This guest suite in Hayden, Idaho, proves that high-end engineering shouldn't be reserved just for the master wing. We designed this hall bath as an "exotic luxury" destination, utilizing a specialized Kohler DTV electronic control system to manage a precision hydrotherapy array. It’s a sophisticated, compact spa experience that offers guests the same level of technical performance found in the primary suite. Technical & Artisan Highlights: Exotic Glass Tile Artistry: The focal point of the shower is the stunning floor-to-ceiling back wall, featuring an intricate, high-gloss glass mosaic tile in a Moroccan-inspired pattern. This exotic texture is balanced by dark, linear-grain porcelain side walls, creating a bold, high-contrast aesthetic. Streamlined DTV Digital Control: The shower is powered by a computerized DTV interface (visible on the left wall), allowing guests to digitally program their perfect water temperature and flow. This removes the clutter of traditional valves for a sleek, modern look. Integrated Body Massage Array: Despite the streamlined design, this shower packs a punch with three wall-mounted massaging body sprayers. These are strategically aligned to provide a targeted hydrotherapy experience, all controlled via the digital keypad. Versatile Handheld Wand: For added functionality and ease of maintenance, we integrated a professional-grade handheld spray wand on a sliding bar. This provides a flexible secondary water source that complements the fixed massage heads. Custom Glass & Lighting: The shower is enclosed in heavy-duty, frameless glass to keep the focus on the decorative tile work. We also integrated recessed LED lighting to highlight the reflective qualities of the glass mosaic, giving the space a constant "jewel-box" glow.

The upper bedroom level is complete with not one suite but two. The master and new guest suite were styled to perfection, floating vanities, walk-in showers and gold flaked wall paper prove that comfort was the key to fine design.

Who says you can’t have it all? This transitional design, which combines the charm of a peaked roof and shingled farmhouse style on the exterior with a contemporary open-style interior, proves otherwise. A floating, freestanding fireplace visible throughout the 2,344-square-foot first level is just one of the many special features of this cozy Craftsman-inspired design. This great getaway is all about the view, and many of the first floor rooms, from the living room to the master bath, were designed to make the most of lots lucky enough to have stunning vistas. Another interior highlight is the centrally located living/great room with fireplace, which looks out over a large patio. The 19 by 17-foot master bedroom is located to the right side of the floor plan, which also includes a roomy 130-square-foot screen porch off the spacious kitchen. The 900-square-foot upper level includes two comfortable bedrooms and baths as well as abundant storage and 440 square feet space for a future family apartment. Head downstairs, and an additional 700 square feet offers a study and bath and convenient wine cellar.

A NEW INTERPRETATION OF SENSUALITY IN THE BATHROOM. | LULU is part of a trend that goes far beyond the bathroom. Physical, sensual, soft. A world of visual seduction. A play on the easy-going French lifestyle: sensitivity, seduction, passion, love. Is it already the bathroom, or still the bedroom? The in-between place. Room for imagination. Everything seems playful, open, emotional. Design can be unapproachable – LULU is the opposite. With its sensual shapes, it represents enjoyment of life. At the same time, it is very soft and very linear, very slender and very alert. Its clear proportions, in conjunction with bold colors, develop a refreshing suspense – and prove that purism also works with color. Perhaps even a little bit better. | Available at www.shopstudio41.com

Location: Orewa, New Zealand. Kensington Park is New Zealand’s leading example of a master-planned residential neighbourhood. A range of accommodation options across apartments and terrace houses, all with freehold titles, has proved to be a winning combination. Almost all the residences feature outdoor living spaces with timber decking that adds to the relaxed beach feel. Elements Sand+ Decking was chosen due to it’s high quality supplied finish, easy installation and superior weathering performance. The fact that the product is low toxicity and locally sourced from sustainable plantation forests was an added selling point for the development and it’s customers. A number of local and international awards have been achieved, proving the quality of the development.

