New 2-story residence with additional 9-car garage, exercise room, enoteca and wine cellar below grade. Detached 2-story guest house and 2 swimming pools.

Van Auken Akins Architects LLC designed and facilitated the complete renovation of a home in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Areas of work include the living and dining spaces on the first floor, and bedrooms and baths on the second floor with new wall coverings, oriental rug selections, furniture selections and window treatments. The third floor was renovated to create a whimsical guest bedroom, bathroom, and laundry room. The upgrades to the baths included new plumbing fixtures, new cabinetry, countertops, lighting and floor tile. The renovation of the basement created an exercise room, wine cellar, recreation room, powder room, and laundry room in once unusable space. New ceilings, soffits, and lighting were installed throughout along with wallcoverings, wood paneling, carpeting and furniture.

New 2-story residence with additional 9-car garage, exercise room, enoteca and wine cellar below grade. Detached 2-story guest house and 2 swimming pools.

This Modern Multi-Level Home Boasts Master & Guest Suites on The Main Level + Den + Entertainment Room + Exercise Room with 2 Suites Upstairs as Well as Blended Indoor/Outdoor Living with 14ft Tall Coffered Box Beam Ceilings!

Master Suite with dual sink vanity, soaker tub, walk-in shower, toilet room and huge walk-in closet.
Inspiration for a transitional guest carpeted bedroom remodel with beige walls

The first Net Zero Minto Dream Home: At Minto Communities, we’re always trying to evolve through research and development. We see building the Minto Dream Home as an opportunity to push the boundaries on innovative home building practices, so this year’s Minto Dream Home, the Hampton—for the first time ever—has been built as a Net Zero Energy home. This means the home will produce as much energy as it consumes. Carefully considered East-coast elegance: Returning this year to head up the interior design, we have Tanya Collins. The Hampton is based on our largest Mahogany design—the 3,551 sq. ft. Redwood. It draws inspiration from the sophisticated beach-houses of its namesake. Think relaxed coastal living, a soft neutral colour palette, lots of light, wainscotting, coffered ceilings, shiplap, wall moulding, and grasscloth wallpaper. * 5,641 sq. ft. of living space * 4 bedrooms * 3.5 bathrooms * Finished basement with oversized entertainment room, exercise space, and a juice bar * A great room featuring stunning views of the surrounding nature

We remodeled this unassuming mid-century home from top to bottom. An entire third floor and two outdoor decks were added. As a bonus, we made the whole thing accessible with an elevator linking all three floors. The 3rd floor was designed to be built entirely above the existing roof level to preserve the vaulted ceilings in the main level living areas. Floor joists spanned the full width of the house to transfer new loads onto the existing foundation as much as possible. This minimized structural work required inside the existing footprint of the home. A portion of the new roof extends over the custom outdoor kitchen and deck on the north end, allowing year-round use of this space. Exterior finishes feature a combination of smooth painted horizontal panels, and pre-finished fiber-cement siding, that replicate a natural stained wood. Exposed beams and cedar soffits provide wooden accents around the exterior. Horizontal cable railings were used around the rooftop decks. Natural stone installed around the front entry enhances the porch. Metal roofing in natural forest green, tie the whole project together. On the main floor, the kitchen remodel included minimal footprint changes, but overhauling of the cabinets and function. A larger window brings in natural light, capturing views of the garden and new porch. The sleek kitchen now shines with two-toned cabinetry in stained maple and high-gloss white, white quartz countertops with hints of gold and purple, and a raised bubble-glass chiseled edge cocktail bar. The kitchen’s eye-catching mixed-metal backsplash is a fun update on a traditional penny tile. The dining room was revamped with new built-in lighted cabinetry, luxury vinyl flooring, and a contemporary-style chandelier. Throughout the main floor, the original hardwood flooring was refinished with dark stain, and the fireplace revamped in gray and with a copper-tile hearth and new insert. During demolition our team uncovered a hidden ceiling beam. The clients loved the look, so to meet the planned budget, the beam was turned into an architectural feature, wrapping it in wood paneling matching the entry hall. The entire day-light basement was also remodeled, and now includes a bright & colorful exercise studio and a larger laundry room. The redesign of the washroom includes a larger showering area built specifically for washing their large dog, as well as added storage and countertop space. This is a project our team is very honored to have been involved with, build our client’s dream home.

