Designed for a busy, active family with children involved in soccer and other activities, this custom laundry room addition combines generous storage, durable finishes, and sophisticated design. Custom white cabinetry provides extensive concealed storage for laundry supplies, household necessities, sports gear, uniforms, and the everyday essentials that come with an active family lifestyle. The expansive granite countertops create plenty of workspace for sorting, folding, and organizing, while the deep sink and abundant cabinetry make this a highly functional family laundry and utility room. Warm wood flooring, black cabinet hardware, a classic tile backsplash, open shelving, and a large window overlooking the surrounding greenery give the space the polished character of a high-end custom home. Created as part of an extensive Redmond, Washington home remodel and addition, this room demonstrates how thoughtful custom cabinetry, built-in storage, granite countertops, family-friendly design, and luxury home remodeling can transform a hardworking everyday space into a beautiful and organized part of the home.

Revamping the laundry room brings a blend of functionality and style to an often-overlooked space. Upgrading appliances to energy-efficient models enhances efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Custom cabinetry and shelving solutions maximize storage for detergents, cleaning supplies, and laundry essentials, promoting an organized and clutter-free environment. Consideration of ergonomic design, such as a folding counter or ironing station, streamlines tasks and adds a touch of convenience. Thoughtful lighting choices, perhaps with LED fixtures or natural light sources, contribute to a bright and inviting atmosphere. Flooring upgrades for durability, such as water-resistant tiles or easy-to-clean materials, can withstand the demands of laundry tasks. Ultimately, a remodeled laundry room not only elevates its practical functionality but also transforms it into a well-designed, efficient space that makes the often-dreaded chore of laundry a more pleasant experience.

Revamping the laundry room brings a blend of functionality and style to an often-overlooked space. Upgrading appliances to energy-efficient models enhances efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Custom cabinetry and shelving solutions maximize storage for detergents, cleaning supplies, and laundry essentials, promoting an organized and clutter-free environment. Consideration of ergonomic design, such as a folding counter or ironing station, streamlines tasks and adds a touch of convenience. Thoughtful lighting choices, perhaps with LED fixtures or natural light sources, contribute to a bright and inviting atmosphere. Flooring upgrades for durability, such as water-resistant tiles or easy-to-clean materials, can withstand the demands of laundry tasks. Ultimately, a remodeled laundry room not only elevates its practical functionality but also transforms it into a well-designed, efficient space that makes the often-dreaded chore of laundry a more pleasant experience.

Falcon House is located on Falcon Ridge Road, which winds along a steeply inclined ridge in a stretch of foothills within Carmel Valley in Monterey County. An old lichen covered barn and split rail, cedar fences characterize this area known as Markham Ranch, and contrast sharply with the preponderance of sprawling, large estate-style homes, many more at-home in the Italian countryside than any landscape of California. Designed for a young family, Falcon House responds to the family’s desire to live a more modest lifestyle, eschewing overt displays of extravagance for an intimate and deferential relation to nature. The 3,200-square-foot residence occupies a difficult portion of the northern slope of a hillside, overlooking a verdant valley and oriented toward Castle Rock in the distance. The steep terrain necessitated a compartmentalized plan capable of negotiating the gentle hillock at the center of the site. A corridor bridge spans two pieces of the house, uniting living and sleeping spaces and allowing an existing watercourse to flow essentially through the house unobstructed. Large panels of glass open the living spaces to the landscape, beneath the deep overhang of a butterfly roof. Operable clerestories placed high on the window-wall allow prevailing breezes to cool the interior spaces. The bedroom wing of the house hugs the hillside as it turns to the west, ensuring privacy from the main living spaces. The sense of seclusion and protection of this wing is reinforced by its lower roofline and its embedment into the hill. Initial resistance by neighboring homeowners has given way to appreciation, having seen the results of careful siting and a material and color palate sympathetic to the surrounding hillsides. The dwelling embodies an attitude of respect for the landscape, and through that perspective Falcon House has become as natural a part of its environment as the hawks flying overhead. 2008 AIA Orange County Chapter Merit Award

In Season 5 of the Vanilla Ice Project, we transformed a mangled backyard into an infinity edge resort style pool that holds approximately 40,000 gallons of water. It has the classic and essential swim-up bar that is located right by the entertaining area outdoor kitchen. The beach deck leads right out of the backdoor into a sunken spa. This spa is set up to a system that removes water from the pool to reveal this glow-in-the-dark, sunken gem. The infinity edge overlooks the inter-coastal and is the best place to watch the sun set.

