The 2,400 s.f. net-zero corten house occupies a quarter-acre site transected by a small creek. Platted as a legal lot-of-record in the area’s original subdivision in 1910, the site remained undeveloped due to steep terrain and difficulties crossing the creek for access. Additionally all areas of the site are within the creek’s 25’, 50’ and 75’ riparian stream buffers. By necessity, the house, with considerable jurisdictional involvement, was constructed entirely within the 75’ stream buffer. Bridge/drive design complying with City of Atlanta Watershed regulations and State of Georgia EPD criteria was an essential component in realizing the project.

Greg Keller, The SLABlite backlighting system was used for this project to back light a natural quartz slab. There was little difficulty in finishing a successful project and no disruption to the typical fabrication/installation process. Greg Keller simply cut the panels to size on location and placed them between the substrate and the slab.

this incredible fire pit was built with an in-ground fire pit ring. This is a unique fire pit in that most fire pits today are built with a raised fire pit ring. The degree of difficulty is much higher with the in-ground due to the tight inside radius cut that is required around the fire pit ring. Platinum Ponds & Landscaping and their customer were extremely happy with the way this fire pit came to life and transformed the area!

There were a few difficulties in making this kitchen any better than how it was. There was a separate staircase that had access to the second floor which was located in the kitchen. This left just enough room to push the dining room to one side. Then, there was the porch. A really nice panoramic view of the back, but was somehow under-used by the family during the summer months. Then, it was the size of the kitchen. It simply was way too small for a growing family, and while it had a peninsular in place, the flow just didn’t work. I remember watching them one day demonstrating how awkward it was using the kitchen. We got it! We had our marching orders to go and figure out how to make this kitchen work for this family. Everything in the room was fair play. The design was done to make the kitchen very open. For a few ideas, we incorporated the porch in the kitchen by using the nana wall idea but it ended up being too cost prohibitive to do so. We then decided to do a permanent fix by using a commercial glass wall application. Once we figured that out, we moved back inside and removed the staircase. This gave us two added benefits. One allowed us to really reconfigure the kitchen and the other opened up the second floor for a huge built in closet system. We relocated the windows, added a fire place with a built In TV above. From there, it was onto the kitchen itself which contained a huge Island with seating, large kitchen sink and built in appliances which was set up in a way to take advantage of the new layout. We re-positioned the kitchen facing the beautiful views outside rather than looking towards a wall. Now, when you enter the house up the entry stairs, the kitchen now draws you into the magnificent new open space. This is now setup for entertaining, relaxation, hanging out and most of all, preparing meals in a room where you only have to leave if you want to. This one was all about the design. Design was what made this space. Setting this space up for success was crucial, and this kitchen is a great example of how design can cover a multitude of sins in Kitchen designs. … Just close your eyes for a second and imagine waking up one winter morning and having a cup of coffee and watching the snow fall through those huge windows, leaning up against those 3D feature walls while watching the kids sitting around the table enjoying those warm radiant heated floors in this spacious kitchen…..

Modern Italian Sectional Sofa: Lg Contemporary Leather or Fabric Sofa-Easily Configures to Your Space by SleekRoom CONTEMPORARY STYLE: Sleek, modular style is ultra-chic, with low backrests, flat chrome feet, and neutral color choices. Italian design at its very best! LUXURIOUS FABRIC: White leather, charcoal or medium gray fabric choices are elegant and neutral to accent most home décor styles! EASY CONFIGURATION: Designed with universal positioning, so you can arrange each piece independently to fit your room shape and seating arrangement preference! REMOVABLE COVERS: Cushion inserts are lined, so covers can be removed to be cleaned. DESIGNED TO LAST: Constructed from high-strength welded steel, so it won’t weaken or wobble, but it will last for a long time! Are you looking for a sleek and chic modular sectional sofa for your home? Are you having difficulty finding one that will fit correctly for your living space? One common problem that people find in buying a sectional sofa is that it has to be designed with the right angle to fit in the space. Respace collection has solved that problem for you! Each piece is designed with universal positioning, so you arrange it to suit your room’s shape or your seating area preference for watching TV or for conversation. The Italian-designed Rogers large sectional sofa is made in a sleek contemporary style, with low backrests, flat chrome feet, and modular shape. The fabric choices are elegant, in white leather or charcoal or medium gray fabric, all neutral shades that complement most home décor styles. The sofa is designed to be durable, made from high-strength welded steel, so it won’t wobble or sag. The cushions are Cell Fresh New Generation high density memory foam, with down feathers added to the back cushions for comfort. The interior cushions are lined, so you can even remove the covers for cleaning! You can have comfort, elegant design, and long-lasting durability with Sleekroom’s Respace collection!

