Project professionals include A2 Architect, Belida Associates, Inc., Elephants Custom Furniture, Inc., Kitchen Solutions.
Example of a trendy open concept kitchen design in New York with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

A complete and eclectic rear garden renovation with a creative blend of formal and natural elements. Formal lawn panel and rose garden, craftsman style wood deck and trellis, homages to Goldsworthy and Stonehenge with large boulders and a large stone cairn, several water features, a Japanese Torii gate, rock walls and steps, vegetables and herbs in containers and a new parking area paved with permeable pavers that feed an underground storage area that in turns irrigates the garden. All this blends into a diverse but cohesive garden. Designed by Charles W Bowers, Built by Garden Gate Landscaping, Inc. © Garden Gate Landscaping, Inc./Charles W. Bowers

Michael J. Lee
Inspiration for a transitional living room library remodel in Boston with beige walls

William Short Photography and Kendra Maarse Photography
Inspiration for a mid-sized mediterranean terra-cotta tile hallway remodel in Los Angeles with beige walls

Large elegant 3/4 black tile, black and white tile, white tile and subway tile porcelain tile alcove shower photo in New York with flat-panel cabinets, black cabinets, a one-piece toilet, multicolored walls, a drop-in sink and marble countertops

We used a gorgeous calcutta marble slab for the center island, with white cabinets for a crisp, clean and simple look.
Example of a mid-sized beach style u-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in New York with a farmhouse sink, recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, ceramic backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

McKeesport Downtown Housing, formerly a YMCA, is an 84-unit SRO for people at risk of homelessness. The old brick and terracotta building was important historically for McKeesport. The decision to design the project to Passive House criteria actually went a long way to making the pro-forma work. This project was the first large scale retrofit to be designed to meet Passive House Standards in the US. Another major concern of the project team was to maintain the historic charm of the building. Space was at a premium and a reorganization of space allowed for making larger resident rooms. Through a community process with various stakeholders, amenities were identified and added to the project, including a community room, a bike storage area, exterior smoking balconies, single-user rest rooms, a bed bug room for non-toxic treatment of bed bugs, and communal kitchens to provide healthy options for food. The renovation includes new additional lighting, air-conditioning, make-up air and ventilation systems, an elevator, and cooking facilities. A cold-weather shelter, 60-day emergency housing, bridge housing, and section 8 apartment rentals make up the housing programs within the shelter. Thoughtful Balance designed the interiors, and selected the furniture for durability and resistance to bed bugs. The project team worked closely with Zola Windows to specify a unique uPVC window that not only offers passive house performance levels at an affordable cost, but also harmonizes with the building’s historic aesthetic. Zola’s American Heritage SDH (simulated double hung) from the popular, budget-friendly Thermo uPVC line was specified for the project. The windows implemented in this project feature a lower tilt & turn window and a fixed upper for maximum airtightness and thermal performance. The implementation of these windows helped the project team achieve a very significant energy consumption reduction of at least 75%. Photographer: Alexander Denmarsh

The homeowners wanted a contemporary space with an Asian vibe. The wall to wall, floor to ceiling windows is diffused with sheers to allow natural daylight to penetrate the space. Photo credit: Elliott Schofield

Customer's of mine bought their three year old son a race car toddler bed to support his current interests for Christmas. Before that his room was themed for nursery, designed with tree and monkey which is great for infants, but would no longer fit their new ideas. The homeowners also requested a time effective solution so we collaborated with one another and came up with the following Plan: I used the remaining paint from the original application to cover over the old work. This was the largest time savor in that the crib would be the only piece of furniture required to be moved. Prior to we agreed that subtlety was something we wanted to hold onto as much as possible. So I painted a running checker border, using only the accent color to the car and the original wall color rather than introducing an additional color which would have resulted in a louder feel. I designed the drag light as a teaching friendly tool. Building it with triangles at its base, rectangles within and circle silhouettes so that the toddler can easily identify with it's shapes. Using his current age I assigned him his first racing number and closed out this one day transformation with the finish line flag.

This award-winning guest bedroom project tells the story of Pennsylvania's role in the Revolutionary War. The quilted bedspread is in a Thibaut fabric, and has a reverse sham, sometimes called a French flap. Banding at the hem of the custom quilted bedspread, and on the leading edge of the draperies were inspired by the leather collar of the portrait opposite. A contrast welting defines the edge of the mattress and of the reverse sham. Two naval battles with a Pennsylvania connection were custom framed, and are shown to the right of the window, while an engraving of William Penn signing a treaty with the Indians, from the Anderson House museum collection, is above the bed. An embroidered pillow shows the seal of the Society of the Cincinnati. The small tables used as nightstands are from Maitland Smith, while the headboard and bed frame were found in a Pennsylvania antique store. The new wall color adds warmth and contrast to the linen white trim color. Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC

This classic dining room features blue gray paint with white wainscoting. The strong dark furniture contrasts well to make the furniture stand out. The two leather dining chairs work very nicely with the soft upholstered back dining chairs. Photographer: Leslie Farinacci

Jessica Delaney
Example of a classic light wood floor living room design in Boston with white walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Amy Williams photography Fun and whimsical family room remodel. This room was custom designed for a family of 7. My client wanted a beautiful but practical space. We added lots of details such as the bead board ceiling, beams and crown molding and carved details on the fireplace. We designed this custom TV unit to be left open for access to the equipment. The sliding barn doors allow the unit to be closed as an option, but the decorative boxes make it attractive to leave open for easy access. The hex coffee tables allow for flexibility on movie night ensuring that each family member has a unique space of their own. And for a family of 7 a very large custom made sofa can accommodate everyone. The colorful palette of blues, whites, reds and pinks make this a happy space for the entire family to enjoy. Ceramic tile laid in a herringbone pattern is beautiful and practical for a large family.

