The designer was engaged by a client to create a ranch that would be used for hosting corporate retreats and private or small group instruction. The scope of work included a stable, a covered round ring, a tractor/equipment barn, a caretakers house, hay barn, main private residence, open arena with viewing, a small round open arena with viewing, multiple horse shelters, paddocks, accessory structures, and pavilions. A Grand ARDA for Outdoor Living Design goes to Mountainworks Designers: Travis Mileti, Marie Mileti, Valerie Chastain, and Nick Mileti From: Cashiers, North Carolina

The client’s coastal New England roots inspired this Shingle style design for a lakefront lot. With a background in interior design, her ideas strongly influenced the process, presenting both challenge and reward in executing her exact vision. Vintage coastal style grounds a thoroughly modern open floor plan, designed to house a busy family with three active children. A primary focus was the kitchen, and more importantly, the butler’s pantry tucked behind it. Flowing logically from the garage entry and mudroom, and with two access points from the main kitchen, it fulfills the utilitarian functions of storage and prep, leaving the main kitchen free to shine as an integral part of the open living area. An ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Royal Oaks Design Designer: Kieran Liebl From: Oakdale, Minnesota

Traditional Thai homes are usually built as a cluster of physically separated rooms arranged around a large central terrace. Interpreting the traditional typology of the Thai houses, the Residence Navathani consists in two parallel wings, separated by a large garden and a swimming pool. The objective of the stone architecture is to give a sense of unity and blend the building with trees, plants and other natural landscape. Trees are often allowed to grow in the central area of the traditional Thai house with plants always featured prominently to create a strong relationship with nature. The choice of Thai travertine as the main stone for the building stems from the following objectives: first, the stone must display a strong natural character with contrasting color hues and crystalline veins, which contribute to blending the architecture into the landscape. Second, the design of the stone provides a sense of unity to the building. The façade of each wing displays an array of columns of various widths and spacings and there is an alignment of the columns between the two wings. The texture is rough on the outside face of the columns and honed on the sides as it continues through the window to the inside of the house. The two wings are connected by a long screen wall that separates the drop-off area from the private areas. This wall is pierced with square openings which helps to show a relationship between the two areas. The façade facing the entrance features stone in contrasting but related ways: the right hand wing is clad with honed stone on top of a large window, while the opposite wing displays a chiseled stone wall on the bottom with a large window on top. The architecture extends to the outside of the right-hand wing with a private theater of a modern contemporary design. The stone featured on the façade changes to a minimalist grey basalt while continuing the column concept with the alternate textures grooved on the facing and honed on the sides.

Shake siding is used in whole house applications or as an accent, most commonly on gables and dormers. These profiles add distinction to a design and greatly enhance curb appeal. Because of the versatility of the technology, vinyl siding can comprehensively recreate a great variety of shingle profiles in this creative cladding type.

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.

Formerly the workshop of mid-century artisans, this manufacturing building in NYC's SoHo neighborhood was transformed into an 11,000 sf townhouse. The home features a full level spa, two-story living room, six bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, and rooftop addition with pool. Neighboring buildings were underpinned to lower the cellar to accommodate the spa which features dry stacked stone walls that blend into the swimming pool and hot tub and are featured throughout the entire level. The architect’s vision was to have visual recognition that the space was below ground. Thinking about the striations of the earth beneath its surface, he was inspired by the Therme Baths and Spa in Zurich where all the walls are clad with narrow strips of Vals quartzite. After seeing a rendering, the stone supplier advised that only certain stones could survive constant submersion in pool water and the stone should not have the cleft face he had originally imagined due to bacteria issues. Honed, Super Grey granite with white veining was used – the slabs cut into long 3” wide strips installed at random lengths to accentuate the concept of layering as found in the Earth. The kitchen was designed to feel more like a furnished room to integrate with the family room. The architect addressed this through materials and the design of the over-sized island. The countertop is the only veined stone in the kitchen – a beautiful single slab of Super White marble. The island is clad in mirror-polished stainless steel, transforming it into a beautiful piece of furniture that blends into the space. A two-story living room with 22' ceilings created a problem of comfortable scale. The key was the fireplace – the strongest vertical element in the room. By using horizontal vein-cut slabs of light-colored Driftwood marble, the scale of the space instantly became more intimate.

