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Design ideas for a landscaping in New York.

Who needs just one room with a view when you can live with and enjoy breathtaking vistas from three floors in this outstanding and innovative 2,861 square foot design? Narrow waterfront lots are no match for this efficient and easy living floor plan designed by Visbeen Architects, which makes the most of available land and includes the perfect balance of spacious interiors and covered exterior living. The transitional architectural style combines traditional details with clean, sophisticated lines and references both classic and contemporary waterfront vacation homes across the country, from the coastal south to the New England Oceanside. Both familiar and welcoming in style, the updated exterior features peaks, wood siding and multiple window styles. From the street, the innovative design is full of curb appeal, with the lowest level designed for circulation and outdoor living. Rising from the street level, the home concentrates the majority of living space on the upper two floors, with an efficient floor plan that lives large on all three floors. The lowest level has just 370 well-planned square feet of living space, but features a roomy two-car garage, a foyer and powder room and two patios perfect for both alfresco dining and entertaining, one an exterior covered area and a nearby uncovered open-air alternative.

Old and the new pieces combine into this charming design unique to the client. In the sunny living room, the client's existing chair, oriental rug, table and floor lamps add familiarity but are given a refreshed look by adding a new sofa, coffee table and custom drapes. The custom oyster painting combines the colors of the room to create a cohesive feeling with interest and depth.

Example of a classic garage design in Boston

The homeowners love to entertain, and they wanted an open and airy space for doing so. Key elements of this transitional design brought this dream space to life for these homeowners. The fire lounge area at mid-level steals the show in this space – with stadium seating around the fire feature, there is plenty of room for those large gatherings, yet the area still feels cozy and inviting. Having no rails at all was key to the design. It gave the entire outdoor space that open and airy feel the homeowner’s wanted. Notice how the space was brilliantly designed to echo the shape of the house. This space is completed with a NatureKast galley kitchen, covered with an Equinox louvered roof to keep the showers away while grilling. Not familiar with the Equinox Louvered Roof System? Think pergola on steroids! Open or close it with just the touch of a button – it’s that simple. And Deck Remodelers is the exclusive dealer of Equinox Louvered Roofs in NY, NJ and CT. Call today to inquire about your own Party Central! Serving most of NJ, Westchester and Rockland Counties in NY, and lower Fairfield County in CT, we’ve got you covered! If you are looking for a modern, traditional or transitional deck builder, call the experts at Deck Remodelers! 973.729.2125

While preparing to build their new ICF home in Arcadia, our clients hired EKB to create a modern kitchen that would reflect their lifestyle desires. We call this “The Edge”. This project was all about clean lines while maintaining interest and an inviting warmth in the home. Our custom cabinetry was created with flat panel doors and drawers with laminate finishes for an easy to maintain surface with a modern, crisp edge. Quartz from Dekton – Helena, evokes the feeling of clouds as it soars above the cooktop in a gradated design that was echoed in the hidden channel pulls on the cabinetry below. The Thermador appliances included paneled refrigerator and freezer flanking the induction cooktop and custom vent hood. (If you are not familiar with the benefits Induction offers, watch our video tutorial here: Induction.) Other design elements include our low-bar seating at the island which also incorporates a Galley Workstation Sink. In the tall cabinet to the right of the ovens you will notice the open space below. This allows their robot vacuum to roam freely at the specified time while placing itself out of sight when not in use. As you tour our portfolio, you will see a wide range of styles from Rustic to Ultra Modern. EKB Home does not have one particular style that we “do”. In fact, we strive to make each project unique so that each of our homeowners has something special. This one is just that! For this project, our homeowners invited us into the process before their home was even in the framing stage, allowing us to carefully refine the kitchen and pantry layout long before the finishes were installed. Thoughtful planning during construction leads to a more functional, elevated, and beautifully finished home.

