Image by 'Ancient Surfaces' Product name: Antique Stone Entryway. Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com A majestic ancient limestone portal is a prerequisite to any special home of any style. We have sold a few of those rare and one of a kind stone portals for decades to a network of handpicked antique dealers globally and on occasions directly to a small discerning clientele that reads something like a Forbes 400 list including a few heads of states. Spread out on many continents, separated by oceans but joined by one philosophy. We understand and cater to that school of thought that is as old as collecting itself. It's to have something unique and different then what could be easily obtained in a hardware store, because you're an individual and choose not to conform to the cookie cutter status quo of precast cement and poured concrete. The front of your home is a prologue to what's to come on the inside and tells a lot about who you are and what you chose to surround yourself with should be nothing by the best.

Image by 'Ancient Surfaces' Product name: Antique Stone Entryway. Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com A majestic ancient limestone portal is a prerequisite to any special home of any style. We have sold a few of those rare and one of a kind stone portals for decades to a network of handpicked antique dealers globally and on occasions directly to a small discerning clientele that reads something like a Forbes 400 list including a few heads of states. Spread out on many continents, separated by oceans but joined by one philosophy. We understand and cater to that school of thought that is as old as collecting itself. It's to have something unique and different then what could be easily obtained in a hardware store, because you're an individual and choose not to conform to the cookie cutter status quo of precast cement and poured concrete. The front of your home is a prologue to what's to come on the inside and tells a lot about who you are and what you chose to surround yourself with should be nothing by the best.

Whitten Architects | ARCHITECT Knickerbocker Group | INTERIOR DESIGN Knickerbocker Group | MILLWORK & CABINETRY Knickerbocker Group | CONSTRUCTION Darren Setlow | PHOTOGRAPHER

