The magnificent Villa de Martini is a Mediterranean style villa built in 1929 by the de Martini Family. Located on Telegraph Hill San Francisco, the villa enjoys sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, Pier 39, the yachting marina, the Bay Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This exquisite villa is on a triple wide lot with beautiful European-style gardens filled with olive trees, lemon trees, roses, Travertine stone patios, walkways, and the motor court, which is designed to be tented for parties. It is reminiscent of the charming villas of Positano in far away Italy and yet it is walking distance to San Francisco Financial District, Ferry Building, the Embarcadero, North Beach, and Aquatic Park. The current owners painstakingly remodeled the home in recent years with all new systems and added new rooms. They meticulously preserved and enhanced the original architectural details including Italian mosaics, hand painted palazzo ceilings, the stone columns, the arched windows and doorways, vaulted living room silver leaf ceiling, exquisite inlaid hardwood floors, and Venetian hand-plastered walls. This is one of the finest homes in San Francisco CA for both relaxing with family and graciously entertaining friends. There are 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths, a library, an office, a family room, formal dining and living rooms, a gourmet kitchen featuring top of the line appliances including a built-in espresso machine, caterer’s kitchen, and a wine cellar. There is also a guest suite with a kitchenette, laundry facility and a 2 car detached garage off the motor court, equipped with a Tesla charging station.

After 11 years on the Gull Lake chain in Nisswa, this couple decided to sell their cabin. Their current home has the lake view, pine trees and “up north” feel right here in Plymouth. The goal of this remodel was to incorporate some of the Nisswa cabin features into an “urban cabin”. The first step was, large windows were installed to take in the view of the lake. Some features borrowed from the cabin are the interior wood tongue & groove siding, ledge stone fireplace and scraped hickory flooring. Designer, Carol Kornak, reconfigured the appliance locations and reoriented the kitchen by added an island with eating space. And, a subtle but rewarding change occurred in the back hall. Often a bottleneck, the hallway to the garage was a catch-all for coats, boots, mail, etc. With a little design magic (by removing a wall, reducing pantry depth) and adding a boot bench and hooks for coats, the narrow hallway feels more spacious. To keep them organized there is a mail sorting and charging station hidden behind closed doors. Admittedly, the couple isn’t roughing it with their Wolf/Sub-Zero appliance package including refrigerator, wine cooler, cooktop, steam oven and warming drawer. The new cabinetry from Crystal Cabinet Works in rustic hickory and painted finish pairs beautifully with the two Cambria countertops and completes the transformation into the “Urban Cabin”. The only thing missing is the 2 ½ hour drive and the dock & boat. Luckily, Lake Minnetonka is only a short drive away.

This kitchen is modern and clean with small bar stools surrounding the cherry island with a white countertop and slate with ebony finish. The perimeter is maple with a marshmallow finish. Blackstock Photography

By Design LLC
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional master gray tile and ceramic tile ceramic tile double shower remodel in Grand Rapids with an undermount sink, raised-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, quartz countertops, a one-piece toilet and gray walls

The magnificent Villa de Martini is a Mediterranean style villa built in 1929 by the de Martini Family. Located on Telegraph Hill San Francisco, the villa enjoys sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, Pier 39, the yachting marina, the Bay Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This exquisite villa is on a triple wide lot with beautiful European-style gardens filled with olive trees, lemon trees, roses, Travertine stone patios, walkways, and the motor court, which is designed to be tented for parties. It is reminiscent of the charming villas of Positano in far away Italy and yet it is walking distance to San Francisco Financial District, Ferry Building, the Embarcadero, North Beach, and Aquatic Park. The current owners painstakingly remodeled the home in recent years with all new systems and added new rooms. They meticulously preserved and enhanced the original architectural details including Italian mosaics, hand painted palazzo ceilings, the stone columns, the arched windows and doorways, vaulted living room silver leaf ceiling, exquisite inlaid hardwood floors, and Venetian hand-plastered walls. This is one of the finest homes in San Francisco CA for both relaxing with family and graciously entertaining friends. There are 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths, a library, an office, a family room, formal dining and living rooms, a gourmet kitchen featuring top of the line appliances including a built-in espresso machine, caterer’s kitchen, and a wine cellar. There is also a guest suite with a kitchenette, laundry facility and a 2 car detached garage off the motor court, equipped with a Tesla charging station.

This spacious two car garage addition in Blue Bell, PA adds valuable space and amenities for the homeowners. Not only does the craftsman style garage and carport provide ample coverage for three vehicles; it also has two electric car charging outlets. A third garage door in the rear allows for easy accessibility to their riding lawn mower and snow blower. The dormer above was designed for current storage use, but could easily be finished to add some living square footage.Design and Construction by Meridian.

