Forget just one room with a view—Lochley has almost an entire house dedicated to capturing nature’s best views and vistas. Make the most of a waterside or lakefront lot in this economical yet elegant floor plan, which was tailored to fit a narrow lot and has more than 1,600 square feet of main floor living space as well as almost as much on its upper and lower levels. A dovecote over the garage, multiple peaks and interesting roof lines greet guests at the street side, where a pergola over the front door provides a warm welcome and fitting intro to the interesting design. Other exterior features include trusses and transoms over multiple windows, siding, shutters and stone accents throughout the home’s three stories. The water side includes a lower-level walkout, a lower patio, an upper enclosed porch and walls of windows, all designed to take full advantage of the sun-filled site. The floor plan is all about relaxation – the kitchen includes an oversized island designed for gathering family and friends, a u-shaped butler’s pantry with a convenient second sink, while the nearby great room has built-ins and a central natural fireplace. Distinctive details include decorative wood beams in the living and kitchen areas, a dining area with sloped ceiling and decorative trusses and built-in window seat, and another window seat with built-in storage in the den, perfect for relaxing or using as a home office. A first-floor laundry and space for future elevator make it as convenient as attractive. Upstairs, an additional 1,200 square feet of living space include a master bedroom suite with a sloped 13-foot ceiling with decorative trusses and a corner natural fireplace, a master bath with two sinks and a large walk-in closet with built-in bench near the window. Also included is are two additional bedrooms and access to a third-floor loft, which could functions as a third bedroom if needed. Two more bedrooms with walk-in closets and a bath are found in the 1,300-square foot lower level, which also includes a secondary kitchen with bar, a fitness room overlooking the lake, a recreation/family room with built-in TV and a wine bar perfect for toasting the beautiful view beyond.

This transitional timber frame home features a wrap-around porch designed to take advantage of its lakeside setting and mountain views. Natural stone, including river rock, granite and Tennessee field stone, is combined with wavy edge siding and a cedar shingle roof to marry the exterior of the home with it surroundings. Casually elegant interiors flow into generous outdoor living spaces that highlight natural materials and create a connection between the indoors and outdoors. Photography Credit: Rebecca Lehde, Inspiro 8 Studios

Photo by Gillean Proctor
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Full outdoor kitchen & bar with an induction grill, all weather cabinets, outdoor refrigerator, and electric blue Azul Bahia Brazilian granite countertops to reflect the color of the sea; An octagonally shaped seating area facing the ocean for sunbathing and sunset viewing.; The deck is constructed with sustainably harvested tropical Brazilian hardwood Ipe that requires little maintenance..Eric Roth Photography

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This expansive Victorian had tremendous historic charm but hadn’t seen a kitchen renovation since the 1950s. The homeowners wanted to take advantage of their views of the backyard and raised the roof and pushed the kitchen into the back of the house, where expansive windows could allow southern light into the kitchen all day. A warm historic gray/beige was chosen for the cabinetry, which was contrasted with character oak cabinetry on the appliance wall and bar in a modern chevron detail. Kitchen Design: Sarah Robertson, Studio Dearborn Architect: Ned Stoll, Interior finishes Tami Wassong Interiors

As a cottage, the Ridgecrest was designed to take full advantage of a property rich in natural beauty. Each of the main houses three bedrooms, and all of the entertaining spaces, have large rear facing windows with thick craftsman style casing. A glance at the front motor court reveals a guesthouse above a three-stall garage. Complete with separate entrance, the guesthouse features its own bathroom, kitchen, laundry, living room and bedroom. The columned entry porch of the main house is centered on the floor plan, but is tucked under the left side of the homes large transverse gable. Centered under this gable is a grand staircase connecting the foyer to the lower level corridor. Directly to the rear of the foyer is the living room. With tall windows and a vaulted ceiling. The living rooms stone fireplace has flanking cabinets that anchor an axis that runs through the living and dinning room, ending at the side patio. A large island anchors the open concept kitchen and dining space. On the opposite side of the main level is a private master suite, complete with spacious dressing room and double vanity master bathroom. Buffering the living room from the master bedroom, with a large built-in feature wall, is a private study. Downstairs, rooms are organized off of a linear corridor with one end being terminated by a shared bathroom for the two lower bedrooms and large entertainment spaces. Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography Builder: Douglas Sumner Builder, Inc. Interior Design: Vision Interiors by Visbeen

This functional, light-filled home takes full advantage of its bucolic site. With the introduction of the butterfly roof, natural light, ventilation and views are brought into the main gathering spaces. Distance between the private and public zones is created by a shift in geometry where those two meet in plan, to provide a calming and rejuvenating private retreat for the occupants. The structured juxtaposition of materials brings order and warmth to the home’s overall experience, complementing the textures and beauty of the site. Photo: ©Cesar Rubio

This house is sited on the steep, north facing slope of Snow King Mountain. The main living spaces are located on the top level to take advantage of the sweeping views of the Tetons and National Elk Refuge. Arrival at this top level is through a stair atrium generously illuminated with skylights, which filter daylight throughout the interior – critical to a site deep in the trees with no direct sun during the winter months.