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to help an older couple in our local community. They approached us with a project that they thought would be impossible. Turn a 6x6 first floor pantry into a fully functioning bathroom. Normally this space limitation would not be a problem but the plumbing presented a difficulty that already scared away 2 other contractors. We were able to overcome this obstacle with the help of our experienced staff who keep up to date on the newest devices and products in the remodeling industry. We had a very enjoyable experience designing and remodeling this room. Even with the small space limitations we believe we came up with a very unique and rustic feel for their 1890's farm house. I must end on all the custom wood work that our employees made for this project. From the custom, two-sided, door to the little, wooden, wall shelf we made all of the wooden pieces you see in this project and most of them were unique creations specifically for this job.

There were a few difficulties in making this kitchen any better than how it was. There was a separate staircase that had access to the second floor which was located in the kitchen. This left just enough room to push the dining room to one side. Then, there was the porch. A really nice panoramic view of the back, but was somehow under-used by the family during the summer months. Then, it was the size of the kitchen. It simply was way too small for a growing family, and while it had a peninsular in place, the flow just didn’t work. I remember watching them one day demonstrating how awkward it was using the kitchen. We got it! We had our marching orders to go and figure out how to make this kitchen work for this family. Everything in the room was fair play. The design was done to make the kitchen very open. For a few ideas, we incorporated the porch in the kitchen by using the nana wall idea but it ended up being too cost prohibitive to do so. We then decided to do a permanent fix by using a commercial glass wall application. Once we figured that out, we moved back inside and removed the staircase. This gave us two added benefits. One allowed us to really reconfigure the kitchen and the other opened up the second floor for a huge built in closet system. We relocated the windows, added a fire place with a built In TV above. From there, it was onto the kitchen itself which contained a huge Island with seating, large kitchen sink and built in appliances which was set up in a way to take advantage of the new layout. We re-positioned the kitchen facing the beautiful views outside rather than looking towards a wall. Now, when you enter the house up the entry stairs, the kitchen now draws you into the magnificent new open space. This is now setup for entertaining, relaxation, hanging out and most of all, preparing meals in a room where you only have to leave if you want to. This one was all about the design. Design was what made this space. Setting this space up for success was crucial, and this kitchen is a great example of how design can cover a multitude of sins in Kitchen designs. … Just close your eyes for a second and imagine waking up one winter morning and having a cup of coffee and watching the snow fall through those huge windows, leaning up against those 3D feature walls while watching the kids sitting around the table enjoying those warm radiant heated floors in this spacious kitchen…..

This customer, who lives in East Byfleet had been experiencing difficulties in keeping her fantastic Travertine tiled kitchen floor in good condition. Over the years it had suffered from a heavy build up of dirt and oily stains, not to mentioned a number of cracks and small holes. Needless to say, the customer was keen to restore the Travertine tiles to their former glory. To begin the restoration, I applied Tile Doctor Remove and Go across the entirety of the large tiled area. This heavy duty remover breaks down any old sealers and other coatings, leaving the area ready to cleaned or, in this case, burnished. Burnishing is a method for cleaning and polishing certain types of high-end stone, including Travertine, Marble, and Limestone. Our burnishing system involves the application of four diamond encrusted pads of varying grits. Firstly, I applied the Coarse grit pad, which helps to break down any dirt and stains on the surface of the tiles. Then, I worked my way through the Medium, Fine, and Very Fine pads, using a little water as lubricant, to gradually refine the polish on the Travertine. It was then rinsed and left to dry. To round off the first day of work, I filled any cracks and holes using our two-part resin system which greatly improved the look of the tile. The following day I returned to the property to seal the tiles checking first that the floor had dried. All was well so I proceeded to seal the floor using our colour intensifying impregnating sealer Tile Doctor Colour Grow. Once that was dry, I added the finishing touches by buffing the floor with a soft white buffing pad. As you can see from the photographs, the combination of a fresh seal and polish worked wonders. We did such a good job with the floor that the customer asked if we could also improve the appearance of their natural stone fireplace which was suffering from bad rust and oil stains however I do a separate write up on that. Wayne White West Surrey Tile Doctor

With a narrow driveway and leaning concrete retaining walls, parking was a major challenge at this 1938 brick Tudor on Spokane's South Hill. Crumbling concrete stairs added another layer of difficulty, and after a particularly rough winter, the homeowners were ready for a change. The failing concrete walls were replaced with stacked boulders, which created space for a new, wider driveway. Natural stone steps offer access to the backyard, while the new front stairs and sidewalk provide a safe route to the front door. The original iron railings were preserved and modified to be reused with the new stairs.

