"You only do this once in a lifetime.” That’s what this homeowner told our team about their historic brownstone renovation in downtown Jersey City, and we took it to heart. This project was more than just a renovation; it was also an act of great creativity and care. After all, when you do something once in a lifetime, you want to do it right. We were fortunate to work with a homeowner with a clear, precise vision. Prior to hiring us, the homeowner partnered with an architect to design the space. As such, we handled the project management and practical implementation of the plans. (We also ensured that the work met the requirements of the Jersey City Historic Preservation Board.) This extensive remodel included demolition and rebuilding of a one-story addition in preparation for the installation of a new, modern kitchen. After replacing the original load-bearing brick wall with a steel header, we also leveled the floors and added new engineered hardwood flooring with hydronic radiant underfloor heating for chilly winter days. A completely redone lighting and electrical plan included LED recessed light fixtures, recessed speakers, and motorized transom windows … perfect for letting in some fresh air to compliment the gorgeous natural light streaming in from the skylights. The finished space juxtaposes sleek, ultramodern European appliances, finishes, cabinetry, and fixtures with original, historic woodwork. We completed a new, modern powder room installation and also installed historic door casings, baseboard mouldings, and plaster mouldings. The homeowner was thrilled with the end result, celebrating every carefully-chosen detail. Together, we admired the different light fixtures, the custom kitchen cabinetry, and how the built-in hall closet left just enough space to preserve the historic mouldings beside it. Moments like those make all the hard work worthwhile. Do you have a compelling vision for your space? Then contact Houseplay today; we’ll help to take your idea from concept to finished product. Photo credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

The original structure at Yankee Point was a simple 1970s home with “good bones.” Unfortunately, it was also a case where less-than-poetic considerations threatened to eclipse design. Setbacks, height and footprint restrictions and other building regulations had boxed in the renovation to the point where there was literally nowhere left to build. Fortunately, the house sat 6' above grade on the ocean side. With some three-dimensional ingenuity, this ultimately provided ample space to add a new full height lower level without exceeding stringent lot coverage limitations. Today, upon entering the residence, you catch a quick glimpse of the ocean views and of the cascading roof lines designed to echo the motions of ocean waves beyond. The space opens up as you move toward the ocean to reveal a panoramic view.

This Carmel Valley complete remodel truly defines an open-concept living space that is elegant, functional, and full of beautiful finishes. Taking center stage in the kitchen is a gorgeous, large island that features cabinetry in a very on-trend jewel toned blue hue that perfectly accents the primary palette of white and grey throughout the rest of the space. Other beautiful details include the custom hood, walk-in pantry, and the unique marbled mosaic subway tiled backsplash. Subtle brass fixtures and accents accentuate the modern feel while top of the line appliances add the finishing touch for this home chef. Fortunately, one of the best benefits of living in southern California are the mild temperatures that make it possible to enjoy outdoor living spaces nearly year-round. The addition of a large sliding door in the family room expanded this client’s access to a lovely outdoor patio and eating area, complete with recessed heating for cooler months, while a beautiful custom fireplace/entertainment center created the perfect spot for the whole family to enjoy.

Built into the island are a microwave drawer (right) and a warming drawer. The warming drawer was a late addition — fortunately we were able to swap it into the spot that would have been the bottom drawer in a 3 drawer stack.

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.

Wellborn cabinets in Madison style with a Cherry Dark finish for the rangetop cabinets, and a separate hutch for dinnerware storage. This leads to the adjacent utility room which serves as drop zone from garage, mud room and laundry room. Toby Weiss for MBA

Nestled in the pristine beauty of the north woods of Wisconsin is the natural landscape of majestic trees, clear spring fed lakes, fascinating wildlife and exhilarating outdoor recreational activities. It is inviting to many families, friends and couples throughout the year The lakes in particular provide for an enormous amount of fun and relaxation. For those so fortunate to have a property it is customary to have a boathouse to store your swimming or boating gear and equipment. Recently Parrett was selected to provide windows and doors for a new boathouse and replacement windows and doors for an existing home. The boathouse windows consisted of folding windows and doors allowing for opening the windows the complete 10 foot expanse. These same doors were backed by a full length horizontal pulled screen. The folding window system was set on the second level loft designed as an elevated viewing area of the lake. Mulled directly to the top of the folding window was a Napoleon shaped direct set. On the opposite side of the second level was a window system matching the shape of the lakeside window system. The upper mulled window was a duplicate of the window on the lake side however the window below consisted of four awning windows. Due to the awnings being elevated from the lower floor and not easily accessible the windows were set up with individual electronic motors for operation which can be operated by either a switch or a remote control. The system allows for operating all of the windows at once or individually. The windows were made out of solid mahogany to the interior and a high performance woodgrain aluminum clad to the exterior. The lower boathouse door is a four panel solid mahogany plank style folding door system with a horizontal pull screen. Greeting anyone entering the boathouse is a custom designed entry door which has a carved pattern to the exterior emulating an owl. The owl door was made out of solid white oak and bordered with a 10 inch wide flat casing with a 12 inch keystone and plinth blocks located on top. Parrett was proud to be part of this fun, picturesque and very functional project.