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Sunset Construction and Design specializes in creating residential patio retreats, outdoor kitchens with fireplaces and luxurious outdoor living rooms. Our design-build service can turn an ordinary back yard into a natural extension of your home giving you a whole new dimension for entertaining or simply unwinding at the end of the day. Today, almost any activity you enjoy inside your home you can bring to the outside. Depending on your budget, your outdoor room can be simple, with a stamped concrete patio, a grill and a table for dining, or more elaborate with a fully functional outdoor kitchen complete with concrete countertops for preparing and serving food, a sink and a refrigerator. You can take the concept even further by adding such amenities as a concrete pizza oven, a fireplace or fire-pit, a concrete bar-top for serving cocktails, an architectural concrete fountain, landscape lighting and concrete statuary. Cooking Something to cook with, such as a barbecue grill or wood-fired pizza oven, and countertops for food preparation and serving are key elements in a well-designed outdoor kitchen. Concrete countertops offer the advantages of weather resistance and versatility, since they can be formed into any shape you desire to suit the space. A coat of sealer will simplify cleanup by protecting your countertop from stains. Other amenities, such as concrete bar-tops and outdoor sinks with plumbing, can expand your entertainment options. Hearth Wood-burning or gas fireplaces, fire pits, chimineas and portable patio heaters extend the enjoyment of outdoor living well into the evening while creating a cozy conversation area for people to gather around. If you’re interested in converting a boring back yard or starting from scratch in a new home, look us up! A great patio and outdoor living area can easily be yours. Greg, Sunset Construction & Design in Fresno, CA.

Free ebook, CREATING THE IDEAL KITCHEN Download now → http://bit.ly/idealkitchen After having remodeled their kitchen, and two other baths in the home, the master bathroom was the last on the list of rooms to update for this couple. The existing bath had a small sink area with his and hers sinks and then a pocket door into the main bath which housed the tub, shower and commode. The main problem was the outdated look of the space, which was rather dark and dreary, and the giant unused whirlpool tub which took up more than its fair share of the footprint. To brighten the space, we used a pallet of soft gray porcelain tile on the floor and ceramic subway tiles on the walls. Carrera marble and nickel plumbing brighten the room and help amplify the sunlight streaming in through the existing skylight and vaulted ceiling. We first placed the new freestanding tub on an angle near the window so that users can take advantage of the view and light while soaking in the tub. A new, much larger shower takes up the other corner and delivers some symmetry to the room and is now a luxurious, useable and comfortable size. The commode was relocated to the right of the new shower, so it is visually tucked away. The existing opening between the sink area and the main area was widened and the door removed so that the homeowners can enjoy the light from the larger room while using the sinks each morning. A step up into the tub/shower area provides additional interest and was a happy accident and solution required to accommodate running the plumbing through the existing floor joists. Because the existing room felt quite contemporary with the vaulted ceiling, we added a run of crown molding around the top and a chair rail to the top of the tile to provide some traditional touches to the room. We think this space is lovely, relaxing and serene and are so honored to have been chosen by these wonderful homeowners to help provide them with a relaxing master bath sanctuary! Designer: Susan Klimala Assistant Designer: Keri Rogers

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We took advantage of the double volume ceiling height in the living room and added millwork to the stone fireplace, a reclaimed wood beam and a gorgeous, chandelier. The sliding doors lead out to the sundeck and the lake beyond. TV's mounted above fireplaces tend to be a little high for comfortable viewing from the sofa, so this tv is mounted on an adjustable pull down bracket for use when the fireplace is not turned on.

Our clients were relocating from the upper peninsula to the lower peninsula and wanted to design a retirement home on their Lake Michigan property. The topography of their lot allowed for a walk out basement which is practically unheard of with how close they are to the water. Their view is fantastic, and the goal was of course to take advantage of the view from all three levels. The positioning of the windows on the main and upper levels is such that you feel as if you are on a boat, water as far as the eye can see. They were striving for a Hamptons / Coastal, casual, architectural style. The finished product is just over 6,200 square feet and includes 2 master suites, 2 guest bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, sunroom, home bar, home gym, dedicated seasonal gear / equipment storage, table tennis game room, sauna, and bonus room above the attached garage. All the exterior finishes are low maintenance, vinyl, and composite materials to withstand the blowing sands from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Casey Dunn
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This vacation home is located within a narrow lot which extends from the street to the lake shore. Taking advantage of the lot's depth, the design consists of a main house and an accesory building to answer the programmatic needs of a family of four. The modest, yet open and connected living spaces are oriented towards the water. Since the main house sits towards the water, a street entry sequence is created via a covered porch and pergola. A private yard is created between the buildings, sheltered from both the street and lake. A covered lakeside porch provides shaded waterfront views. David Reeve Architectural Photography.