Recently, TaskRabbit challenged a group of 10 Taskers to build a Tiny House in the middle of Manhattan in just 72 hours – all for a good cause. Building a fully outfitted tiny house in 3 days was a tall order – a build like this often takes months – but we set out to prove the power of collaboration, showing the kind of progress that can be made when people come together, bringing their best insights, skills and creativity to achieve something that seems impossible. It was quite a week. New York was wonderful (and quite lovely, despite a bit of rain), our Taskers were incredible, and TaskRabbit’s Tiny House came together in record time, due to the planning, dedication and hard work of all involved. A Symbol for Change The TaskRabbit Tiny House was auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds going to our partner, Community Solutions, a national nonprofit helping communities take on complex social challenges – issues like homelessness, unemployment and health inequity – through collaboration and creative problem solving. This Tiny House was envisioned as a small symbol of the change that is possible when people have the right tools and opportunities to work together. Through our three-day build, our Taskers proved that amazing things can happen when we put our hearts into creating substantive change in our communities. The Winning Bid We’re proud to report that we were able to raise $26,600 to support Community Solutions’ work. Sarah, a lovely woman from New Hampshire, placed the winning bid – and it’s nice to know our tiny home is in good hands. #ATinyTask: Behind the Scenes The Plans A lot of time and effort went into making sure this Tiny Home was as efficient, cozy and welcoming as possible. Our master planners, designer Lesley Morphy and TaskRabbit Creative Director Scott Smith, maximized every square inch in the little house with comfort and style in mind, utilizing a lofted bed, lofted storage, a floor-to-ceiling tiled shower, a compost toilet, and custom details throughout. There’s a surprising amount of built-in storage in the kitchen, while a conscious decision was made to keep the living space open so you could actually exist comfortably without feeling cramped. The Build Our Taskers worked long, hard shifts while our team made sure they were well fed, hydrated and in good spirits. The team brought amazing energy and we couldn’t be prouder of the way they worked together. Stay tuned, as we’ll be highlighting more of our Tiny House Taskers’ stories in coming days – they were so great that we want to make sure all of you get to know them better. The Final Product Behold, the completed Tiny House! For more photos, be sure to check out our Facebook page. This was an incredibly inspiring project, and we really enjoyed watching the Tiny House come to life right in the middle of Manhattan. It was amazing to see what our Taskers are capable of, and we’re so glad we were able to support Community Solutions and help fight homelessness, unemployment and health inequity with #ATinyTask.

What could go possibly wrong? Nothing with Alair as their contractor. Some creativity was required to get these clients the overall feel of the home they wanted without breaking the budget. The end result proves you can still have a big impact on a small budget if you target key areas and spend wisely.

Who says you can’t have it all? This transitional design, which combines the charm of a peaked roof and shingled farmhouse style on the exterior with a contemporary open-style interior, proves otherwise. A floating, freestanding fireplace visible throughout the 2,344-square-foot first level is just one of the many special features of this cozy Craftsman-inspired design. This great getaway is all about the view, and many of the first floor rooms, from the living room to the master bath, were designed to make the most of lots lucky enough to have stunning vistas. Another interior highlight is the centrally located living/great room with fireplace, which looks out over a large patio. The 19 by 17-foot master bedroom is located to the right side of the floor plan, which also includes a roomy 130-square-foot screen porch off the spacious kitchen. The 900-square-foot upper level includes two comfortable bedrooms and baths as well as abundant storage and 440 square feet space for a future family apartment. Head downstairs, and an additional 700 square feet offers a study and bath and convenient wine cellar.

Who says you can’t have it all? This transitional design, which combines the charm of a peaked roof and shingled farmhouse style on the exterior with a contemporary open-style interior, proves otherwise. A floating, freestanding fireplace visible throughout the 2,344-square-foot first level is just one of the many special features of this cozy Craftsman-inspired design. This great getaway is all about the view, and many of the first floor rooms, from the living room to the master bath, were designed to make the most of lots lucky enough to have stunning vistas. Another interior highlight is the centrally located living/great room with fireplace, which looks out over a large patio. The 19 by 17-foot master bedroom is located to the right side of the floor plan, which also includes a roomy 130-square-foot screen porch off the spacious kitchen. The 900-square-foot upper level includes two comfortable bedrooms and baths as well as abundant storage and 440 square feet space for a future family apartment. Head downstairs, and an additional 700 square feet offers a study and bath and convenient wine cellar.

What could go possibly wrong? Nothing with Alair as their contractor. Some creativity was required to get these clients the overall feel of the home they wanted without breaking the budget. The end result proves you can still have a big impact on a small budget if you target key areas and spend wisely.