The master bathroom in the River Forest built by Homes By Dickerson at Barton's Grove & George's Grant. Photo By Tour Factory.
Inspiration for a timeless bathroom remodel in Raleigh

When Blues music legend and fourth generation builder, Albert Cummings and his interior designer wife, Christina decided to build their forever home in the Berkshire Mountains, they knew they wanted Wood-Mode cabinetry throughout. After specifying Wood-Mode in many of their customers’ homes, the Cummings collaborated with Wood-Mode dealer Vonnie Marcyoniak of Kitchens & Baths by Herzenberg to translate their vision into ideal spaces within their own build. The “House That Blues Built” features spaces inspired by the homeowners’ vision and unique background. The Cummings put enormous thought into every space of their home, spending years collecting the design ideas they would eventually incorporate. It is Wood-Mode’s craftmanship they were familiar with and wanted the “feel” of their cabinetry – a quality that they know will last a lifetime – and the finishing touches inside each drawer and behind every cabinet. Starting in the kitchen where Christina gave a lot of thought to how the space would be used, pulling inspiration from a range hood, and incorporating furniture details such as the Vintage Navy Blue island that would become the focal point of the room. Taking advantage of the kitchen’s 10 foot ceilings, upper glass front cabinets were designed to safely store yet publicly showcase heirloom cookie jars. Professional-grade appliances were selected, such as an integrated coffee machine, not only for appearance but because of Christina’s love for cooking and entertaining. Christina shared that her favorite room in the house is the pantry, which is open and visible to the kitchen. Fitted with floor to ceiling cabinets in the same Vintage Navy Blue as the island, the space includes floating walnut shelves and a farmhouse sink with a mountaintop view. The most innovative space of the home can be found on the lower floor in the guitar bar. Designed for acoustic perfection, the space includes a full-size bar where friends and family can gather to enjoy nights of music. To create the look and feel of a New Orleans Blues Bar, the Cummings’ chose Plain Sawn American Oak, which provides an interesting texture, and then finished it in an Ebony stain. Designed by Vonnie Marcyoniak Kitchens & Baths by Herzenberg

"The forerunner of the design approach known as “family sofas,” NONNAMARIA is a collection that reprises the traditional image of period sofas and updates it by reducing, polishing and slimming the proportions. The result is a familiar line, but stripped of the classical ornament, shifted into the contemporary world. The family includes component configurations and linear sofas, daybeds, armchairs and an ottoman. The sofa with its soft, curved silhouette, accentuated by the rounded armrest that simplifies the scroll armrests of the tradition, is equipped with self-braking frontal casters and rear legs in beech. The armchair can also be reclined for a relaxing position. With ample padding and a removable cover, NONNAMARIA is a solution for those who want products with a reassuring image, but updated for more modern tastes."

CHATHAM MARSHVIEW HOUSE This Cape Cod green home provides a destination for visiting family, support of a snowbird lifestyle, and an expression of the homeowner’s energy conscious values. Looking over the salt marsh with Nantucket Sound in the distance, this new home offers single level living to accommodate aging in place, and a strong connection to the outdoors. The homeowners can easily enjoy the deck, walk to the nearby beach, or spend time with family, while the house works to produce nearly all the energy it consumes. The exterior, clad in the Cape’s iconic Eastern white cedar shingles, is modern in detailing, yet recognizable and familiar in form. MORE: https://zeroenergy.com/chatham-marshview-house Architecture: ZeroEnergy Design Construction: Eastward Homes Photos: Eric Roth Photography

