homes guarantee and includes complimentary 3, 6 and 12 month inspections after completion. During our proprietary construction process every detail is accessible to Alair Homes clients online 24 hours a day to view project details, schedules, sub trade quotes, pricing in order to give Alair Homes clients 100% control over every single item regardless how small.

Every once in a while, a project comes along that doesn’t just meet expectations—it resets the standard. That’s exactly what happened at Upper Valley project, where the team at GoDesigns El Paso was entrusted with a blank canvas and turned it into a fully integrated luxury retreat, built with precision, purpose, and passion. At the core of this dream backyard is a custom-designed pool and spa, meticulously planned and built together. The pool glows with a Pebble Brilliance finish, its deep, vibrant tones shimmering under sunlight by day and glowing softly under water-lit skies at night. Lightstreams glass tile adds a jewelry-like elegance to the raised spa and the sun shelf, creating rich reflections and textures from every angle. That sundeck isn’t just for lounging—it’s a tactile, thoughtful experience. Designed with Lightstreams glass tile, it’s where kids play, grownups cool off, and everyone can dip their toes and soak their feet in style. It’s as inviting to walk across as it is to sit beside, offering both elegance and functionality. A standout design element is the set of custom stainless steel handrails, elegantly curved and installed with sculptural intent. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re also built to last—resistant to corrosion, timeless in design, and made for safety without sacrificing aesthetics. While beauty was key, so was resilience. The entire project was engineered to meet 100-year flood zone requirements—a critical design element in this El Paso neighborhood. GoDesigns accounted for water flow, elevations, and structural integrity, ensuring that every footing, drainage channel, and grade slope works in harmony with nature. And there’s more than water to love here. The oversized mossrock boulder waterfall along the edge of the putting green is both functional and artistic. Designed as a “table rock” feature, it creates soothing sound and visual movement while anchoring the landscape’s natural side. It’s a conversation piece as much as a sensory experience. Just steps away is a personal putting green and a custom basketball half court, both thoughtfully illuminated for day-to-night enjoyment. The putting green rolls true, edged with boulders and sand pits, while the court boasts pro-level surfacing under bright, architectural pole lighting. The surrounding landscape design ties it all together. Carefully chosen plantings bring color, texture, and balance to the clean stonework and turf areas. Strategic lighting highlights not just the beauty of the plants, but also enhances safety, drama, and ambiance across the entire yard—including the fence lines, water features, and sports zones. Every inch of this Upper Valley Project was built for purpose, performance, and passion. It’s a space where families gather, grand kids play, and memories are made—all under the sun and stars of West Texas. This is what happens when GoDesigns El Paso gets to do what they do best: combine timeless design, elite materials, and masterful installation to create outdoor living environments that are not only beautiful, but unforgettable.

Over the years, my jobs have involved collaborating with homeowners, business owners, architects and contractors analyzing and designing plans for new construction and remodels, renovating kitchens, designing fireplaces, cabinetry, lighting, window treatments and furnishings. But even more important than the design, I believe the ability to communicate all the ideas and concepts of the design to the various trades people involved is critical to achieving the end results my clients and I envision. My 35 years in the business as well as my academic background in design have given me the ability to confidently provide this service. Give me a call, I'd love to hear from you and discuss your project.

The homeowner is an avid indoor gardener, so making spaces for his beloved plants throughout the design plan was critical. We utilized open shelves, both in the living room but also on either side of the hood, to create dramatic display. Thanks to the expansive windows the foliage thrives! One of our most loved features of the design plan is the dramatic walnut slat wall. Or more appropriately, three walls that come together to create a triangle! By removing walls and opening up the rooms to each other, a triangle was created with the three walls that needed to remain for structural purposes. We had a vision and a dream of making this triangle a design feature (that also houses the tv and sound equipment!), with an idea of a product to be used, and through team work along side the general contractor and the homeowner we were able to create something truly spectacular! This feature was a true labor of love and a testament to the value of collaboration!!

Inspiration for a large contemporary front yard concrete paver landscaping in Toronto.

Multi Level Outdoor Living Space
Huge arts and crafts backyard stone patio photo in DC Metro

Staircase – Custom Detailed Vertical Connection | Second Floor Addition, Toronto This staircase is a key architectural feature of the home, thoughtfully designed as part of the second floor addition to create a seamless and inviting connection between levels. Rather than feeling enclosed or purely functional, the stair was intentionally planned to remain open, light-filled, and visually integrated with the surrounding spaces. The design showcases a custom railing system, combining glass panels with a continuous oak handrail and black metal detailing, striking a balance between warmth and modern contrast. The transparency of the glass allows natural light to flow freely through the stairwell, enhancing sightlines and preventing the vertical transition from feeling closed off. From a construction standpoint, the staircase required precise structural coordination, framing alignment, and finish integration to ensure safety, code compliance, and long-term durability—especially critical when tying a new second storey into an existing home. As part of the full-home transformation, this staircase reflects Cedarstone Group Inc.’s design-build philosophy: every transition space is an opportunity for thoughtful design, craftsmanship, and cohesion, not an afterthought.

Building materials are one of the primary sources of indoor air contaminants that negatively affect the health of our living spaces The EcoCraft team has meticulously selected building materials that are healthy, recyclable, and free of harmful contaminants thereby improving the health of our homes. Consistent temperatures between floors, rooms, and surfaces play a critical role in how humans experience true comfort. Consider also, quiet spaces free of outside ambient noise have been proven to improve sleep, focus, and productivity. Our extra thick walls and energy star windows reduce sound transfer between the interior and exterior spaces, while our state of the art mechanical systems run quietly to provide an experience you can feel, but can barely hear. Call 1-800-274-6198 to start custom designing your dream luxury home today.

