Greg Premru This historic restoration and renovation was the cover story for the September / October 2015 issue of Design New England. Working with skilled craftsmen, we salvaged a derelict house and brought it into the 21st century. We were fortunate to design all aspects of the home, from architecture to interiors to the landscape plan!

Shoot2sell
Example of a mid-century modern kitchen design in Dallas

This fall, Amethyst had the opportunity to partner with Freeman Custom Homes of Kansas City to furnish this 5000 sq ft European Modern designed home for the Artisan Home Tour 2020! Every square inch of this home was magical -- from the secret staircase in the master bath leading to a private shuttered plunge pool to the vaulted kitchen with sky high mushroom colored cabinetry and handmade zellige tile. We met the builders during the cabinetry phase and watching their final, thoughtful design details evolve was such full of over-the-top surprises like the unique valet-like storage in the entry and limestone fireplace! As soon as we saw their vision for the home, we knew our furnishings would be a great match as our design style celebrates handmade rugs, artisan handmade custom seating, old-meets-new art, and let's be honest -- we love to go big! They trusted us to do our thing on the entire main level and we enjoyed every minute. The load in took 3 full trucks and fortunately for us -- the homeowners fell in love with several pieces so our uninstall trip was significantly lighter. I think we were all a little emotional leaving this masterpiece but sooooo happy for the owners and just hoping we get invited to a Christmas party... Here are some of the highlights -- 90% of the furnishings and rugs were from our shop and we filled in the gaps with some extra special pieces!

A line of Buxus x 'Green Velvet' crosses over a line of Chasmanthium latifolium. Geranium x 'Rozanne,' Liatris spicata 'Kobold,' Salvia x superba 'May Night', and Agastache x 'Blue Fortune' pick up on the blue tones of the slate chip and beach pebbles. Coreopsis x 'Full Moon' and Physostegia virginiana 'Miss Manners' add contrasting color. Westhauser Photography

Custom fireplace mantel and tile work with electric fireplace . 30 Years of Construction Experience in the Bay Area | Best of Houzz! We are a passionate, family owned/operated local business in the Bay Area, California. At Lavan Construction, we create a fresh and fit environment with over 30 years of experience in building and construction in both domestic and international markets. We have a unique blend of leadership combining expertise in construction contracting and management experience from Fortune 500 companies. We commit to deliver you a world class experience within your budget and timeline while maintaining trust and transparency. At Lavan Construction, we believe relationships are the main component of any successful business and we stand by our motto: “Trust is the foundation we build on.” “Licensed, Bonded and Insured”. Our service is unlike anything in the industry, we cover all your needs, from project conception, design, build to turn-key and move-in ready status. Services Provided Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), Architectural Design, Architectural Drawings, Bathroom Design, Bathroom Remodeling, Custom Home, Home Additions, Home Extensions, Home Remodeling, Home Restoration, Kitchen Design, Kitchen Remodeling, New Home Construction, Outdoor Kitchen Construction, Outdoor Kitchen Design, Project Management, Structural Engineering, Sunroom Design & Construction, Tiny House Construction, Universal Design, Concrete Construction, General Contracting, Custom Homes