Named for the original homestead, the Aspen Leaf Ranch blends early ranch history with modern sensibility. The owner, an outdoorsman and native plant enthusiast, and former project manager of notable Seattle buildings (including the Olympic Sculpture Park and the Bullitt Center), tasked Best Practice Architecture with designing a modest yet comfortable home reflective of valley cabins and farmsteads. He desired a small home that was ‘light on the land’, yet flexible enough to accommodate visiting friends and family. Located in a quiet river valley 10 miles from the nearest town, the result is a humble compound firmly rooted in the rural vernacular. The Methow Valley was familiar to the owner from childhood ski and camping trips and he now has family who live in the area. The Valley is hot and dry in the summer and on average receives over 70 inches of snow each winter. Set in a narrow river valley below high mountain peaks, the owner wanted the new home to have a strong visual and physical connection to the surrounding landscape. For many years, the homestead was operated as a horse packing guide service, and an old agricultural barn remains that will eventually be repurposed into a ski waxing room, shop, and sauna. Two new structures make up the residential retreat: a one-bedroom main house and a carport with an adjoining guest suite, small office, and storage for outdoor equipment. Best Practice’s design prioritizes natural light and optimizes dramatic views of the surrounding meadow, forest, hills, and mountains “I wanted both the design and scale of the new buildings to reflect traditional ranch homes and cabins in the remote river valley with all the creature comforts of modern living,” said the homeowner. “Ensuring a strong connection to the outside throughout the seasons was a primary goal. Windows on all sides and three exterior doors allow me to track the many species of birds and wildlife that move through the property and access the ever-changing light and weather.” Best Practice carefully positioned the new structures to frame important vistas while minimizing disturbance to the native forest and meadow. The exterior finishes and details are consistent with historic cabins and barns in the area but stylized to acknowledge the new structure’s place in time. Metal roofing, siding, and a gravel skirt were chosen to reduce wildfire risk, and native plantings attract and support local birds and wildlife. Best Practice simplified the interior detailing with a nod towards a rural cabin aesthetic, incorporating painted beadboard, extensive built-in cabinetry, warm woods, a sizeable kitchen, and an open nook for daytime lounging and overnight guests. The design also took into account the owner’s collection of art, family heirlooms, and furniture gathered over many years. Best Practice designed this Methow Valley home to respect the history and beauty of the historic Aspen Leaf Ranch while embracing modern comforts. The design successfully meets a well-considered program for 4-season use and serves as a full-time rural retreat for the owner as well as a gathering place for friends and family.

One of the most popular hardwood floor finishing which offers Tom & Peter Flooring is provided by WOCA. If you’ve decided that you want a natural looking wooden floor that is lacquer-free, then the likelihood is that you’ve chosen oil as your way of protecting your wood and making your floor look great at the same time. WOCA for wood flooring comes in various forms and is a great way of making sure that your wood is protected, but at the same time looks natural. A highly popular as well as effective way of treating wood floors, oils effectively penetrate into the wood and in some cases harden into the surface of the floor to stop damage and to maintain the wood in its optimum condition. WOCA Oil finish hardwood flooring has taken the United States market by in 2014 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2016 and now. Here are some of the most common questions we have regarding this type of finish which we will I’m to answer in today’s my blog: Is oil finish as durable as traditional factory urethane finishes with aluminum oxide? When it comes to durability, oil finish flooring tackles the issue with a completely different method. The penetrating oil serves as protection from moisture and wear while allowing the user to feel the wood grains in their bare feet. If compared directly to factory finished aluminum oxide finish, the oil finish flooring will not perform as well to abrasion and impact. However, the beauty of this finish is the fact that it will camouflage any scratches which will inevitably accumulate over time. Will this finish evaporate over time and will this be harmful for indoor air quality? Another concern for oil finished floors its effect on indoor air quality. For on-site applications, some varieties suggest several coats which typically require the residents to be out of the home due to mild odors. However, there are factory finished UV-cured or single coat applications which lessen the downtime. Despite the odors produced during the drying process, oil finish floors rank amongst the lowest for VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions. Certain brands even boast true zero VOC. This fact alone makes oil finished floors one of the best options for green building solutions. “WOCA products are certified by independent laboratories, the German Institute for Biological Building Materials, and are in accordance with DIN–Norm 53–160. WOCA WoodCare Denmark products meet or exceed the most stringent U.S. standards for volatile organic compounds.” –WOCA Oil Finish Manufacture Does this type of finish require additional maintenance which I am not familiar with? For weekly cleaning, oiled floors use a special cleaner which contains an oil and soap mixture. After a period of 12-18 months some oil may evaporate causing the wood grains to appear dry. An additional layer of oil can be reapplied to keep the floor looking fresh. Although oil finished floors require more involvement in periodic maintenance in high traffic areas, this maintenance can be done much easier than the equivalent of an onsite sand and refinish. WOCA Master Color Oil contains pigment, which provides a single-step hardwood floor staining process. Laying down the stain and the finish in one step. This product comes 14 different colors, from Black to Extra White, and you can mix them freely to create various color palettes that will meet the demands of any job. Below are some pictures of the finished job…