In Season 5 of the Vanilla Ice Project, we transformed a mangled backyard into an infinity edge resort style pool that holds approximately 40,000 gallons of water. It has the classic and essential swim-up bar that is located right by the entertaining area outdoor kitchen. The beach deck leads right out of the backdoor into a sunken spa. This spa is set up to a system that removes water from the pool to reveal this glow-in-the-dark, sunken gem. The infinity edge overlooks the inter-coastal and is the best place to watch the sun set.

The primary shower is designed to feel like a private spa escape. A built-in bench offers comfort and convenience, while a thoughtfully placed niche keeps essentials neatly within reach. Multiple shower heads provide a luxurious, customizable experience, and the pebble tile floor adds natural texture and a soothing, massage-like feel underfoot. A window overlooking the private yard brings in natural light and a sense of tranquility, creating a bright yet secluded retreat. + Architecture: H2D Architecture + Design + Interior Design: H2D Architecture + Design www.h2darchitects.com + Built by: Rainier Custom Homes + Photography: Anastasiya Homes

In Season 5 of the Vanilla Ice Project, we transformed a mangled backyard into an infinity edge resort style pool that holds approximately 40,000 gallons of water. It has the classic and essential swim-up bar that is located right by the entertaining area outdoor kitchen. The beach deck leads right out of the backdoor into a sunken spa. This spa is set up to a system that removes water from the pool to reveal this glow-in-the-dark, sunken gem. The infinity edge overlooks the inter-coastal and is the best place to watch the sun set.

Designed by The Kitchen Source and Heritage Design Studio, this English Arts and Crafts inspired kitchen was created to feel like the English countryside. Located in Texas, the open plan home combines the kitchen with an informal seating area for guests to chat with the cook, in addition to a bright and airy breakfast room off the left, and a formal dining room off the right. The kitchen is a masterpiece of design, utilizing a combination of Wood-Mode door styles - Colony Recessed, Edgemont Recessed, and Lancaster Recessed – in complementary English-inspired colors of Pale Spring and Vintage Cadet Blue. No detail was overlooked from hand-hewn beams to custom-made solid wood countertops, and custom appliance panels with diamond shaped Gothic mullion inserts. And the details aren’t simply superficial. Behind every drawer and cabinet door hides organizational extras such as a peg drawer to hold dishware; Walnut adjustable drawer partitions and cutlery dividers; and integrated lighting within drawers and cabinets and under-cabinet and wall cabinet integrated lighting makes it easy to find whatever cooking essential is needed.

The big windows overlook the swimming pool in the backyard. The room was expanded in a rear addition and the corner windows are essentially showing how and where the room was expanded.

Perched on a windswept ridge overlooking the Santa Cruz Mountains and the distant Pacific, the house provides respite for a busy single executive. Climbing entry steps, granite clad and interwoven with the landscaping, a towering walnut door and more angled interior steps reward the visitor with breathtaking views. The floor to ceiling glazing in the living room brings in the outdoors while the walnut floor grounds the room to the earth. Walnut paneling, shelving and dividing partitions allow the master bedroom to be at once open to the rest to the house, yet private and serene. Crisp exterior forms of horizontal fiber cement and pigmented plaster create striking silhouettes against the cerulean California sky, and provide a thick skin against potential wildfires. The brushed aluminum shade provides essential solar protection, and accentuates the striking views, inside and out.

Located in Old Town immediately overlooking Park City, this four-level family home incorporates elements of the historic silver mining town vernacular. The home steps back as it ascends the hill to reduce the mass, creating outdoor terraces with views up Deer Valley. The ground level is comprised of an articulated stone base with arched openings for vehicular access, which supports the complex interlocking gables of the upper stories. The geometry of the roof lines and overhangs are reminiscent of classic chalet architecture. The elegantly appointed interiors are defined by beamed ceilings and wooden wainscotting that run throughout the house, creating an atmosphere of comfort and warmth

White created the central focus of the backyard with the intent to capture the primal aspects of life –– fire and water –– and she did not miss the mark with the 12 foot fire trough that overlooks the three and a half feet deep pool, more commonly known in this type of setting as a “spool,” which is essentially a combination of a pool and a spa. Photo by Matt Kocourek http://www.mattkocourek.com/