Jackie and Sean loved the Algonquin neighborhood they lived in with the peaceful neighborhood and the close proximity to work and school. What they didn’t love was how outdated their home had become. With a cramped kitchen and an unused dining room, they decided a remodel was the perfect solution to their problem. They would be able to continue to live in the area they loved, while at the same time they could have the dream home they envisioned. After a thorough search, Jackie came across Advance Design Studio. She was impressed by all of the positive reviews she saw on the internet and saw herself identifying with all of the project stories she saw on the website. Once they met with designer Scott Christensen and owner Todd Jurs, they knew Advance Design was the right company to make their dreams a reality. The project consisted of four main areas: the kitchen/dining/powder room, the laundry room, the master bathroom, and the kid’s bathroom. They wanted to expand the kitchen into the seldom used dining room and add a large island for hosting parties and family gatherings. They also wanted new hardwood flooring throughout the first level. The laundry room needed to be more functional, and all three bathrooms were in dire need of updating. The closed off kitchen was opened up to create a sweeping space between the new eating area and the much larger kitchen. A handsome dry bar complete with a beverage refrigerator and lighted glass door cabinetry makes an elegant transition across from a peninsula area filled with storage. An additional decorative cabinet lighting up elegant dishware through the mullioned glass sits directly across from the drybar. An expansive island was critical to the kitchen plans. Jackie, Sean and Scott worked closely together to create just the right details for their design. They wanted the island to be functional in addition to being the centerpiece of the room. Added storage for the kid’s school supplies was hidden behind cabinet doors so the children could do their schoolwork right at the island, and a microwave drawer glides open with the touch of a finger hidden inconspicuously within the island space. The easy to care for Cambria Britannica Quartz island top with its sweeping grey and white marble look perched atop hand-carved Craftsman corbels was absolutely what they were hoping for, blending both beauty and function perfectly. Adding a nice contrast to the brightness of the quartz and the white cabinetry, Kodiak - Leather granite countertops were used to balance the light and dark tones of the space. Dura Supreme Classic White painted cabinets grace the perimeter, while Maple Poppy Seed stained cabinets with a beautiful soft grey woodgrain were used in the beverage center and island. The two tones compliment the large space balancing it out nicely creating interest and elegance with the simple Craftsman style full overlay doors. A deep warm Barnwood White Oak flooring was added throughout the lower level. The new floor brings additional contrast to the bright kitchen and provides unity with the now open floorplan as it rolls in to the foyer and family room. Final details like the show-stopping lunar like duo light fixtures complete the space and intermix expertly with crisscross details of the glass door mullions, the island bar seating and even accessories in the space. The small cluttered laundry room needed more space and more storage. With a busy family it seemed to overflow daily and did not have anywhere to hide the families “in and out stuff.” Scott designed the new space with a stackable washer and dryer and much more efficiently organized cabinetry. Doing laundry is now (almost!) a pleasure and keeping everyone’s “stuff” hidden, but readily accessible is now a snap. The master bath was not a place where the couple enjoyed spending time getting ready for their day. The tub almost never was used, so removing it made it possible to build an extra-large shower, replacing the small cramped cube of the previous shower they hated. Clean, horizontal lines softly draw your eye around the space with porcelain tile called Driftwood Sea spray. Full overlay cabinetry in a soft white vanity with double sinks makes getting ready for the day much more convenient for the busy couple. Long floor planks made of porcelain tile mimic real hardwood floors in a soft grey to compliment the shower, but with the ease and care of a tile surface. Cambrian Black Granite counters with a matte finish and under mount porcelain sinks with handsome brushed chrome hardware complete the handsome space. A real bonus in any master bath; a custom built in storage nook was tucked in the corner of the space for linens and heavenly storage. The kid’s bath was in sad shape because it was original to the house. To keep the budget in control, the tub which was in great condition was retained, but focus was on the new large brick style porcelain charcoal tile on the floor, crisp white new Craftsman style cabinetry with pretty furniture details on the corner base, a striking granite top with white under mount porcelain sinks and fresh hardware and faucets. Some beautiful soft grey wood mirrors to match mom and dads were custom sized and placed under new lighting, and 4 hooks were smartly arranged down the wall for kids’ towels. This couple was determined not to move, and made their house their dream home. Not only does their home function greatly now, but Jackie says, “When the neighbors come to visit, they’re asking if they can “steal” the design”! The added functionality, elegance, and open floor plan were exactly what this family needed in order to stay. Advance Design Studio, Joe Nowak

It's oh so easy to enjoy life in this charming and light filled home in the heart of equestrian Milton. This home boasts pride of ownership, a spacious rocking chair front porch, natural light and lush landscaping. The eat in kitchen includes granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and abundant cabinets. The open, two-story fireside family room has picture windows with gorgeous views of the main level gardens. An airy and elegant dining and main floor office with custom french doors is located just off of the welcoming foyer. Upstairs are large secondary bedrooms, an oversized master suite with fireside keeping room and spa style retreat as well as the large and bright laundry with custom cabinetry. Enjoy the main level private and picturesque landscaped gardens with stone patio and firepit. The walkout terrance level has a finished media room, full bedroom and full bath as well as ample storage. The main level three car attached garage leads into a custom mudroom with cabinetry and bench. Award winning Milton schools of Excellence are Cambridge HS, Hopewell MS, and Summit Hill ES.

Image by 'Ancient Surfaces' Product name: Antique Stone Entryway. Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com A majestic ancient limestone portal is a prerequisite to any special home of any style. We have sold a few of those rare and one of a kind stone portals for decades to a network of handpicked antique dealers globally and on occasions directly to a small discerning clientele that reads something like a Forbes 400 list including a few heads of states. Spread out on many continents, separated by oceans but joined by one philosophy. We understand and cater to that school of thought that is as old as collecting itself. It's to have something unique and different then what could be easily obtained in a hardware store, because you're an individual and choose not to conform to the cookie cutter status quo of precast cement and poured concrete. The front of your home is a prologue to what's to come on the inside and tells a lot about who you are and what you chose to surround yourself with should be nothing by the best.

DAMAGED DURING SUPERSTORM SANDY, the existing detached garage was repaired and restyled with a grade level porch whose posts match the entry arch of the main house.