Design: Roberto Lazzeroni. A highly emotional collection characterized by the material nature of the woods, by the skillful lacquering , retro style of the mirrors and the metal reflections: ILBagno describes an intimate and refined atmosphere with a return to origins, a project that looks to the past to explore the future. A proposal less rigorous and minimal which allows you to recover the memory of familiar images, the style of a noble past, the suggestions that come from different styles. Not nostalgic but rather current, a reworking of content obtained through the antoniolupi style almost maniacal attention to detail, the excellence of the workmanship and materials used.

Scott and Janet of Elgin have had four design to build renovations with Advance Design over the last decade. We got the chance to sit down and talk with Janet about her experience working with Advance Design on so many different areas of her home. Starting with her kitchen in 2009, Janet proclaimed, “The reason we kept coming back is because our first [renovation] went so extremely well, exceeding all of my expectations.” Since their kitchen renovation with Advance Design ten years ago, Scott and Janet have also worked with Advance to remodel their master bedroom, their power room, a wet bar, and most recently their master bath. Having renovated practically every major room in the house with the team, we asked Janet what made her experience with Advance Design so special. “We went with Advance Design because we trusted them so much more, their experience, and everything that they brought. We were confident they were giving us what we wanted for the money we were spending.” For their most recent renovation, Scott and Janet clearly knew what to expect going into their master bath renovation. They were familiar with Advance’s step by step design process that epitomizes the “Common Sense Remodeling” philosophy applied in every project Advance creates. After once again experiencing the careful budgeting analysis, the pointed design meetings, and the clear documentation that leads up the a thoroughly managed installation, Janet’s simple summary of their experience is this; “The word I would use to describe the process is – collaboration!” Working closely with Advance Design kitchen designer Michelle Lecinski, together they were able to develop a new master bath design that not only worked with their investment goal, but also made sense for their lifestyle. “Oh Michelle, my designer! I connected with her immediately. She spent time getting to know us, our lifestyle, even the setting of our house.” The threesome had a great experience designing and producing yet another successful project together. When it came to their new project plans, Scott and Janet were interested in creating a relaxing “spa-like” experience in their master bath. One of the many ideas Michelle introduced during the design process was installing a Kohler Alteo series showerhead for a rain-like shower experience. This designer showerhead, mixed with the warm ambiance of the lighting and pebble accent running throughout the shower make for what Janet calls a “luxury spa essence”. From the oversized glass sliding door to the recessed niche for accessories, each special detail was considered and implemented intentionally so as to create the maximumly optimized use of the compact space. Not only was this transformation one of beauty and luxury, but special attention was given to every way possible to provide additional storage to maximize the functionality of the bath area as a whole. Once design was complete and the bath construction project began in their home, making sure everything happened efficiently and on schedule became new priority number one. “Having a project manager made an enormous difference,” Janet said, “It was so worth it to hire professionals that knew exactly what they were doing. Even after all of these years, I wouldn’t change a thing.” “It was a pleasure working together with Janet and Scott to create this beautiful space that will enhance their lives for many years,” says Michelle. “It is so much fun to get to do this job every day, I love that I can have this sort of impact on their lives by doing something for them [Janet & Scott] that comes so naturally to me!” After reviewing the long-term relationship with clients like Scott and Janet, owner Todd Jurs had this to say, “Clients returning and asking us to transform that next area of their home really warms my heart. It reaffirms that every decision to please clients no matter what is always the right choice, and that our honesty and integrity along with the immense collective talent of this team is recognized and appreciated by those who continue to return to us year after year.” He continued to say, “I always say how blessed we truly are to be able to do what we do, and experiences like this one put a smile on my face every time.”

