By Thayer Allyson Gowdy for House Beautiful
Elegant kitchen photo in San Francisco

Southern Beach Getaway in WaterColor Private Residence / WaterColor, Florida Architect: Geoff Chick & Associates Builder: Chris Clark Construction The E. F. San Juan team collaborated closely with architect Geoff Chick, builder Chris Clark, interior designer Allyson Runnels, and the homeowners to bring their design vision to reality. This included custom interior and exterior millwork, pecky cypress ceilings in various rooms of the home, different types of wall and ceiling paneling in each upstairs bedroom, custom pecky cypress barn doors and beams in the master suite, Euro-Wall doors in the living area, Weather Shield windows and doors throughout, Georgia pine porch ceilings, and Ipe porch flooring. Challenges: Allyson and the homeowners wanted each of the children’s upstairs bedrooms to have unique features, and we addressed this from a millwork perspective by producing different types of wall and ceiling paneling for each of these rooms. The homeowners also loved the look of pecky cypress and wanted to see this unique type of wood featured as a highlight throughout the home. Solution: In the main living area and kitchen, the coffered ceiling presents pecky cypress stained gray to accent the tiled wall of the kitchen. In the adjoining hallway, the pecky cypress ceiling is lightly pickled white to make a subtle contrast with the surrounding white paneled walls and trim. The master bedroom has two beautiful large pecky cypress barn doors and several large pecky cypress beams that give it a cozy, rustic yet Southern coastal feel. Off the master bedroom is a sitting/TV room featuring a pecky cypress ceiling in a stunning rectangular, concentric pattern that was expertly installed by Edgar Lara and his skilled team of finish carpenters. We also provided twelve-foot-high floor-to-ceiling Euro-Wall Systems doors in the living area that lend to the bright and airy feel of this space, as do the Weather Shield windows and doors that were used throughout the home. Finally, the porches’ rich, South Georgia pine ceilings and chatoyant Ipe floors create a warm contrast to the bright walls, columns, and railings of these comfortable outdoor spaces. The result is an overall stunning home that exhibits all the best characteristics of the WaterColor community while standing out with countless unique custom features. --- Photography by Jack Gardner

“Big Daddy Construction & Design" is a full service construction company with seasoned leadership and over 20 years of contracting experience in the Phoenix area. “Big Daddy” offers it's services as a viable alternative to business as usual in Arizona’s construction industry.

This 14,000 sq.ft. one of a kind Spanish Colonial Revival Estate is reminiscent of the grand estate era of the 1920’s in Boca Raton, Florida. Inspired by Addison Mizner and George Washington Smith, this landmark home, located in Northern California, is a timeless masterpiece with fixtures and finishes imported from around the world including: custom cabinets from Portugal and hand carved fireplace faces from Jerusalem. This stunning mansion was designed with amenities that allow for an intimate family lifestyle while affording for large formal functions and fundraising events.

Hi Point Home Builders
Home bar - eclectic look-out ceramic tile home bar idea in Denver with white walls and no fireplace

Factory by Aster Cucine Italy, Industrial design kitchen. Designers Lorenzo Granocchia Design Year 2015 ‘Work in process’ is how we like to define our Factory mood.‎ Think of this as an atelier teeming with ideas, cross-contaminations of different styles and materials.‎ Steel and wood.‎ Corten weathered steel and gloss lacquered finishes? The Factory mood is all about breaking rules for people who don’t just want to tow the line.‎ It’s about taking a stand for non-conformists, with the accent on standing out from the ordinary.‎ Eclectic, transgressive, unique.‎

Originally our client’s driveway was long and winding, passing by the front of the house and ending at the garages. This made it more difficult for guest parking, events, and deliveries. We designed a circular driveway centered off the front of the house. We installed cobbles lining the circumference of the circular driveway and installed a central millstone surrounded by cubed cobbles.

Factory by Aster Cucine Italy, Industrial design kitchen. Designers Lorenzo Granocchia Design Year 2015 ‘Work in process’ is how we like to define our Factory mood.‎ Think of this as an atelier teeming with ideas, cross-contaminations of different styles and materials.‎ Steel and wood.‎ Corten weathered steel and gloss lacquered finishes? The Factory mood is all about breaking rules for people who don’t just want to tow the line.‎ It’s about taking a stand for non-conformists, with the accent on standing out from the ordinary.‎ Eclectic, transgressive, unique.‎

Mid-century modern exterior home idea in New York

William Winslow House (Frank Lloyd Wright, 1893-94). Frank Lloyd Wright's first major commission as an independent architect after leaving the firm of Adler and Sullivan.

