This project was full outdoor living environment, what some would call a “staycation” backyard. A hybrid pool had been installed the previous year but now the living and entertaining spaces needed to be constructed. Consisting of a deck, two patio spaces with walkways connecting all, a couple retaining walls, fencing, landscaping and a new sliding door. The retaining walls were needed to allow for the patio space around to pool. The patio space was divided into two sections, one the wet zone by the pool and the second being the handout zone. This also allowed for a smaller area of fence with a clean transition. The deck constructed using Azek building products provided the style they wanted without having to worry about maintenance. With the elevation being over 8 feet off the ground, the staircase was given careful consideration. It was put on the side that had the grade in its favor to cut down on the size and to not impede on the usable living areas. Traffic flow and usable space should always be considered when designing your space. Now to get a better view of their beautiful backyard we changed their existing single 3 ft. hinged door for a new 6 ft sliding unit. This type of change does involve some structural modification but well worth it. It gave them the sight line they wanted, allows more natural light and has less impact on the living space as the door now slides. We had a great time constructing this space and love knowing they will be enjoying their home life with family and friends. What could we build in your backyard?

Bunkrooms are favored for their ability to maximize sleeping space, making them ideal for hosting large groups like families or friends. They’re cost-effective, kid-friendly, and foster a fun, communal vibe that complements the relaxed, social atmosphere of a lake house. This cozy bunkroom comfortably sleeps seven, making it perfect for family gatherings or group getaways. It features two custom-built bunk beds: one stacked unit along the wall and another single bed nestled in a charming alcove. Each bed is equipped with a reading light and built-in storage, combining functionality with a sense of personal space. Warm wood tones, soft linens, and playful accents create an inviting ambiance. The adjoining media room, complete with plush cushions, offers a cozy spot to unwind, making this the ultimate retreat for rest and togetherness. Bunk beds by Ayr Cabinet Company. Design by Nanci Wirt of n.wirt design & gallery ; Architecture by Helman Sechrist Architecture ; Photography by Marie 'Martin' Kinney ; General Contracting by Martin Bros. Contracting, Inc. Images are a property of Martin Bros. Contracting, Inc. and may not be used without written consent.

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

When envisioning the Hygeia Lot 3 single family residential home in Encinitas, California, Lindsay and Rory Brown of The Brown Studio sought to weave unique architectural details throughout the minimalist design scheme. To add depth to the overall look and feel of the space, and to complement the home’s existing ‘hard’ angles, the team selected Banker Wire’s IPZ-25 woven wire mesh. Specified in a stainless steel and brass finish, the wire mesh was utilized to create the interior stairway railing, which functions as the focal point of the lower lounge room area. Adding an elegant touchpoint to the space, the wire mesh reiterates the angular look and feel while providing much-needed depth through the stainless steel and brass finish. Similarly, for the project-at-large, the design team favored a seamless indoor/outdoor design scheme, with the Banker Wire mesh application helping to achieve this; the exterior of the home features Gabion rock walls, created using an enclosing wire structure to secure the rocks into a wall formation. By adding the wire mesh interior stairway railing, the design team was able to create an indoor/outdoor connection through highlighting these unique wire touchpoints. “The Hygeia Lot 3 house is full of unique angles and architectural details—it’s two levels of playful design and carefully crafted architectural details,” says Loryn Cook, Designer, The Brown Studio. “We wanted to use materials that reflect this line of thinking, and Banker Wire’s architectural mesh provided the stability and breathability we were after.” The simple, lightweight material of the IPZ-25 wire mesh pattern—which has a 54% open area—utilizes a mixture of stainless steel to achieve balanced sturdiness; when mixed with the copper-based alloy of brass, a beautiful contrast occurs, while the team’s custom system holds the wire in place. Through utilizing different wire diameters for the warp and shute—achieving balanced stiffness in both directions—the intercrimp surface gives the material a high degree of reflective energy. As a result, the mesh pattern imitates an array of colors that changes as the viewer moves throughout the space. “For this project, we wanted a material that was permeable enough to see through, but detailed enough to catch the eye,” adds Cook. “IPZ-25 provides a myriad of different textures and colors, depending on the perspective from which it is viewed from—we love it specifically for this effect.” In regards to the fabrication process, Robert Richter, Owner of Flur Metals, notes that although it was initially a challenge, this project is proof that the outcome is well worth it. “We typically utilize more rigid mesh types for this kind of application, but because of how unique IPZ-25 is, The Brown Studio came to us asking if we could make it work,” says Richter. “We did not shy away from the challenge; this project was exciting, as we were able to utilize such a delicate, beautiful mesh, but a non-traditional way. Once one side was ‘tac’d in,’ we pulled it tight, and ‘tac’d’ the other side to the frame. Then, the border was welded to another frame that sandwiched the mesh in place,” adds Richter. “This application is proof that it can be done! It’s still one of my favorite projects we have ever worked on.”

