Runnels in the concrete function to drain water out of the patio area but also add a subtle inlay detail. Here the runnel is filled with both beach pebbles and dry-laid bluestone. Renn Kuhnen Photography

This 10,000 sf townhouse sits on one of Manhattan’s most beautiful Upper East Side streets and so the goal of the project was to return the house to its original grandeur. Previously a Kips Bay designer showcase house, the rooms were each designed in a differing style and therefore the lack of cohesion and flow made the house seem choppy. In addition, much of the interior was superficial in the sense that plumbing fixtures were not all connected, walls were “false walls” built in front of existing and much of the construction had to be rebuilt. The scope included creating a large gourmet kitchen in the rear of the ground floor by closing off the winding corridor and creating a new door opening centered on the main entry hall with a paneled arched pocket door mimicking the original detailing of the parlor floor. The kitchen has a Calacatta Gold stone center island and dinning area flanked by counters that run the length of the east and west walls with glass front upper cabinets. A built-in buffet on the south wall anchors the space. A mud room, with access to the delivery entrance and additional storage space was added off the kitchen. A new slim profile steel and glass French door provides access to a new steel rear deck and stairs to the rear yard. On the second floor, a new tile floor was added throughout and RRA designed new stone mantle pieces fabricated from England in the living and dining rooms. On the 3rd floor, a new wall was constructed in the 11’ wide central hallway to allow a new 135 sf master closet with custom designed built-in storage units and accessories. This concept was carried through to the 4th floor on a smaller scale and 4 new storage closets were added in the hallway. The existing bathroom on the 4th Floor was gutted and redesigned including a new 5’x5’ extra deep soaking tub and new fixtures. Silver travertine tiles were used throughout to give the room a durable, waterproof finish while also providing a warm, luxurious feel. The 5th floor was converted into a playroom and TV room for the family’s two young children and was outfitted with chalkboard paint along the entire east wall in the play area and a bold color block wall treatment in the TV room. A new cork floor was installed for durability and resilience to lots of activity yet providing a soft and sustainable floor treatment for its intended user. A full laundry room was also created floor with new cabinetry, plumbing, and floor and wall tile. Additionally, 3 full baths and a powder room were refitted with tumbled travertine tiles on the top two floors. The exterior of the building was refurbished and new lighting and painted doors and frames were installed in accordance with Landmark designation. An additional challenge on the project was that a previously built extension on the PH level was illegally overbuilt and the property had received a violation. A 9 month process of filing drawings, completing zoning analyses and meetings with the DOB Commissioners ensued to get the extension approved allowing us to obtain a permit for the remainder of the work and complete the Certificate of Occupancy. In spite of the complex process and scattered program, the completed townhouse has a cohesive aesthetic throughout, with upgraded amenities befitting this grand representation of elite New York living.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

This 10,000 sf townhouse sits on one of Manhattan’s most beautiful Upper East Side streets and so the goal of the project was to return the house to its original grandeur. Previously a Kips Bay designer showcase house, the rooms were each designed in a differing style and therefore the lack of cohesion and flow made the house seem choppy. In addition, much of the interior was superficial in the sense that plumbing fixtures were not all connected, walls were “false walls” built in front of existing and much of the construction had to be rebuilt. The scope included creating a large gourmet kitchen in the rear of the ground floor by closing off the winding corridor and creating a new door opening centered on the main entry hall with a paneled arched pocket door mimicking the original detailing of the parlor floor. The kitchen has a Calacatta Gold stone center island and dinning area flanked by counters that run the length of the east and west walls with glass front upper cabinets. A built-in buffet on the south wall anchors the space. A mud room, with access to the delivery entrance and additional storage space was added off the kitchen. A new slim profile steel and glass French door provides access to a new steel rear deck and stairs to the rear yard. On the second floor, a new tile floor was added throughout and RRA designed new stone mantle pieces fabricated from England in the living and dining rooms. On the 3rd floor, a new wall was constructed in the 11’ wide central hallway to allow a new 135 sf master closet with custom designed built-in storage units and accessories. This concept was carried through to the 4th floor on a smaller scale and 4 new storage closets were added in the hallway. The existing bathroom on the 4th Floor was gutted and redesigned including a new 5’x5’ extra deep soaking tub and new fixtures. Silver travertine tiles were used throughout to give the room a durable, waterproof finish while also providing a warm, luxurious feel. The 5th floor was converted into a playroom and TV room for the family’s two young children and was outfitted with chalkboard paint along the entire east wall in the play area and a bold color block wall treatment in the TV room. A new cork floor was installed for durability and resilience to lots of activity yet providing a soft and sustainable floor treatment for its intended user. A full laundry room was also created floor with new cabinetry, plumbing, and floor and wall tile. Additionally, 3 full baths and a powder room were refitted with tumbled travertine tiles on the top two floors. The exterior of the building was refurbished and new lighting and painted doors and frames were installed in accordance with Landmark designation. An additional challenge on the project was that a previously built extension on the PH level was illegally overbuilt and the property had received a violation. A 9 month process of filing drawings, completing zoning analyses and meetings with the DOB Commissioners ensued to get the extension approved allowing us to obtain a permit for the remainder of the work and complete the Certificate of Occupancy. In spite of the complex process and scattered program, the completed townhouse has a cohesive aesthetic throughout, with upgraded amenities befitting this grand representation of elite New York living.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