Modern Farmhouse Exterior Photo by: Leslie Goodwin Photography
Example of a farmhouse front door design in Toronto with a gray front door

The owners engaged us to conduct a full house renovation to bring this historic stone mansion back to its former glory. One of the highest priorities was updating the main floor’s more public spaces which serve as the diplomat's primary representation areas where special events are hosted. Worn wall-to-wall carpet was removed revealing original oak hardwood floors that were sanded and refinished with an Early American stain. Great attention to detail was given to the selection, customization and installation of new drapes, carpets and runners all of which had to complement the home’s existing antique furniture. The striking red runner gives new life to the grand hall and winding staircase and makes quite an impression upon entering the property. New ceilings, medallions, chandeliers and a fresh coat of paint elevate the spaces to their fullest potential. A customized bar was added to an adjoining sunroom that serves as spillover space for formal events and a more intimate setting for casual gatherings.

Reed Brown Photography
Trendy medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room photo in Nashville with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

Terren Landscapes http://www.terrenlandscapes.com Project Entry: Pembrooke Estate Rain Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Sustainable Landscape &60,000-$120,000 Award Level: Silver Project Description: The client contracted our company to solve multiple existing drainage problems. In a heavy rain event the existing French drain system would overflow, causing water to pool in the driveway. After investigating the system we found that the capacity of the French drain was undersized for the amount of storm water from the large rain events received in recent years. As a result of our findings and at the request of the homeowner, we designed a storm water management system to capture all storm water from the structures on the property and regenerate the underground aquifers for the volume of a 5.8” rainstorm. In addition to the new drain system, the homeowners wanted a rain garden to provide a backdrop for an existing formal garden, provide a habitat for wildlife, and provide screening from an adjacent neighbor. Throughout the design process many challenges were presented, including an existing gas line, which ran directly through the area that best suited the bioswale. The existence of the gas line caused us to alter the shape and depth of the bioswale in some areas. We also inspected the existing downspouts to make sure there were no obstructions that would impede the system’s efficiency, and then conducted a test pit dig to make sure we had sufficient percolation rates for disposal of storm water. To effectively capture the storm water runoff, the existing downspouts were piped from the main house and the large detached garage to a large catch basin located at the low point in the driveway. The driveway catch basin contains two outlet pipes at different elevations within the basin allowing water from smaller rain events to enter the bioswale and rain garden area to percolate into the soil before excess water overflows into a sediment trap which filters out any debris and is then piped to an underground StormTech® pit to slowly percolate into the ground. The other outlet pipe in the driveway catch basin is used for larger storm water events, taking the water directly to the StormTech® pit. Accepting and slowing the velocity of the storm water, mitigation of erosion, and filtering out pollutants contained in the “first flush” of rainfall are the primary functions of the bioswale and rain garden. Planting these areas with mostly native plant species helps carry out these functions while attracting and providing shelter for wildlife. The ‘Niobe’ weeping willow is the centerpiece of the rain garden, connecting with the axis of the existing formal garden. To screen the neighboring property we chose Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ‘Pendula’ for its graceful evergreen habit and tolerance of wet sites. ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood and Panicum ‘Cloud Nine’ were used for screening as well as winter interest. To provide deciduous structure to the garden Taxodium distichum and Magnolia virginiana were used in conjunction with witch hazel. Mostly native wetland perennials were used due to their tolerance of wet conditions and occasional drought. The area above the StormTech® pit provides space for the client’s family to relax. The rain garden and bioswale provide screening, storm water management, a habitat for wildlife, and plants that enhance the adjacent formal garden. Photo Credit: Terren Landscapes