Alair Homes is committed to quality throughout every stage of the building process and in every detail of your new custom home or home renovation. We guarantee superior work because we perform quality assurance checks at every stage of the building process. Before anything is covered up – even before city building inspectors come to your home – we critically examine our work to ensure that it lives up to our extraordinarily high standards. We are proud of our extraordinary high building standards as well as our renowned customer service. Every Alair Homes custom home comes with a two year national home warranty as well as an Alair Homes guarantee and includes complimentary 3, 6 and 12 month inspections after completion. During our proprietary construction process every detail is accessible to Alair Homes clients online 24 hours a day to view project details, schedules, sub trade quotes, pricing in order to give Alair Homes clients 100% control over every single item regardless how small.

Over the years, my jobs have involved collaborating with homeowners, business owners, architects and contractors analyzing and designing plans for new construction and remodels, renovating kitchens, designing fireplaces, cabinetry, lighting, window treatments and furnishings. But even more important than the design, I believe the ability to communicate all the ideas and concepts of the design to the various trades people involved is critical to achieving the end results my clients and I envision. My 35 years in the business as well as my academic background in design have given me the ability to confidently provide this service. Give me a call, I'd love to hear from you and discuss your project.

UltraMedia featured in Electronic House magazine: "Reaching this point of acoustical nirvana required plenty of calculations, CAD drawings and calibration, says Mike Brock of custom electronics design and installation firm UltraMedia, Richardson, Texas. His company worked directly with the manufacturer—Auralex—to make sure every inch of wall surface, both inside and out, was covered with the perfect type and amount of acoustical material. “We sent the room dimensions and the planned locations of the video projector, speakers and other equipment to the engineers at Auralex,” Brock explains. Using this information, the company was able to specify products and determine their proper placement. “This was the first time where I actually had the manufacturer come down and take an active role in the project and it really worked to everyone’s advantage,” Brock continues. Home-Theater-Wolf-Projector.jpg Auralex’s help with the design of the acoustical treatments afforded Brock the time to implement other sound-enhancing solutions. For example, he filled the hollow metal legs of the bar with sand to prevent them from resonating during loud passages in movie soundtracks. A thick, heavily padded carpet was added, and the general contractor constructed the shell of the room with sound-reducing drywall and installed a solid core door to prevent audio from seeping out into other areas of the house. Lastly, the sound system was calibrated. Unlike many acoustically treated theaters, where the speakers are installed within the walls and covered with special fabric, in this room UltraMedia kept the nine Vienna Acoustic speakers completely exposed. The front three Vienna Acoustics Klimt Music speakers (as well as two REL sub bass units) were positioned on the floor, and the back six speakers were mounted to the surface of the walls. “The cherry in this theater are the Klimts,” says Brock. “We really dialed them in for the best possible sound.” By “dialing in,” Brock means using his and his team’s critical listening skills to position the speakers properly, then using the Integra receiver’s built-in Audyssey technology (a combination of sophisticated software and microphones) to calibrate the speakers to compensate for any acoustical anomalies. The end result: audio perfection." Photo credit: UltraMedia, Inc.

We love when our clients trust us enough to do a second project for them. In the case of this couple looking for a NYC Pied-a-Terre – this was our 4th! After designing their homes in Bernardsville, NJ and San Diego, CA and a home for their daughter in Orange County, CA, we were called up for duty on the search for a NYC apartment which would accommodate this couple with room enough for their four children as well! What we cherish most about working with clients is the trust that develops over time. In this case, not only were we asked to come on board for design and project coordination, but we also helped with the actual apartment selection decision between locations in TriBeCa, Upper West Side and the West Village. The TriBeCa building didn’t have enough services in the building; the Upper West Side neighborhood was too busy and impersonal; and, the West Village apartment was just right. Our work on this apartment was to oversee the design and build-out of the combination of a 3,000 square foot 3-bedroom unit with a 1,000 square foot 1-bedroom unit. We reorganized the space to accommodate this family of 6. The living room in the 1 bedroom became the media room; the kitchen became a bar; and the bedroom became a guest suite. The most amazing feature of this apartment are its views – uptown to the Empire State Building, downtown to the Statue of Liberty and west for the most vibrant sunsets. We opened up the space to create view lines through the apartment all the way back into the home office. Customizing New York City apartments takes creativity and patience. In order to install recessed lighting, Ray devised a floating ceiling situated below the existing concrete ceiling to accept the wiring and housing. In the design of the space, we wanted to create a flow and continuity between the public spaces. To do this, we designed walnut panels which run from the center hall through the media room into the office and on to the sitting room. The richness of the wood helps ground the space and draws your eye to the lightness of the gorgeous views. For additional light capture, we designed a 9 foot by 10 foot metal and mirror wall treatment in the living room. The purpose is to catch the light and reflect it back into the living space creating expansiveness and brightness. Adding unique and meaningful art pieces is the critical final stage of design. For the master bedroom, we commissioned Ira Lohan, a Santa Fe, NM artist we know, to create a totem with glass feathers. This piece was inspired by folklore from his Native American roots which says home is defined by where an eagle’s feathers land. Ira drove this piece across the country and delivered and installed it himself!!