Who says you can’t have it all? This transitional design, which combines the charm of a peaked roof and shingled farmhouse style on the exterior with a contemporary open-style interior, proves otherwise. A floating, freestanding fireplace visible throughout the 2,344-square-foot first level is just one of the many special features of this cozy Craftsman-inspired design. This great getaway is all about the view, and many of the first floor rooms, from the living room to the master bath, were designed to make the most of lots lucky enough to have stunning vistas. Another interior highlight is the centrally located living/great room with fireplace, which looks out over a large patio. The 19 by 17-foot master bedroom is located to the right side of the floor plan, which also includes a roomy 130-square-foot screen porch off the spacious kitchen. The 900-square-foot upper level includes two comfortable bedrooms and baths as well as abundant storage and 440 square feet space for a future family apartment. Head downstairs, and an additional 700 square feet offers a study and bath and convenient wine cellar.

Who says you can’t have it all? This transitional design, which combines the charm of a peaked roof and shingled farmhouse style on the exterior with a contemporary open-style interior, proves otherwise. A floating, freestanding fireplace visible throughout the 2,344-square-foot first level is just one of the many special features of this cozy Craftsman-inspired design. This great getaway is all about the view, and many of the first floor rooms, from the living room to the master bath, were designed to make the most of lots lucky enough to have stunning vistas. Another interior highlight is the centrally located living/great room with fireplace, which looks out over a large patio. The 19 by 17-foot master bedroom is located to the right side of the floor plan, which also includes a roomy 130-square-foot screen porch off the spacious kitchen. The 900-square-foot upper level includes two comfortable bedrooms and baths as well as abundant storage and 440 square feet space for a future family apartment. Head downstairs, and an additional 700 square feet offers a study and bath and convenient wine cellar.

What could go possibly wrong? Nothing with Alair as their contractor. Some creativity was required to get these clients the overall feel of the home they wanted without breaking the budget. The end result proves you can still have a big impact on a small budget if you target key areas and spend wisely.

This Knotty Alder pantry suite serves as the functional anchor of the kitchen, proving that high-capacity storage can be executed with the same artisan elegance as a master spa. In this Hayden estate, we didn't just install cabinets; we engineered a floor-to-ceiling millwork system that maintains the home's "Mountain Modern" aesthetic while providing professional-grade organization. Hayden Estate: Artisan Knotty Alder Pantry & Built-In Suite In a luxury custom build, the pantry should be a seamless extension of the kitchen’s architecture. This expansive unit was designed to handle the heavy demands of a high-end household, balancing concealed storage with open accessibility—all while showcasing the natural, rustic character of hand-finished wood. Technical & Artisan Highlights: Integrated Storage Architecture: This massive built-in unit features a symmetrical layout designed for maximum efficiency. The tall, wardrobe-style flanking cabinets provide deep, concealed storage for bulk goods and appliances, while the central alcove features adjustable thick-set shelving for immediate access. Precision Knotty Alder Millwork: Every door is a traditional Shaker-style panel, hand-selected to highlight the complex grain and organic knots of the Alder. This consistency in material ties the kitchen directly to the custom vanities and trim found throughout the rest of the residence. Furniture-Grade Construction: Note the substantial crown molding that caps the unit and the seamless fit into the room's alcove. This isn't "out of the box" cabinetry; it’s a site-specific installation that utilizes heavy-duty, oil-rubbed bronze hardware for a high-end tactile feel. Invisible HVAC Integration: We meticulously engineered the base of the cabinetry to incorporate the home’s mechanicals. The precision-cut baseboard vent allows for unobstructed airflow while maintaining the clean, uninterrupted lines of the wood toe-kick. Design Continuity: By using the same Shaker profiles and wood species as the bathroom suites, we’ve created a unified "Estate" feel. This level of detail ensures that even the most functional zones of the home—like a pantry—meet the same "expensive and creative" standard as the primary living spaces.