In east Sioux Falls, homeowners decided it was time for a kitchen update! They explored options with Brooke, an experienced designer with Today’s StarMark Custom Cabinetry. The end result is fabulous! Oak cupboards were torn down and replaced with stunning Maple cabinetry. A wall between the kitchen and dining room was removed, making room for a peninsula with bar stool seating. Removing the wall also opened up the kitchen. The new island is slightly larger than the old island. The homeowners also wanted display storage, so glass door fronts were selected. Brooke specified StarMark's Stratford door style in Maple finished in Marshmallow Cream.

This used to be the entrance to the apartment in this duplex apartment, now we built a panel wall hinged on invisible hinges. Push the panel open and you instant access to the existing apartment door. The reveal ties into the room lining up the panels perfectly. (its not the photo, this room is Not square) difficulty level was extremely high making this work.

These homeowners came to us through a recommendation from a client who was extremely happy with the work we did for them in the past. This project was in the inner city and the homeowners tore down their old house and built their new home in its place. Keeping with the charm of the original home, the main goal for the home was to make it look like a brand new 100 year old home. We were brought on to work on the entire home with the exception of the kitchen (entry, family room, ceiling work, office/ den, living room, fireplace, window trims, 5 bedrooms, and 4 bathrooms). In addition to our custom woodworking, these homeowners leaned heavily on our design suggestions. From an execution standpoint, this home was extremely detailed, and getting the balance from room to room and throughout the entire home was crucial for achieving the correct look. In addition, the methods and materials used 100 years ago have since had drastic improvements, making the lifetime and quality of the finished product substantially better, but also adding a higher degree of difficulty to accomplish accurate looking details. The end result of this project was a work of art. A home that thad the appearance of a 100 year old home, with modern materials and methods to ensure quality and longevity. Everything from their dramatic entry and staircase to their floor-to-ceiling hand-finished den showcases a skill set and eye for detail essential to accomplishing the lofty goals of this home.

This townhome located on Lake Anna of Reston, VA own into a confined gall kitchen with a very limited cabinet space, short wall cabinets, big closet taking over big portion of kitchen, duct chase creating a big barrier, plumbing chases causing bulkhead and a bearing wall header to name a few of obstacles Their dream was to walk in from front door and have a clear view of wall to wall scenic view of the lake. Modernize the kitchen, eliminate bearing walls, lots of storage, upgraded appliances and so much more. They have been chasing this dream for years and have been turned down by multiple firms due to level of difficulty of the project, budget constraint and as she put it “cleeking with a design firm that can feel her needs” Our staff spent countless number of hours to hear her and bring her dream to reality. The main constraint was the bearing wall on corner of foyer and living room, which was a closet, main duct chase and return ducts, obscene amount of plumbing and not to mention structural load. By the way of re-routing mechanical chases, and reformulating all second-floor plumbing stack to back walls, and then inserting few structural beams that transfer the second-floor joists to front and back wall, we have accomplished the biggest goals of all and created the view open floor plan Now home to a big island with cooktop and beverage center. The home has front to back clear view of the scenic lake. ¬¬¬With expanding the kitchen into front breakfast area, we have doubled up on storage and cabinet space. Long line of gorgeous counter top and full backsplash under new Led lighting has glorified this kitchen project. The linear porcelain floor tile has complimented the counter top and her trophy accessories.

The backyard exterior of this transitional Mediterranean design home features an infinity edge pool and spa with a sun shelf designed for wheel chair access as well as a fire bowl feature in the center of the pool. The pool is lined with a travertine marble perimeter pool coping. The pool deck is constructed of grey marble in a diagonal design. The upstairs balcony has a glass panel railing while the roof is constructed of barrel roof tiles. Construction by Robelen Hanna Homes.