Our client purchased what had been a custom home built in 1973 on a high bank waterfront lot. They did their due diligence with respect to the septic system, well and the existing underground fuel tank but little did they know, they had purchased a house that would fit into the Three Little Pigs Story book. The original idea was to do a thorough cosmetic remodel to bring the home up to date using all high durability/low maintenance materials and provide the homeowners with a flexible floor plan that would allow them to live in the home for as long as they chose to, not how long the home would allow them to stay safely. However, there was one structure element that had to change, the staircase. The staircase blocked the beautiful water/mountain few from the kitchen and part of the dining room. It also bisected the second-floor master suite creating a maze of small dysfunctional rooms with a very narrow (and unsafe) top stair landing. In the process of redesigning the stairs and reviewing replacement options for the 1972 custom milled one inch thick cupped and cracked cedar siding, it was discovered that the house had no seismic support and that the dining/family room/hot tub room and been a poorly constructed addition and required significant structural reinforcement. It should be noted that it is not uncommon for this home to be subjected to 60-100 mile an hour winds and that the geographic area is in a known earthquake zone. Once the structural engineering was complete, the redesign of the home became an open pallet. The homeowners top requests included: no additional square footage, accessibility, high durability/low maintenance materials, high performance mechanicals and appliances, water and energy efficient fixtures and equipment and improved lighting incorporated into: two master suites (one upstairs and one downstairs), a healthy kitchen (appliances that preserve fresh food nutrients and materials that minimize bacterial growth), accessible bathing and toileting, functionally designed closets and storage, a multi-purpose laundry room, an exercise room, a functionally designed home office, a catio (second floor balcony on the front of the home), with an exterior that was not just code compliant but beautiful and easy to maintain. All of this was achieved and more. The finished project speaks for itself.

As a Custom Home Builder Gainesville Georgia. , we built this handsome stone and brick exterior two-story, three-car garage home on the lake. We installed hardwoods through out the living areas. This home features a personal office with a splendid outdoor view as well as a separate dining room with exposed beam ceiling. The open concept family room offers a vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace that opens right to the kitchen. The kitchen is designed with white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. The large master bedroom has a hardwoods flooring and a coffered wood inlaid ceiling along with a sitting area and large master closet with outdoor lighting. The master bath features a stepless shower and separate free standing tub as well as a his and hers vanity. To reach the wonderful outdoor living space, which has stone flooring, wood inlaid ceiling and stone fireplace, the adjacent family room has large sliding retractable doors. For indoor living, the home has a separate living area with built in cabinetry and an exercise room. We are your Gainesville Georgia Home Builder.

Inspiration for a small transitional vinyl floor and brown floor multiuse home gym remodel with gray walls

Our client purchased what had been a custom home built in 1973 on a high bank waterfront lot. They did their due diligence with respect to the septic system, well and the existing underground fuel tank but little did they know, they had purchased a house that would fit into the Three Little Pigs Story book. The original idea was to do a thorough cosmetic remodel to bring the home up to date using all high durability/low maintenance materials and provide the homeowners with a flexible floor plan that would allow them to live in the home for as long as they chose to, not how long the home would allow them to stay safely. However, there was one structure element that had to change, the staircase. The staircase blocked the beautiful water/mountain few from the kitchen and part of the dining room. It also bisected the second-floor master suite creating a maze of small dysfunctional rooms with a very narrow (and unsafe) top stair landing. In the process of redesigning the stairs and reviewing replacement options for the 1972 custom milled one inch thick cupped and cracked cedar siding, it was discovered that the house had no seismic support and that the dining/family room/hot tub room and been a poorly constructed addition and required significant structural reinforcement. It should be noted that it is not uncommon for this home to be subjected to 60-100 mile an hour winds and that the geographic area is in a known earthquake zone. Once the structural engineering was complete, the redesign of the home became an open pallet. The homeowners top requests included: no additional square footage, accessibility, high durability/low maintenance materials, high performance mechanicals and appliances, water and energy efficient fixtures and equipment and improved lighting incorporated into: two master suites (one upstairs and one downstairs), a healthy kitchen (appliances that preserve fresh food nutrients and materials that minimize bacterial growth), accessible bathing and toileting, functionally designed closets and storage, a multi-purpose laundry room, an exercise room, a functionally designed home office, a catio (second floor balcony on the front of the home), with an exterior that was not just code compliant but beautiful and easy to maintain. All of this was achieved and more. The finished project speaks for itself.