Believed to be the oldest building in Excelsior Minnesota, this humble brick structure has transformed, been moved, and housed countless people over its 162 years. Affectionately known as ‘The Beehive’, it was built in 1857 and began as the original Excelsior schoolhouse. It was moved to its’ current location in the 1880’s and became a 23-room dormitory for Northwestern Christian College, followed by a boarding house, and finally apartments (in addition to the rumors of more sordid activities in the early 20th century!). After being in the same family for several decades, the owner wanted to transform the building one more time to make it her own home. Citydeskstudio worked closely with her and the Excelsior Historic Preservation Commission on the design. She now occupies the main floor, with additional units above and below for rental and for family. The design celebrates the stout and blocky character of the building with a new modern expansion off the back. There, the building steps and expands outwards in glassy boxes of charred cedar. Inside, the original structure was repaired and uncovered where possible, and previous poorly done modifications were corrected. The center piece of this more open and light-filled home is a rich modern kitchen in walnut, travertine, and steel. The old character remains ever present and is essential to the spirit of The Beehive’s latest transformation. This multigenerational home’s design honors the legacy of the property, marrying the original Excelsior schoolhouse with a beautiful, modern, contextually-sensitive remodel and addition. Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

Pierrjei.com
Inspiration for a transitional home office remodel in DC Metro

When people think of remodeling their homes, they often immediately consider starting with rooms like the dining area, living room, or basement – rooms where the most amount of people spend the most amount of time. While those rooms are important, recent remodeling trends are pointing toward the popularity of re-creating a more private place – the master bath. In fact, we are in the midst of The Year of the Master Bath. Current home improvement practices show that, not only is redoing your master bath a fun and stylish choice, but it also is a wise way to add value to your home. For homes built in the 1990’s with master baths over 200 square feet in size, now is the ideal time to remodel and upgrade to a more efficient, stylish, and worth-while setup. Most homes built during this time period were completed with a typical master bath that included a large jetted tub, and a separate small shower. Both of these elements are quickly becoming recognizable as features of the past, and are being replaced by new and improved technologies. For instance, many homeowners have taken it upon themselves to remove the large jetted bath, and replace it with a free standing tub. These free standing tubs allow for the room to open up in a more modern fashion, and provide endless style and aesthetic choices. Homeowners are also expanding their small showers to create a luxury environment. By pushing out walls to make more shower space, adding skylights and hinged doors, or even designing an accent tile pattern, homeowners are able to take their simple shower and turn it into a relaxing space that rivals even the best spa. The remodeling of a master bath even allows for homeowners to get creative with storage space and style. Many emerging trends include higher vanity height, and even additional built-in towers with extra outlets so that no one is without power while curling their hair or charging a razor. When you take the time to customize your master bath, you will add a level of value to your home that you can experience each and every day, and that will also add to your home’s worth in the long run. Join in on The Year of the Master Bath, and enjoy your improved space for decades to come!

The magnificent Villa de Martini is a Mediterranean style villa built in 1929 by the de Martini Family. Located on Telegraph Hill San Francisco, the villa enjoys sweeping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island, Pier 39, the yachting marina, the Bay Bridge, and the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. This exquisite villa is on a triple wide lot with beautiful European-style gardens filled with olive trees, lemon trees, roses, Travertine stone patios, walkways, and the motor court, which is designed to be tented for parties. It is reminiscent of the charming villas of Positano in far away Italy and yet it is walking distance to San Francisco Financial District, Ferry Building, the Embarcadero, North Beach, and Aquatic Park. The current owners painstakingly remodeled the home in recent years with all new systems and added new rooms. They meticulously preserved and enhanced the original architectural details including Italian mosaics, hand painted palazzo ceilings, the stone columns, the arched windows and doorways, vaulted living room silver leaf ceiling, exquisite inlaid hardwood floors, and Venetian hand-plastered walls. This is one of the finest homes in San Francisco CA for both relaxing with family and graciously entertaining friends. There are 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths, a library, an office, a family room, formal dining and living rooms, a gourmet kitchen featuring top of the line appliances including a built-in espresso machine, caterer’s kitchen, and a wine cellar. There is also a guest suite with a kitchenette, laundry facility and a 2 car detached garage off the motor court, equipped with a Tesla charging station.