The property is one of the original farm houses located on the main street of a small town. It has been in the family for many years and our client just inherited the property. They were trying to have balance of preserving the old while realizing modern day living has its benefits too. The house had a large addition added using mostly old style materials, but designed with function and modern day luxuries. Our goal was to carry that theme to the outside. Our first problem we had to address was how to transition between the first floor elevation changes. The lower room was the husband’s office. He stated in the future he may have clients over and it would be nice to have an area to sit outside. The wife’s main concern was to renew the four corner garden. She also felt it was very important to be able to see it from the kitchen area. Finally there was an old wishing well stuck right outside the kitchen. They both felt it would be neat to be able to incorporate this in some how. They wanted a patio area with a built in grill to accommodate there family and friends. They also wanted to keep a large play area for the kids. We were able to pull this off successfully. We addressed the first issue by having a small lower level flagstone area. This area is large enough for 1 to 2 people to sit comfortably. It also provides a transition from his office to the larger patio area. We installed a simple small gravel sitting area opposite of the main patio. This provides our client a secluded place to relax or do business. Mrs.... told me she is amazed how much her and her husband enjoys this area. It is so peaceful looking at the small creek over a glass of wine. We built a natural limestone retaining wall to create the patio terrace. The stone was chosen to extend the houses architectural elements into the landscape. Irregular broken flagstone was used to give it a more casual feel. We installed three Serviceberries into the patio terrace to replace some trees that were taken down during the remodeling. She was very concern that they would block the view of the four corner garden. We new they were crucial to nestle in the terrace, so we placed them for a couple days for her to decide. Fortunately she agreed they not only kept the view open, but helped frame the garden. The four corner garden was designed to be viewed from afar and experienced up close. We wanted the space to have some formal structure while keeping with the casual farm house feel. Another natural limestone retaining wall was created. This leveled the garden terrace and helped associate it with the rest of the property. The four corner garden is nestled into the existing woods edge. This provides three distinct experiences to entering the garden; a more formal from the driveway, an open feel from the lower lawn, and a more natural / casual experience from the wooded area. The Plymouth brown gravel was used for the center of the garden. This helped highlight the stone post that was found during construction. The gravel also brings the sense of sound into the garden space. Lamb’s ear was chosen as a fun way to get kids interest in horticulture. The balance of using the new to create the old feel is what makes this project a success. The property has already hosted a local historical society event and won an award for its preservation efforts. When Mrs.... can’t find her husband, she knows he is either reading the newspaper by the grill or resting in the hammock along the wood’s path.

The 'before' shot of this period home covered in lead based paint that we stripped off.
Inspiration for a timeless exterior home remodel in Seattle

My clients had always been inspired by the grand Tudor Revival homes of the early 20th century and commissioned Hull Historical to recreate the authentic custom millwork, paneling and doors for their new Tudor Revival home. Our inspiration came from 2 great English homes, Stan Hywett, a great Tudor Revival home in Ohio, built for the founder of Goodyear Tires. Also, the Woodbine Mansion, built in 1911 for the son of the Pabst Brewing Company. We were fortunate to purchase three rooms of architectural millwork from the woodbine home, which was originally fabricated by the Huber Company of New York. Upon completion of this project, the architectural salvage comprised 15% of the final quantity of paneling installed. The remainder was custom fabricated by Hull Historical at our shop in Fort Worth, TX and installed at the clients home. The commission, based on historic precedent, constituted antique paneling on the main floor, beamed ceilings and all the doors in the home. The new paneling, including the kitchen cabinetry is made from a combination of new quarter-sawn white oak and antique white oak salvaged from old barns and buildings. All the oak was fumed in an ammonia-filled chamber to produce a cocoa color and deep feel giving the millwork rough character and a timeless look that my client loved. The millwork also served to give the home a hierarchy, with simple paneling combined with board and batten doors downstairs, then more ornate paneling, with carvings on the main floor. Additionally, the main floor features mostly 8 and 10 panel doors. All woodwork was hand-pegged with oak pegs. Some of the paneling features a unique Mason’s Miter, a historic joinery technique inspired from stone work. For more information on residential renovation and new construction projects by Hull Historical, visit http://brenthullcompanies.com/residential.html

North Shore Remodel with open views to backyard pool- Norman Sizemore Photographer
Inspiration for a huge transitional gray two-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Chicago with a tile roof

This partially wooded, acre and a half lot in West Dundee presented many challenges. The clients began working with a Landscape Architect in the early spring, but after not getting the innovative ideas they were seeking, the home builder and Architect suggested the client contact our landscape design/build firm. We immediately hit it off with the charismatic clients. They had a tall order for us: complete the design and implement the construction within a three month period. For many projects this would be a reasonable time frame. However construction delays and the coordination of multiple trades left a very short window to complete the work. Beyond the tight time frame the site required specific care in preserving the many mature surrounding trees, as well as addressing a vast grade change. Over fifteen feet of grade change occurs from one end of this woodland property to the other. All of these constraints proved to be an enormous challenge as we worked to include and coordinate the following elements: the drive layout, a dramatic front entry, various gardens, landscape lighting, irrigation, and a plan for a backyard pool and entertainment space that already had been started without a clear plan. Fortunately, the client loved our design ideas and attention to detail and we were able to mobilize and begin construction. With the seamless coordination between our firm and the builder we implemented all the elements of this grand project. In total eight different crews and five separate trades worked together to complete the landscape. The completed project resulted in a rewarding experience for our firm, the builder and architect, as well as the client. Together we were able to create and construct a perfect oasis for the client that suited the beautiful property and the architecture of this dream home.