As a Custom Home Builder Gainesville Georgia, we built this handsome stone and brick exterior two-story, three-car garage home on the lake. We installed hardwoods through out the living areas. This home features a personal office with a splendid outdoor view as well as a separate dining room with exposed beam ceiling. The open concept family room offers a vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace that opens right to the kitchen. The kitchen is designed with white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. The large master bedroom has a hardwoods flooring and a coffered wood inlaid ceiling along with a sitting area and large master closet with outdoor lighting. The master bath features a stepless shower and separate free standing tub as well as a his and hers vanity. To reach the wonderful outdoor living space, which has stone flooring, wood inlaid ceiling and stone fireplace, the adjacent family room has large sliding retractable doors. For indoor living, the home has a separate living area with built in cabinetry and an exercise room. We are your Gainesville Georgia Home Builder.

The Setup For this primary bathroom project, the homeowners wanted to transform their large, T-shaped bathroom into a functional, multi-purpose sanctuary. The existing layout was inefficient, with a bulky built-in tub, a closed-off shower, and an awkward footprint that limited practical use. This remodel also presented a unique challenge – the homeowners wanted to use the space for workouts as well. The design needed to maximize the large open area in the middle of the T, providing enough room for yoga and light free-weight exercises while maintaining the bathroom’s aesthetic and functionality. Design objectives: Expand and brighten the shower area without major layout changes Replace the oversized built-in tub with a sleek freestanding alternative Create a flexible space for workouts while maintaining the bathroom’s design integrity Address cold flooring with added comfort solutions Enhance lighting for both beauty and functionality Incorporate storage for workout equipment and everyday essentials Integrate natural elements to accommodate the homeowners’ love of plants The Remodel Design challenges to be solved: Shower Expansion – The homeowners want a more open, spa-like shower but don’t want to dramatically alter the footprint. Workout Integration – Balancing fitness functionality with a serene bathroom design will require creative layout adjustments. Storage Solutions – With workout gear to stow away, the space needs discrete and versatile storage options. Lighting – Enhancing both natural and artificial lighting to brighten the large space. Cold Floors – Positioned above the garage, the bathroom tends to feel colder than the adjacent primary bedroom. A solution is needed to add warmth and comfort during use, without the need to reconfigure the home’s overall heating system. The Renewed Space Design solutions: Spa-Like Shower Expansion – Removing a wall and replacing it with glass transformed the shower into an open, airy retreat, allowing natural light to flow freely through the space. A curved black river rock floor and neutral linear wall tiles add warmth and texture, while carefully placed niche lighting enhances the tranquil, luxurious atmosphere. Workout-Friendly Layout – A custom full-length mirror was strategically placed to accommodate multiple uses, creating a fitness studio-like experience for yoga or light weight training. The mirror’s size and positioning allow for clear visibility during workouts, while also enhancing the room by adding light and a greater sense of depth. Custom Storage Solutions – A custom cabinet with a wood top was crafted to discreetly store workout equipment, preserving the clean, open feel of the space. Its design not only enhances functionality but also creates a sense of symmetry, bringing visual balance and cohesion to the overall layout. Enhanced Lighting – Replacing the shower wall with glass, installing a full-length mirror, and incorporating vanity mirrors with built-in lighting dramatically brighten the space. LED strip lighting under the cabinets, along the tub half wall, and in both the side and shower niches adds layered illumination, enhancing both function and ambiance. Heated Floors – Installing heated flooring provides consistent warmth and comfort year-round, enhancing the space for both workouts and daily routines. A European-style towel warmer brings additional warmth and a touch of luxury, elevating the overall experience. Final Thoughts: This transformed bathroom blends luxury with intentional design. By addressing the homeowners’ needs – from workout flexibility to spa-inspired details – the space now serves multiple purposes without compromise. The warm cabinetry, black accents and thoughtful lighting tie the design together, while the curved textures and plant-friendly ledge add a personalized touch. This bathroom is now a bright, welcoming sanctuary for daily routines and mindful moments.