Believed to be the oldest building in Excelsior Minnesota, this humble brick structure has transformed, been moved, and housed countless people over its 162 years. Affectionately known as ‘The Beehive’, it was built in 1857 and began as the original Excelsior schoolhouse. It was moved to its’ current location in the 1880’s and became a 23-room dormitory for Northwestern Christian College, followed by a boarding house, and finally apartments (in addition to the rumors of more sordid activities in the early 20th century!). After being in the same family for several decades, the owner wanted to transform the building one more time to make it her own home. Citydeskstudio worked closely with her and the Excelsior Historic Preservation Commission on the design. She now occupies the main floor, with additional units above and below for rental and for family. The design celebrates the stout and blocky character of the building with a new modern expansion off the back. There, the building steps and expands outwards in glassy boxes of charred cedar. Inside, the original structure was repaired and uncovered where possible, and previous poorly done modifications were corrected. The center piece of this more open and light-filled home is a rich modern kitchen in walnut, travertine, and steel. The old character remains ever present and is essential to the spirit of The Beehive’s latest transformation. This multigenerational home’s design honors the legacy of the property, marrying the original Excelsior schoolhouse with a beautiful, modern, contextually-sensitive remodel and addition. Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

Believed to be the oldest building in Excelsior Minnesota, this humble brick structure has transformed, been moved, and housed countless people over its 162 years. Affectionately known as ‘The Beehive’, it was built in 1857 and began as the original Excelsior schoolhouse. It was moved to its’ current location in the 1880’s and became a 23-room dormitory for Northwestern Christian College, followed by a boarding house, and finally apartments (in addition to the rumors of more sordid activities in the early 20th century!). After being in the same family for several decades, the owner wanted to transform the building one more time to make it her own home. Citydeskstudio worked closely with her and the Excelsior Historic Preservation Commission on the design. She now occupies the main floor, with additional units above and below for rental and for family. The design celebrates the stout and blocky character of the building with a new modern expansion off the back. There, the building steps and expands outwards in glassy boxes of charred cedar. Inside, the original structure was repaired and uncovered where possible, and previous poorly done modifications were corrected. The center piece of this more open and light-filled home is a rich modern kitchen in walnut, travertine, and steel. The old character remains ever present and is essential to the spirit of The Beehive’s latest transformation. This multigenerational home’s design honors the legacy of the property, marrying the original Excelsior schoolhouse with a beautiful, modern, contextually-sensitive remodel and addition. Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

This spacious two car garage addition in Blue Bell, PA adds valuable space and amenities for the homeowners. Not only does the craftsman style garage and carport provide ample coverage for three vehicles; it also has two electric car charging outlets. A third garage door in the rear allows for easy accessibility to their riding lawn mower and snow blower. The dormer above was designed for current storage use, but could easily be finished to add some living square footage.Design and Construction by Meridian.

The Dallas Builders Association’s Parade of Homes — presented by Atmos Energy — will hold open six luxury Dallas residences from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 7. This scattered-site, self-guided tour benefits Operation FINALLY HOME, an organization that provides custom mortgage-free homes to combat-wounded U.S. military veterans and their families. The Association’s eighth project is currently underway in Irving. Featured homes are situated in several neighborhoods in Dallas, including Briarwood, Midway Hollow, and East Dallas near White Rock Lake, as well as in West Dallas just south of the Trinity River. Hoffmann Homes builds award-winning innovative green homes using quality materials, sustainable building practices, smart technologies, and reliable and efficient energy sources for maximum comfort. Pioneering home builder and residential developer Alan Hoffmann was first inspired to pursue alternative construction methods after visiting his ancestral home on the Spanish island of Ibiza. The 400 year old home had three-foot thick perimeter walls comprised of stone excavated from the building site. The mass of these walls allowed the ground’s ambient temperature to conduct up through the walls to keep the house cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. Hoffmann replicates this elegantly simple system today in his distinctive mode of construction with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). Our Parade of Homes build in the Abode @ White Rock community is 2111 Autumn Sage Place. Old-world features such as thick thermal mass walls, breezeways and whitewashed cement finishes are reimagined in a modern context in Hoffmann Homes’ newest build. Situated in the Abode @ White Rock green community, the home features high-performance windows, proper housing orientation and a storm shelter/pantry. Each home in the community is certified with the Department of Energy’s Net Zero Ready program, Energy Star Program and Green Built Texas. While every Hoffmann Home starts with a high-performance building envelope (ICF), they also include conditioned attics, seal combustion furnaces, whole house dehumidification, whole house water filtration for indoor air and water quality. The homes are also solar-ready and are pre-wired for rapid electric vehicle charging. Other features include a natural gas tankless water heater, high-efficiency gas furnace, sealed combustion gas fireplace. These natural gas appliances help reduce energy use, lower utility costs and reduce emissions while increasing homeowner comfort. For more info visit www.hoffmannhomes.com. Tickets for the Parade of Homes are $25 for ages 12 and older. They are available at ParadeofHomesDallas.com. Tour maps will be emailed to ticket holders a week prior to the event.