Jesse had inherited his townhome, and had lived there for several years. His career took him to another state, and the home was unoccupied for over a year. He decided that he would not return to Raleigh and that it was time to sell. The 1975 home still had the original kitchen and baths, and was in need of general repair and new flooring. The HVAC system, water heater, and washer and dryer had been replaced as they aged and became non-functional, and the exterior had been maintained by the Home Owner’s Association. Jesse wanted to update the home and have it sell as quickly as possible, so we got to work determining what the best use of the budget would be to accomplish this goal. We focused on updating the major interior design elements that would provide the most enjoyment, durability, and energy efficiency for the new homeowners. We started with completely gutting the Kitchen and reconfiguring it by moving the refrigerator into the laundry area, and stacked the washer and dryer to save space. We replaced all of the old vinyl cabinets with durable natural wood cabinetry, and added granite counter tops and a stainless steel sink. We also removed the ceiling-hung cabinets over the counter peninsula to open up the Kitchen and bring in more light and facilitate better flow and interaction, and added a floor-to-ceiling Pantry Closet to make up for the lost storage space. All of the Kitchen appliances were replaced with new energy efficient models. We next gutted the downstairs Powder Bath and replaced the vinyl vanity with matching cabinetry with the kitchen, and replaced the toilet (as well as all other toilets in the home) with an EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. We removed the wallpaper and finished the walls smooth, replaced the lighting and mirror, and removed the carpet and installed a porcelain tile floor. The second floor 2nd Bedroom had been left open to the Great Room with a balcony and accordion door for privacy, but it left the room open to all of the noise from the Great Room and Kitchen. In order to make the room function as a private bedroom, we removed the balcony and installed a full wall in its place. Replacing all of the flooring was also at the top of the list, as was general repair on the walls and new paint throughout. We installed natural oak flooring in the Great Room and porcelain tile in the entry foyer. The seals on several of the exterior windows and the Master Bedroom sliding door had been compromised and needed to be replaced, as well as several interior doors and repair of all the louvered closet doors. The two upstairs Baths were functionally sound and the tile was in good shape. We replaced the toilets with EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets, and painted the vanities with a brighter color palette. The end result was bright, open, and comfortable updated home ready for its new occupants. Design Features Durable and handsome natural wood cabinetry. Granite Kitchen and Powder countertops. Stainless Kitchen appliances and white refrigerator. Stainless Kitchen sink and brushed nickel faucets. Brushed Nickel cabinetry and door hardware. Low-flow EPA WaterSense rated toilets. Light and bright natural hardwood flooring. Porcelain tile and luxury vinyl flooring. New carpet. Private 2nd Bedroom. Light and bright No-VOC paints and finishes. Energy Efficient and Green Features Energy efficient EPA Energy Star appliances. EPA WaterSense rated low-flow toilets. Energy efficient EPA Energy Star windows and door. Durable No-VOC cabinetry. Durable porcelain tile flooring. Low-flow faucets. Energy efficient CFL lighting throughout. No-VOC paints and finishes.

TruCedar Steel Siding shown in 10" Board & Batten in Napa Vine.
Beige two-story metal exterior home idea in Grand Rapids

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 bedroom and full bathroom are part of an adventuresome project my wife and I embarked upon to create a complete apartment in the basement of our townhouse. We designed a floor plan that creatively and efficiently used all of the 385-square-foot-space, without sacrificing beauty, comfort or function – and all without breaking the bank! To maximize our budget, we did the work ourselves and added everything from thrift store finds to DIY wall art to bring it all together. A partial double closet bar adds a little extra space while still leaving room for longer hanging clothes.

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.

Staircase - mid-sized traditional wooden straight wood railing staircase idea in New York with painted risers

Budget Blinds blackout roller shades, photo credit installer Adam Brannick
Example of a mid-sized transitional guest bedroom design in Cedar Rapids with gray walls and no fireplace