"Its all about the view!" Our client has been dreaming of redesigning and updating her childhood home for years. Her husband, filled me in on the details of the history of this bay front home and the many memories they've made over the years, and we poured love and a little southern charm into the coastal feel of the Kitchen. Our clients traveled here multiple times from their home in North Carolina to meet with me on the details of this beautiful home on the Ocean Gate Bay, and the end result was a beautiful kitchen with an even more beautiful view. We would like to thank JGP Building and Contracting for the beautiful install. We would also like to thank Dianne Ahto at https://www.graphicus14.com/ for her beautiful eye and talented photography.

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.

2013 NARI CAPITAL COTY, MERIT AWARD WINNER, RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR A family of five living in a Chantilly, Virginia, neighborhood with a lot of improvement going on decided to do a project of their own. An active family, they decided their old deck was ragged, beat up and needed revamping. After discussing their needs, the design team at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes developed a plan for a covered porch and a wrap-around upscale deck. Traffic flow and multiple entrances were important, as was a place for the kids to leave their muddy shoes. A double staircase leading the deck into the large backyard provides a panoramic view of the parkland behind the property. A side staircase lets the kids come into the covered porch and mudroom prior to entering the main house. The covered porch touts large colonial style columns, a beaded cedar (stained) ceiling, recess lighting, ceiling fans and a large television with outdoor surround sound. The deck touts synthetic railing and stained grade decking and offers extended living space just outside of the kitchen and family room, as well as a grill space and outdoor patio seating. This new outdoor facility has become the jewel of their neighborhood and now the family can enjoy their backyard activities more than ever.

Three levels of water, two large rock waterfalls and two fire features make up the luxury swimming pool and deck for Platte County Paradise. The highest pool level features a hot tub from which water spills into the main pool. From the main pool, an infinity edge that runs 30 feet in length spills water down 8 feet into the plunge pool. A slide wraps around a rock water fall and ends in the plunge pool. A beautiful stone and iron staircase escorts you and your guests to the slide. For this rustic design, all rocks were drilled and pinned into the gunnite shell with apoxy. The grotto was built so that swimmers can enter from either side to find seating. The cave is designed to hold a large group for parties. We installed two fire features; one is intended for a large gathering where outdoor couches offer seating. The other feature is at patio level. This luxury pool contains every amenity imaginable including a swim-up bar, full and cabana dry stacked with stone and featuring timber that was selected from the property.

This 1910 West Highlands home was so compartmentalized that you couldn't help to notice you were constantly entering a new room every 8-10 feet. There was also a 500 SF addition put on the back of the home to accommodate a living room, 3/4 bath, laundry room and back foyer - 350 SF of that was for the living room. Needless to say, the house needed to be gutted and replanned. Kitchen+Dining+Laundry-Like most of these early 1900's homes, the kitchen was not the heartbeat of the home like they are today. This kitchen was tucked away in the back and smaller than any other social rooms in the house. We knocked out the walls of the dining room to expand and created an open floor plan suitable for any type of gathering. As a nod to the history of the home, we used butcherblock for all the countertops and shelving which was accented by tones of brass, dusty blues and light-warm greys. This room had no storage before so creating ample storage and a variety of storage types was a critical ask for the client. One of my favorite details is the blue crown that draws from one end of the space to the other, accenting a ceiling that was otherwise forgotten. Primary Bath-This did not exist prior to the remodel and the client wanted a more neutral space with strong visual details. We split the walls in half with a datum line that transitions from penny gap molding to the tile in the shower. To provide some more visual drama, we did a chevron tile arrangement on the floor, gridded the shower enclosure for some deep contrast an array of brass and quartz to elevate the finishes. Powder Bath-This is always a fun place to let your vision get out of the box a bit. All the elements were familiar to the space but modernized and more playful. The floor has a wood look tile in a herringbone arrangement, a navy vanity, gold fixtures that are all servants to the star of the room - the blue and white deco wall tile behind the vanity. Full Bath-This was a quirky little bathroom that you'd always keep the door closed when guests are over. Now we have brought the blue tones into the space and accented it with bronze fixtures and a playful southwestern floor tile. Living Room & Office-This room was too big for its own good and now serves multiple purposes. We condensed the space to provide a living area for the whole family plus other guests and left enough room to explain the space with floor cushions. The office was a bonus to the project as it provided privacy to a room that otherwise had none before.

