Pool - pool idea in Sydney

Bath of the Year winner for the 2016 Pinnacle Awards. This bath features Calacatta Caldia marble and Brazilian Perla quartzite. Imported, fabricated, installed, and designed by Ceramic Harmony in Huntsville, AL.

Craftsman built with vinyl siding
Arts and crafts exterior home photo in DC Metro

While this new home had an architecturally striking exterior, the home’s interior fell short in terms of true functionality and overall style. The most critical element in this renovation was the kitchen and dining area, which needed careful attention to bring it to the level that suited the home and the homeowners. As a graduate of Culinary Institute of America, our client wanted a kitchen that “feels like a restaurant, with the warmth of a home kitchen,” where guests can gather over great food, great wine, and truly feel comfortable in the open concept home. Although it follows a typical chef’s galley layout, the unique design solutions and unusual materials set it apart from the typical kitchen design. Polished countertops, laminated and stainless cabinets fronts, and professional appliances are complemented by the introduction of wood, glass, and blackened metal – materials introduced in the overall design of the house. Unique features include a wall clad in walnut for dangling heavy pots and utensils; a floating, sculptural walnut countertop piece housing an herb garden; an open pantry that serves as a coffee bar and wine station; and a hanging chalkboard that hides a water heater closet and features different coffee offerings available to guests. The dining area addition, enclosed by windows, continues to vivify the organic elements and brings in ample natural light, enhancing the darker finishes and creating additional warmth. Photos by Ira Montgomery

The masonry walls are a combination of Ohio sandstone and Pennsylvania bluestone. There is cut sandstone trim and the rubble stone walls are a custom selected blend of fieldstone. The substantial corner quoins were reclaimed from an old stone wall formed of large hand-hewn blocks. All of the stone walls batter in slightly from top to bottom.

This contemporary 18,000 sq. ft. home in Paradise Valley, Arizona is a perfect mix of Gray limestone used on all horizontal surfaces and Cream, vein cut limestone on all vertical surfaces. The Gray limestone flooring was mud packed to meet 1.5 in. wood flooring areas using uncoupling membrane throughout. Numerous hours went into the layout to insure architectural detail lines were met. Oversized tiles were planned to ensure all layouts met crucial lines per the design. Blue limestone was used setting the path to the front entry. All pieces at the edges were mitered to appear to be thick, block stone. The veneer walls were alternated in size to reach the exact width at the top band of the walls. The edge detailing created interesting shadow play, both day and night, at interior and exterior locations. This detail is also noted on the fireplaces. Blue limestone hearths, which floated at all locations, used the same quirk mitered edges. Five showers throughout the main house share the same veneer and flooring materials. Blue limestone slab benches were fabricated to rest on a stainless steel frame. The shower floors were mapped out to the exact dimensions so there were no cuts, but rather the same size pieces continually framing the space to the center drain.

Home design - modern home design idea

The challenge for this project was to find materials that fit into the owners' architectural style, selfentitled "Texas Hill Country Contemporary"; warm and inviting, but also clean and contemporary. The architect and the owners were determined not to copy the typical "Tuscan" style so popular for upscale homes in the Austin area. The main feature of the house is the use of both indoor and outdoor spaces and is designed so that everyday life flows through all of the spaces. The material selections had to be compatible to color schemes inside and out, blending with the local cut stone used on the exterior of the house, but also functional in their application. Interior flooring: AG&M furnished hone finish Selina Gold limestone tile from Egypt for the majority of ground floor paving. This material has a wide range of color, the selection was made from a particular quarry and a particular layer within that quarry. Exterior paving, pool coping, fireplace facing: Goldstone granite was chosen because it performs well in exterior applications and has the soft coloring of limestone. The paving and coping is chisel finish and the outdoor fireplace is clad with split face Goldstone to match. Kitchen countertops: Apollo Storm granite in a polish finish with matching full-height, endmatched backsplash.

Pool - pool idea in Central Coast