This project, sitting on a little more than 3.5 acres on Rivercrest was completed in 3 years with a total square footage of more than 26,000 square feet. Typically modern homes are smaller. At a certain size, usually around 4,000 square feet, the difficulty with modern or contemporary architecture becomes scale, and the minimalist idea gets lost. Whenever you get to this scale of house at over 26,000 square feet, this problem adds a layer of complexity. Connie Anderson Photography

Kimicata Brothers, INC http://www.kimicatabrothers.com Project Entry: Johnson 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Hardscaping-Residential $30,000-$60,000 Award Level: Honorable Mention Photo Description: We were contacted by the Johnson’s to update their backyard fenced in pool area in the summer of 2012. Over the years the deck around the pool had deteriorated and the plants had become over grown and made walking around the deck difficult. The old concrete patio was small and only lit by bright 120 volt spot lights. What made this job difficult was the access to the backyard was limited to using a neighbor’s backyard for the project. We had to bring all debris out and materials in from a neighboring street, down the neighbor’s driveway, across the backyard, through an 8’ section that was in the far corner of the neighbor’s yard that corresponded to the entrance to Johnson’s backyard. They had a plan that they wanted to work from. Since access was a problem, we had to secure permission from the neighbor before we could consider bidding the job. After the neighbor’s permission was obtained we discussed materials for the drawing they had. It only included the hardscape and gazebo. Other difficulties included not damaging lighting and plumbing for the pool during excavation and construction. Also the ladders into the pool fit into cups screwed to the deck. These had to be replaced with precisely placed pipes mounted into the base for stability. Care had to be taken to make sure water would not drain from the deck into the pool. So we had to place channel drains between the patio area and pool deck area. A channel drain was placed between the exposed aggregate finished slab for the gazebo and the pool deck. This allowed for proper sloping of the hardscape to provide the drains to move rain away from the pool. We used polymeric sand in the paver joints to prevent breakdown of the installation and avoid wind and water moving sand into the pool. The slab for the gazebo was an exposed aggregate finish that measured 12’ 6” x 16’ 6”. The pagoda style roof for the gazebo and screening make it attractive and functional as a bug free area to entertain in. We discussed adding low voltage lighting, 120 volt plugs and drip irrigation early on so we could place conduits during the construction. After the hardscape installation we installed the low voltage lighting. We installed a transformer with a timer and an optional dusk to dawn photocell. The Johnsons did not like the old 120 volt spot light to light the back, they wanted something softer. We installed 20 path lights to illuminate the hardscape and 3 wall wash lights to add evening depth to the yard. We installed the plantings and Hunter drip irrigation system in the spring of 2013. It was easy to convince them that the drip system was the proper way to irrigate the area. There would be no spray to blow onto patio furniture or into the gazebo. Also drip irrigation uses less water so they are economical to operate. This gave them a low maintenance yard, a nice finished look and something blooming throughout the growing season. The Johnsons have been very happy with the look and the functionality of the pool deck, patio, lights, irrigation and gazebo.

Kitchen photo in Miami

We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to help an older couple in our local community. They approached us with a project that they thought would be impossible. Turn a 6x6 first floor pantry into a fully functioning bathroom. Normally this space limitation would not be a problem but the plumbing presented a difficulty that already scared away 2 other contractors. We were able to overcome this obstacle with the help of our experienced staff who keep up to date on the newest devices and products in the remodeling industry. We had a very enjoyable experience designing and remodeling this room. Even with the small space limitations we believe we came up with a very unique and rustic feel for their 1890's farm house. I must end on all the custom wood work that our employees made for this project. From the custom, two-sided, door to the little, wooden, wall shelf we made all of the wooden pieces you see in this project and most of them were unique creations specifically for this job.

Designing an object was accompanied by certain difficulties. The owners bought a plot on which there was already a house. Its quality and appearance did not suit customers in any way. Moreover, the construction of a house from scratch was not even discussed, so the architects Vitaly Dorokhov and Tatyana Dmitrenko had to take the existing skeleton as a basis. During the reconstruction, the protruding glass volume was demolished, some structural elements of the facade were simplified. The number of storeys was increased and the height of the roof was increased. As a result, the building took the form of a real English home, as customers wanted. The planning decision was dictated by the terms of reference. And the number of people living in the house. Therefore, in terms of the house acquired 400 m \ 2 extra. The entire engineering structure and heating system were completely redone. Heating of the house comes from wells and the Ecokolt system. The climate system of the house itself is integrated into the relay control system that constantly maintains the climate and humidity in the house.