2013 NARI CAPITAL COTY, MERIT AWARD WINNER, RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR A family of five living in a Chantilly, Virginia, neighborhood with a lot of improvement going on decided to do a project of their own. An active family, they decided their old deck was ragged, beat up and needed revamping. After discussing their needs, the design team at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes developed a plan for a covered porch and a wrap-around upscale deck. Traffic flow and multiple entrances were important, as was a place for the kids to leave their muddy shoes. A double staircase leading the deck into the large backyard provides a panoramic view of the parkland behind the property. A side staircase lets the kids come into the covered porch and mudroom prior to entering the main house. The covered porch touts large colonial style columns, a beaded cedar (stained) ceiling, recess lighting, ceiling fans and a large television with outdoor surround sound. The deck touts synthetic railing and stained grade decking and offers extended living space just outside of the kitchen and family room, as well as a grill space and outdoor patio seating. This new outdoor facility has become the jewel of their neighborhood and now the family can enjoy their backyard activities more than ever.

2013 NARI CAPITAL COTY, MERIT AWARD WINNER, RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR A family of five living in a Chantilly, Virginia, neighborhood with a lot of improvement going on decided to do a project of their own. An active family, they decided their old deck was ragged, beat up and needed revamping. After discussing their needs, the design team at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes developed a plan for a covered porch and a wrap-around upscale deck. Traffic flow and multiple entrances were important, as was a place for the kids to leave their muddy shoes. A double staircase leading the deck into the large backyard provides a panoramic view of the parkland behind the property. A side staircase lets the kids come into the covered porch and mudroom prior to entering the main house. The covered porch touts large colonial style columns, a beaded cedar (stained) ceiling, recess lighting, ceiling fans and a large television with outdoor surround sound. The deck touts synthetic railing and stained grade decking and offers extended living space just outside of the kitchen and family room, as well as a grill space and outdoor patio seating. This new outdoor facility has become the jewel of their neighborhood and now the family can enjoy their backyard activities more than ever.

2013 NARI CAPITAL COTY, MERIT AWARD WINNER, RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR A family of five living in a Chantilly, Virginia, neighborhood with a lot of improvement going on decided to do a project of their own. An active family, they decided their old deck was ragged, beat up and needed revamping. After discussing their needs, the design team at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes developed a plan for a covered porch and a wrap-around upscale deck. Traffic flow and multiple entrances were important, as was a place for the kids to leave their muddy shoes. A double staircase leading the deck into the large backyard provides a panoramic view of the parkland behind the property. A side staircase lets the kids come into the covered porch and mudroom prior to entering the main house. The covered porch touts large colonial style columns, a beaded cedar (stained) ceiling, recess lighting, ceiling fans and a large television with outdoor surround sound. The deck touts synthetic railing and stained grade decking and offers extended living space just outside of the kitchen and family room, as well as a grill space and outdoor patio seating. This new outdoor facility has become the jewel of their neighborhood and now the family can enjoy their backyard activities more than ever.

Entering the home, one is drawn into the bright open space by the view of the lake through the living room windows. Philip Jensen Carter
Example of a large beach style light wood floor foyer design in New York with gray walls

2013 NARI CAPITAL COTY, MERIT AWARD WINNER, RESIDENTIAL EXTERIOR A family of five living in a Chantilly, Virginia, neighborhood with a lot of improvement going on decided to do a project of their own. An active family, they decided their old deck was ragged, beat up and needed revamping. After discussing their needs, the design team at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes developed a plan for a covered porch and a wrap-around upscale deck. Traffic flow and multiple entrances were important, as was a place for the kids to leave their muddy shoes. A double staircase leading the deck into the large backyard provides a panoramic view of the parkland behind the property. A side staircase lets the kids come into the covered porch and mudroom prior to entering the main house. The covered porch touts large colonial style columns, a beaded cedar (stained) ceiling, recess lighting, ceiling fans and a large television with outdoor surround sound. The deck touts synthetic railing and stained grade decking and offers extended living space just outside of the kitchen and family room, as well as a grill space and outdoor patio seating. This new outdoor facility has become the jewel of their neighborhood and now the family can enjoy their backyard activities more than ever.

