Original Abstract Painting on Canvas by Kathleen Patrick This painting is heavily textured, and combines soft grays and white with flickering metallic gold. Medium: Acrylic on Canvas with Gold Leaf Foil Size: 36" x 48" x 1.5" This painting is sold - but you can contact us to commission a painting in this style. Tel: 312-292-7904 Visit our website www.chicagoskylineart.com to see much more From the artist: "This work is from a series that takes inspiration from weathered stone facades, natural stone formations and the organic shapes in nature. This painting is a quiet study in subtleties where I used only neutral colors. There are elusive shapes and formations in the multi-layered background - creating a uniquely textured artwork that is continuously visually engaging." Paintings in this series have been created as large as 6 ft. x 8 ft.

Mink Silverado Hardwood Flooring Silverado Hardwood Floors features stunning Birch Timber hand crafted and factory finished to create rustic texturing. Bold grain visuals and colors add to this unique species appeal. This product offers a dramatic appeal at exceptional value. This uniquely styled, wide plank floor features a beautiful, rotary peeled, deeply hand scraped surface that dazzles the eye. The six inch width and pillowed edge of Silverado plank gives it a bold western look that is unique in the marketplace. The warm and rich stains give Silverado its distinctive color and greatly enhance the rustic, truly heavily hand scraped plank. The continuously varied grains of this hardwood surface combined with the long length of 6 feet, a length that our competitor’s can only envy(most rotary floors are 4 feet long) and UV cured aluminum oxide coatings makes Silverado Plank stand out on the floor and captures the attention of anyone walking on it. These features make Silverado Plank an exceptional value with maximum design impact. Simply Better…Discover Why. www.hallmarkfloors.com

KitchenLab Interiors’ first, entirely new construction project in collaboration with GTH architects who designed the residence. KLI was responsible for all interior finishes, fixtures, furnishings, and design including the stairs, casework, interior doors, moldings and millwork. KLI also worked with the client on selecting the roof, exterior stucco and paint colors, stone, windows, and doors. The homeowners had purchased the existing home on a lakefront lot of the Valley Lo community in Glenview, thinking that it would be a gut renovation, but when they discovered a host of issues including mold, they decided to tear it down and start from scratch. The minute you look out the living room windows, you feel as though you're on a lakeside vacation in Wisconsin or Michigan. We wanted to help the homeowners achieve this feeling throughout the house - merging the causal vibe of a vacation home with the elegance desired for a primary residence. This project is unique and personal in many ways - Rebekah and the homeowner, Lorie, had grown up together in a small suburb of Columbus, Ohio. Lorie had been Rebekah's babysitter and was like an older sister growing up. They were both heavily influenced by the style of the late 70's and early 80's boho/hippy meets disco and 80's glam, and both credit their moms for an early interest in anything related to art, design, and style. One of the biggest challenges of doing a new construction project is that it takes so much longer to plan and execute and by the time tile and lighting is installed, you might be bored by the selections of feel like you've seen them everywhere already. “I really tried to pull myself, our team and the client away from the echo-chamber of Pinterest and Instagram. We fell in love with counter stools 3 years ago that I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on, thank god, because then they started showing up literally everywhere", Rebekah recalls. Lots of one of a kind vintage rugs and furnishings make the home feel less brand-spanking new. The best projects come from a team slightly outside their comfort zone. One of the funniest things Lorie says to Rebekah, "I gave you everything you wanted", which is pretty hilarious coming from a client to a designer.

Working within the footprint of the existing house and a new, 3 by 11 foot addition, the scope of this project called for enhanced use of the existing kitchen space and better views to the heavily landscaped and terraced rear yard. In response, numerous operable windows and doors wrap around three sides of the design, allowing the exterior landscaping and renovated deck to be more a part of the interior. A 9'-6" ceiling height helps define the kitchen area and provides enhanced views to an existing gazebo via the addition's high windows. With views to the exterior as a goal, most storage cabinets have been relocated to an interior wall. Glass doors and cabinet-mounted display lights accent the floor-to-ceiling pantry unit. A Rain Forest Green granite countertop is complemented by cork floor tiles, soothing glass mosaics and a rich paint palette. The adjacent dining area's charcoal grey slate pavers provide superior functionality and have been outfitted with a radiant heat floor system.