The kitchen was originally planned to mimic the location of appliances in her current kitchen to minimize re-learning of appliance locations. The only change was adding a trash cabinet between the fridge and the sink. A french door fridge allows someone in a wheelchair to easily access frozen and cold foods, while the water and ice dispenser on the outside of the door make it easy to stay hydrated rather than using the sink each time. She can roll up to the kitchen sink or stand at counter height to put away dishes from the dishwasher. The dishwasher is ADA and very simple to use , and is raised off the floor so whether she is sitting or standing it's easier to reach. The gas cooktop has controls at the front making it easy to reach from the wheelchair and the exhaust fan above also has a control at the front. All cabinet door handles are D-shape, which makes them easy to grasp and there is plenty of electric outlets for charging phones, computers and small appliances. The kitchen island is table height at 30" so meal prep can be easily done in a wheelchair while guests and can be seated in a chair or wheelchair around the island. The dining chairs can also be turned around to add extra seating in the living room area. Pendant lights above the kitchen island light up the space, while recessed lighting in the kitchen and living room provide overall room lighting. There is also under cabinet lighting which makes the room glow at night! Wainscotting made of commercial grade material is strategically placed on sharp corners and exposed walls to reduce and minimize damage from the wheel chair, while creating a finished and complete look!

Take a look at this beautiful outdoor kitchen we created in Frisco, Texas. What was originally a typical patio with an existing pergola overhead is now an amazing outdoor living space with an outdoor kitchen! We seamlessly blended our design into the current patio look and feel. Take a look at the stone work, granite countertops, electrical plugs for charging phones outside, ample bar level seating and more. There is even a space for the Big Green Egg Grill!

Believed to be the oldest building in Excelsior Minnesota, this humble brick structure has transformed, been moved, and housed countless people over its 162 years. Affectionately known as ‘The Beehive’, it was built in 1857 and began as the original Excelsior schoolhouse. It was moved to its’ current location in the 1880’s and became a 23-room dormitory for Northwestern Christian College, followed by a boarding house, and finally apartments (in addition to the rumors of more sordid activities in the early 20th century!). After being in the same family for several decades, the owner wanted to transform the building one more time to make it her own home. Citydeskstudio worked closely with her and the Excelsior Historic Preservation Commission on the design. She now occupies the main floor, with additional units above and below for rental and for family. The design celebrates the stout and blocky character of the building with a new modern expansion off the back. There, the building steps and expands outwards in glassy boxes of charred cedar. Inside, the original structure was repaired and uncovered where possible, and previous poorly done modifications were corrected. The center piece of this more open and light-filled home is a rich modern kitchen in walnut, travertine, and steel. The old character remains ever present and is essential to the spirit of The Beehive’s latest transformation. This multigenerational home’s design honors the legacy of the property, marrying the original Excelsior schoolhouse with a beautiful, modern, contextually-sensitive remodel and addition. Project Team: Ben Awes, AIA, Principal-In-Charge Chris Bach Nate Dodge

Bru’s House of Color was established in April 1961 by Charles “Bru” Baker, hence the name. The store is currently owned and operated by Ray & Darlene Wiemer who purchased the business in 2000. We have been serving the community in the same location since 1963. Each of our professionally trained staff members have been part of our family for a minimum of 10 years. We are a true professional paint store, not a paint department. Bru’s is your one-stop paint store for the professional or the “do it yourselfer”. We are here to assist you in any way we can: answering questions, determining proper products for each project, custom color matching as well as color consultations. “Big Box Store selection and prices.” In addition to all things paint, we are also able to provide custom window coverings– measuring and installation are part of our service. We can also bring our showroom to your home for a true professional consultation at no charge. “Our most important product is service, and our most important customer is you.”

The kitchen windows faced both south and west however were designed to maximize natural lighting on any given day, no matter of the sun's position. The upper windows on the south elevation were treated with a 5 banded motorized shade (one motor controlling 5 shade bands). The lower south & west facing windows used single banded Somfy RTS (radio series) motors, RF wall switches & a wifi smart phone interface called MyLInk. The angled windows were treated using a LCD switchable window film. This is a 65 volt charged LCD film that turns clear when an electrical current is applied. The power supply is switched using an RF remote to give the client full control on demand. In the clear state, the film has a UV rating of 81% and only 4% when in the opaque state.