Located in Old Town immediately overlooking Park City, this four-level family home incorporates elements of the historic silver mining town vernacular. The home steps back as it ascends the hill to reduce the mass, creating outdoor terraces with views up Deer Valley. The ground level is comprised of an articulated stone base with arched openings for vehicular access, which supports the complex interlocking gables of the upper stories. The geometry of the roof lines and overhangs are reminiscent of classic chalet architecture. The elegantly appointed interiors are defined by beamed ceilings and wooden wainscotting that run throughout the house, creating an atmosphere of comfort and warmth

Revamping the laundry room brings a blend of functionality and style to an often-overlooked space. Upgrading appliances to energy-efficient models enhances efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Custom cabinetry and shelving solutions maximize storage for detergents, cleaning supplies, and laundry essentials, promoting an organized and clutter-free environment. Consideration of ergonomic design, such as a folding counter or ironing station, streamlines tasks and adds a touch of convenience. Thoughtful lighting choices, perhaps with LED fixtures or natural light sources, contribute to a bright and inviting atmosphere. Flooring upgrades for durability, such as water-resistant tiles or easy-to-clean materials, can withstand the demands of laundry tasks. Ultimately, a remodeled laundry room not only elevates its practical functionality but also transforms it into a well-designed, efficient space that makes the often-dreaded chore of laundry a more pleasant experience.

Designed as a private sanctuary, Ventana House is a place to retreat and reflect. Located on a steep hillside overlooking the urban sprawl, the residence feels worlds away from the city below. Its cast-in-place concrete walls anchor the structure into the rugged terrain, grounding the architecture within the landscape. This mass is contrasted by a delicate scrim that appears to float above the living spaces, all tucked safely beneath the deep shadows of a large cowboy hat roof—an essential shield against the desert sun.

The Timothy Hyde House, c. 1729, dear to the homeowners for its historic details, but long-lacking the family oriented spaces and living areas essential for today’s extended family lifestyle. Unwilling to compromise an ounce of character, this growing family longed for more practical amenities like a visitor’s private retreat with bedroom, living room and bath, garage parking, a proper master bedroom layout with full bath and walk-in closet, in addition to a new kitchen that would function as the heart of the home. Ultimately the total square footage was doubled and the entire flow of the home was reworked keeping all of the character details intact. The kitchen is the hub, serving up its center island topped off with reclaimed white oak once belonging to a barn built in the 1880’s; jet mist leather granite tops off the remainder of the kitchen. Custom cable lighting was the ingenious solution for the complicated preservation of the original exposed beams and posts in the kitchen. The barn door was custom crafted from original timbers. Many cups of coffee will be enjoyed at the cozy, sun-filled dining nook overlooking the family room and new adjacent deck. The rear, separate entry mudroom with step-up laundry was a long awaited luxury over the previous basement facilities. Moving upstairs, a centrally located bathroom was removed to create a wheelhouse style landing/passage hall, now home to a quiet workspace, featuring original wide plank floors and tailor-made sconces. Baths were added and upgraded including soapstone tops, marble, a glorious soaker tub in the generous master bath, all giving the home a taste of luxury. Bathing in sunlight rests the master suite starring the original beams, cathedral ceilings, and well-suited chandelier. Throughout the home strategically designed built-ins provide a plethora of storage and organization. This 280 year-old Colonial shines on brighter than ever. We are proud to have been part of its long history. Photo by Eric Roth