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

This project was full outdoor living environment, what some would call a “staycation” backyard. A hybrid pool had been installed the previous year but now the living and entertaining spaces needed to be constructed. Consisting of a deck, two patio spaces with walkways connecting all, a couple retaining walls, fencing, landscaping and a new sliding door. The retaining walls were needed to allow for the patio space around to pool. The patio space was divided into two sections, one the wet zone by the pool and the second being the handout zone. This also allowed for a smaller area of fence with a clean transition. The deck constructed using Azek building products provided the style they wanted without having to worry about maintenance. With the elevation being over 8 feet off the ground, the staircase was given careful consideration. It was put on the side that had the grade in its favor to cut down on the size and to not impede on the usable living areas. Traffic flow and usable space should always be considered when designing your space. Now to get a better view of their beautiful backyard we changed their existing single 3 ft. hinged door for a new 6 ft sliding unit. This type of change does involve some structural modification but well worth it. It gave them the sight line they wanted, allows more natural light and has less impact on the living space as the door now slides. We had a great time constructing this space and love knowing they will be enjoying their home life with family and friends. What could we build in your backyard?

This project took APD to the Oregon Coast for the remodel of two beach house bathrooms! The primary suite was gutted - removing an unused jetted tub in favor of an expansive corner vanity. The shower was opened up by removing an awkwardly located tall cabinet and by swapping a full height wall in favor for a pony wall with glass above. The bathroom is bathed in natural light via the skylight and frosted casement window. A luxurious shower experience was created with ceiling mount rain shower head, wall mount fixed shower head, hand shower on slider bar, and a modern waterfall slab shower bench with integrated niche. A subtle coastal vibe was created with the blue, white, and sandy gray color palette while artistic light fixtures fixtures, clean lined matte black plumbing, and straight stacked tile infuse modernity. In the hall bathroom, a cohesive design was created with added playfulness from the patterned floor tile!

Summit Park now has a unique play area featuring Playground Grass by ForeverLawn. This distinct attraction was created using 3300 square feet of Playground Grass Ultra to create mounds that the kids could run, roll, and play on. The city installed cameras and counted roughly 10,000 kids on the Playground Grass mounds in the first two weeks. The kids favored the mounds 10:1 over new equipment!

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

Like many projects, this one started with a simple wish from a client: turn an unused butler’s pantry between the dining room and kitchen into a fully functioning, climate-controlled wine room for his extensive collection of valuable vintages. But like many projects, the wine room is connected to the dining room which is connected to the sitting room which is connected to the entry. When you touch one room, it only makes sense to reinvigorate them all. We overhauled the entire ground floor of this lovely home. For the wine room, I worked with Vintage Cellars in Southern California to create custom wine storage embedded with LED lighting to spotlight very special bottles. The walls are in a burgundy tone and the floors are porcelain tiles that look as if they came from an old wine cave in Tuscany. A bubble light chandelier alludes to sparkling varietals. But as mentioned, the rest of the house came along for the ride. Since we were adding a climate-controlled wine room, the brief was to turn the rest of the house into a space that would rival any hot-spot winery in Napa. After choosing new flooring and a new hue for the walls, the entry became a destination in itself with a huge concave metal mirror and custom bench. We knocked out a half wall that awkwardly separated the sitting room from the dining room so that after-dinner drinks could flow to the fireplace surrounded by stainless steel pebbles; and we outfitted the dining room with a new chandelier. We chose all new furniture for all spaces. The kitchen received the least amount of work but ended up being completely transformed anyhow. At first our plan was to tear everything out, but we soon realized that the cabinetry was in good shape and only needed the dated honey pine color painted over with a cream white. We also played with the idea of changing the counter tops, but once the cabinetry changed color, the granite stood out beautifully. The final change was the removal of a pot rack over the island in favor of design-forward iron pendants. Photo by: Genia Barnes

