Space-saving Stairs have been used widely in Europe for many years and now have become quite popular in the US with the rise of the Tiny House movement. A further boost has been given to the Space-saving staircase with many of the major building codes in the US allowing them. Here's the stair we designed and built for a client who wanted a super-slim, non-intrusive way to access their loft. It's built at the code maximum pitch of 70 degrees and has a 102" overall rise. The build code defines an alternating-tread stair as "A device that has a series of steps between 50 and 70 degrees from level... in an alternating manner so that the user does not have both feet on the same level at the same time." So just think with me; That's how we normally climb stairs isn't it? When we climb a conventional stair, we use half of the step at a time. So the idea of an alternating-tread stair is to save a huge amount of floor space by placing the treads in the position where we would normally place our foot as we climb the staircase. This is a brilliant solution for accessing an upper level when space in tight. Please contact Clyde if you want any type of custom stairs. 520-895-2060 or 916-991-9700

Contrast in the Kitchen – Texture to Taste in a Grand Junction, CO custom home We normally associate texture with food, clothes, and even sound. In reality, it is a part of every aspect of our lives. In our Grand Junction, Appleton, Fruita, Palisade, and Redlands, Colorado homes, texture lives on everything from our walls to washcloths. It isn’t something we normally consider holistically or view with intent. While designing interiors, texture becomes our way to bring visual interest and emotion into the space. Adding textures to a space invites touch and evokes an understanding of the design intent. Materials like linen and wood can be combined to make a space feel streamlined yet cozy. Leather and velvet can be paired to create a luxurious retreat. In one of our recent projects, our clients had a distinct vision for their new kitchen and outdoor custom home living spaces. They were in need of a design that combined their kitchen, living, and outdoor spaces into a seamless oasis for their everyday routines. Their home has a unique architectural voice and they wanted to emphasize the character that was already there. Blending textures and colors throughout this project was how everything remained cohesive and spirited. The purpose of contrasting materials We used contrasting materials in the cabinetry to distinguish between the perimeter – high gloss – and the natural gathering space – maple. By contrasting the soft nature of maple in the cabinets and in the flooring with the harder textures of concrete and steel, we were able to offset the space’s tendency to feel like an alpine cabin. However, using contrasting textures does not always provide a dynamic interior. The high-gloss cabinets function as a vessel for various textures. They take on whatever happens to be reflected in them, bringing in elements from unexpected sources. The function of texture Along with rich black hardware, the unique backsplash adds an element of handcrafted care that naturally draws your eye throughout the space. The unevenness of each tile provides the space with intentional imperfections, giving it life and visual delight. Textures like these are great conversation starters or simply eye candy. To extend their living and dining spaces to the exterior, our clients also updated the numerous decks around the home, as well as the cladding. This gave us the opportunity to develop a texture and color story for their exteriors. Considering finishes in a location as distinctive as the Western Slope can either be viewed as a challenge or an opportunity. We have the desert, evergreen groves, riversides, and snowstorms to glean inspiration from while designing. For us, utilizing palettes that compliment the home’s natural surroundings is crucial. This home happens to live on a densely wooded plot of land with mature trees providing plenty of shade. This backdrop informed our color selections, while the existing architecture drove the material selections. The wood decking adds warmth, the horizontal cream siding brightens, the gray cedar leaves a part of the original architectural intent, and the green entry wall adds drama. The existing beams were left original because it is difficult to find materials that match the grandeur of the home. Recognizing good design Next time you walk into a well-designed custom home and immediately feel at ease, take some time to notice why you may be feeling that way. The subtlety of blending textures and colors can have a profound impact on how a space is perceived. You can see some of our other design projects here.

This fantastic laundry room is connected to the Master Bathroom and serves as an office area as well.
Inspiration for a transitional laundry room remodel in Chicago

Grand entrance with contemporary 9 ft front door.
Transitional entryway photo in Chicago with gray walls

Every home needs some updates before going on the market in order to attract buyers and sell for top dollar. The most common updates are a fresh coat of paint, flooring updates, and lighting and hardware swaps. These simple changes can make all the difference in attracting a broad set of buyers. Normal wear and tear is normal but makes a home look lived-in. When most home buyers are searching for their home, they don’t want to envision someone else living in it—they want to envision themselves living in it with their things. That’s why agents have been recommending that sellers tackle basic pre-listing home improvements, including painting, flooring installation or refinishing, lighting updates, or hardware swaps for decades. These simple updates can make a world of difference and be the difference!

michael moran studio
Living room - contemporary living room idea in Los Angeles

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Campbell Cove Lake, Tennessee Construction was completed in 1963 and originally, the lake was owned and managed strictly for fishing. It has a normal surface area of 71 acres and depths of over 60 feet. It is now owned by Polk County and managed by the Copper Basin Utility District as an area water supply. Swimming and boating is allowed, however, the use of gasoline powered boat motors is prohibited Campbell Cove Lake Dam is of earthen construction. The core is homogeneous, earth. The foundation is soil, rock. Its height is 77 feet with a length of 402 feet. Its capacity is 2430 acre feet. Normal storage is 1394 acre feet. It drains an area of 1.84 square miles. The lake was originally stocked by the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission with large mouth bass, shell crackers, bluegill and channel catfish; the lake also has a healthy population of perch and crappie. Persons fishing must have a valid TN. fishing license. There is a public boat launching area available for use year round.

This customer wanted a normal (western cedar) deck attached to his porch. He also had a drainage problem that required a french drain, and he wanted a walkway. This is the solution we came up with. under all the flagstone is a gravel bed with the french drain system inside. In between the flagstone is pea gravel to let the water through and the stones on each side serve as water traps to keep heavy rain from the house. We also dug into the hillside and installed a retaining wall with drains to make the deck the size and shape he wanted. I think it was a nice solution to a normally unusable space!