Colorful perennials such as 'Summer Beauty' allium, 'Feuerland' achillea, 'Blue Fortune' agastache, and 'Goldsturm' rudbeckia surround the patio space. Westhauser Photography

Photo: Jessica Cain © 2018 Houzz
Inspiration for an eclectic exterior home remodel in Kansas City

This fall, Amethyst had the opportunity to partner with Freeman Custom Homes of Kansas City to furnish this 5000 sq ft European Modern designed home for the Artisan Home Tour 2020! Every square inch of this home was magical -- from the secret staircase in the master bath leading to a private shuttered plunge pool to the vaulted kitchen with sky high mushroom colored cabinetry and handmade zellige tile. We met the builders during the cabinetry phase and watching their final, thoughtful design details evolve was such full of over-the-top surprises like the unique valet-like storage in the entry and limestone fireplace! As soon as we saw their vision for the home, we knew our furnishings would be a great match as our design style celebrates handmade rugs, artisan handmade custom seating, old-meets-new art, and let's be honest -- we love to go big! They trusted us to do our thing on the entire main level and we enjoyed every minute. The load in took 3 full trucks and fortunately for us -- the homeowners fell in love with several pieces so our uninstall trip was significantly lighter. I think we were all a little emotional leaving this masterpiece but sooooo happy for the owners and just hoping we get invited to a Christmas party... Here are some of the highlights -- 90% of the furnishings and rugs were from our shop and we filled in the gaps with some extra special pieces!

Originally Built in 1903, this century old farmhouse located in Powdersville, SC fortunately retained most of its original materials and details when the client purchased the home. Original features such as the Bead Board Walls and Ceilings, Horizontal Panel Doors and Brick Fireplaces were meticulously restored to the former glory allowing the owner’s goal to be achieved of having the original areas coordinate seamlessly into the new construction.

30 Years of Construction Experience in the Bay Area | Best of Houzz! We are a passionate, family owned/operated local business in the Bay Area, California. At Lavan Construction, we create a fresh and fit environment with over 30 years of experience in building and construction in both domestic and international markets. We have a unique blend of leadership combining expertise in construction contracting and management experience from Fortune 500 companies. We commit to deliver you a world class experience within your budget and timeline while maintaining trust and transparency. At Lavan Construction, we believe relationships are the main component of any successful business and we stand by our motto: “Trust is the foundation we build on.”

On this project, a bright and modern apartment on central park west, we were fortunate enough to have already established a strong working relationship with the architect. having collaborated on a number of projects in the past, we were already acquainted with working as a team, which allowed us to hit the ground running.

'Feuerland' achillea breaks up the cool tones of 'Summer Beauty' allium, 'May Night' salvia, and 'Blue Fortune' agastache. Westhauser Photography
Design ideas for a large traditional front yard stone garden path in Milwaukee.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents. Early History The earliest St. Simons Island Village record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini. Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned. Colonial History As Fort Frederica early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat. Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service. Plantation Era By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war. Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton. Between Ebos Landing the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing. One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863). Another Retreat Plantation large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves. The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall. The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church. Civil War and Beyond The St. Simons Island Lighthouse outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned. After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations. By St. Simons Lumber Mills 1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross. The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island. Twentieth Century The St. Simons Island Pier and Village opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development. In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s. The St. Simons Island outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents. Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa. Since Epworth by the Sea 1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant. Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

Example of a large transitional courtyard stone patio design in New Orleans with no cover