In this project, we revitalized the home's exterior with a fresh coat of paint while also addressing necessary wood repairs. The exterior paint provides a durable, weather-resistant finish that enhances curb appeal, while the wood repairs ensured the structure’s longevity and beauty. Our team carefully restored the damaged wood, seamlessly blending it with the newly painted surfaces for a cohesive and polished look.

Custom Staircase - Rift sawn white oak. Excelsior Wood Products, LLC is a full service mill and lumber supplier specializing in antique and reclaimed wood. We have the capacity to produce and ship reclaimed flooring, custom moldings, custom siding, decking, sawn and hand hewn beams, architectural millwork and a wide range of other specialty wood products to customers across the United States. As a custom mill, we also have the flexibility to produce products made from just about any type of wood, to your exact specifications. We offer flooring at a variety of widths and lengths ... unfinished or pre-finished with VOC free materials. We offer original face and textured finishes. We mill to 3/4" with an extra thick wear layer to ensure longevity and durability. We inspect every board to maximize usability and remove unsound defects. Our custom flooring is precision milled tongue and groove including back relieved. Excelsior Wood Products, LLC is a full service mill and lumber supplier specializing in antique and reclaimed wood. We have the capacity to produce and ship reclaimed flooring, custom moldings, custom siding, decking, sawn and hand hewn beams, architectural millwork and a wide range of other specialty wood products to customers across the United States. As a custom mill, we also have the flexibility to produce products made from just about any type of wood, to your exact specifications. We offer flooring at a variety of widths and lengths ... unfinished or pre-finished with VOC free materials. We offer original face and textured finishes. We mill to 3/4" with an extra thick wear layer to ensure longevity and durability. We inspect every board to maximize usability and remove unsound defects. Our custom flooring is precision milled tongue and groove including back relieved. Our mission: "Deliver the highest quality natural material, along with excellent personal customer service.” Please feel free to visit our website www.excelsiorwood.com, call (845) 339-6630 or email christina@excelsiorwood.com, come tour our facility or let us bring samples to you.339-6630 or email christina@excelsiorwood.com, come tour our facility or let us bring samples to you.

In this project, we revitalized the home's exterior with a fresh coat of paint while also addressing necessary wood repairs. The exterior paint provides a durable, weather-resistant finish that enhances curb appeal, while the wood repairs ensured the structure’s longevity and beauty. Our team carefully restored the damaged wood, seamlessly blending it with the newly painted surfaces for a cohesive and polished look.