The kitchen and dining room in this 1960’s colonial were cramped and uncomfortable for any sort of large entertaining or crowd. With a small 3’ bump out along the back wall of the home, both rooms became much more spacious and useable. The kitchen addition allowed for a large center island and hearth cooking center as the focal point for the whole kitchen. While the expanded dining room, now allows room for a large holiday gathering, neighborhood card party or a group of kids after school. The custom kitchen was designed with Omega Cabinetry, leathered granite countertops around the perimeter and Ceasarstone on the island. The custom hearth hood encapsulates a 36” Thermador professional gas range top that makes cooking a joy! Alongside the 36” built-in Subzero French door refrigerator a Thermador steam/bake oven and convection oven offer the homeowner tremendous cooking and baking options. Finally, the microwave drawer in the island makes quick warm ups easy for the 3 children. Additionally, the kitchen was opened up dramatically to the home’s family room, creating an open feeling and central place for the family to gather. Backsplash - Type: 3x6 Handmade Tile Collection: South Beach Color: Olive Pendants - Manufacturer/Collection: Elk Lighting, Bergenen Collection, 10" Finish: Oil Rubbed Bronze Countertops - Perimeter: Seafoam Green Granite w/ an Ogee Edge Island: Quantra Quartz, 2231 Quartz w/ an Ogee Edge Stools - Pier One, 2582300 Marchella Rubbed Black Stool Wall Color - Benjamin Moore, HC96 Carrington Beige

It's oh so easy to enjoy life in this charming and light filled home in the heart of equestrian Milton. This home boasts pride of ownership, a spacious rocking chair front porch, natural light and lush landscaping. The eat in kitchen includes granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances and abundant cabinets. The open, two-story fireside family room has picture windows with gorgeous views of the main level gardens. An airy and elegant dining and main floor office with custom french doors is located just off of the welcoming foyer. Upstairs are large secondary bedrooms, an oversized master suite with fireside keeping room and spa style retreat as well as the large and bright laundry with custom cabinetry. Enjoy the main level private and picturesque landscaped gardens with stone patio and firepit. The walkout terrance level has a finished media room, full bedroom and full bath as well as ample storage. The main level three car attached garage leads into a custom mudroom with cabinetry and bench. Award winning Milton schools of Excellence are Cambridge HS, Hopewell MS, and Summit Hill ES.

Norwood House is a 55 year old center hall Georgian Revival style house that sits on an expansive piece of property across from the main campus at Kent Place School. The house and grounds are owned and maintained by the School, and serve as the primary residence for the Head of School and her family. The property is also used on occasion for school functions. Since there have been no significant improvements to the property since the 1980’s, we worked with the School to improve the entire house and surrounding grounds. Specifics included creating a mudroom between the garage and the kitchen, relocating the dining room and family room to improve the flow of the first floor layout, adding three pairs of French doors in the sunroom leading out to a new bluestone patio, gutting and redoing the kitchen, renovating all of the bathrooms, and refinishing the basement. The scope also encompassed various infrastructure improvements, including a new roof, new windows, new high efficiency HVAC and lighting, etc. For the project, we also worked closely with Frances Chester, a local Landscape Architect, on improving the property with new plantings, walkways, patios, driveway, lighting, etc. The school required that the project be complete by the beginning of the 2014 school year. We worked the Contractor, Owner’s Rep, and members of the Board of Trustees to have construction completed within 5 months, which was a very aggressive schedule for a project of this size.