Fabulous design, custom crafted cabinetry by Amish Touch, Arthur, IL. His/Hers Vanities with a makeup station between, grasscloth wallpaper and beautiful lighting.

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Campbell Cove Lake, Tennessee Construction was completed in 1963 and originally, the lake was owned and managed strictly for fishing. It has a normal surface area of 71 acres and depths of over 60 feet. It is now owned by Polk County and managed by the Copper Basin Utility District as an area water supply. Swimming and boating is allowed, however, the use of gasoline powered boat motors is prohibited Campbell Cove Lake Dam is of earthen construction. The core is homogeneous, earth. The foundation is soil, rock. Its height is 77 feet with a length of 402 feet. Its capacity is 2430 acre feet. Normal storage is 1394 acre feet. It drains an area of 1.84 square miles. The lake was originally stocked by the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission with large mouth bass, shell crackers, bluegill and channel catfish; the lake also has a healthy population of perch and crappie. Persons fishing must have a valid TN. fishing license. There is a public boat launching area available for use year round.

This beautiful kitchen was designed by Cathy from our Nashua showroom. This transitional Showplace kitchen is in a newly constructed ADA home, designed specifically around the homeowners’ needs and disability. The kitchen design features a versatile, flat-panel door style with a medium matte finish and quartz countertops. The dual height island and special sink/stove aprons allow for a wheelchair to slide underneath with ease, which gives all members of the family a chance to participate in meal prep and socialization within the kitchen. Another special ADA feature is a special wall oven that opens side to side instead of up and down, allowing easier access for anyone in a wheelchair. Other special features include decorative glass doors, plate organizer drawer, crown molding that fades into the wall, and a wood hood. An absolutely beautiful home with all the features needed to assist the homeowner with everyday life. Cabinets: Showplace Pendleton 275 Finish: Matte Autumn Countertops: Silestone quartz Color: Capri Limestone Hardware: Amerock 4465-WN & 4466-WN Cathy also designed many other rooms in this home, including 6 bathrooms, an office, a laundry/mudroom & a few other extras.

With its fantastic built-in cabintry and abundant natural lighting, this home office is a sophisticated and spacious environment for the creative mind of the homeowner.

Haley A Photography
Example of a transitional light wood floor kitchen design in Chicago with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, gray backsplash, stone tile backsplash and an island

Every home needs some updates before going on the market in order to attract buyers and sell for top dollar. The most common updates are a fresh coat of paint, flooring updates, and lighting and hardware swaps. These simple changes can make all the difference in attracting a broad set of buyers. Normal wear and tear is normal but makes a home look lived-in. When most home buyers are searching for their home, they don’t want to envision someone else living in it—they want to envision themselves living in it with their things. That’s why agents have been recommending that sellers tackle basic pre-listing home improvements, including painting, flooring installation or refinishing, lighting updates, or hardware swaps for decades. These simple updates can make a world of difference and be the difference!

Arts and crafts pool photo in New York

We're in the shop here today showing you an alternating-tread staircase that's' going to a job-site in Napa tomorrow. I'm standing on the landing which is at exactly mid-floor level. It's going into one one these 100-year-old houses with a steep roof and lots of attic space. The homeowner called me last month saying he wants to access this large attic area with something better than a ladder. He didn't have room for a conventional stair but this alternating-tread space-saving stair was a perfect fit. It's all Red Oak which matches the hardwood floors throughout the house. Once these are installed at the site we'll put a handrail on top of the stringers on the open side. I'll tell you a little about the alternating-tread staircases. It's built in a way that is nearly as easy to climb as a conventional stair. When we walk up a convectional stairway we normally use half of the stair tread at a time, placing one foot on the right half and the next foot on the left half. The idea of an alternating-tread stair is make half of each tread wide enough for your foot and then alternate the wide end of these paddle-shape treads from left to right. You still have your 10 inch minimum tread depth plus a 1 inch nosing projection. This give you 11" of support for each foot, just like a conventional stair. We normally make the risers a max of 7-3/4", but code allows us to go as high as 9 inches. This one is 7-3/4" which is very comfortable. We installed a metal bar across the middle of each open-riser to limit the open space to less than a 4 inch gap. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a quick shot of this. Tomorrow morning we get to go to the job-site and install this. I'd can't wait to see the look on the customer's face when we have this installed. I'll let him do the bragging :-) Last but not least, I'd like to give glory to God and special recognition to a Jewish carpenter named Jesus. I don't know for sure if He built stairways as a carpenter, but I am happy to say that He is my LORD and I want to live my whole life for Him. God bless you! And please contact me if you want any type of custom stairs. Clyde 520-895-2060 or 916-991-9700

Stuart Wade, Envision Virtual Tours Campbell Cove Lake, Tennessee Construction was completed in 1963 and originally, the lake was owned and managed strictly for fishing. It has a normal surface area of 71 acres and depths of over 60 feet. It is now owned by Polk County and managed by the Copper Basin Utility District as an area water supply. Swimming and boating is allowed, however, the use of gasoline powered boat motors is prohibited Campbell Cove Lake Dam is of earthen construction. The core is homogeneous, earth. The foundation is soil, rock. Its height is 77 feet with a length of 402 feet. Its capacity is 2430 acre feet. Normal storage is 1394 acre feet. It drains an area of 1.84 square miles. The lake was originally stocked by the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission with large mouth bass, shell crackers, bluegill and channel catfish; the lake also has a healthy population of perch and crappie. Persons fishing must have a valid TN. fishing license. There is a public boat launching area available for use year round.

Haley A Photography
Dining room - transitional light wood floor dining room idea in Chicago

Haley A Photography
Transitional closet photo in Chicago