Our homeowners purchased this home for its excellent location and great bones. They were desirous of returning it to the era of it’s time while updating and modernizing it with the elegance it deserved. To add to our challenges, they were living out of the country during our design and renovation, making for great communications utilizing modern technology to ensure we could deliver what they hoped to achieve. We opened some space in the kitchen to create an updated and more functional kitchen for this active family, relocating appliances for efficiency, adding an island and relocating a chimney. We had structural challenges with the sagging hardwood floors, which required us to reframe floor systems, and while we were at it, we antique finished the hardwoods reminiscent of the 1940’s. We added wainscoting in the dining room and entry stair hallway to enhance the old-world look and added some arched openings to match other areas of the home. We also added custom moldings to the fireplace wall to allow it to shine as a focal point in the space, utilizing restored antique light fixtures. The finished result is stunning and truly honors the integrity of the original time period of this home.

Built by Old Hampshire Designs, Inc. Sheldon Pennoyer & Renee Fair, Architects John W. Hession, Photographer
Large mountain style backyard deck photo in Boston with a fire pit and a roof extension

South Elevation of South Pavilion
Inspiration for a traditional backyard garden path in Indianapolis.

Designed by Skip Phillips. The owner purchased the property next door to his home with the vision of turning it into a pool/play house for his family. There was an existing pool which had to be removed before construction could begin on the new design. The pool overflows its entire perimeter with the exception of two locations where the water in transit details transition from the vanishing edge to what is known as the Lautner edge (named for the late architect John Lautner who developed the detail). The spa overflows three of its sides into an uplit gutter. The fourth side is framed by a slightly offset fire element for visual intrigue. -The entire deck surrounding the pool (which also continues into the house) is finished in 8'x7' slabs of French Limestone set in a grid pattern. Pool and spa are both completely finished in glass tile. There is a custom built, in-floor, automatic cover located in the center of the pool which can be deployed and retracted with the push of a button. The lid of the cover is finished with the same glass tile as the rest of the pool to minimize its visibility. - In addition to remodeling the yard, the entire "pool house" was remodeled to match the architectural style of the family home next door.- In addition a rigid automatic pool cover from Covertech / Grando was added to the pool, which needs to come out of the center of the pool out of the pool floor with an all tiled automatic pit shutter. The cover had a translucent polycarbonate finish, which allows the cover to illuminate through the pool lights at night time.

©️Maxwell MacKenzie Slate countertops and wood hood are features in the kitchen. THE HOME, ESSENTIALLY A RUIN WAS PRESERVED THROUGH NEGLECT. A CLARIFIED HISTORIC RENOVATION REMOVES BAY WINDOWS AND 1950’S WINDOWS FROM THE MAIN FAÇADE. TWO WINGS AND A THIRD FLOOR AND A SYMPATHETIC STAIRWAY ACCOMMODATE MODERN LIFE. MASONS WERE TASKED TO MAKE THE STONE WORK LOOK AS THOUGH “A FARMER BUILT THE WALLS DURING THE NON-PLANTING SEASON,” THE FINAL DESIGN SIMPLIFIES THE FIRST FLOOR PLAN AND LEAVES LOGICAL LOCATIONS FOR EXPANSION INTO COMING DECADES. AMONG OTHER AWARDS, THIS TRADITIONAL YET HISTORIC RENOVATION LOCATED IN MIDDLEBURG, VA HAS RECEIVED 2 AWARDS FROM THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE.. AND A NATIONAL PRIVATE AWARD FROM VETTE WINDOWS WASHINGTON DC ARCHITECT DONALD LOCOCO UPDATED THIS HISTORIC STONE HOUSE IN MIDDLEBURG, VA.lauded by the American Institute of Architects with an Award of Excellence for Historic Architecture, as well as an Award of Merit for Residential Architecture

This unique project located on an Island off the coast Florida, features a sand bottom over 1300 sq.ft. of crystal clear water and Natural Native Limestone caprock used and installed from the 9 foot bottom of Lagoon to the series of Grotto Waterfalls that are 14-16' overall... Also features custom Spa with waterfall as well... Beach style home tucked away on Island, aesthetically, native and natural Florida Materials, all had to be barged over to island.. 10 semi loads of Native Boulders...