Maintaining a pest-free home requires attention throughout the year. Seasonal changes affect pest behavior, and understanding these patterns can save homeowners from costly damage and health hazards. In this guide, we will explore practical strategies for spring pest prevention tips, ensuring your property stays protected through every season. From spotting early signs to implementing proactive measures, these steps empower homeowners to take control before infestations occur. Understanding Seasonal Pest Patterns Pests adapt to changing weather, and knowing their patterns helps prevent infestations effectively. Spring: Awakening Pests Spring signals the end of winter dormancy for many pests. Rodents, ants, and termites start seeking food and warmth. Effective spring pest prevention tips include: ● Cleaning gutters and removing debris ● Sealing cracks and gaps in exterior walls ● Inspecting wood piles and compost areas ● Monitoring early signs of termite activity Pro Tip: Conduct a termite inspection or a professional evaluation to catch infestations early before they spread. Summer: Peak Pest Season Warm temperatures accelerate pest breeding cycles. For a comprehensive summer pest prevention guide: ● Maintain lawns and trim vegetation away from homes ● Check window and door screens for tears ● Store food in sealed containers ● Inspect water sources that attract mosquitoes Do You Know? Mosquitoes can lay eggs in a teaspoon of water. Eliminating stagnant water is crucial to reducing their population. Fall: Preparing for Winter As temperatures drop, pests search for warm indoor spaces. Key actions include: ● Inspecting for winter rodent entry points ● Sealing attic vents, crawl spaces, and foundation gaps ● Cleaning storage areas to minimize hiding spots ● Checking chimney and fireplace openings Quick Fact: Rodents can enter homes through openings as small as ¼ inch. Seasonal Pest Checklist for Homeowners Creating a structured seasonal pest checklist simplifies preventive measures and ensures nothing is overlooked. Season Key Actions Spring Inspect for termites, seal exterior gaps, clean gutters, and check compost Summer Repair screens, trim vegetation, remove standing water, and secure food Fall Seal entry points, inspect attic/crawlspace, clear debris, and prepare storage Winter Monitor indoor activity, keep firewood away from walls, and maintain traps Inspection & Maintenance Tips ● Schedule annual pest inspections by professional Virginia pest control consultation to detect hidden problems ● Keep a log of pest sightings and treatment dates ● Regularly replace weather stripping and caulk cracks Note: Even small preventive steps, when consistently applied, drastically reduce infestations. Common Pests and Their Seasonal Behaviors Understanding how different pests behave each season helps homeowners take timely action to protect their property. ● Ants and Termites: Ants emerge in spring seeking food, while termites become active and can damage wood unnoticed. Early detection is critical. ● Rodents and Mice: Fall and winter increase rodent intrusions. Block all entry points and keep food sealed. ● Mosquitoes and Flies: Summer creates the ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes. Eliminate standing water and use physical barriers like nets. ● Spiders and Other Insects: Seasonal shifts cause spiders to move indoors. Regular vacuuming and decluttering reduce hiding spots. Eco-Friendly Prevention Methods ● Use natural repellents like peppermint oil or diatomaceous earth ● Encourage beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, to reduce pest populations ● Plant pest-deterring plants near home boundaries, like marigolds or lavender Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Adopt an IPM approach by combining physical barriers, monitoring, and environmentally safe treatments. This minimizes chemical use while maintaining a pest-free home. Quote: “Prevention is the most effective form of pest control.” – National Pest Management Association Seasonal Pest Prevention Tools ● Snap traps and humane rodent traps ● Sticky traps for insects ● Outdoor perimeter sprays (eco-friendly) ● Moisture meters to detect early termite or mold problems Pro Tip: Keep tools organized and accessible to act quickly when pest activity is noticed. Planning: Annual Pest Calendar Month Recommended Action March-April Spring pest prevention tips: Inspect, seal, clean gutters June-July Summer pest prevention guide: Screens, standing water, food storage September Seasonal pest checklist: Seal entries, declutter, prep storage November Winter rodent entry points: Monitor indoors, maintain traps Key Takeaways ● Seasonal awareness prevents infestations and property damage ● Consistent inspections and maintenance are essential ● Simple eco-friendly measures can significantly reduce pests ● Use a structured checklist and calendar for effective prevention Conclusion Homeowners who stay proactive and follow spring pest prevention tips, along with year-round monitoring, ensure their properties remain safe and comfortable. Using a summer pest prevention guide, checking winter rodent entry points, and maintaining a seasonal pest checklist ensure your home remains safe and comfortable. Remember to combine inspections, physical barriers, and environmentally friendly methods for the best results. FAQs Q1: How often should I perform a termite inspection? A1: Conduct inspections annually, especially in spring, to detect early signs of termite activity and prevent extensive damage. Q2: Can pests enter my home during winter? A2: Yes, rodents and insects seek warmth and shelter indoors. Sealing entry points and monitoring for activity is crucial. Q3: What is the most effective eco-friendly method for pest prevention? A3: Using natural repellents, encouraging beneficial insects, and eliminating water sources effectively reduces pest populations without chemicals. Ensure your home is ready for every season. Schedule a professional Virginia pest control consultation or a termite inspection in Suffolk, VA, today and stay ahead of potential infestations.

This project transformed the living room, dining room, and entry of an elegant colonial home overlooking the Long Island Sound into a bright, airy sanctuary. Featuring luxurious furnishings and refined patterns, it offers a serene retreat and an ideal space for entertaining. As lovers of cards and board games, this cozy spot by the window was essential for the owners. Located just off the living room, this area seamlessly blends fun and functionality, making it ideal for entertainment and engaging in friendly competition.