Energy Efficiency: Every effort has been utilized to reduce and minimize energy use through an effective strategy of both passive heating and cooling, as well as state-of-the-art active solar thermal and photovoltaic on site off-grid energy production. Optimal solar orientation with an attached thermal mass food production greenhouse on the Lower Floor enables hot air to be introduced into the house during the winter, and rise via. a thermal chimney “stack effect” and distributed throughout the house. In the summer the same thermal chimney is used to channel hot air to rise up to the Upper Loft vegetated Roof Terrace, where it is exhausted. This condition provides a positive air pressure in the Winter, and a negative pressure in the summer, drawing in cooler outside air from every open window. In addition carefully proportioned roof eave overhangs provide deep passive solar gain and additional day lighting in the winter, and cooling shade in the summer. Active mechanical systems include solar thermal which produces domestic hot water and is integrated into hydronic radiant heated floors. This is supplemented with a multi-split heatpump, on demand backup hot water, and an ERV, which collectively provide active heating, cooling, dehumidification, and healthful indoor air quality. The entire house and detached Barn are off-grid with a 14.4 kW solar array, whole-house batteries, and backup generator. Further, the home is super insulated and extremely tight with high energy performing windows and doors and LED lighting throughout, and even a high efficiency woodstove. Integrated Design: From the beginning and throughout construction, this home demonstrates a close collaboration between the Architect, Contractor, and Owners. Healthful materials and finishes standards, autonomy and energy efficiency, and environmental impact and sustainability were primary goals and stressed throughout. Careful attention was paid to finishes which will require minimal long term maintenance such as the galvalume metal roof (which also provides for rainwater harvesting) and fiber cement siding for longevity. Resource Efficiency / Conservation: Resource conservation began with Schematic Design which utilizes a 2 ft. grid of modular components, thereby optimizing construction efficiency and minimizing on site waste. The site was cleared with the trees stockpiled for future lumber harvesting and firewood. The foundation walls are “Ideal Walls” which use less than half the concrete of a conventional poured wall or block, and do not require extensive concrete footings, exterior insulation, or waterproofing. These panels are prefabricated off site and set in only a few days, which further reduces on site impact and construction lead time. Resiliency: Respect for climate change and mitigating its impact were primary considerations in the design and selection of materials and systems. The home is sited high on a south facing slope as protection from high water or flood and to optimize both passive and active solar opportunity. With remarkably tight construction and super insulation the interior is buffered from both outdoor heat and cold extremes. The metal roof and fiber cement siding are fireproof and resistant to the impact of high winds. And these materials are specified for minimal maintenance and longevity. Further, the attached Greenhouse and Upper Roof Terrace is landscaped and suitable for a vegetable garden with abundant sunshine, easy to water, and with no need for fencing to keep deer at bay. All this being a notable case study for Regenerative Design. Innovation: This home exemplifies Biophilic Design principles to facilitate symbiotic living in harmony with Nature. This incorporates careful attention to natural day lighting, indoor air quality, rainwater catchment and wastewater reclamation, garden food production with vegetated roofs, the home hearth and fire, and connected interaction with the weather and the surrounding natural ecosystems. Community Impact: This EcoHome project has already been presented at several Sustainable Building lectures as a model case study for “Green Building”, including USGBC at Brock Environmental Center in Virginia Beach, VA. Plans are underway for an Open House tour for area Architects and students.

Reclaimed Redwood from NYC water towers. Excelsior Wood Products, LLC is a full service mill and lumber supplier specializing in antique and reclaimed wood. We have the capacity to produce and ship reclaimed flooring, custom moldings, custom siding, decking, sawn and hand hewn beams, architectural millwork and a wide range of other specialty wood products to customers across the United States. As a custom mill, we also have the flexibility to produce products made from just about any type of wood, to your exact specifications. We offer flooring at a variety of widths and lengths ... unfinished or prefinished with VOC free materials. We offer original face and textured finishes. We mill to 3/4" with an extra thick wear layer to ensure longevity and durability. We inspect every board to maximize usability and remove unsound defects. Our custom flooring is precision milled tongue and groove including back relieved. Excelsior Wood Products, LLC is a full service mill and lumber supplier specializing in antique and reclaimed wood. We have the capacity to produce and ship reclaimed flooring, custom moldings, custom siding, decking, sawn and hand hewn beams, architectural millwork and a wide range of other specialty wood products to customers across the United States. As a custom mill, we also have the flexibility to produce products made from just about any type of wood, to your exact specifications. We offer flooring at a variety of widths and lengths ... unfinished or prefinished with VOC free materials. We offer original face and textured finishes. We mill to 3/4" with an extra thick wear layer to ensure longevity and durability. We inspect every board to maximize usability and remove unsound defects. Our custom flooring is precision milled tongue and groove including back relieved. Our mission: "Deliver the highest quality natural material, along with excellent personal customer service.” Please feel free to visit our website www.excelsiorwood.com, call (845) 339-6630 or email christina@excelsiorwood.com, come tour our facility or let us bring samples to you.339-6630 or email christina@excelsiorwood.com, come tour our facility or let us bring samples