Dating to the early 20th century, Craftsmen houses originated in southern California and quickly spread throughout the country, eventually becoming one of the early 20th century’s most beloved architectural styles. Holbrooke features Craftsman quality and Shingle style details and suits today’s homeowners who have vintage sensibilities as well as modern needs. Outside, wood shingles, dovecote, cupola, large windows and stone accents complement the front porch, which welcomes with attractive trim and columns. Step inside, the 1,900-square-foot main level leading from the foyer into a spacious 17-foot living room with a distinctive raised ceiling leads into a spacious sun room perfect for relaxing at the end of the day when work is done. An open kitchen and dining area provide a stylish and functional workspace for entertaining large groups. Nearby, the 900-square-foot three-car garage has plenty of storage for lawn equipment and outdoor toys. The upstairs has an additional 1,500 square feet, with a 17 by 17-foot private master suite with a large master bath and two additional family bedrooms with bath. Recreation rules in the 1,200-square-foot lower level, with a family room, 500-square-foot home theater, exercise/play room and an 11-by-14 guest bedroom for family and friends.

Atech Easy Living Store designed custom master closet.
Inspiration for a transitional carpeted closet remodel with shaker cabinets and white cabinets

We built this handsome stonework and brick exterior two-story, three-car garage home on the lake. We installed hardwoods through out the living areas. This home features a personal office with a splendid outdoor view as well as a separate dining room with exposed beam ceiling. The open concept family room offers a vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace that opens right to the kitchen. The kitchen is designed with white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. The the large master bedroom has a hardwoods flooring and a coffered wood inlaid ceiling along with a sitting area and large master closet with outdoor lighting. The master bath features a stepless shower and separate free standing tub as well as a his and hers vanity. To reach The wonderful outdoor living space, which has stone flooring, wood inlaid ceiling and stone fireplace, the adjacent family room has large sliding retractable doors. For indoor living, the home has a separate living area with built in cabinetry and an exercise room.

This Modern Multi-Level Home Boasts Master & Guest Suites on The Main Level + Den + Entertainment Room + Exercise Room with 2 Suites Upstairs as Well as Blended Indoor/Outdoor Living with 14ft Tall Coffered Box Beam Ceilings!

As a Custom Home Builder Gainesville Georgia. , we built this handsome stone and brick exterior two-story, three-car garage home on the lake. We installed hardwoods through out the living areas. This home features a personal office with a splendid outdoor view as well as a separate dining room with exposed beam ceiling. The open concept family room offers a vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace that opens right to the kitchen. The kitchen is designed with white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances. The large master bedroom has a hardwoods flooring and a coffered wood inlaid ceiling along with a sitting area and large master closet with outdoor lighting. The master bath features a stepless shower and separate free standing tub as well as a his and hers vanity. To reach the wonderful outdoor living space, which has stone flooring, wood inlaid ceiling and stone fireplace, the adjacent family room has large sliding retractable doors. For indoor living, the home has a separate living area with built in cabinetry and an exercise room. We are your Gainesville Georgia Home Builder.

Trendy closet photo in New Orleans