Finished Results: Front Exterior -Chapman Windows and Doors
Mid-sized traditional beige three-story vinyl exterior home idea in Philadelphia with a shingle roof

Photo by Jim Raycroft Our client for this project, an amateur pianist, wanted to create a music room for a nice new piano he was planning to purchase. The project scope would also include a new kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living space, but the new piano was the priority. LIFTING THE CEILING The client was moving into a row house, and hoped to accommodate occasional gatherings of musician friends for informal recitals. Because acoustics were important we asked sound engineers from Acentech to visit the site. They noted that the ideal space would have higher ceilings and would be more like a cube than the “half a cube” we were dealing with. “How can we raise the ceiling and make the space a cube?” our client asked. Designer Josy Raycroft started to explore the possibility of combining the second and third floor units by removing the front half of second floor ceiling, thereby opening up a 2-story music space in the shape of a nearly perfect cube. Thus, the project turned from a straightforward floor plan modification into a complete reimagining of the whole row house, with the client’s new Steinway D as the focal point. Josy and the client started with the piano and created the space around it. ADDRESSING EVERYDAY NEEDS For the client’s more mundane needs, Josy switched the location of the bathroom and kitchen—moving the bathroom towards the middle of the second floor where it would be convenient to the rest of the spaces, and placing the kitchen towards the back. The remainder of the third floor was transformed into bedroom and office space open to the music room below. Products and finishes coordinator Karin Mahdavi worked with the client to select understated finishes for the living spaces so that they would support the piano room without competing with it. As a result the living spaces flow seamlessly into the piano space, creating a coherent whole out of the different parts, kind of like a Schubert piano sonata.

This truly magnificent King City Project is the ultra-luxurious family home you’ve been dreaming of! This immaculate 5 bedroom residence has stunning curb appeal, with a beautifully designed white Cape Cod wood siding, professionally landscaped gardens, precisely positioned home on 3 acre lot and a private driveway leading up to the 4 car garage including workshop. This beautiful 8200 square foot Georgian style home is every homeowners dream plus a beautiful 5800 square foot walkout basement. The English inspired exterior cladding and landscaping has an endless array of attention and detail. The handpicked materials of the interior has endless exceptional unfinished oak hardwood throughout, varying 9” to 12” plaster crown mouldings throughout and see each room accented with upscale interior light fixtures. Spend the end of your hard worked days in our beautiful Conservatory walking out of the kitchen/family room, this open concept room his met with high ceilings and 60 linear feet of glass looking out onto 3 acres of land. Our exquisite Bloomsbury Kitchen designed kitchen is a hand painted work of art. Simple but stunning craftsmanship for this gourmet kitchen with a 10ft calacatta island and countertops. 2 apron sinks incorporated into counter and islands with 2-Georgian Bridge polished nickel faucets. Our 60” range will help every meal taste better than the last. 3 stainless steel fridges. The bright breakfast area is ideal for enjoying morning meals and conversation while overlooking the verdant backyard, or step out to the conservatory to savor your meals under the stars. All accented with Carrara backsplash. Also, on the main level is the expansive Master Suite with stunning views of the countryside, and a magnificent ensuite washroom, featuring built-in cabinetry, a makeup counter, an oversized glass shower, and a separate free standing tub. All is sitting on a beautifully layout of carrara floor tiles. All bedrooms have abundant walk-in closet space, large windows and full ensuites with heated floor in all tiled areas. Hardwood floors throughout have been such an important detail in this home. We take a lot of pride in the finish as well as the planning that went into designing the floors. We have a wide variety of French parque flooring, herringbone in main areas as well as chevron in our dining room and eating areas. Feel the texture on your feet as this oak hardwood comes to life with its beautiful stained finished. 75% of the home is a paneling heaven. The entire first floor leading up to the second floor has extensive recessed panels, archways and bead board from floor to ceiling to give it that country feel. Our main floor spiral staircase is nothing but luxury with its simple handrails and beautifully stained steps. Walk out onto two Garden Walkways, one off of the kitchen and the other off of the master bedroom hallway. BBQ area or just relaxing in front of a wood burning fireplace looking off of a porch with clean cut glass railings. Our wood burning fireplace can be seen in the basement, first floor and exterior of the garden walkway terrace. These fireplaces are cladded with Owen Sound limestone and having a herringbone designed box. To help enjoy these fireplaces, take full advantage of the two storey electronic dumbwaiter elevator for the firewood. Get work done in our 600 square foot office, that is surrounded by oak recessed paneling, custom crafted built ins and hand carved oak desk, all looking onto 3 acres of country side. Enjoy wine? See our beautifully designed wine cellar finished with marble border and pebble stone floor to give you that authentic feel of a real winery. This handcrafted room holds up to 3000 bottles of wine and is a beautiful feature every home should have. Wine enthusiasts will love the climatized wine room for displaying and preserving your extensive collection. This wine room has floor to ceiling glass looking onto the family room of the basement with a wood burning fireplace. After your long meal and couple glasses of wine, see our 1500 square foot gym with all the latest equipment and rubber floor and surrounded in floor to ceiling mirrors. Once you’re done with your workout, you have the option of using our traditional sauna, infrared sauna or taking a dip in the hot tub. Extras include a side entrance to the mudroom, two spacious cold rooms, a CVAC system throughout, 400 AMP Electrical service with generator for entire home, a security system, built-in speakers throughout and Control4 Home automation system that includes lighting, audio & video and so much more. A true pride of ownership and masterpiece built and managed by Dellfina Homes Inc.