See the full project at: http://www.houzz.com/projects/1049629/62nd-place-lagrange-highlands-il This elegant, traditional kitchen was designed for a new home being built in a lovely older suburb. It’s large U-shape design allows for the kitchen to be open to the other living spaces in the home. This line of sight gives us the perfect opportunity to create 2 focal points: the gorgeous island in the foreground, and above and behind that is the beautifully detailed cooktop area. The individual ingredients in this rich Cherry kitchen are what elevate it above the norm. Beginning with a heavily detailed door style that features a beefy frame, mitered corners, and double-beading, the door sets the tone. To that we have added beautifully turned solid cherry decorative legs, flanking the range area and the sink. The next layer includes the elaborately scrolled corbels, placed on the island and hood. Completing the hearth hood are classic fluted pieces and arched pieces, and the whole unit is topped with an intricate grape overlay. The final layers in this eye catching kitchen are the over-sized crown molding featuring a dentil insert, and the charming mullion glass doors. This kitchen is not only beautiful, but smart too. Hidden storage abounds, making every area of the kitchen a usable workspace. Added conveniences include a prep sink in the island, and a pot-filler faucet at the cook-top. This kitchen is a thoughtful work space wrapped up in delightful traditional details.

Custom home builder Blake Swanson of Swanson Homes needed the design of a contemporary rambler, dubbed “Solara” (part of a new development in the west suburbs of Minneapolis), to be flexible, especially because there was no owner in place at the time of the build. Swanson partnered with architect Charlie Stinson of Modern Oasis Architecture + Design to design and build a home with a transitional style that could fit the needs of a wide range of homeowners. Core to Stinson’s final design are expansive windows that capture lots of light and frame the view of the heavily forested lot. A mix of products from the Marvin Ultimate collection and new Marvin Vivid collection windows were used throughout the home. “We felt that the Vivid product line was a perfect fit for this home because of their slimmer profiles,” said Swanson. “We really want to be looking through the windows here and not necessarily at the windows.”

Designed for the lifestyle and budget of a young married couple and growing family, this home offers a viable alternative to the generic speculative home. Occupying a small leftover developer site, just under four tenths of an acre at the end of a suburban cul-de-sac, the Lanning Residence site is anchored by a one hundred year old oak tree. The parcel, once undesirable to developers and their speculative plans, became the inspiration for the project form. Acting as both designers and builders, the decision was made early to utilize a strategy typical to most suburban construction; maximizing square footage while minimizing the building perimeter. An analysis of the surrounding suburban fabric revealed that the adjoining property lines were heavily planted. Views and window placement were organized to take advantage of the adjacent landscape while maximizing natural light. The house program is distributed within two main volumes that are connected by a translucent circulation volume. The spacious interior volumes, large windows, plywood shear walls, sheetrock, and simple details allowed for a light construction budget. Spray foam insulation and well designed mechanical systems allowed the family to reduce their monthly utility bills by over half, creating a far more energy efficient lifestyle.