This 1910 West Highlands home was so compartmentalized that you couldn't help to notice you were constantly entering a new room every 8-10 feet. There was also a 500 SF addition put on the back of the home to accommodate a living room, 3/4 bath, laundry room and back foyer - 350 SF of that was for the living room. Needless to say, the house needed to be gutted and replanned. Kitchen+Dining+Laundry-Like most of these early 1900's homes, the kitchen was not the heartbeat of the home like they are today. This kitchen was tucked away in the back and smaller than any other social rooms in the house. We knocked out the walls of the dining room to expand and created an open floor plan suitable for any type of gathering. As a nod to the history of the home, we used butcherblock for all the countertops and shelving which was accented by tones of brass, dusty blues and light-warm greys. This room had no storage before so creating ample storage and a variety of storage types was a critical ask for the client. One of my favorite details is the blue crown that draws from one end of the space to the other, accenting a ceiling that was otherwise forgotten. Primary Bath-This did not exist prior to the remodel and the client wanted a more neutral space with strong visual details. We split the walls in half with a datum line that transitions from penny gap molding to the tile in the shower. To provide some more visual drama, we did a chevron tile arrangement on the floor, gridded the shower enclosure for some deep contrast an array of brass and quartz to elevate the finishes. Powder Bath-This is always a fun place to let your vision get out of the box a bit. All the elements were familiar to the space but modernized and more playful. The floor has a wood look tile in a herringbone arrangement, a navy vanity, gold fixtures that are all servants to the star of the room - the blue and white deco wall tile behind the vanity. Full Bath-This was a quirky little bathroom that you'd always keep the door closed when guests are over. Now we have brought the blue tones into the space and accented it with bronze fixtures and a playful southwestern floor tile. Living Room & Office-This room was too big for its own good and now serves multiple purposes. We condensed the space to provide a living area for the whole family plus other guests and left enough room to explain the space with floor cushions. The office was a bonus to the project as it provided privacy to a room that otherwise had none before.

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.

Patrice's Bathroom. I enjoyed developing the details of the tub platform extending through the frameless glass and becoming the shower seat.I had hoped that the tile in the shower would have extended out of the shower and become the backsplash, but that part of the design was not developed at Halpern Architects. One of the challenges of doing an Extreme Makeover house is developing details that can be field assembled quickly. In this case, working with Nationwide Homes, the modular home company that built "The boxes", a range of details were developed to make things easier. The tub and surround was installed By Nationwide. To facilitate connections and service without the visual or technical complications of an access panel, access was provided from below. Throughout the design process, I had insisted that all of the plumbing, mechanical and electrical connections occur in the crawlspace, allowing the work to continue without crowding the interior of the house. Many of the time saving details were worked out through a great working relationship between Fusion Custom Homes, who was the general contractor, Nationwide Homes, who was the modular home manufacturer, and Halpern Architects.The crawlspace was constructed taller than usual with nearly full standing headroom and a full height access door was provided from the exterior, allowing workman to come and go at will, without having to enter the house. This also allowed multiple trades to stock the job and work at the same time.

This one-story ranch is instantly appealing with a stone and board-and-batten facade and multiple gables. Inside the main living space, find an island kitchen with a skylight overhead, a great room with a cathedral ceiling and a fireplace, and a spacious dining room. The master suite is a private oasis with skylights and access to the rear porch. Enjoy dual walk-in closets and a master bathroom with a double-sink vanity, a freestanding bathtub, and a walk-in shower. The two-car garage enters the home through the utility room and a pantry and mud room offer convenient storage and organization. Two bedrooms and an office complete the first floor and a bonus room is upstairs for storage or a media room.

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.

Taryn DeVincent
Example of a small farmhouse travertine floor and beige floor mudroom design in Philadelphia with green walls and a white front door

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.

Check out this amazing backyard pond with just about every feature you could ask for installed in Lancaster, PA. This project included a large ecosystem pond with tons of different features throughout. A small wetland filter begins the journey into the large ecosystem pond. One of the ponds most noticeable features is the two bubbling urn fountains. There is stepping-stones through the pond. The stepping-stones take you from the back patio through the pond to natural stone steps leading to the yard. A zero edge waterfall was installed at the edge of the pond leading to the stream. Drift wood was incorporated to soften and naturalize the look of the pond. This is typical protocol during our pond construction. The stream then flows underneath a large natural stone bridge. the bridge connects large steps leading to the patio area. on the other side of the bridge is a large natural stone stairway. After flowing underneath the bridge the water enters the grand falls. This large multiple tier waterfall is quite breathtaking. This is just another example of what sets C.E. Pontz Sons apart from the competition. The final waterfalls then disappear into a pondless waterfall basin. The basin then recycles the water up through the wetland to further filter the pond water. Boulder retaining walls were also installed as well as landscaping lighting.