Pacifica: 6 new ways to lounge. The collection is now available in denim or white all-weather Sunbrella canvas
Example of a beach style home design design in San Francisco

Enter IKD’s design team, who helped the family determine the best and most efficient layout. “Our kitchen is quite long and narrow, and since IKD has seen many different kitchen layouts and was familiar with IKEA cabinetry, it made sense to utilize their expertise,” he adds. By utilizing IKD’s kitchen design services, Timothy was able to fit in a peninsula island for serving when entertaining, and space for his children to do their homework; as well as maximizing underused space for storage. Completing the look is DEARLAN Rectangular Chandelier Farmhouse kitchen lighting; Brilliant Evolution Wireless LED Puck Lights for undercabinet lighting; Commercial Electric recessed lighting and Montagna Rustic Bay tile flooring, as well as ample natural light from the window over the sink area and sliding glass doors near the peninsula. Let’s take a look at how Timothy’s IKEA kitchen came together!

Second homes and vacation homes are such fun projects for us and when Portland residents Leslie and Phil found their dream house on the fairway in central Oregon, they asked us to help them make it feel like home. Updates to carpet and paint refreshed the palette for new furnishings, and the homeowners requested we use their treasured art and accessories to truly create that “homey” feeling. We “shopped” their Portland home for items that would work with the rooms we’d designed throughout the house, and the result was immediately familiar and welcoming. We also collaborated on custom stair railings and new island brackets with local master Downtown Ornamental Iron and redesigned a rustic slab fireplace mantel with a local craftsman. We’ve enjoyed additional projects with Leslie and Phil in their Portland home and returned to Bend to refresh the kitchen with quartz slab countertops, a bold black tile backsplash and new appliances. We aren’t surprised to hear this “vacation home” has become their primary residence much sooner than they’d planned!

Constructed in two phases, this renovation, with a few small additions, touched nearly every room in this late ‘50’s ranch house. The owners raised their family within the original walls and love the house’s location, which is not far from town and also borders conservation land. But they didn’t love how chopped up the house was and the lack of exposure to natural daylight and views of the lush rear woods. Plus, they were ready to de-clutter for a more stream-lined look. As a result, KHS collaborated with them to create a quiet, clean design to support the lifestyle they aspire to in retirement. To transform the original ranch house, KHS proposed several significant changes that would make way for a number of related improvements. Proposed changes included the removal of the attached enclosed breezeway (which had included a stair to the basement living space) and the two-car garage it partially wrapped, which had blocked vital eastern daylight from accessing the interior. Together the breezeway and garage had also contributed to a long, flush front façade. In its stead, KHS proposed a new two-car carport, attached storage shed, and exterior basement stair in a new location. The carport is bumped closer to the street to relieve the flush front facade and to allow access behind it to eastern daylight in a relocated rear kitchen. KHS also proposed a new, single, more prominent front entry, closer to the driveway to replace the former secondary entrance into the dark breezeway and a more formal main entrance that had been located much farther down the facade and curiously bordered the bedroom wing. Inside, low ceilings and soffits in the primary family common areas were removed to create a cathedral ceiling (with rod ties) over a reconfigured semi-open living, dining, and kitchen space. A new gas fireplace serving the relocated dining area -- defined by a new built-in banquette in a new bay window -- was designed to back up on the existing wood-burning fireplace that continues to serve the living area. A shared full bath, serving two guest bedrooms on the main level, was reconfigured, and additional square footage was captured for a reconfigured master bathroom off the existing master bedroom. A new whole-house color palette, including new finishes and new cabinetry, complete the transformation. Today, the owners enjoy a fresh and airy re-imagining of their familiar ranch house. Photos by Katie Hutchison