Fortunate to have painted these lines on this beautiful court and installed hoops and wall pads!
Inspiration for a timeless home gym remodel in Minneapolis

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.”

The Escape embraces one of the best aspects of life in New England – the amazing range of natural settings within a relatively short distance from home that allows us an entirely different living experience. Here we get to rejuvenate and recreate with friends and family at our home away from home. From the mountains and lakes of New Hampshire, to the Island of Nantucket and the coast of Maine, Carter & Company has had the great fortune to help design, build and decorate some amazing vacation homes. These are special places with unique points of view that creatively reflect the natural environment, all with an emphasis on ease, comfort and relaxation.

Melanie's inspiration for this sunroom was the grand era of the 1920’s when the prosperous gold coast of Long Island was built. The Sun Room pays homage to the glamorous, opulent lifestyles of the wealthy industrialists who were the residents of the Gold Coast estates in the 1920’s. We preserved the original aged brick walls and intricate metal work in the windows and chose materials for the room that would reflect and refresh the original design. Melanie chose two teal and white Mamounia rugs from The Rug Company in silk and wool to reflect the pattern in the metal work on the windows. Natural light was a major component when designing the sun room so we used reflective objects from mirrored pillows, brass light fixtures, brass objects in addition to a huge brass wall mirror to capture the natural sun light in the room. The estate is set on 6 rolling acres of land, so we used oversized planters with boxwood, and a huge aceda palm tree in the oversized ottoman to bring that outdoors into the room. A one-of-a-kind natural, driftwood table with teal resin from Andrianna Shamara's brings more nature into the room and sits in front of the waterproof Vondom sofa which was custom-made in Valencia Spain. All of the seating in the Sun Room is outdoor furniture and waterproof. A huge Brass sputnik light fixture sits above the sun room reflecting more light into the large brass mirror. An Ironies honeycomb table brings in texture to the room and holds reflective brass candlesticks and large piece of turquoise Slag Glass sits on an Oscar De La Renta book, another American style icon. A Milo Baughman brass bar carts holds a Christofle Martini shaker, martini glasses and a Gabriella Crespi brass and crystal ice bucket would service the captains of industries who displayed their fortunes from the industrial revolution with lavish parties in the their grand estates to celebrate the opportunities and accomplishments that they had worked so hard to achieve. The unprecedented economic prosperity was a distinctly unique aspect of Americana when wealthy industrialists, a hard working generation, helped promote American design and American Dreams. Photo by Alan Barry.

This entire 1st floor, gut renovation came with many surprises. Fortunately, one of METRO R3's strengths is that we love problem solving. Creating high functioning and stylish solutions is what we're all about!

This project was part of the Estate Butler division. Terrain was fortunate enough to purchase this home which had been kept preserved in its original form but needed a refresh and modernization. We worked to keep the mid-century style intact and bring it back to its former shine. The original owner had built a custom, below-ground bomb bunker. Terrain added an outdoor party area to the bunker for year-round use.

Villa Marchese del Grillo Relais-Restaurant-Enoteca For more info & details visit: http://relaismarchesedelgrillo.com/ Katerina Bucciarelli Broker Associate Fortune International Realty 2013 Top Producer. kb@kbmiami.com www.kbmiami.com Photo Credits: Javier Ospina.