Photo credit: Scott McDonald @ Hedrich Blessing 7RR-Ecohome: The design objective was to build a house for a couple recently married who both had kids from previous marriages. How to bridge two families together? The design looks forward in terms of how people live today. The home is an experiment in transparency and solid form; removing borders and edges from outside to inside the house, and to really depict “flowing and endless space”. The house floor plan is derived by pushing and pulling the house’s form to maximize the backyard and minimize the public front yard while welcoming the sun in key rooms by rotating the house 45-degrees to true north. The angular form of the house is a result of the family’s program, the zoning rules, the lot’s attributes, and the sun’s path. We wanted to construct a house that is smart and efficient in terms of construction and energy, both in terms of the building and the user. We could tell a story of how the house is built in terms of the constructability, structure and enclosure, with a nod to Japanese wood construction in the method in which the siding is installed and the exposed interior beams are placed in the double height space. We engineered the house to be smart which not only looks modern but acts modern; every aspect of user control is simplified to a digital touch button, whether lights, shades, blinds, HVAC, communication, audio, video, or security. We developed a planning module based on a 6-foot square room size and a 6-foot wide connector called an interstitial space for hallways, bathrooms, stairs and mechanical, which keeps the rooms pure and uncluttered. The house is 6,200 SF of livable space, plus garage and basement gallery for a total of 9,200 SF. A large formal foyer celebrates the entry and opens up to the living, dining, kitchen and family rooms all focused on the rear garden. The east side of the second floor is the Master wing and a center bridge connects it to the kid’s wing on the west. Second floor terraces and sunscreens provide views and shade in this suburban setting. The playful mathematical grid of the house in the x, y and z axis also extends into the layout of the trees and hard-scapes, all centered on a suburban one-acre lot. Many green attributes were designed into the home; Ipe wood sunscreens and window shades block out unwanted solar gain in summer, but allow winter sun in. Patio door and operable windows provide ample opportunity for natural ventilation throughout the open floor plan. Minimal windows on east and west sides to reduce heat loss in winter and unwanted gains in summer. Open floor plan and large window expanse reduces lighting demands and maximizes available daylight. Skylights provide natural light to the basement rooms. Durable, low-maintenance exterior materials include stone, ipe wood siding and decking, and concrete roof pavers. Design is based on a 2' planning grid to minimize construction waste. Basement foundation walls and slab are highly insulated. FSC-certified walnut wood flooring was used. Light colored concrete roof pavers to reduce cooling loads by as much as 15%. 2x6 framing allows for more insulation and energy savings. Super efficient windows have low-E argon gas filled units, and thermally insulated aluminum frames. Permeable brick and stone pavers reduce the site’s storm-water runoff. Countertops use recycled composite materials. Energy-Star rated furnaces and smart thermostats are located throughout the house to minimize duct runs and avoid energy loss. Energy-Star rated boiler that heats up both radiant floors and domestic hot water. Low-flow toilets and plumbing fixtures are used to conserve water usage. No VOC finish options and direct venting fireplaces maintain a high interior air quality. Smart home system controls lighting, HVAC, and shades to better manage energy use. Plumbing runs through interior walls reducing possibilities of heat loss and freezing problems. A large food pantry was placed next to kitchen to reduce trips to the grocery store. Home office reduces need for automobile transit and associated CO2 footprint. Plan allows for aging in place, with guest suite than can become the master suite, with no need to move as family members mature.

The owners engaged us to conduct a full house renovation to bring this historic stone mansion back to its former glory. One of the highest priorities was updating the main floor’s more public spaces which serve as the diplomat's primary representation areas where special events are hosted. Worn wall-to-wall carpet was removed revealing original oak hardwood floors that were sanded and refinished with an Early American stain. Great attention to detail was given to the selection, customization and installation of new drapes, carpets and runners all of which had to complement the home’s existing antique furniture. The striking red runner gives new life to the grand hall and winding staircase and makes quite an impression upon entering the property. New ceilings, medallions, chandeliers and a fresh coat of paint elevate the spaces to their fullest potential. A customized bar was added to an adjoining sunroom that serves as spillover space for formal events and a more intimate setting for casual gatherings.

Factory by Aster Cucine Italy, Industrial design kitchen. Designers Lorenzo Granocchia Design Year 2015 ‘Work in process’ is how we like to define our Factory mood.‎ Think of this as an atelier teeming with ideas, cross-contaminations of different styles and materials.‎ Steel and wood.‎ Corten weathered steel and gloss lacquered finishes? The Factory mood is all about breaking rules for people who don’t just want to tow the line.‎ It’s about taking a stand for non-conformists, with the accent on standing out from the ordinary.‎ Eclectic, transgressive, unique.‎

Trendy home office photo in Portland

This is a very small bedroom that must do double duty as a guest room and office. The curtains make the bed feel built in and create a cozy spot to curl up in.