This custom Tuscan farmhouse in Buttonwillow, California, near Bakersfield, draws inspiration from the rural villas and farmhouses of the Italian countryside, combining authentic Tuscan character with relaxed California living. Two-story foyer view featuring a sweeping curved staircase with natural wood treads and dark iron railing. Arched openings, warm wood flooring and the white grand piano create a dramatic architectural focal point at the center of the home.

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Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

This custom Tuscan farmhouse in Buttonwillow, California, near Bakersfield, draws inspiration from the rural villas and farmhouses of the Italian countryside, combining authentic Tuscan character with relaxed California living. Two-story foyer view featuring a sweeping curved staircase with natural wood treads and dark iron railing. Arched openings, warm wood flooring and the white grand piano create a dramatic architectural focal point at the center of the home.

This custom Tuscan farmhouse in Buttonwillow, California, near Bakersfield, draws inspiration from the rural villas and farmhouses of the Italian countryside, combining authentic Tuscan character with relaxed California living. Two-story foyer view featuring a sweeping curved staircase with natural wood treads and dark iron railing. Arched openings, warm wood flooring and the white grand piano create a dramatic architectural focal point at the center of the home.

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Ariana Miller with ANM Photography. www.anmphoto.com
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This elegant Craftsman style house plan features plenty of space for the whole family to do their own thing with no interruptions … but there’s space where everyone can get together for movie night or other family activities. The downstairs features a well-designed open floor plan highlighted by a vaulted gathering room, gourmet kitchen with breakfast area, formal dining space and a home office. The downstairs master suite opens onto a covered loggia, and also features a large dressing room/walk-in closet area. Upstairs you’ll find three suites, each opening onto a bathroom, making any of them a perfect mother-in-law suite. Oh, there’s also one of the largest bonus rooms you’ll find anywhere. The garage with 3-car dimensions is perfect for adding workshop space — or the ultimate man cave. First Floor Heated: 2,976 Master Suite: Down Second Floor Heated: 2,376 Baths: 6.5 Third Floor Heated: Main Floor Ceiling: 10' Total Heated Area: 5,352 Specialty Rooms: Outdoor Living, Office/Media Room, Exercise, Game Room Garages: Three Garage: 1,126 Bedrooms: Five Footprint: 90'-8" x 93'-1" www.edgplancollection.com

Our clients had a vision to turn this completely empty second story store front in downtown Beloit, WI into their home. The space now includes a bedroom, kitchen, living room, laundry room, office, powder room, master bathroom and a solarium. Luxury vinyl plank flooring was installed throughout the home and quartz countertops were installed in the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room. Brick walls were left exposed adding historical charm to this beautiful home and a solarium provides the perfect place to quietly sit and enjoy the views of the downtown below. Making this rehabilitation even more exciting, the Downtown Beloit Association presented our clients with two awards, Best Fascade Rehabilitation over $15,000 and Best Upper Floor Development! We couldn’t be more proud!

Our clients had a vision to turn this completely empty second story store front in downtown Beloit, WI into their home. The space now includes a bedroom, kitchen, living room, laundry room, office, powder room, master bathroom and a solarium. Luxury vinyl plank flooring was installed throughout the home and quartz countertops were installed in the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room. Brick walls were left exposed adding historical charm to this beautiful home and a solarium provides the perfect place to quietly sit and enjoy the views of the downtown below. Making this rehabilitation even more exciting, the Downtown Beloit Association presented our clients with two awards, Best Fascade Rehabilitation over $15,000 and Best Upper Floor Development! We couldn’t be more proud!

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This modern green home offers both a vacation destination on Cape Cod near local family members and an opportunity for rental income. FAMILY ROOTS. A West Coast couple living in the San Francisco Bay Area sought a permanent East Coast vacation home near family members living on Cape Cod. As academic professionals focused on sustainability, they sought a green, energy efficient home that was well-aligned with their values. With no green homes available for sale on Cape Cod, they decided to purchase land near their family and build their own. SLOPED SITE. Comprised of a 3/4 acre lot nestled in the pines, the steeply sloping terrain called for a plan that embraced and took advantage of the slope. Of equal priority was optimizing solar exposure, preserving privacy from abutters, and creating outdoor living space. The design accomplished these goals with a simple, rectilinear form, offering living space on the both entry and lower/basement levels. The stepped foundation allows for a walk-out basement level with light-filled living space on the down-hill side of the home. The traditional basement on the eastern, up-hill side houses mechanical equipment and a home gym. The house welcomes natural light throughout, captures views of the forest, and delivers entertainment space that connects indoor living space to outdoor deck and dining patio. MODERN VISION. The clean building form and uncomplicated finishes pay homage to the modern architectural legacy on the outer Cape. Durable and economical fiber cement panels, fixed with aluminum channels, clad the primary form. Cedar clapboards provide a visual accent at the south-facing living room, which extends a single roof plane to cover the entry porch. SMART USE OF SPACE. On the entry level, the “L”-shaped living, dining, and kitchen space connects to the exterior living, dining, and grilling spaces to effectively double the home’s summertime entertainment area. Placed at the western end of the entry level (where it can retain privacy but still claim expansive downhill views) is the master suite with a built-in study. The lower level has two guest bedrooms, a second full bathroom, and laundry. The flexibility of the space—crucial in a house with a modest footprint—emerges in one of the guest bedrooms, which doubles as home office by opening the barn-style double doors to connect it to the bright, airy open stair leading up to the entry level. Thoughtful design, generous ceiling heights and large windows transform the modest 1,100 sf* footprint into a well-lit, spacious home. *(total finished space is 1800 sf) RENTAL INCOME. The property works for its owners by netting rental income when the owners are home in San Francisco. The house especially caters to vacationers bound for nearby Mayo Beach and includes an outdoor shower adjacent to the lower level entry door. In contrast to the bare bones cottages that are typically available on the Cape, this home offers prospective tenants a modern aesthetic, paired with luxurious and green features. Durable finishes inside and out will ensure longevity with the heavier use that comes with a rental property. COMFORT YEAR-ROUND. The home is super-insulated and air-tight, with mechanical ventilation to provide continuous fresh air from the outside. High performance triple-paned windows complement the building enclosure and maximize passive solar gain while ensuring a warm, draft-free winter, even when sitting close to the glass. A properly sized air source heat pump offers efficient heating & cooling, and includes a carefully designed the duct distribution system to provide even comfort throughout the house. The super-insulated envelope allows us to significantly reduce the equipment capacity, duct size, and airflow quantities, while maintaining unparalleled thermal comfort. ENERGY EFFICIENT. The building’s shell and mechanical systems play instrumental roles in the home’s exceptional performance. The building enclosure reduces the most significant energy glutton: heating. Continuous super-insulation, thorough air sealing, triple-pane windows, and passive solar gain work together to yield a miniscule heating load. All active energy consumers are extremely efficient: an air source heat pump for heating and cooling, a heat pump hot water heater, LED lighting, energy recovery ventilation (ERV), and high efficiency appliances. The result is a home that uses 70% less energy than a similar new home built to code requirements. OVERALL. The home embodies the owners’ goals and values while comprehensively enabling thermal comfort, energy efficiency, a vacation respite, and supplementary income. PROJECT TEAM ZeroEnergy Design - Architect & Mechanical Designer A.F. Hultin & Co. - Contractor Pamet Valley Landscape Design - Landscape & Masonry Lisa Finch - Original Artwork European Architectural Supply - Windows Eric Roth Photography - Photography