This project is more than meets the eye! In a gorgeous neighborhood in Del Mar, San Diego, California, This unique small custom wine cellar truly acts as a showstopper. Originally within this house, the door which now faces outward used to be around the corner in a small hallway, virtually eliminating any visibility into this contemporary walk in custom wine cellar. Upon seeing the location of this space within the house, Gene Walder and the knowledgeable team at Vintage Cellars knew that to really take advantage of the room provided, (which is actually below the stairs), they needed to get rid of the original door and add a brand new one facing the main living space. Just a small feat in a series of unique custom features within this cellar! Here at Vintage Cellars, before any design takes shape, it is vital to understand what the clients wants and needs are based on their growing collection of wine. With a good idea of bottle sizes, shapes (some pinot noir bottles, for example have a wider bottom than a typical cabernet sauvignon bottle) and unique features desired, the team of wine cellar designers and wine cellar builders at Vintage Cellars are able to create a very special and desirable wine cellar for each client. The owners of this beautiful home collaborated heavily with the Vintage Cellars team in the design process of this rustic custom wine cellar - something that we aim to do with every project. The homeowners wanted to showcase some of their favorite Magnum sized bottles in a high reveal horizontal display row, directly on top of another area highlighting the best 750 ml's in their collection. This small custom wine room fills most of the left wall with single deep, individual bottle storage. Directly below this wine racking is room for wine case / wine bin storage. Centered within this wall is a nice space for opening and decanting wines with a gorgeous dark stone countertop and room for hanging wine glasses above. The opposite wall is filled floor to ceiling with label revealing horizontal display rows. Again, this type of feature is very desirable in recent years. Homeowners want to be able to showcase the best bottles they own within their custom wine cellars in the most stunning and beautiful ways possible. Additionally, this feature is commonly replicated with metal bars for a more contemporary and modern look and feel. Within Beach Cities such as Del Mar, La Jolla, Cardiff, Coronado, Rancho Santa Fe, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Newport Beach and Orange County alike, small walk wine cellars are all the rage. Custom Wine Closet s and Under the Stairs Custom Wine Room s are quickly becoming a commonplace feature within modern luxury homes. Funny enough, because San Diego has become such a hub and mecca for craft beer breweries, luxury homes within communities such as La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Coronado, Cardiff, Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, La Costa and Torrey Pines have taken notice and began including space for unique beer storage within their custom wine cellars as well. This right side wall horizontal display racking does just that. If you look closely, those intricately labeled bottles are craft brews kept at a chill and refreshing 55 Degrees- just waiting to be opened and enjoyed immediately. Just when you thought the custom wine cellar tour was over, another unique feature catches your eye. You see the back stone wall? Press ever so gently in the top left corner two thirds of the way up and - Voila! - a secret door appears and slowly reveals more room under the stairway for case storage and the like. The homeowner also decided to add interesting lighting to this cellar. The Custom wine room can turn any color of the rainbow - allowing you to focus on all lights or just one a time, creating that perfect mood lighting for the holidays, springtime, or summer. This entire custom wine cellar and all wine racking were done in raw black walnut. Vintage Cellars has built gorgeous custom wine cellars and wine storage rooms across the United States and World for over 25 years. We are your go-to business for anything wine cellar and wine storage related! Whether you're interested in a wine closet, wine racking, custom wine racks, a custom wine cellar door, or a cooling system for your existing space, Vintage Cellars has you covered! We carry all kinds of wine cellar cooling and refrigeration systems, incuding: Breezaire, CellarCool, WhisperKool, Wine Guardian, CellarPro and Commercial systems. We also carry many types of Wine Refrigerators, Wine Cabinets, and wine racking types, including La Cache, Marvel, N'Finity, Transtherm, Vinotheque, Vintage Series, Credenza, Walk in wine rooms, Climadiff, Riedel, Fontenay, and VintageView. Vintage Cellars also does work in many styles, including Contemporary and Modern, Rustic, Farmhouse, Traditional, Craftsman, Industrial, Mediterranean, Mid-Century, Industrial and Eclectic. Some locations we cover often include: San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Corona Del Mar, Del Mar, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Huntington Beach, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad, Orange County, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Bel Air, Los Angeles, Encinitas, Cardiff, Coronado, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, San Marino, Ladera Heights, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Hancock Park, Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove, Laguna Niguel, Torrey Pines, Thousand Oaks, Coto De Caza, Coronado Island, San Francisco, Danville, Walnut Creek, Marin, Tiburon, Hillsborough, Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Agoura Hills, Hollywood Hills, Laurel Canyon, Sausalito, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Piedmont, Paso Robles, Carmel, Pebble Beach Contact Vintage Cellars today with any of your Wine Cellar needs! (800) 876-8789 Vintage Cellars 904 Rancheros Drive San Marcos, California 92069 (800) 876-8789