The Twin Peaks Passive House + ADU was designed and built to remain resilient in the face of natural disasters. Fortunately, the same great building strategies and design that provide resilience also provide a home that is incredibly comfortable and healthy while also visually stunning. This home’s journey began with a desire to design and build a house that meets the rigorous standards of Passive House. Before beginning the design/ construction process, the homeowners had already spent countless hours researching ways to minimize their global climate change footprint. As with any Passive House, a large portion of this research was focused on building envelope design and construction. The wall assembly is combination of six inch Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) and 2x6 stick frame construction filled with blown in insulation. The roof assembly is a combination of twelve inch SIPs and 2x12 stick frame construction filled with batt insulation. The pairing of SIPs and traditional stick framing allowed for easy air sealing details and a continuous thermal break between the panels and the wall framing. Beyond the building envelope, a number of other high performance strategies were used in constructing this home and ADU such as: battery storage of solar energy, ground source heat pump technology, Heat Recovery Ventilation, LED lighting, and heat pump water heating technology. In addition to the time and energy spent on reaching Passivhaus Standards, thoughtful design and carefully chosen interior finishes coalesce at the Twin Peaks Passive House + ADU into stunning interiors with modern farmhouse appeal. The result is a graceful combination of innovation, durability, and aesthetics that will last for a century to come. Despite the requirements of adhering to some of the most rigorous environmental standards in construction today, the homeowners chose to certify both their main home and their ADU to Passive House Standards. From a meticulously designed building envelope that tested at 0.62 ACH50, to the extensive solar array/ battery bank combination that allows designated circuits to function, uninterrupted for at least 48 hours, the Twin Peaks Passive House has a long list of high performance features that contributed to the completion of this arduous certification process. The ADU was also designed and built with these high standards in mind. Both homes have the same wall and roof assembly ,an HRV, and a Passive House Certified window and doors package. While the main home includes a ground source heat pump that warms both the radiant floors and domestic hot water tank, the more compact ADU is heated with a mini-split ductless heat pump. The end result is a home and ADU built to last, both of which are a testament to owners’ commitment to lessen their impact on the environment.

This pool deck was a lot of fun (and work) to install. The sidewalks were poured and stamped first, taking extra care to maintain the proper slope and elevation to make the water run away from the pool but also away from the house. The sidewalk is pinned to the patio with rebar dowels in plastic sleeves to allow for horizontal shifting, but no vertical movement. Expansion foam and caulk prevent chipping on these joints. The borders are poured integrally with the pool deck; they are hand stamped and chiseled in. Lots of patience and attention to detail. I am fortunate to have a great crew.

The Twin Peaks Passive House + ADU was designed and built to remain resilient in the face of natural disasters. Fortunately, the same great building strategies and design that provide resilience also provide a home that is incredibly comfortable and healthy while also visually stunning. This home’s journey began with a desire to design and build a house that meets the rigorous standards of Passive House. Before beginning the design/ construction process, the homeowners had already spent countless hours researching ways to minimize their global climate change footprint. As with any Passive House, a large portion of this research was focused on building envelope design and construction. The wall assembly is combination of six inch Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) and 2x6 stick frame construction filled with blown in insulation. The roof assembly is a combination of twelve inch SIPs and 2x12 stick frame construction filled with batt insulation. The pairing of SIPs and traditional stick framing allowed for easy air sealing details and a continuous thermal break between the panels and the wall framing. Beyond the building envelope, a number of other high performance strategies were used in constructing this home and ADU such as: battery storage of solar energy, ground source heat pump technology, Heat Recovery Ventilation, LED lighting, and heat pump water heating technology. In addition to the time and energy spent on reaching Passivhaus Standards, thoughtful design and carefully chosen interior finishes coalesce at the Twin Peaks Passive House + ADU into stunning interiors with modern farmhouse appeal. The result is a graceful combination of innovation, durability, and aesthetics that will last for a century to come. Despite the requirements of adhering to some of the most rigorous environmental standards in construction today, the homeowners chose to certify both their main home and their ADU to Passive House Standards. From a meticulously designed building envelope that tested at 0.62 ACH50, to the extensive solar array/ battery bank combination that allows designated circuits to function, uninterrupted for at least 48 hours, the Twin Peaks Passive House has a long list of high performance features that contributed to the completion of this arduous certification process. The ADU was also designed and built with these high standards in mind. Both homes have the same wall and roof assembly ,an HRV, and a Passive House Certified window and doors package. While the main home includes a ground source heat pump that warms both the radiant floors and domestic hot water tank, the more compact ADU is heated with a mini-split ductless heat pump. The end result is a home and ADU built to last, both of which are a testament to owners’ commitment to lessen their impact on the environment.

Lisa Kessler
Photo of a rustic full sun stone retaining wall landscape in Boston for spring.

The study boast reclaimed and repurposed grocery store cases converted to a home office. This room pays homage to the family’s values of sharing and giving to those around the world that are less fortunate. Photos by Randy Colwell