It was very important to our client for the pool and patio area to feel like an extension of their home. To incorporate this request into their design we engineered the pool wall to support the new patio columns and roof. The selection of finish materials was critical to creating a seamless transition between their indoor and outdoor living environment. The amazing views and natural surroundings were the perfect backdrop for the staggering 46 of vanishing edge. The work area was very intimidating with a 2:1 slope which creates many unique challenges. Extreme care had to be taken to protect the homes located downhill from the work area while all of the construction materials were transported 300 up the steep incline. At times a human chain passed building materials hand-to-hand because the slope was too step to safely operate equipment. The pool, spa and vanishing edges are locked into the hillside with a combination of piers and a keyway footing. Our structural & geotechnical engineer tested the soils on site and made 5 visits to the jobsite during construction to ensure that all site conditions were addressed. The outdoor patio area was lowered 2 below the pool to preserve the view of the lake and add to the illusion of the pool flowing down to the water below. While working to create a structurally sound vanishing edge pool and spa on a 26 degree slope there were some difficult plumbing needs that had to be met. The home owner requested the swimming pool equipment be located close to the house to avoid being seen when they entertain guests. On most jobsites this is an easy request to provide but this was not a typical construction site. This project required a 4 deep vault to ensure efficient operation of the hydraulic system for the equipment which is located uphill from the pool. Another challenge for our plumbing crew was to have the remote spa with a vanishing edge utilize equalized plumbing with the pool. The vanishing edge of the pool and spa had to match perfectly despite being located 30 apart. The pool and spa both incorporate a Paramount PCC2000 cleaning system. This project is a testament to what can be accomplished by a team of dedicated engineers, designers, contractors and craftsmen. Team work and education are the keys to success.

One of our custom home plan designs that won the 2014 Excellence award from the Portland Metro Homebuilders Association.
Patio - large craftsman backyard concrete patio idea in Portland with a fire pit and a roof extension

Photography by Michael J. Lee
Example of a large classic slate floor and gray floor sunroom design in Boston with a glass ceiling

Sliding glass windows open completely to join the main living space and the deck.
Patio - large contemporary backyard concrete patio idea in Phoenix with no cover

Situated on the north shore of Birch Point this high-performance beach home enjoys a view across Boundary Bay to White Rock, BC and the BC Coastal Range beyond. Designed for indoor, outdoor living the many decks, patios, porches, outdoor fireplace, and firepit welcome friends and family to gather outside regardless of the weather. From a high-performance perspective this home was built to and certified by the Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program and the EnergyStar program. In fact, an independent testing/rating agency was able to show that the home will only use 53% of the energy of a typical new home, all while being more comfortable and healthier. As with all high-performance homes we find a sweet spot that returns an excellent, comfortable, healthy home to the owners, while also producing a building that minimizes its environmental footprint. Design by JWR Design Photography by Radley Muller Photography Interior Design by Markie Nelson Interior Design

Randy Angell, Designer GOLD International Award of Excellence winner - The transitional modern home was designed with large amounts of glass opening into the courtyard, creating an indoor-outdoor feel, and a visual connection among the spaces that could not be ignored. The neighboring wall, however, was not only rather imposing, but also of a style completely disconnected from our clients home. Our goal was to create a layering effect, with features of varying heights, both to add depth and dimension to the space, and to take the focus of the viewer off of the neighbor's wall.

Mid-sized elegant backyard patio photo in Miami with a roof extension

Example of a large transitional backyard stone patio design in Phoenix with a roof extension

This beautiful custom front entry way features Unilock (Richcliff) patio, Unilock (Lineo) seat walls, Custom water feature, Custom steps, and TONS of LED lighting!

This project started as a cramped cape with little character and extreme water damage, but over the course of several months, it was transformed into a striking modern home with all the bells and whistles. Being just a short walk from Mackworth Island, the homeowner wanted to capitalize on the excellent location, so everything on the exterior and interior was replaced and upgraded. Walls were torn down on the first floor to make the kitchen, dining, and living areas more open to one another. A large dormer was added to the entire back of the house to increase the ceiling height in both bedrooms and create a more functional space. The completed home marries great function and design with efficiency and adds a little boldness to the neighborhood. Design by Tyler Karu Design + Interiors. Photography by Erin Little.

Expertly crafted using the highest quality English Walnut, the LAXseries Storage Bench is sleek and sophisticated. It incorporates a comfortable and convenient sliding padded seat to conceal a spacious storage compartment within. The two shelves make for an excellent location to store footwear, sunblock, umbrella or anything you’ll need before heading out the door.

Kirk Shultz
Trendy brown tile alcove shower photo in Grand Rapids with an integrated sink and white cabinets

This beautiful custom front entry way features Unilock (Richcliff) patio, Unilock (Lineo) seat walls, Custom water feature, Custom steps, and TONS of LED lighting!