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

When envisioning the Hygeia Lot 3 single family residential home in Encinitas, California, Lindsay and Rory Brown of The Brown Studio sought to weave unique architectural details throughout the minimalist design scheme. To add depth to the overall look and feel of the space, and to complement the home’s existing ‘hard’ angles, the team selected Banker Wire’s IPZ-25 woven wire mesh. Specified in a stainless steel and brass finish, the wire mesh was utilized to create the interior stairway railing, which functions as the focal point of the lower lounge room area. Adding an elegant touchpoint to the space, the wire mesh reiterates the angular look and feel while providing much-needed depth through the stainless steel and brass finish. Similarly, for the project-at-large, the design team favored a seamless indoor/outdoor design scheme, with the Banker Wire mesh application helping to achieve this; the exterior of the home features Gabion rock walls, created using an enclosing wire structure to secure the rocks into a wall formation. By adding the wire mesh interior stairway railing, the design team was able to create an indoor/outdoor connection through highlighting these unique wire touchpoints. “The Hygeia Lot 3 house is full of unique angles and architectural details—it’s two levels of playful design and carefully crafted architectural details,” says Loryn Cook, Designer, The Brown Studio. “We wanted to use materials that reflect this line of thinking, and Banker Wire’s architectural mesh provided the stability and breathability we were after.” The simple, lightweight material of the IPZ-25 wire mesh pattern—which has a 54% open area—utilizes a mixture of stainless steel to achieve balanced sturdiness; when mixed with the copper-based alloy of brass, a beautiful contrast occurs, while the team’s custom system holds the wire in place. Through utilizing different wire diameters for the warp and shute—achieving balanced stiffness in both directions—the intercrimp surface gives the material a high degree of reflective energy. As a result, the mesh pattern imitates an array of colors that changes as the viewer moves throughout the space. “For this project, we wanted a material that was permeable enough to see through, but detailed enough to catch the eye,” adds Cook. “IPZ-25 provides a myriad of different textures and colors, depending on the perspective from which it is viewed from—we love it specifically for this effect.” In regards to the fabrication process, Robert Richter, Owner of Flur Metals, notes that although it was initially a challenge, this project is proof that the outcome is well worth it. “We typically utilize more rigid mesh types for this kind of application, but because of how unique IPZ-25 is, The Brown Studio came to us asking if we could make it work,” says Richter. “We did not shy away from the challenge; this project was exciting, as we were able to utilize such a delicate, beautiful mesh, but a non-traditional way. Once one side was ‘tac’d in,’ we pulled it tight, and ‘tac’d’ the other side to the frame. Then, the border was welded to another frame that sandwiched the mesh in place,” adds Richter. “This application is proof that it can be done! It’s still one of my favorite projects we have ever worked on.”

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

This project was full outdoor living environment, what some would call a “staycation” backyard. A hybrid pool had been installed the previous year but now the living and entertaining spaces needed to be constructed. Consisting of a deck, two patio spaces with walkways connecting all, a couple retaining walls, fencing, landscaping and a new sliding door. The retaining walls were needed to allow for the patio space around to pool. The patio space was divided into two sections, one the wet zone by the pool and the second being the handout zone. This also allowed for a smaller area of fence with a clean transition. The deck constructed using Azek building products provided the style they wanted without having to worry about maintenance. With the elevation being over 8 feet off the ground, the staircase was given careful consideration. It was put on the side that had the grade in its favor to cut down on the size and to not impede on the usable living areas. Traffic flow and usable space should always be considered when designing your space. Now to get a better view of their beautiful backyard we changed their existing single 3 ft. hinged door for a new 6 ft sliding unit. This type of change does involve some structural modification but well worth it. It gave them the sight line they wanted, allows more natural light and has less impact on the living space as the door now slides. We had a great time constructing this space and love knowing they will be enjoying their home life with family and friends. What could we build in your backyard?