This adaptive reuse project brought new life to an old carriage house in one of Philadelphia’s most historic neighborhoods. After serving a multitude of functions over the years, Philadelphia’s Historic commission was brought in to help identify original details and colors that brought the building back to its original beauty.

These clients reached out to Hillcrest Construction when their family began out-growing their Phoenixville-area home. Through a comprehensive design phase, opportunities to add square footage were identified along with a reorganization of the typical traffic flow throughout the house. All household traffic into the hastily-designed, existing family room bump-out addition was funneled through a 3’ berth within the kitchen making meal prep and other kitchen activities somewhat similar to a shift at a PA turnpike toll booth. In the existing bump-out addition, the family room was relatively tight and the dining room barely fit the 6-person dining table. Access to the backyard was somewhat obstructed by the necessary furniture and the kitchen alone didn’t satisfy storage needs beyond a quick trip to the grocery store. The home’s existing front door was the only front entrance, and without a foyer or mudroom, the front formal room often doubled as a drop-zone for groceries, bookbags, and other on-the-go items. Hillcrest Construction designed a remedy to both address the function and flow issues along with adding square footage via a 150 sq ft addition to the family room and converting the garage into a mudroom entry and walk-through pantry. - The project’s addition was not especially large but was able to facilitate a new pathway to the home’s rear family room. The existing brick wall at the bottom of the second-floor staircase was opened up and created a new, natural flow from the second-floor bedrooms to the front formal room, and into the rear family hang-out space- all without having to cut through the often busy kitchen. The dining room area was relocated to remove it from the pathway to the door to the backyard. Additionally, free and clear access to the rear yard was established for both two-legged and four-legged friends. The existing chunky slider door was removed and in its place was fabricated and installed a custom centerpiece that included a new gas fireplace insert with custom brick surround, two side towers for display items and choice vinyl, and two base cabinets with metal-grated doors to house a subwoofer, wifi equipment, and other stow-away items. The black walnut countertops and mantle pop from the white cabinetry, and the wall-mounted TV with soundbar complete the central A/V hub. The custom cabs and tops were designed and built at Hillcrest’s custom shop. The farmhouse appeal was completed with distressed engineered hardwood floors and craftsman-style window and door trim throughout. - Another major component of the project was the conversion of the garage into a pantry+mudroom+everyday entry. The clients had used their smallish garage for storage of outdoor yard and recreational equipment. With those storage needs being addressed at the exterior, the space was transformed into a custom pantry and mudroom. The floor level within the space was raised to meet the rest of the house and insulated appropriately. A newly installed pocket door divided the dining room area from the designed-to-spec pantry/beverage center. The pantry was designed to house dry storage, cleaning supplies, and dry bar supplies when the cleaning and shopping are complete. A window seat with doggie supply storage below was worked into the design to accommodate the existing elevation of the original garage window. A coat closet and a small set of steps divide the pantry from the mudroom entry. The mudroom entry is marked with a striking combo of the herringbone thin-brick flooring and a custom hutch. Kids returning home from school have a designated spot to hang their coats and bookbags with two deep drawers for shoes. A custom cherry bench top adds a punctuation of warmth. The entry door and window replaced the old overhead garage doors to create the daily-used informal entry off the driveway. With the house being such a favorable area, and the clients not looking to pull up roots, Hillcrest Construction facilitated a collaborative experience and comprehensive plan to change the house for the better and make it a home to grow within.

Bliss Garden Design
Photo of a contemporary landscaping in Seattle.

NATURE, TENNIS & COOKING GOES SO WELL TOGETHER IN THE ESCAPE OF EAST HAMPTON, NY. Always exciting to see nature at is best. The flora and fauna that surrounds the lifestyle of the Hamptons. Nature, Tennis & Cooking Outdoors with friends and family. No better scenario for this Outdoor Kitchen Grill island quickly identified by the 4 red knobs by WOLF. Whether its indoors or outdoor the wolf Grill cooktop performs perfectly. This island positioned at the end of the sprawling deck over looking the tennis court and if you look carefully the deer meandering in the back drop by the Green Giant Arborvitae.

Joy King or The Sound Vision
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary vinyl floor multiuse home gym remodel in Detroit with green walls

This adaptive reuse project brought new life to an old carriage house in one of Philadelphia’s most historic neighborhoods. After serving a multitude of functions over the years, Philadelphia’s Historic commission was brought in to help identify original details and colors that brought the building back to its original beauty.