Beautiful olive clapboard siding, walnut shakes, and heritage brown shingles ... all vinyl siding.
Contemporary exterior home idea in DC Metro

Contractor: Slachta Home Improvement
Inspiration for a small timeless gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile alcove bathtub remodel in New York with an undermount sink, marble countertops, a one-piece toilet, gray walls and black cabinets

The project was done in a residence on 5th Avenue in New York City. The project was designed by Molyneaux Studio, the contractor was Clark Construction. There were three separate rooms involved in the job, his bath, her bath, and a powder room. All the stone was two centimeters thick. Green and White Onyx were used in his bath, while Yellow and White Onyx was selected for her bathroom. The powder room was done in Calacatta Vagil. Everything, except the shower floors were polished. The shower walls were flat panels. The rest of the walls in both baths were done as a wainscot. This wainscot was designed in a stile, rail with beveled cetner panel all set on top of a profiled base and topped off with a profiled chair rail. The door casings were built up to mimic three inch thick material. This build up was done in such a way that no lamination is visible. Projects of this nature pose challenges of many different types. The most difficult challenge comes from the fragile nature of the material and working it into such a wide variety of different elements. Of course, the stile and rail design require a great degree of fabricating accuracy. I think my fellow fabricators can appreciate the skill and effort required to complete a project of this nature.

Formerly the workshop of mid-century artisans, this manufacturing building in NYC's SoHo neighborhood was transformed into an 11,000 sf townhouse. The home features a full level spa, two-story living room, six bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, and rooftop addition with pool. Neighboring buildings were underpinned to lower the cellar to accommodate the spa which features dry stacked stone walls that blend into the swimming pool and hot tub and are featured throughout the entire level. The architect’s vision was to have visual recognition that the space was below ground. Thinking about the striations of the earth beneath its surface, he was inspired by the Therme Baths and Spa in Zurich where all the walls are clad with narrow strips of Vals quartzite. After seeing a rendering, the stone supplier advised that only certain stones could survive constant submersion in pool water and the stone should not have the cleft face he had originally imagined due to bacteria issues. Honed, Super Grey granite with white veining was used – the slabs cut into long 3” wide strips installed at random lengths to accentuate the concept of layering as found in the Earth. The kitchen was designed to feel more like a furnished room to integrate with the family room. The architect addressed this through materials and the design of the over-sized island. The countertop is the only veined stone in the kitchen – a beautiful single slab of Super White marble. The island is clad in mirror-polished stainless steel, transforming it into a beautiful piece of furniture that blends into the space. A two-story living room with 22' ceilings created a problem of comfortable scale. The key was the fireplace – the strongest vertical element in the room. By using horizontal vein-cut slabs of light-colored Driftwood marble, the scale of the space instantly became more intimate.

Photo: Ten Ten Creative
Wet bar - transitional single-wall dark wood floor and brown floor wet bar idea in Dallas with shaker cabinets, black cabinets, black backsplash, subway tile backsplash and gray countertops

As Sheila Gibson Stoodley writes in an article about this project in Robb Report, “Brian Hemingway is sensitive to light in the best way possible.” “The Vancouver, British Columbia-based architect wanted this 22,000-square-foot home near Boston to glow like a lantern at night, and he attained that goal on behalf of the homeowners.” The wood and stone that Hemingway favored for the home informed the space’s color palette. So critical were these materials that settling on a shade of stain for the Douglas fir and the finishes to be used on the Virginia Mist granite took months of consultation. Walker Zanger, the stone supplier, worked with the owner and with Colin Flavin, a Boston-based architect who partnered with Hemingway, to choose, detail, and fabricate the granite. The stone is used indoors and out, heightening the boundary-blurring effect that the design team desired. Though the owners are ardent art collectors, they did not build their home to showcase specific works; the real artists here are the architects, Hemingway and Flavin. So deft were they at inviting nature into their creation that, from certain angles, it can be hard to tell where the outdoors stops and starts. “There are deliberately no window treatments so that Mother Nature weaves the most beautiful textural backgrounds,” said interior designer Andrew Sheinman, of New York’s Pembrooke & Ives. He oversaw the interiors, working alongside his colleague Michael Lewis. “The seasons change the look and aspect of the house,” said Sheinman, “and we wanted to play on this.” Bleu de Savoie marble, from France, is used in the baths, to contrast with the Virginia Mist granite and soften the palette and give the baths a spa-like serenity. Hand-chiseled Oxford Black granite is used on exterior landscape walls, to tie the Virginia Mist seamlessly to the natural stone outcroppings.

