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.

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Chicago

Gallegos was contacted by a client about a project where stone was not just to be an accent material, but the main visual and perceived structural element to create a timeless architectural composition. To further the endeavor: all veneers and dimension stone must be locally sourced and sustainably quarried. The design called for a moss rock veneer with cut stone trim. Sourcing the sandstone moss rock was simple because there were several local quarries to use. The problem was with the trim pieces. Gallegos selected Colorado Buff sandstone for the trim since the buff body was a good contrast to the moss rock and it is a stone that can be cut to size. One main concern with any sedimentary stone is hitting what is known as a “dry” layer in the ledge. This is an area in the stone between sedimentary layers that has not solidified or cemented. It is still granular and can lead to future stone failure as water penetrates these layers and creates freeze/thaw issues. To avoid this, they used an epoxy injected into the dry layers to help solidify the material and prevent any future failures. The client also wanted sustainable materials for their countertops and bathrooms. Many of the interior stones were either reclaimed materials or were sourced from Colorado quarries – Calacatta Lincoln was used extensively. Gallegos sourced tiles from reclamation projects in Europe and Asia for use in the master bath and front entry areas. For many of the countertops, the owner’s interior designer spent hours looking through remnants and applied several throughout the residence. Willow Court is a spectacular and dramatic nod to stone masonry, something the owner, architect, and builder can be proud of and, for the most part, was built with the environment in mind.

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.

Situated on a triangular corner site, the Buena Vista Residence is a well proportioned home that responds to the scale of the neighborhood context. The building’s modern aesthetic is immediately apparent in the two wood-clad volumes connected by a tall glass atrium all sitting atop a concrete plinth. The variegated tone and grain of the redwood siding, reclaimed from nearby Hanger One at Moffett Field, achieves an ideal balance between the home’s clean, structured lines and the urban foliage surrounding the site. A concrete and steel exterior staircase provides a bold yet inviting approach to the home’s second floor entrance. Image by Sharon Risedorph.

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.

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.

Inspiration for a transitional living room remodel in Houston

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 appeal of this Spanish Colonial home starts at the front elevation with clean lines and elegant simplicity and continues to the interior with white-washed walls adorned in old world decor. In true hacienda form, the central focus of this home is the 2-story volume of the Kitchen-Dining-Living rooms. From the moment of arrival, we are treated with an expansive view past the catwalk to the large entertaining space with expansive full height windows at the rear. The wood ceiling beams, hardwood floors, and swooped fireplace walls are reminiscent of old world Spanish or Andalusian architecture. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to Southwest Design Studio, Inc. Designers: Stephen Shively with partners in building From: Bee Cave, Texas

This design blends the recent revival of mid-century aesthetics with the timelessness of a country farmhouse. Each façade features playfully arranged windows tucked under steeply pitched gables. Natural wood lapped siding emphasizes this home's more modern elements, while classic white board & batten covers the core of this house. A rustic stone water table wraps around the base and contours down into the rear view-out terrace. A Grand ARDA for Custom Home Design goes to Visbeen Architects, Inc. Designers: Vision Interiors by Visbeen with AVB Inc From: East Grand Rapids, Michigan

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Stark Residence Davey, Nebraska Paver Designs LLC The pool deck and entertainment area required three different levels, with several retaining walls to support each level. 72 LED ledge lights illuminate walls, columns and steps. Light colored pavers were used to minimize heat. The minimum base depth for this project was 12 inches with the pavers placed over bedding sand. The mosaic "Koi fish" were made using hollandstone pavers. A sealer was applied to the pavers to enrich their colors. The fish were selected by the homeowners from several sketches and the swirls were hand drawn with chalk until they were just right. They were then individually cut into the pool deck.

Inspiration for a contemporary two-story glass exterior home remodel in Miami

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.

Despite the billion-dollar views, premium homes are scant atop the Palisades. When the designer set out to create the perfect Palisades aerie, complete with a private pool, it proved to be quiet the undertaking. This property is situated just behind the cliff's edge with fantastic views, but equally as many challenges. After nearly three years of arduous renovations and improvements, it's now a sophisticated retreat with modern, industrial finishes throughout. Without a doubt, the crowning achievement of this spectacular renovation is the 10 foot by 12 foot stainless steel pool and hot tub situated on the roof. The 2017 Global Choice ARDA goes to Dixon Projects Designer: Dixon Projects From: New York, New York

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Stark Residence Davey, Nebraska Paver Designs LLC The pool deck and entertainment area required three different levels, with several retaining walls to support each level. 72 LED ledge lights illuminate walls, columns and steps. Light colored pavers were used to minimize heat. The minimum base depth for this project was 12 inches with the pavers placed over bedding sand. The mosaic "Koi fish" were made using hollandstone pavers. A sealer was applied to the pavers to enrich their colors. The fish were selected by the homeowners from several sketches and the swirls were hand drawn with chalk until they were just right. They were then individually cut into the pool deck.

On a through-block lot stretching between two streets, this house responds with two faces- a restored Victorian facade addresses the more formal frontage, and a modern one opens onto the other. The old facade is an elegant mask fronting three original rooms of handsome proportion. The modern face is an open gable framing two levels of family rooms with operable glass walls and a syncopated screen of white recyclable plastic. Inside, old and new blend together in an open suite of rooms. Upstairs, the existing attic was mined for unused space to create quirky gabled bedrooms, each with its own character. Image by Bruce Damonte.

HNA Hardscape Project Award Winner Mahaz Project Sand Point, Michigan Esch Landscaping LLC This 3,300 square feet project was constructed on the beach of Lake Huron in Michigan. The house and landscape began on an empty lot between two homes using interlocking concrete pavers. The designer addressed elevations, proximity regulations with neighboring homes, and construction deadlines while working with clients living in another state. The owners required an outdoor kitchen, firepit, shower and sun bathing area, shade for comfort when entertaining guests and easy access to the beach. The hardscape team met challenges by coordinating and sharing space with the home construction crews. This project began in March so the wind and weather caused difficult working conditions with site facing the open water.

Entry Courtyard
Inspiration for a timeless brown floor front door remodel in Indianapolis with beige walls