Like many projects, this one started with a simple wish from a client: turn an unused butler’s pantry between the dining room and kitchen into a fully functioning, climate-controlled wine room for his extensive collection of valuable vintages. But like many projects, the wine room is connected to the dining room which is connected to the sitting room which is connected to the entry. When you touch one room, it only makes sense to reinvigorate them all. We overhauled the entire ground floor of this lovely home. For the wine room, I worked with Vintage Cellars in Southern California to create custom wine storage embedded with LED lighting to spotlight very special bottles. The walls are in a burgundy tone and the floors are porcelain tiles that look as if they came from an old wine cave in Tuscany. A bubble light chandelier alludes to sparkling varietals. But as mentioned, the rest of the house came along for the ride. Since we were adding a climate-controlled wine room, the brief was to turn the rest of the house into a space that would rival any hot-spot winery in Napa. After choosing new flooring and a new hue for the walls, the entry became a destination in itself with a huge concave metal mirror and custom bench. We knocked out a half wall that awkwardly separated the sitting room from the dining room so that after-dinner drinks could flow to the fireplace surrounded by stainless steel pebbles; and we outfitted the dining room with a new chandelier. We chose all new furniture for all spaces. The kitchen received the least amount of work but ended up being completely transformed anyhow. At first our plan was to tear everything out, but we soon realized that the cabinetry was in good shape and only needed the dated honey pine color painted over with a cream white. We also played with the idea of changing the counter tops, but once the cabinetry changed color, the granite stood out beautifully. The final change was the removal of a pot rack over the island in favor of design-forward iron pendants. Photo by: Genia Barnes

The Plymouth clients faced a dilemma with a non-functioning dishwasher, ovens, and cooktop, an awkward layout, and dated arches straight from the ’80s. Despite the challenges, their love for the school district, neighborhood, and home prevailed. We undertook a transformative journey, turning their first floor into an entertainer’s haven with a stunning kitchen, a chic dining room, an enchanting powder bath, and a practical mudroom. Breaking down barriers, we removed the wall between the kitchen and living room, widening entrances to the dining room. Faux beams and a window in the family room were eliminated, and the old Chicago fireplace brick received a sleek black makeover crowned with a live edge mantel. A pop of terracotta paint and floating shelves in the new record player niche set the stage for nostalgic LPs. Considering the family’s love for baking and grilling, we prioritized ample storage. Pull-out spice racks, a charging drawer, built-in knife block, trash & recycle pull-out, built-in tray dividers, corner storage, large drawers, and roll-out shelves now keep everything organized and easily accessible. Embracing a Scandifornian design style, favored by the clients, infused the space with color and natural materials. A woven grass light fixture in the dining room, light wood-look luxury vinyl floors, and a vibrant green herringbone tile backsplash all contributed to the refreshing aesthetic. Throughout the home, terracotta and green hues with accents of black added depth and interest, while the redesigned layout now bathes the entire space in natural light. In addressing practical needs, we removed an exterior door from the mudroom to create a closet and a built-in bench with hooks. The main entry and powder bath now share playful floral wallpaper, complemented by a walnut vanity and gold fixtures in the powder room, offering a sophisticated touch amidst vibrant botanicals.

Like many projects, this one started with a simple wish from a client: turn an unused butler’s pantry between the dining room and kitchen into a fully functioning, climate-controlled wine room for his extensive collection of valuable vintages. But like many projects, the wine room is connected to the dining room which is connected to the sitting room which is connected to the entry. When you touch one room, it only makes sense to reinvigorate them all. We overhauled the entire ground floor of this lovely home. For the wine room, I worked with Vintage Cellars in Southern California to create custom wine storage embedded with LED lighting to spotlight very special bottles. The walls are in a burgundy tone and the floors are porcelain tiles that look as if they came from an old wine cave in Tuscany. A bubble light chandelier alludes to sparkling varietals. But as mentioned, the rest of the house came along for the ride. Since we were adding a climate-controlled wine room, the brief was to turn the rest of the house into a space that would rival any hot-spot winery in Napa. After choosing new flooring and a new hue for the walls, the entry became a destination in itself with a huge concave metal mirror and custom bench. We knocked out a half wall that awkwardly separated the sitting room from the dining room so that after-dinner drinks could flow to the fireplace surrounded by stainless steel pebbles; and we outfitted the dining room with a new chandelier. We chose all new furniture for all spaces. The kitchen received the least amount of work but ended up being completely transformed anyhow. At first our plan was to tear everything out, but we soon realized that the cabinetry was in good shape and only needed the dated honey pine color painted over with a cream white. We also played with the idea of changing the counter tops, but once the cabinetry changed color, the granite stood out beautifully. The final change was the removal of a pot rack over the island in favor of design-forward iron pendants. Photo by: Genia Barnes