What could go possibly wrong? Nothing with Alair as their contractor. Some creativity was required to get these clients the overall feel of the home they wanted without breaking the budget. The end result proves you can still have a big impact on a small budget if you target key areas and spend wisely.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents. Early History The earliest St. Simons Island Village record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini. Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned. Colonial History As Fort Frederica early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat. Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service. Plantation Era By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war. Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton. Between Ebos Landing the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing. One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863). Another Retreat Plantation large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves. The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall. The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church. Civil War and Beyond The St. Simons Island Lighthouse outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned. After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations. By St. Simons Lumber Mills 1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross. The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island. Twentieth Century The St. Simons Island Pier and Village opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development. In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s. The St. Simons Island outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents. Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa. Since Epworth by the Sea 1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant. Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours The second-largest and most developed of Georgia's barrier islands, St. Simons is approximately twelve miles long and nearly three miles wide at its widest stretch (roughly the size of Manhattan Island in New York). The island is located in Glynn County on Georgia's coast and lies east of Brunswick (the seat of Glynn County), south of Little St. Simons Island and the Hampton River, and north of Jekyll Island. The resort community of Sea Island is separated from St. Simons on the east by the Black Banks River. Known for its oak tree canopies and historic landmarks, St. Simons is both a tourist destination and, according to the 2010 U.S. census, home to 12,743 residents. Early History The earliest St. Simons Island Village record of human habitation on the island dates to the Late Archaic Period, about 5,000 to 3,000 years ago. Remnants of shell rings left behind by Native Americans from this era survive on many of the barrier islands, including St. Simons. Centuries later, during the period known by historians as the chiefdom era, the Guale Indians established a chiefdom centered on St. Catherines Island and used St. Simons as their hunting and fishing grounds. By 1500 the Guale had established a permanent village of about 200 people on St. Simons, which they called Guadalquini. Beginning in 1568, the Spanish attempted to create missions along the Georgia coast. Catholic missions were the primary means by which Georgia's indigenous Native American chiefdoms were assimilated into the Spanish colonial system along the northern frontier of greater Spanish Florida. In the 1600s St. Simons became home to two Spanish missions: San Buenaventura de Guadalquini, on the southern tip of the island, and Santo Domingo de Asao (or Asajo), on the northern tip. Located on the inland side of the island were the pagan refugee villages of San Simón, the island's namesake, and Ocotonico. In 1684 pirate raids left the missions and villages largely abandoned. Colonial History As Fort Frederica early as 1670, with Great Britain's establishment of the colony of Carolina and its expansion into Georgia territory, Spanish rule was threatened by the English. The Georgia coast was considered "debatable land" by England and Spain, even though Spain had fully retreated from St. Simons by 1702. Thirty-one years later General James Edward Oglethorpe founded the English settlement of Savannah. In 1736 he established Fort Frederica, named after the heir to the British throne, Frederick Louis, prince of Wales, on the west side of St. Simons Island to protect Savannah and the Carolinas from the Spanish threat. Between 1736 and 1749 Fort Frederica was the hub of British military operations along the Georgia frontier. A town of the same name grew up around the fort and was of great importance to the new colony. By 1740 Frederica's population was 1,000. In 1736 the congregation of what would become Christ Church was organized within Fort Frederica as a mission of the Church of England. Charles Wesley led the first services. In 1742 Britain's decisive victory over Spain in the Battle of Bloody Marsh, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, ended the Spanish threat to the Georgia coast. When the British regimen disbanded in 1749, most of the townspeople relocated to the mainland. Fort Frederica went into decline and, except for a short time of prosperity during the 1760s and 1770s under the leadership of merchant James Spalding, never fully recovered. Today the historic citadel's tabby ruins are maintained by the National Park Service. Plantation Era By the