The Simple Pleasures project required macro shots of all the things I love. This emphasized the simplicity of each subject and how they effortlessly manifest gratification. Unique angles, clarity and details were among my main objectives. Ultimately, my goal was to convey this fundamental lesson of simple pleasures in a creative photographic message in hopes of illustrating the value of this explainable phenomenon. I chose items that most of us walk by most of the time without much thought. As a result, this project is a pictorial representation of some of the amazing inexpensive sources of joy in my world. Photography is one way for me to express the way I think, feel, and love. What I have captured with my camera last longer then the fleeting moments of bliss. These images help me think of the little things, long after they have vanished. ©Christina Hankinson

FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE GARDEN AS ONE ROUNDS THE CORNER
Inspiration for a mid-sized asian courtyard stone landscaping in Manchester with no cover.

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior. This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

The fact that this home is in a development called Providence now seems perfectly fitting. Chris, the owner, was merely considering the possibility of downsizing from a formal residence outside Atlanta when he happened on the small complex of luxury brownstones under construction in nearby Roswell. “I wandered into The Providence by chance and loved what I saw. The developer, his wife, and the agent were there and discussing how Cantoni was going to finish out one of the units, and so we all started talking,” Chris explains “They asked if I wanted to meet with the designer from Cantoni, and suggested I could customize the home as I saw fit, and that did it for me. I was sold.” Cantoni was originally approached by Mike and Joy Walsh, of Lehigh Homes, to create a contemporary model home to be featured on the Roswell Woman’s Club home tour. “Since Chris bought the brownstone right after we agreed to do the design work,” Lorna Hunter recalls, “we brought him in on the meetings with the architects to help finalize the layout.” From selecting tile and counter tops, to designing the kitchen and baths, to the furniture, art and even linens—Cantoni was involved with every phase of the project. “This home really represents the complete range of design and staging services we offer at Cantoni,” says Lorna. “Rooms were reconfigured to allow for changes Chris found appealing, and every tile and doorknob was thoughtfully chosen to complete the overall look.” Chris found an easy rapport with Lorna. “I have always been drawn to contemporary décor,” he explains, “ so Lorna and I hit it off immediately.” Among the custom design ideas the two conceived for the 2,600 sq. ft. 3/3 brownstone: creating a “wing wall” (open on both sides) to form a sitting area adjacent to the guest room downstairs, removing the elevator to enhance a sense of openness while leaving the 3-story shaft as a unique focal point, and choosing to expand the height of windows on the third level to maximize the flow of natural light. The Providence is ideally located near quaint shops, great restaurants, jogging trails and a scenic river—not to mention it’s just four miles from Chris’ office. The project represents the breadth and depth of Cantoni’s in-house creative resources, and proves again that GREAT DESIGN IS A WAY OF LIFE.

Mating pair of Acmon Blue butterflies (Plebejus acmon) on California Buckwheat (Eriogonum fasciculatum) which is native to California. Photo by Treebeard

Above the island, Tammara chose three Gladstone Pendant Lights for another splash of color. These handcrafted pendant lights are customized with 8″ shades, Navy finish, and White cords. A brass socket and knob switch add a hint of vintage style. “We were looking for lights with a fun color and a simple, classic design,” Tammara explains. “These pendants fit both the room scale and period of the house. And the warmth of the brass detailing plays well with the ochre island.”

And finally, the waterfall. Maybe the most challenging aspect of landscape design: how to get a waterfall to look real. Again there are a thousand tiny elements contributing to the appearance of this water fall. And again, most people can sense authenticity without being able to express the reason. There is never enough time to explain why, but we will give you one important clue. Look how the water rolls. Water is not angular; it wants to roll. Few understand and execute this single aspect. This particular little falls overcomes an even greater challenge. It was not accessible by heavy equipment so it had to be built completely by hand with smaller rocks. It is much easier to make a precipice look real when large boulders are at hand. Much more insight is required to "glue' a slope together using cobbles in order to make it appear to be a monolith of stone. Then of course, the wildflowers. pink: western bleeding heart yellow: western buttercup while: spring beauty

Photo: Laura Garner Design & Realty © 2016 Houzz
Bedroom - mid-sized contemporary medium tone wood floor bedroom idea in Montreal with white walls

“They really got excited when I showed them the comma-shaped island with room enough to seat the entire family and still have plenty of space for additional culinary pursuits,” explained Cartee. The project was complicated by the use of mixed flooring materials, with tile in the kitchen and adjoining hardwood flooring and carpet. We removed the tile & carpet and extended the hardwood flooring from the living room and entryway into the kitchen. Since it was originally a lighter oak stain, we refinished it in a darker shade to make sure no honey oak remained! At some point, perhaps during a previous remodel years before, the house shifted and settled, taking the ceiling and floor out of level by an inch or so. "It happens from time to time,” says Cartee, who has worked on homes much older, “but our carpenters did a masterful job of compensating for the drop with the careful application of flat crown trim, especially over the vent hood where complications from a previous bath remodel were encountered.”

Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, case goods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior. This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior. This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Modern luxury meets warm farmhouse in this Southampton home! Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, casegoods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior. This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

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.

Archambault and the team combined talents with Foreshew Design with the same seamless success. “We worked with Alex Foreshew, the firm’s principal designer,” explains Mike. “He did a terrific job capturing the vision. We collaborated with their office to further streamline the final design.” This smooth correspondence ran consistently from design to job site. “The clients were amazing to work for,” says Jordan Berry, who was the site supervisor for the project. “The effective teamwork translated between all parties –the office, design team, client and crews on the ground.” This collective approach paid off in spades, creating a finished look that captured the ocean-inspired, Floridian look with on-point features like ample windows, Bermuda shutters, exposed rafter tails, a standing seam steel roof and white wood siding.

Game room - large traditional open concept medium tone wood floor game room idea in San Diego with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Scandinavian inspired furnishings and light fixtures create a clean and tailored look, while the natural materials found in accent walls, case goods, the staircase, and home decor hone in on a homey feel. An open-concept interior that proves less can be more is how we’d explain this interior. By accentuating the “negative space,” we’ve allowed the carefully chosen furnishings and artwork to steal the show, while the crisp whites and abundance of natural light create a rejuvenated and refreshed interior. This sprawling 5,000 square foot home includes a salon, ballet room, two media rooms, a conference room, multifunctional study, and, lastly, a guest house (which is a mini version of the main house).

Photo: Kimberley Bryan © 2014 Houzz
Beach style living room photo in Seattle

The fact that this home is in a development called Providence now seems perfectly fitting. Chris, the owner, was merely considering the possibility of downsizing from a formal residence outside Atlanta when he happened on the small complex of luxury brownstones under construction in nearby Roswell. “I wandered into The Providence by chance and loved what I saw. The developer, his wife, and the agent were there and discussing how Cantoni was going to finish out one of the units, and so we all started talking,” Chris explains “They asked if I wanted to meet with the designer from Cantoni, and suggested I could customize the home as I saw fit, and that did it for me. I was sold.” Cantoni was originally approached by Mike and Joy Walsh, of Lehigh Homes, to create a contemporary model home to be featured on the Roswell Woman’s Club home tour. “Since Chris bought the brownstone right after we agreed to do the design work,” Lorna Hunter recalls, “we brought him in on the meetings with the architects to help finalize the layout.” From selecting tile and counter tops, to designing the kitchen and baths, to the furniture, art and even linens—Cantoni was involved with every phase of the project. “This home really represents the complete range of design and staging services we offer at Cantoni,” says Lorna. “Rooms were reconfigured to allow for changes Chris found appealing, and every tile and doorknob was thoughtfully chosen to complete the overall look.” Chris found an easy rapport with Lorna. “I have always been drawn to contemporary décor,” he explains, “ so Lorna and I hit it off immediately.” Among the custom design ideas the two conceived for the 2,600 sq. ft. 3/3 brownstone: creating a “wing wall” (open on both sides) to form a sitting area adjacent to the guest room downstairs, removing the elevator to enhance a sense of openness while leaving the 3-story shaft as a unique focal point, and choosing to expand the height of windows on the third level to maximize the flow of natural light. The Providence is ideally located near quaint shops, great restaurants, jogging trails and a scenic river—not to mention it’s just four miles from Chris’ office. The project represents the breadth and depth of Cantoni’s in-house creative resources, and proves again that GREAT DESIGN IS A WAY OF LIFE.

These clients were empty nesters, who had lived in their home for 12 years and didn't know what to do with the living room. They bought a sofa and weren't thrilled with it once it arrived. Thinking they made the wrong choice, they were frozen. I used that sofa though they really thought it wouldn't work. They also “thought” they needed a new fireplace… I explained once the space was done they would like it. The after room… they like the sofa and the fireplace. For more about Angela Todd Studios, click here: https://www.angelatoddstudios.com/ To learn more about this project, click here: https://www.angelatoddstudios.com/portfolio/sylvan-heights-bungalow/