Photos images: Courtesy of the Homeowners At the end of a dirt road in southern Vermont is a stunning timber and stone residence designed to resemble a small medieval Anglo-Norman manor house originally constructed in the 16th century. According to the owners, a husband and wife with a keen interest in both ancient and modern architecture, the 5,000 sq. ft. home was built slowly over eleven years by highly skilled craftsmen in order to complete all of the authentic hand-planed interior details. The craftsmen then spent an additional two years building the adjacent “ancient“ barn. “We always knew we wanted to take down a delapidated 19th-century hay barn and replace it with something of the period of the house,“ the husband said. The owners designed the barn and began to consider zinc for the roof after looking at northern European architecture and discovering that zinc has been used extensively in Europe for 300 years. Approximately 4,200 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK prePATINA bright rolled Double Lock Standing Seam Roof Panels were utilized to roof the white oak structure. The bright rolled material was selected deliberately in order to achieve the “naturally aged look“ that the owners were seeking. “It’s gone almost immediately to a soft grey which is what we hoped would happen. As the years go by, the color of the weathering white oak and the aging zinc will come together in a dusty grey. Seeing this building in the fog five years from now will feel like seeing a 500-year-old ghost barn floating in the hills of Vermont.“ Installation of the RHEINZINK panels was done by Cold Hollow Contracting, Burlington, VT. “These folks had serious zinc-roofing experience and were clearly the most craft-oriented of all the roofers we met with,“ according to the husband. The main focus was getting an “old look“ as quickly as possible, said Tim Heaghney, co-owner of Cold Hollow Contracting. “That’s really what makes the bright rolled so special—it ages quickly. We fabricated the 28 ft. panels on site and did the flashing fabrication in our shop. Many of the normal sheet metal skills apply to the zinc although we relied heavily on the RHEINZINK installation manual as well as personal support from their technical people. We used a radius cut and fold at the eve termination as opposed to the typical detail used in steel and copper where it‘s just cut at the 90 for the drip edge. The roof was steep but we do a lot of steeples and domes so we’re comfortable working at heights.“ The installers also utilized RHEINZINK’s AIR-Z structured underlayment to provide an air-gap behind the zinc. The RHEINZINK distributor on the project was Beacon Sales, Shelburne, VT

This sprawling estate is an incredible sight see! Soaring coffered ceilings with gorgeous winding staircases set the stage for a grand entry. We took advantage of the classical elements of this home and built our design (at the request of our amazing clients) with a heavy nod to european traditional style. Decadent silk fabrics paired with amazingly rich wall treatments bring a luxurious feeling to every room. Heavily carved details are found on an eclectic mix of furnishings throughout the home. We incorporated some of the clients pieces from their years of collecting and traveling. Their favorite rolled arm sofa is given new life in the library once reupholstered in a cozy woven chenille. After completing the interior, it was time to get started on the grounds! We were so excited to design the exterior entertaining space which includes an outdoor kitchen, living and dining areas, pergola, bath and pool. One of our favorites for sure.