Make a Dream Home proudly presents a remarkable showcase of our recently completed window replacement project in Chicago, IL. With a focus on transforming homes and enhancing their energy efficiency, we have replaced outdated windows with high-quality, stylish alternatives that bring a fresh outlook to each space. Our team of skilled professionals meticulously executed the window replacement process, ensuring a seamless and precise installation. Every window has been carefully chosen to not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of the home but also improve functionality and energy efficiency. With the new windows in place, homeowners can enjoy an abundance of natural light that brightens and revitalizes the interior spaces. The stylish designs of the replacement windows add a touch of elegance and sophistication to the overall appearance of the home. Make a Dream Home's commitment to excellence extends beyond aesthetics. Our carefully selected windows are equipped with advanced features that contribute to energy efficiency, helping homeowners save on energy costs while reducing their environmental footprint. The completed window replacement project is a testament to our dedication to craftsmanship and exceptional service. Our team employed expert techniques and utilized high-quality materials to ensure durability and longevity. The finished windows not only enhance the home's curb appeal but also provide improved insulation and noise reduction. By choosing Make a Dream Home for their window replacement needs, homeowners can experience the joy of a transformed living space. With our expertise and attention to detail, we have brought light, style, and enhanced energy efficiency to homes across Chicago, IL. If you seek to upgrade your windows, improve energy efficiency, and enhance the beauty of your home, trust Make a Dream Home. Our window replacement services in Chicago, IL offer a seamless and transformative solution, leaving you with a refreshed and invigorated living space that surpasses expectations.

This handsome solid rosewood cabinet features the Chinese symbol of longevity on the three doors. The blue and white Chinese porcelain adds a nice point of contrast to the cabinets sleek black finish.

Originally built in 1972, these eight interlocked residential units and the accompanying House Master’s Residence won an AIA award for their unique spatial complexity, balancing standard units of construction with volumetric interplay, all while bringing natural light into living spaces. However, nearly 40 years later These 1970’s era, interlocked faculty housing units won an AIA award when first completed. They were unique in spatial complexity, By early 2,000’s they were showing signs of age, and had become outdated on many levels. Working with project management for the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, we prepared one prototype design to bring the buildings into the 21st century. New insulated skylights, standing seam metal siding, cedar decks and trellises, exchanging black roofs for well insulated white roofs, were all part of a larger planning program to renovate all nine units. The prototype was implemented in 2012, to great approval and result. In 2013 a few more units were done. In 2014 the “House Masters” unit was done, with the remaining four units planned for future budgets. Sustainable features include re-use of most materials on site, (former siding was able to become sheathing below metal panels), implementing the Stretch Energy Code for insulation, and putting new white roof membranes in place. Using FSC certified wood for decks and trellises, and using Rheinzink siding, a “200 year material” according to the manufacturer. After nearly 40 years, Ronald Gourley’s AIA award winning Faculty Housing (1972) was beginning to show its age – plywood siding was delaminating, wooden decks splintering, and custom windows failing. Therefore, the opportunity to reinvent a piece of Mid-Century Modernism presented itself when two of the building’s eight alternating rooftop designs were to be rebuilt as prototypes for the remainder of the structure. The strength of the original design was its rectilinear and symmetrical arrangement of internal and external spaces, but the difference between the two had become blurred over the decades. New zinc siding, mahogany decking, and stainless steel railings accentuate the defining elements and more clearly articulate the living spaces, breathing new life into the building and reinvigorating the surrounding campus. Furthermore, the renovation also provided a chance to bring the structure up to modern energy standards and help meet Harvard’s lofty environmental goals. Insulation within the ceilings was more than tripled, white TPO roofing reduces the heat island effect, construction waste was minimized by recasting the siding as sheathing, and materials were selected not only for aesthetics, but for their longevity and ability to be recycled as well. Harvard’s energy standards brought an uncharacteristic level of environmental care to this building. Roof structures are triple insulated, allowing separating interior from exterior in the most thermally efficient manner. North facing triple insulated skylights and white TPO roofing reduces the heat gain, but allows natural light to pour in. Materials were selected not only for aesthetics, but for their longevity. Zinc, for example, is made of 100% recycled material, and has duration of 200 years. Uncharacteristic levels of environmental care were common on this project.

Inspiration for a coastal brick patio remodel in Atlanta with a fire pit and no cover

Inspiration for a contemporary freestanding desk medium tone wood floor and brown floor home office remodel in Calgary with white walls

Example of a farmhouse family room design in San Francisco

Set in the context of stately early 20thcentury houses, this project harkens back to an earlier time. Our design accumulates an ambitious program for a young family with a five-part colonial revival composition in brick and wood. Taking advantage of a generous sloping site the design accommodates three levels of active indoor and outdoor living. All of the principal rooms flank a courtyard embraced by the L-shaped plane using advanced construction methodology. This house is extremely energy efficient and detailed for longevity.