The kitchen and dining room in this 1960’s colonial were cramped and uncomfortable for any sort of large entertaining or crowd. With a small 3’ bump out along the back wall of the home, both rooms became much more spacious and useable. The kitchen addition allowed for a large center island and hearth cooking center as the focal point for the whole kitchen. While the expanded dining room, now allows room for a large holiday gathering, neighborhood card party or a group of kids after school. The custom kitchen was designed with Omega Cabinetry, leathered granite countertops around the perimeter and Ceasarstone on the island. The custom hearth hood encapsulates a 36” Thermador professional gas range top that makes cooking a joy! Alongside the 36” built-in Subzero French door refrigerator a Thermador steam/bake oven and convection oven offer the homeowner tremendous cooking and baking options. Finally, the microwave drawer in the island makes quick warm ups easy for the 3 children. Microwave Drawer: Sharp SMD2470S 24" Flat Panel Microwave Drawer Additionally, the kitchen was opened up dramatically to the home’s family room, creating an open feeling and central place for the family to gather.

Inspiration for a timeless medium tone wood floor great room remodel in Houston with blue walls and no fireplace

The kitchen and dining room in this 1960’s colonial were cramped and uncomfortable for any sort of large entertaining or crowd. With a small 3’ bump out along the back wall of the home, both rooms became much more spacious and useable. The kitchen addition allowed for a large center island and hearth cooking center as the focal point for the whole kitchen. While the expanded dining room, now allows room for a large holiday gathering, neighborhood card party or a group of kids after school. The custom kitchen was designed with Omega Cabinetry, leathered granite countertops around the perimeter and Ceasarstone on the island. The custom hearth hood encapsulates a 36” Thermador professional gas range top that makes cooking a joy! Alongside the 36” built-in Subzero French door refrigerator a Thermador steam/bake oven and convection oven offer the homeowner tremendous cooking and baking options. Finally, the microwave drawer in the island makes quick warm ups easy for the 3 children. Additionally, the kitchen was opened up dramatically to the home’s family room, creating an open feeling and central place for the family to gather. Sink - Kohler, K-6489-96 Whitehaven Self Trimming Apron Sink (Biscuit) Faucet - Brizo, 63225LF-RB Artesso Single Handle Articulating Kitchen Faucet (Venetian Bronze Finish) Island Cabinets - Brand: Omega Door Style: Loring Species & Finish: Cherry, Truffle Finish Flooring - Oak Wood w/ Jacobean Stain Double Oven - Thermador, MES301HP 24” Steam Bake Oven with Pro Handle w/ a 30” trim kit Thermador, MED301JP 30” Masterpiece oven with pro handle 2 TLSP Racks Dishwasher - Thermador, DWHD650JPR Saphire Series Overlay Dishwasher Panel ready

Our client had not done anything with their landscaping for many years. Tin the front of their house they had a few tired berberris (barberry) shrubs in the front, creeping blue junipers, some large evergreens, and lots of empty spaces. They liked reds, greens, yellows, and blues (the junipers). We removed the berberris and other shrubs that had to go, but kept the larger evergreens and blue junipers. We installed plants approved by our client: Nandina domestica, red twig dogwoods (a Native plant), and Acorus Oborozuki. All plants are evergreen which they wanted. In the process, we re-shaped the beds a little and seeded an area that we returned to lawn. In the back of the house, the client had a beautiful deck with a lovely view. However, the area around the deck was totally bare. They wanted colorful perennials that were low maintenance. Since they do not spend time on the deck in the winter, we concentrated on plants in their color palette that flower in late spring, summer, and early fall. The plants will grow together to minimize weeds and maintenance. The shade perennials we planted are: Tricyrtis Samurai (Toad Lily), Ghost Fern, Male Fern (Native), Japanese Holly Fern, Autumn Fern, Astilbe Peach Blossom Dicentra, Ivory Hearts, Geranium Rozanne, Anemone Honorine Jobert