PANORAMA - Click to view! You can see that I rely heavily on articulation. Each functional item, while part of a larger whole, has its own character, material, shape, etc. This deck, and this stair, are part of the landscape, not part of the house. That's why the wood, rather than the metal of the house. The deck is like a dock, to which the house is moored. In a more detailed vein, the stair doesn't just go from the ground to the deck, although that's its functional purpose. Neither the deck itself nor the ground are part of the stair. The ground rises up (the concrete below) to meet the stair, which is cascading toward it from the deck above. At the deck level, we see that there is an octagonal landing pad onto which the stair suspended from the house (this stair IS a part of the house) like a boarding ramp (top right of the picture) lands. The shape of this landing pad is related to, but not the same as, the shape of the portion of the house from which the stair descends. The seating to the left serves a dual purpose as railing at the highest point of the deck and a sort of "catcher;s mitt" for the round fireball, unfortunately shown here with its cover on, which has been tossed forward as a sort of landing pod by the house.

This is a lovely old home that experienced major renovations last year. We were very fortunate to be requested by the owners to update their landscaping upon completion of the renovations. The project relied heavily on collaboration with the owners who made the key decisions in choosing the plants that I suggested and deciding upon concepts. We decided to re-create the formal garden by using informal plants. We also decided that the flower color should be white throughout the formal garden. We spent time deciding upon color preferences, plants they like (such as lilac), and the "look" of the plants. We wanted them to fit the architecture of the house. The goal was to come up with interesting and unusual plants that provided lots of year round color and did not require lots of maintenance. The landscape will require periodic maintenance to monitor the plants and keep everything looking good. We used lots of Native plants where appropriate and re-used many of the plants on site. For example, we removed the cranesbill geranium from the old formal garden but discarded the dead and dying boxwood. We used the cranesbill geranium in beds against the back of the house. The plants will form a low carpet that flowers and reduces weed growth. We moved a very large pink flowering crape myrtle that was blocking the view to a corner of the house where it brackets the corner with another large pink crape myrtle on the other side of the corner.

Formerly a very divided bathroom, our goal was to open the space up allowing the natural light from the window to pass through the entire bathroom while still providing privacy. We worked to creatively incorporate additional storage and to close off the toilet into a private closet. The homeowners were very interested in a Japanese soaking tub and maintaining a very clean and modern space to relax after working heavily in color and pattern with their work. We created a taller showering space by moving the plumbing into the floor. We used a floor length linear drain to allow for the large format tiles throughout reducing grout lines. All beams were original to the space and were important to keep visible for cohesiveness throughout the home. They really bring an element of warmth and a touch of rustic to an otherwise very modern space. With thoughtful modern finishes and a neutral color palette, we were able to create a space that is relaxing for the mind and body.

Formerly a very divided bathroom, our goal was to open the space up allowing the natural light from the window to pass through the entire bathroom while still providing privacy. We worked to creatively incorporate additional storage and to close off the toilet into a private closet. The homeowners were very interested in a Japanese soaking tub and maintaining a very clean and modern space to relax after working heavily in color and pattern with their work. We created a taller showering space by moving the plumbing into the floor. We used a floor length linear drain to allow for the large format tiles throughout reducing grout lines. All beams were original to the space and were important to keep visible for cohesiveness throughout the home. They really bring an element of warmth and a touch of rustic to an otherwise very modern space. With thoughtful modern finishes and a neutral color palette, we were able to create a space that is relaxing for the mind and body.

Custom home builder Blake Swanson of Swanson Homes needed the design of a contemporary rambler, dubbed “Solara” (part of a new development in the west suburbs of Minneapolis), to be flexible, especially because there was no owner in place at the time of the build. Swanson partnered with architect Charlie Stinson of Modern Oasis Architecture + Design to design and build a home with a transitional style that could fit the needs of a wide range of homeowners. Core to Stinson’s final design are expansive windows that capture lots of light and frame the view of the heavily forested lot. A mix of products from the Marvin Ultimate collection and new Marvin Vivid collection windows were used throughout the home. “We felt that the Vivid product line was a perfect fit for this home because of their slimmer profiles,” said Swanson. “We really want to be looking through the windows here and not necessarily at the windows.”