Gun Room
Mountain style beige floor mudroom photo in Indianapolis with beige walls and a dark wood front door

2018 HNA Awards Honorable Mention - Combination of Hardscape Products - Commercial Contractor: Monello Landscape Industries, LLC Producer: Techo-Bloc Designer: Joe Monello The design featured ADA compliant sensory gardens and bistro tables for the residents. Additionally, an outdoor kitchen with a television and audio and lighting system was installed. Monello also incorporated two water features and different textured pavers along with pergolas, seat walls and a custom company logo. The entire courtyard was installed to ICPI and NCMA guidelines. Monello also coordinated with multiple trades and specialists for their insight and knowledge of specific installation practices. Monello decided to incorporate two different pavers, smooth pavers for wheelchairs and textures pavers for designated areas (kitchens, seating areas, sensory gardens). Raised planters at ADA height, featuring a centered three core-drilled basalt stones. Includes inlay and a color-complimented border. The outdoor kitchen has a lowered granite section specifically for residents in wheelchairs. This section of the kitchen is also mirrored by the Techo Bloc Villagio paver border around this inlay. Additionally, the company extended the pergola runners to create more shade for the people sitting at the kitchen. This featured area of the courtyard is located under a massive pergola. The central water feature creates a serene sitting environment and serves as an oasis in the center of this enclosed courtyard complete with the sounds of running water, beautiful plantings, and complementing lights.

This home was designed with a clean, modern aesthetic that imposes a commanding view of its expansive riverside lot. The wide-span, open wing design provides a feeling of open movement and flow throughout the home. Interior design elements are tightly edited to their most elemental form. Simple yet daring lines simultaneously convey a sense of energy and tranquility. Super-matte, zero sheen finishes are punctuated by brightly polished stainless steel and are further contrasted by thoughtful use of natural textures and materials. The judges said “this home would be like living in a sculpture. It’s sleek and luxurious at the same time.” The award for Best In Show goes to RG Designs Inc. and K2 Design Group Designers: Richard Guzman with Jenny Provost From: Bonita Springs, Florida

Architect Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Wilkes-Barre, PA Landscape Architect Michael Vergason Landscape Architects, Alexandria, VA Stone Installer Rosewood Construction, Oakland, CA Stone Supplier Northeast Millwork, Tiverton, RI Stone Quarry Vermont Soapstone, Perkinsville, VT

This sustainable home by Aidlin Darling Design celebrates the intersection of earth and sky. One enters below grade and ascends vertically through the ground to arrive in a series of glass pavilions, anchored by rammed earth walls and sheltered under kite-like floating roofs. Ecological responsibility guided the design of this LEED-Platinum, Net Zero Energy home. Earth walls utilize on-site material resources and provide thermal mass. Lightweight roof planes orient photovoltaics toward the sun, guide rainwater to cisterns, and provide shade through calibrated overhangs. Photo courtesy of Aidlin Darling Design

Kim Colwell, has a service at the Shambhalla Institute where she comes for a short consultation and shows you how to make your living or working space look and feel better, using all the great things you already own or with subtle additions. This service is called Space Revitalization.

A new home for their growing family prompted owners to construct a seven bedroom – eleven bath, eclectic Italian renaissance-style home, featuring natural stone prominently throughout. Beginning in the entrance foyer, a diagonal checkerboard pattern of Italian white Carrara and grey Bardiglio marbles trimmed with Bardiglio borders spreads out across the majority of the first floor traveling through corridors and filling the kitchen, dining room, and great room. This paving was installed on traditional drypack mortar beds with tight 1/16" joints. This honed marble paving then transitions into flamed finish Blue Nobile limestone on the exterior. Bardiglio and Carrara marbles used on the interior floor are also on all the counter tops in the kitchen area including a feature island, and the dining room table. Three fireplace surrounds also received natural stone: two with Italian Arabescato Cervaiole marble, and one with Italian Portoro marble. All eleven bathrooms in the home are clad in marble, with each uniquely different. Marbles used in these rooms were Piana Carrara, Fior Di Pesco Capria, Grigio Carnico, Arabescato Cervaioli, Nero Marquina, Aliveri Grey, Thassos White, and St. Laurent Noir. Of these eleven bathrooms, one is the showpiece of the residence, the Master Bath. With its walls clad in Arabescato Cervaioli book matched at key points, and its floor a combination of Arabescato Cervaioli, Aliveri Grey, and Nero Marquina cut into geometric patterns, it surrounds one completely in natural stone. Even the sink interiors are clad in marble. This home was not originally intended to have as much natural stone in it, but as many do after being exposed to natural stone’s beauty, the owners fell in love with it and expanded its presence. Villa Florence is a great example of what can be accomplished with a homeowner who found the passion for natural stone.