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.

Inspiration for a contemporary galley medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen remodel in Austin with an undermount sink, flat-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops

Mid-sized minimalist backyard stone patio photo in Miami with a roof extension

Kat Alves-Photography
Small cottage 3/4 multicolored tile and stone tile marble floor doorless shower photo in Sacramento with black cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, marble countertops and flat-panel cabinets

Welcome to our latest kitchen renovation project, where classic French elegance meets contemporary design in the heart of Great Falls, VA. In this transformation, we aim to create a stunning kitchen space that exudes sophistication and charm, capturing the essence of timeless French style with a modern twist. Our design centers around a harmonious blend of light gray and off-white tones, setting a serene and inviting backdrop for this kitchen makeover. These neutral hues will work in harmony to create a calming ambiance and enhance the natural light, making the kitchen feel open and welcoming. To infuse a sense of nature and add a striking focal point, we have carefully selected green cabinets. The rich green hue, reminiscent of lush gardens, brings a touch of the outdoors into the space, creating a unique and refreshing visual appeal. The cabinets will be thoughtfully placed to optimize both functionality and aesthetics. Throughout the project, our focus is on creating a seamless integration of design elements to produce a cohesive and visually stunning kitchen. The cabinetry, hood, light fixture, and other details will be meticulously crafted using high-quality materials, ensuring longevity and a timeless appeal. Countertop Material: Quartzite Cabinet: Frameless Custom cabinet Stove: Ilve 48" Hood: Plaster field made Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting

Welcome to our latest kitchen renovation project, where classic French elegance meets contemporary design in the heart of Great Falls, VA. In this transformation, we aim to create a stunning kitchen space that exudes sophistication and charm, capturing the essence of timeless French style with a modern twist. Our design centers around a harmonious blend of light gray and off-white tones, setting a serene and inviting backdrop for this kitchen makeover. These neutral hues will work in harmony to create a calming ambiance and enhance the natural light, making the kitchen feel open and welcoming. To infuse a sense of nature and add a striking focal point, we have carefully selected green cabinets. The rich green hue, reminiscent of lush gardens, brings a touch of the outdoors into the space, creating a unique and refreshing visual appeal. The cabinets will be thoughtfully placed to optimize both functionality and aesthetics. Throughout the project, our focus is on creating a seamless integration of design elements to produce a cohesive and visually stunning kitchen. The cabinetry, hood, light fixture, and other details will be meticulously crafted using high-quality materials, ensuring longevity and a timeless appeal. Countertop Material: Quartzite Cabinet: Frameless Custom cabinet Stove: Ilve 48" Hood: Plaster field made Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting

Welcome to our latest kitchen renovation project, where classic French elegance meets contemporary design in the heart of Great Falls, VA. In this transformation, we aim to create a stunning kitchen space that exudes sophistication and charm, capturing the essence of timeless French style with a modern twist. Our design centers around a harmonious blend of light gray and off-white tones, setting a serene and inviting backdrop for this kitchen makeover. These neutral hues will work in harmony to create a calming ambiance and enhance the natural light, making the kitchen feel open and welcoming. To infuse a sense of nature and add a striking focal point, we have carefully selected green cabinets. The rich green hue, reminiscent of lush gardens, brings a touch of the outdoors into the space, creating a unique and refreshing visual appeal. The cabinets will be thoughtfully placed to optimize both functionality and aesthetics. Throughout the project, our focus is on creating a seamless integration of design elements to produce a cohesive and visually stunning kitchen. The cabinetry, hood, light fixture, and other details will be meticulously crafted using high-quality materials, ensuring longevity and a timeless appeal. Countertop Material: Quartzite Cabinet: Frameless Custom cabinet Stove: Ilve 48" Hood: Plaster field made Lighting: Hudson Valley Lighting