A small and elegant condominium rises out of a 90’s era building. Turning a dated studio apartment into a luxury short-term rental property alleviates the stress that tourists experience when booking accommodations in Vancouver. Rivaling any 5-star downtown hotel this gem, across from the Seabreeze Walkway, was renovated to attract tourists from all over the world. The floor plan was kept intact and given a much-needed facelift. The dated flooring was removed and durable vinyl-plank flooring was put in its place. The custom cabinetry in the kitchen has a fresh feel with ivory flush doors juxtaposed with walnut cubbies and accents. Quartz, Stratuarietto counters with an elegant waterfall peninsula partition the kitchen from the living room. The peninsula island was deepened to accommodate seating. “It’s important to use the same materials throughout a small space, notes the designer, as you don’t want to overstimulate the senses”. The same walnut millwork and quartz are seen again in the bathroom. The tub was removed to make way for a walk-in shower, tiled in a floral and herringbone pattern. Plumbing fixtures and accessories are in brass or flat black finishes giving this space the perfect balance of femininity and masculinity. Complete with a washer and dryer and storage room, a small space designed right, can feel grandiose.

Inspiration for a kitchen remodel in Portland

Simple and elegant, our mid-century-inspired Aria counter table is handmade in Wisconsin. The pedestal is crafted from one piece of spun steel, so there are no seams or joints to spoil the look. Plus, the pedestal maximizes seating and frees up leg space, especially important in small spaces. With a wide range of top and size options to choose from, Aria is a modern dining table you can personalize for your needs. Please note: overall height may vary slightly depending on the top material you select.

Blue Slate Flooring, Floating Shelves, Wood Shelving, Book Storage, Cork Wall, Bulletin Board, White Walls
Mid-sized beach style built-in desk home office photo in San Diego with white walls

Understanding that renovations can be the ultimate in Sustainable Architecture, the center portion of the house was carefully dismantled and repurposed while leaving the ends of the original to be restored as private spaces and allowing the expansion of the public spaces: entry, kitchen, dining and living in the middle. Taking advantage of the temperate climate of Menlo Park, the modern ideal of indoor/outdoor living is achieved at every important private and public space. Generous glazed window walls and doors allow view and access to private gardens and yards. The second floor suite is provided access to a private sun deck while the double height great room: an open plan encompassing the kitchen, dining and living spaces; completely opens to a patio with the help of a large 7’ tall by 22’ long multi-panel pocket sliding glass door. ©serrao design/architecture, unless otherwise noted

Two features here to note: One: Alignments (sight lines) are essential for a sense of flow, ease, and peaceful balance in a space. Sight lines are especially important in interior remodels, where we have only the existing space to work with: where creating the impression of spaciousness within a defined square footage is the goal. Here the dining room and kitchen are brought into alignment: Kitchen aisle, dining chandelier, table, and window beyond. Two: Existing walls are removed, but a sense of definition between spaces remains, avoiding the undefined, cavernous 'great room' effect. Kitchen, dining, and living room all contiguous and open to each other, but clear in their function. Spatial definition within open areas both increases the sense of space and facilitates the comfort of limits.