This is a lovely old home that experienced major renovations last year. We were very fortunate to be requested by the owners to update their landscaping upon completion of the renovations. The project relied heavily on collaboration with the owners who made the key decisions in choosing the plants that I suggested and deciding upon concepts. We decided to re-create the formal garden by using informal plants. We also decided that the flower color should be white throughout the formal garden. We spent time deciding upon color preferences, plants they like (such as lilac), and the "look" of the plants. We wanted them to fit the architecture of the house. The goal was to come up with interesting and unusual plants that provided lots of year round color and did not require lots of maintenance. The landscape will require periodic maintenance to monitor the plants and keep everything looking good. We used lots of Native plants where appropriate and re-used many of the plants on site. For example, we removed the cranesbill geranium from the old formal garden but discarded the dead and dying boxwood. We used the cranesbill geranium in beds against the back of the house. The plants will form a low carpet that flowers and reduces weed growth. We moved a very large pink flowering crape myrtle that was blocking the view to a corner of the house where it brackets the corner with another large pink crape myrtle on the other side of the corner.

Patio - large traditional courtyard brick patio idea in Phoenix with no cover

Achieve a Royalty Look with Calacatta Gold Tiles We all have that dream home we want to have. Better yet, some of us dream of a fantastic renovation of our homes; transforms them into glossy nests we can always be glad to perch in. For those of us who are already on the way to the dream house, you probably are shopping for material to use. So how about we introduce you to the good old Calacatta Gold marble? If you are asking what that is, we can say it’s a unique way of inspiring royalty to your home using tiles. Calacatta Gold is a special stone tile mined in the hearts of Italy, on the Appian Mountains. Ever since it was discovered, it has been heavily used as a floor tile as well as wall tile, creating remarkable artistic visuals with a touch of natural gold in it. Calacatta gold tile also has one unique trait you won’t notice in most tiles; you can easily mix it with other slab colors, specifically gold extra, Calacatta Borghini, Crema and Super Extra. Calacatta gold is also one of the few tiles with a unique pencil vein detail centering the white hue background and grey veins on the tile as well. This is the perfect choice for artistic walls and floors but be sure to use the right slab colors if you want to bring in more colors; if the slab and tile don’t match in color tones then it may affect the overall look of your walls/floors. There are plenty of places in the house you can experiment with the pristine Calacatta gold tile. How about the living room wall that is a background for your TV and home theater system? Calacatta wall tile will create a covetable golden hue that will always shine before you. Moreover, you will definitely fall in love with your walls in the morning, when a streak of sunlight illuminates the golden yellows. Installing the beautiful Calacatta gold tile is a pretty easy job as well. However you just need to be careful to use white thinset instead of grey. White thinsets will absorb the trowel lines whereas grey may leave behind ugly marks which may taint the exquisite nature of the tiles. If you also want your Calacatta floor tile or wall tile to last longer make sure it is properly sealed with grout. You still have that dream home in mind? We already have you covered on the best tiles to you use. Just think Calacatta gold tile all the way, all your friends will definitely take selfies beside your shiny golden walls. http://AllMarbleTiles.com

This kitchen renovation involved a complete overhaul of the look and feel of the existing kitchen, and transforming it into a family-friendly kitchen that conformed to the client's aesthetic: modern, rustic and eclectic. The adjacent mudroom, laundry room and powder room were surveyed to see how much flexibility there was to enhance the kitchen layout while improving upon all of the spaces. The homeowners felt strongly about light painted cabinets and let us guide the rest of the design. The kitchen features separate and spacious work zones for the cook, bar area, clean-up crew, and diners. Materials with a rustic and industrial feel were selected. The white cabinets have a grey striated glaze which blends well with the heavily textured grey island cabinets and exposed reclaimed wood beams. The Neolith countertop has a unique metallic quality that compliments the hardware and zinc accents on the floating shelves and custom kitchen table. Finishing touches include the custom reclaimed wood pocket doors, a custom steel counter support, and iron light fixtures. Photo: Peter Krupenye