start of the American Revolution (1775-83), Fort Frederica was obsolete, and St. Simons was left largely uninhabited as most of its residents joined the patriot army. Besides hosting a small Georgia naval victory on the Fort Frederica River, providing guns from its famous fort for use at Fort Morris in Sunbury, and serving as an arena for pillaging by privateers and British soldiers, the island played almost no role in the war. Following the war, many of the townspeople, their businesses destroyed, turned to agriculture. The island was transformed into fourteen cotton plantations after acres of live oak trees were cleared for farm land and used for building American warships, including the famous USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides." Although rice was the predominant crop along the neighboring Altamaha River, St. Simons was known for its production of long-staple cotton, which soon came to be known as Sea Island cotton. Between Ebos Landing the 1780s and the outbreak of the Civil War (1861-65), St. Simons's plantation culture flourished. The saline atmosphere and the availability of cheap slave labor proved an ideal combination for the cultivation of Sea Island cotton. In 1803 a group of Ebo slaves who survived the Middle Passage and arrived on the west side of St. Simons staged a rebellion and drowned themselves. The sacred site is known today as Ebos Landing. One of the largest owners of land and slaves on St. Simons was Pierce Butler, master of Hampton Point Plantation, located on the northern end of the island. By 1793 Butler owned more than 500 slaves, who cultivated 800 acres of cotton on St. Simons and 300 acres of rice on Butler's Island in the Altamaha River delta. Butler's grandson, Pierce Mease Butler, who at the age of sixteen inherited a share of his grandfather's estate in 1826, was responsible for the largest sale of human beings in the history of the United States: in 1859, to restore his squandered fortune, he sold 429 slaves in Savannah for more than $300,000. The British actress and writer Fanny Kemble, whose tumultuous marriage to Pierce ended in divorce in 1849, published an eyewitness account of the evils of slavery on St. Simons in her book Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838-1839 (1863). Another Retreat Plantation large owner of land and slaves on St. Simons was Major William Page, a friend and employee of Pierce Butler Sr. Before purchasing Retreat Plantation on the southwestern tip of the island in 1804, Page managed the Hampton plantation and Butler's Island. Upon Page's death in 1827, Thomas Butler King inherited the land together with his wife, Page's daughter, Anna Matilda Page King. King expanded his father-in-law's planting empire on St. Simons as well as on the mainland, and by 1835 Retreat Plantation alone was home to as many as 355 slaves. The center of life during the island's plantation era was Christ Church, Frederica. Organized in 1807 by a group of island planters, the Episcopal church is the second oldest in the Diocese of Georgia. Embargoes imposed by the War of 1812 (1812-15) prevented the parishioners from building a church structure, so they worshiped in the home of John Beck, which stood on the site of Oglethorpe's only St. Simons residence, Orange Hall. The first Christ Church building, finished on the present site in 1820, was ruined by occupying Union troops during the Civil War. In 1884 the Reverend Anson Dodge Jr. rebuilt the church as a memorial to his first wife, Ellen. The cruciform building with a trussed gothic roof and stained-glass windows remains active today as Christ Church. Civil War and Beyond The St. Simons Island Lighthouse outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 put a sudden end to St. Simons's lucrative plantation era. In January of that year, Confederate troops were stationed at the south end of the island to guard the entrance to Brunswick Harbor. Slaves from Retreat Plantation, owned by Thomas Butler King, built earthworks and batteries. Plantation residents were scattered—the men joined the Confederate army and their families moved to the mainland. Cannon fire was heard on the island in December 1861, and Confederate troops retreated in February 1862, after dynamiting the lighthouse to keep its beacon from aiding Union troops. Soon thereafter, Union troops occupied the island, which was used as a camp for freed slaves. By August 1862 more than 500 former slaves lived on St. Simons, including Susie King Taylor, who organized a school for freed slave children. But in November the ex-slaves were taken to Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Fernandina, Florida, leaving the island abandoned. After the Civil War the island never returned to its status as an agricultural community. The plantations lay dormant because there were no slaves to work the fields. After Union general William T. Sherman's January 1865 Special Field Order No. 15 —a demand that former plantations be divided and distributed to former slaves—was overturned by U.S. president Andrew Johnson less than a year later, freedmen and women were forced to work as sharecroppers on the small farms that dotted the land previously occupied by the sprawling plantations. By St. Simons Lumber Mills 1870 real economic recovery began with the reestablishment of the timber industry. Norman Dodge and Titus G. Meigs of New York set up lumber mill operations at Gascoigne Bluff, formerly Hamilton Plantation. The lumber mills provided welcome employment for both blacks and whites and also