UnionMain Homes at Lake Breeze is a new master-planned community in Lavon, Texas that opened on February 6, 2023. Lake Breeze offers spacious, modern floor plans on oversized lots with close access to Lake Lavon in the Community ISD. With a wide range of floorplans and lot sizes, there’s something for everyone. UnionMain Homes offers 40-foot and 50-foot homesites each with distinct floorplans. The 40-foot floor plans come equipped with numerous upgrades, including signature design package finishes. Choose between 3-floor plan options with 4+ bedrooms and 2.5-4 baths, ranging from 2,728 -3,272 square feet to fit the needs of your family. There are 6 front entry 50-foot floor plan options to choose from, offering 3+ bedrooms and 2.5-4 baths ranging from 2,224 – 3,448 square feet equipped with design package finishes. “This neighborhood truly exemplifies the UnionMain Homes brand and lifestyle for which we are known,” said Tim Gehan, UnionMain Homes CEO. “With our most popular features already included and personalization options available through our preselected design packages, we continue to offer our residents the best in luxury living in the most desirable locations in the Dallas area.” In Lake Breeze, you’ll enjoy a small-town, family-friendly identity with a relaxed rural setting in one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. This lakeside community is within mere minutes of some of Colin County’s best shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. With easy access to Interstate 30 and Highway 78 enjoy access to all that Dallas – Fort Worth has to offer. As a Lake Breeze homeowner, you’ll join a community where your children’s education is a top priority. Community ISD has received numerous accolades due to the hard work of students, teachers, curriculum staff, and campus leadership. The school district believes in providing every student with every opportunity to succeed and offers a variety of competitive sports and provides a high-quality fine arts education. About UnionMain Homes Combining over 75 years of homebuilding experience, our commitment to creating better living environments remains unwavering. We build with the latest energy-efficient construction materials and use cutting-edge approaches to deliver comfortable, eco-friendly homes that ensure long-lasting enjoyment and higher resale values. But we don’t just focus on life inside the home- we believe in building community through each sought-after location we carefully select to build in, to truly enhance the lives of our customers. To learn more about UnionMain Homes in Lake Breeze, visit our website here or visit our model at 711 Oak Street Lavon, Texas 75166. This Home of the Week is presented by the Dallas Builders Association. For information on the Association please visit www.dallasbuilders.com.

One room school house in Maine which we documented as part of this museum's ongoing commitment to preservation.
Inspiration for a timeless exterior home remodel in Boston

Norwood House is a 55 year old center hall Georgian Revival style house that sits on an expansive piece of property across from the main campus at Kent Place School. The house and grounds are owned and maintained by the School, and serve as the primary residence for the Head of School and her family. The property is also used on occasion for school functions. Since there have been no significant improvements to the property since the 1980’s, we worked with the School to improve the entire house and surrounding grounds. Specifics included creating a mudroom between the garage and the kitchen, relocating the dining room and family room to improve the flow of the first floor layout, adding three pairs of French doors in the sunroom leading out to a new bluestone patio, gutting and redoing the kitchen, renovating all of the bathrooms, and refinishing the basement. The scope also encompassed various infrastructure improvements, including a new roof, new windows, new high efficiency HVAC and lighting, etc. For the project, we also worked closely with Frances Chester, a local Landscape Architect, on improving the property with new plantings, walkways, patios, driveway, lighting, etc. The school required that the project be complete by the beginning of the 2014 school year. We worked the Contractor, Owner’s Rep, and members of the Board of Trustees to have construction completed within 5 months, which was a very aggressive schedule for a project of this size.

Image by 'Ancient Surfaces' Product name: Antique Stone Entryway. Contacts: (212) 461-0245 Email: Sales@ancientsurfaces.com com Website: www.AncientSurfaces.com A majestic ancient limestone portal is a prerequisite to any special home of any style. We have sold a few of those rare and one of a kind stone portals for decades to a network of handpicked antique dealers globally and on occasions directly to a small discerning clientele that reads something like a Forbes 400 list including a few heads of states. Spread out on many continents, separated by oceans but joined by one philosophy. We understand and cater to that school of thought that is as old as collecting itself. It's to have something unique and different then what could be easily obtained in a hardware store, because you're an individual and choose not to conform to the cookie cutter status quo of precast cement and poured concrete. The front of your home is a prologue to what's to come on the inside and tells a lot about who you are and what you chose to surround yourself with should be nothing by the best.

Ornate porch idea in Philadelphia with decking and a roof extension