This detailed Victorian tiled hallway at a property in Camden was overdue some much-needed repair and maintenance. The owners of the property appreciated that original period features like this add a lot of value to a property and asked me to visit the property to quote for renovating it. The property was in a terrace of similar properties most of which appeared to have retained their Victorian character. I inspected the floor and found there were a couple of loose, cracked, worn and broken tiles that needed to be replaced. In addition, the floor tiles needed a deep clean and then seal to bring back the wow factor. I was confident we could renovate the floor but at that point unsure if we would be able to find exact match replacements for the damaged tiles. Fortunately, Victorian tiles are still in demand and I knew of several companies I could check with so I was confident they could be found. We discussed how long the work would take and assuming I could source the replacements agreed a price for the full restoration of the floor. After doing some research I managed to find suitable replacements with a company called Original Style and the work was scheduled for the following month. Firstly, we prepared all areas with protective tapes to threshold edges and skirting. This was followed by spaying the tiles with a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is product designed to remove old sealers and coatings. After about ten minutes the tiles were scrubbed with black scrubbing pads and scrubbing brushes. Fresh water was used to rinse the floor and the slurry was extracted using a wet vacuum. The floor was inspected and then a second clean carried out, this time using Tile Doctor Pro-Clean which is a Tile and Grout cleaning agent. The same process of application was used and after rinsing and extracting the dirt the tiles were given a steam clean. This ensured all the dirt was lifted out of the pores of the tile and the floor was now as clean as it possible could be. The next step was the remove the loose and cracked tiles using the reclaimed tiles we had sourced earlier. Some cuts were necessary to get the replacements to match the originals but overall the plan worked. A quick drying adhesive was used to secure the tiles so we could apply the grout shortly after. The whole floor was then re-grouted and cleaned off to ensure a good match. The floor was left to dry off overnight, and you could already see it was now looking considerably improved. Returning the next morning we checked the floor was dry using a moisture meter, this is important as to apply a sealer to damp tiles will lead to a patchy experience. All was well so we were ready to apply the sealer. To start a single base coat of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer was applied to the floor and left to dry. This sealer is an impregnator that protects from within by occupying the pores in the clay tile improving colour in the process. This sealer does leave a matt finish however and the client wanted a subtle shine so one dry it was followed by four coats of Tile Doctor Seal & Go. The combination of the two sealers works really well to add long lasting protection to the tiles and provide the desired finish to the floor. The floor was much improved, and the client was delighted. The detailed pattern and colours were now much more prominent, and the hallway looked much more inviting for both the owner and their guests. For the aftercare of Victorian tiles, I recommended the use of Tile Doctor Neutral Cleaner which is pH neutral and won’t prematurely erode the life of the sealer. Nigel Voyce North London Tile Doctor

The Neion Plus incorporates a lot of the features of the Neion whilst including the features of a heated seat and prewetting of the bowl. The design is strictly modern with the straight lines fitting in with any contemporary bathroom design. The Neion Plus has an extensive list of features as shown below: • Simplified installation - RPZ valve not required • Comfort front and rear washing functions • Water pressure and temperature control • Drying function with air temperature control • LED ambient light • Deodorisor • Heated seat with adjustable temperature • Prewetting of the bowl • Removable self-cleaning nozzle • Backlit glass status panel Boasting a hard wearing, rimless ceramic pan and a nozzle that is self-cleaning before and after every use plus the tank runs a self-cleaning mode if left in standby for an extended period of time. WELS 4 star 4.5/3 litres. WELS License / Reg No: 1483 / L07620 NOTE: IMPORTANT – refer to the installation guide on the website for correct install criteria. The Neion floor mount water closet pan with integrated bidet seat complies with WMTS-051. Bidet seat has integral break tank with air gap complying with AS 2845.2. Thus it meets the High-Hazard backflow prevention requirements of AS/NZS 3500.1 without the need for a RPZ valve.

It’s important to enter and leave your home on a positive note so we beautified what was a stark hallway with a long Persian runner, vintage finish mirror and added a unique walnut floating shelf for storage.

This Austin family wanted an updated kitchen in their Highland Hills home. We added a gorgeous blue Moroccan tile backsplash for a burst of color and built-in cabinetry and shelving for storage galore. The white cabinets are a nice contrast to the blue tile and new stainless appliances (plus a stainless farmhouse sink!). Picture frame windows open up the space, and there's plenty of seating at the island, which is also tiled. Let us help you transform your kitchen—contact us! http://www.auradesignbuild.com/contact/

Note.... No more diswasher completing for the sink or stove area. We also wrapped the counters around the corner into the dining room. space for a coffee center and additional cabinets. Space usage was very important for the cook in this family.