provided mail and passenger boats to the mainland. Such water traffic, together with the construction of a new lighthouse in 1872, designed by architect Charles B. Cluskey, marked the beginning of St. Simons's tourism industry. The keeper of the lighthouse created a small amusement park, which drew many visitors, as did the seemingly miraculous light that traveled from the top of the lighthouse tower to the bottom. The island became a summer retreat for families from the mainland, particularly from Baxley, Brunswick, and Waycross. The island's resort industry was thriving by the 1880s. Beachfront structures, such as a new pier and grand hotel, were built on the southeastern end of the island and could be accessed by ferry. Around this time wealthy northerners began vacationing on the island. Twentieth Century The St. Simons Island Pier and Village opening in 1924 of the Brunswick–St. Simons Highway, today known as the Torras Causeway, was a milestone in the development of resorts in the area. St. Simons's beaches were now easily accessible to locals and tourists alike. More than 5,000 automobiles took the short drive from Brunswick to St. Simons via the causeway on its opening day, paving the way for convenient residential and resort development. In 1926 automotive pioneer Howard Coffin of Detroit, Michigan, bought large tracts of land on St. Simons, including the former Retreat Plantation, and constructed a golf course, yacht club, paved roads, and a residential subdivision. Although the causeway had brought large numbers of summer people to the island, St. Simons remained a small community with only a few hundred permanent residents until the 1940s. The St. Simons Island outbreak of World War II (1941-45) brought more visitors and residents to St. Simons. Troops stationed at Jacksonville, Florida; Savannah; and nearby Camp Stewart took weekend vacations on the island, and a new naval air base and radar school became home to even more officers and soldiers. The increased wartime population brought the island its first public school. With a major shipyard for the production of Liberty ships in nearby Brunswick, the waters of St. Simons became active with German U-boats. In April 1942, just off the coast, the Texas Company oil tanker S. S. Oklahoma and the S. S. Esso Baton Rouge were torpedoed by the Germans, bringing the war very close to home for island residents. Due in large part to the military's improvement of the island's infrastructure during the war, development on the island boomed in the 1950s and 1960s. More permanent homes and subdivisions were built, and the island was no longer just a summer resort but also a thriving community. In 1950 the Methodist conference and retreat center Epworth by the Sea opened on Gascoigne Bluff. In 1961 novelist Eugenia Price visited St. Simons and began work on her first works of fiction, known as the St. Simons Trilogy. Inspired by real events on the island, Price's trilogy renewed interest in the history of Georgia's coast, and the novelist herself relocated to the island in 1965 and lived there for thirty-one years. St. Simons is also home to contemporary Georgia writer Tina McElroy Ansa. Since Epworth by the Sea 1980 St. Simons's population has doubled. The island's continued status as a vacation destination and its ongoing development boom have put historic landmarks and natural areas at risk. While such landmarks as the Fort Frederica ruins and the Battle of Bloody Marsh site are preserved and maintained by the National Park Service, and while the historic lighthouse is maintained by the Coastal Georgia Historical Society, historic Ebos Landing has been taken over by a sewage treatment plant. Several coastal organizations have formed in recent years to save natural areas on the island. The St. Simons Land Trust, for example, has received donations of large tracts of land and plans to protect property in the island's three traditional African American neighborhoods. Despite its rapid growth and development, St. Simons remains one of the most beautiful and important islands on the Georgia coast.

This home was featured in the July 2011 issue of “Log Cabin Homes.” It proves efficiency doesn’t have to be sacrificed when designing grand elegance. Even with its cathedral ceilings and many windows it earned a 5 Star Plus Energy Star® rating. http://www.coventryloghomes.com/ourDesigns/craftsmanSeries/BearRock/model.html Roger Wade

This 100-year-old farmhouse underwent a complete head-to-toe renovation. Partnering with Home Star BC we painstakingly modernized the crumbling farmhouse while maintaining its original west coast charm. The only new addition to the home was the kitchen eating area, with its swinging dutch door, patterned cement tile and antique brass lighting fixture. The wood-clad walls throughout the home were made using the walls of the dilapidated barn on the property. Incorporating a classic equestrian aesthetic within each room while still keeping the spaces bright and livable was one of the projects many challenges. The Master bath - formerly a storage room - is the most modern of the home's spaces. Herringbone white-washed floors are partnered with elements such as brick, marble, limestone and reclaimed timber to create a truly eclectic, sun-filled oasis. The gilded crystal sputnik inspired fixture above the bath as well as the sky blue cabinet keep the room fresh and full of personality. Overall, the project proves that bolder, more colorful strokes allow a home to possess what so many others lack: a personality!