Placement of your TV relative to your furniture, speakers, etc. is crucial to the overall design aesthetic. If your TV will be mounted above a cabinet with nothing on top of it, we typically recommend the bottom of the TV be no less than two inches and no more than six inches from the top of the cabinet. The latter, six inches, should only be with very large TVs and/or very tall ceilings. If there will be a speaker or some sort of decoration on top of the table, we typically error on the side of less space from the top of whatever that is to the bottom of the TV rather than more. This job was particularly interesting because we were dealing with a curved TV mounted above a soundbar with the added design challenge of incorporating the existing chair rail on the wall. In the end, we decided to marry the bottom of the soundbar with the top of the chair rail. From that decision, we could determine the top of the soundbar and place the TV wall bracket in such a way that there would be a 1-2 inch gap between the bottom of the TV and the wall mounted soundbar. Note that your TV mount comes in two parts. One part attaches to the wall, the other part is usually two arms that connect to the TV. The two parts essentially hook together for an easy hanging installation. Its important to measure according to where the hooking will take place (rather than the outside edge of the TV per se) in order to achieve proper spacing.

The architect and designer Guy Derwent was approached by his client with a clear and compelling brief: to completely transform a grand Victorian terrace house they were planning to renovate. The client envisioned something far beyond a standard renovation – this was to be a bold and dramatic reimagining of a family home that could grow with them over time. With the property having remained largely untouched for more than fifty years, the architects saw an opportunity to unlock its potential and deliver a contemporary design that would contrast beautifully with its Victorian heritage. The existing layout consisted of a series of small, disconnected rooms to the rear of the house. To respond to the client’s need for openness and flexibility, the architect proposed a radical restructuring of the ground floor: The rear rooms were completely removed Suspended timber floors were lowered by up to two metres to align with the garden Two bold extensions were added The first extension filled in the side return with a London stock brick facade and a glazed roof, while the second – a striking black steel and glass pavilion was glazed on three sides and placed along the garden elevation. This new pavilion redefined the building’s relationship with the garden. Its steel-framed glazing created a seamless dialogue between interior and exterior, offering a sense of immersion in the surrounding landscape. At the heart of the plan sits a dramatic, five-metre-tall dining space that acts as a transition from the original entrance hall into the new addition. A large, circular cast-glass window, framed in steel, provides a visual and spatial link between old and new, allowing light and movement to travel through the depth of the home. Throughout the project, a series of black metal elements were introduced as sculptural interventions – each marking moments of transformation within the house. These included the bespoke steel framed circular window, a custom metal staircase, a cylindrical support column, and the striking steel and glass garden pavilion. Together, they formed a coherent architectural language that underscored the project’s bold intent. Our steel windows and doors played a vital role in delivering the project’s vision. The architects chose steel for its refined sight lines and distinctive material character, which helped bridge the gap between the historical context of the building and the bold new additions. The black steel frames provided a crisp contrast to the pale London stock brick and added definition to the glazed pavilion, reinforcing the sense of architectural precision. In particular, the fine steel profiles of the garden room allowed the extension to feel both lightweight and immersive, blurring the boundary between the house and its garden. The architect drew inspiration from the Bauhaus Movement, particularly the work of Walter Gropius, whose approach to functional beauty and industrial materials informed the design of the garden pavilion. Here, our glazing system was used not just for transparency, but as an expressive architectural element. The carefully proportioned panels help to conceal the roof thickness and reinforce the pavilion’s industrial yet abstract character – a deliberate nod to product design and modernist detailing. Sustainability was an important factor in the selection of materials. Our steel systems, made from 99% recycled content and 100% recyclable, aligned with the project’s broader environmental goals. The architects noted that this commitment to material longevity and circularity was central to their decision to use steel. The durability and recyclability of the windows and doors ensured the project met both aesthetic and ethical criteria. This London terrace house now stands as a celebration of contrast – between heritage and innovation, solidity and transparency, tradition and transformation. Our steel windows and doors were not simply components; they were essential tools in crafting a home that is as bold and expressive as it is functional. The result is a home designed for modern family life, where light, space, and materiality come together in perfect harmony.

Design ideas for a southwestern landscaping in Phoenix.

This sunny design aims to capture amazing views as well as every ray of sunlight throughout the day. Architectural accents of the past give this modern barn-inspired design a historical look and importance. Custom details enhance both the exterior and interior, giving this home real curb appeal. Decorative brackets and large windows surround the main entrance, welcoming friends and family to the handsome board and batten exterior, which also features a solid stone foundation, varying symmetrical roof lines with interesting pitches, trusses, and a charming cupola over the garage. An ARDA for Published Designs goes to Visbeen Architects, Inc. Designers: Visbeen Architects, Inc. with Vision Interiors by Visbeen From: East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Given the sheer size of the room, it was important to match proportions of the furniture with the available space, while also maintaining a minimalist aesthetic. Traditional night stands tend to be low and small and wouldn't match the scale of the space. Instead, desks in place of night stands provide a unique alternative that better fits the scale of the room, providing a functional and well-used spot.