This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

Wrap around front porch - relax, read or socialize here - plenty of space for furniture and seating
Inspiration for a timeless one-story single front door remodel in Chicago with a dark wood front door

The original mid-century door was preserved and refinished in a natural tone to coordinate with the new natural flooring finish. All stain finishes were applied with water-based no VOC pet friendly products. Original railings were refinished and kept to maintain the authenticity of the Deck House style. The light fixture offers an immediate sculptural wow factor upon entering the home.

Lake Front Country Estate Entry Porch, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling
Single front door - huge traditional single front door idea with a medium wood front door

Situated in Kenwood, Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C., this whole-house renovation reinterprets a 1950s split-level into a rustic French country house. Published 3 times, The French country house plans for this renovation inform and guide the remodel. Short double-hung existing windows of various sizes on a 1950s brick front wall (see below) were replaced by straightforward openings along the front facade. By replacing them with a series of similar openings, the end result is a principled, simple elegance inspired by French country style homes. The rustic application of field stone arches and rough stucco are both inviting and enchanting, echoing French country interior design. Elements of French country home decor complement the home. The traditional French country home design has been widely published, including features in Renovation Style and Maryland Life magazines, among others. One singular continuous walkway runs the entire length of the main front under each of the French doors, and a courtyard created by stucco walls and stone piers create an inner sanctum in the front yard. In the back of the property, added French gates lead to a newly constructed pavilion.

AV Architects + Builders Location: Great Falls, VA, USA Our modern farm style home design was exactly what our clients were looking for. They had the charm and the landscape they wanted, but needed a boost to help accommodate a family of four. Our design saw us tear down their existing garage and transform the space into an entertaining family friendly kitchen. This addition moved the entry of the home to the other side and switched the view of the kitchen on the side of the home with more natural light. As for the ceilings, we went ahead and changed the traditional 7’8” ceilings to a 9’4” ceiling. Our decision to approach this home with smart design resulted in removing the existing stick frame roof and replacing it with engineered trusses to have a higher and wider roof, which allowed for the open plan to be implemented without the use of supporting beams. And once the finished product was complete, our clients had a home that doubled in space and created many more opportunities for entertaining and relaxing in style. Stacy Zarin Photography

Lake Front Country Estate Outdoor Living, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling.
Large elegant backyard stone patio photo with a roof extension

Spacious front porch to watch all the kids play on the cul de sac! Michael Lipman Photography
Inspiration for a timeless gray two-story wood exterior home remodel in Chicago

Shaker style cabinetry with a modern flair. Painted cabinetry with the warmth of stained quartersawn oak accents and stainless steel drawer fronts. Thick two toned butcher block on the island makes a great focal point and the built in seating nook is very cozy. We also created some custom details for the family pets like hidden gates at the doorway and comfortable beds with screened doors.

Photography by Jim Tetro This house, built in the 1960s, sits southfacing on a terrific wooded lot in Bethesda, Maryland. The owners desire a whole-house renovation which would improve the general building fabric and systems, and extend the sense of living out of doors in all seasons. The original sixties-modern character is preserved and the renovation extends the design forward into a contemporary, modern approach. Connections to and through the site are enhanced through the creation of new larger window and door openings. Screened porches and decks perch above the sloped and wooded site. The new kitchen and bathrooms allow for opportunities to feel out-of -doors while preparing, cooking, dining, and bathing. Smart passive strategies guide the environmental choices for this project, including envelope improvements, updated mechanical systems, and on-site stormwater management.

Place architecture:design enlarged the existing home with an inviting over-sized screened-in porch, an adjacent outdoor terrace, and a small covered porch over the door to the mudroom. These three additions accommodated the needs of the clients’ large family and their friends, and allowed for maximum usage three-quarters of the year. A design aesthetic with traditional trim was incorporated, while keeping the sight lines minimal to achieve maximum views of the outdoors. ©Tom Holdsworth

Photography by William Quarles. Designed by Shannon Bogen. Built by Robert Paige Cabinetry. Contractor Tom Martin
Example of a mid-sized transitional kitchen design in Charleston with gray cabinets, recessed-panel cabinets and an island

Renovation and construction of traditional homes in California is increasingly adopting a design concept that has an eclectic taste for the various architectural styles found throughout the sate. Dynamic Garage Door designs some of the most attractive eclectic garage door designs that are commonly applied to traditional, historical and newly constructed homes in California and the rest of the nation as well. This custom modern garage door was designed with window panels offset to one side for dramatic curb appeal and to resonate the home's modernistic eclectic style. The overlay material is a paint grade eco-friendly material that his highly resistant to moisture, cracking splitting and salinity in the air since the home is located in Newport Beach close to the ocean. The dark paint that was selected makes an outstanding contrast between the earthy colored exterior walls while offering continuity of the rest of the home's windows and doors alike. The actual glass is safety, white laminate glass that offers privacy inside the garage while allowing ample natural light to bathe the interior of the garage during the day. Offsetting the location of the windows also creates dramatic interest and a unique design concept that is formidably trendy in eclectic style homes. Designing and building eclectic style garage doors is one of the many talents our in-house designers and craftsmen do well. Our garage doors are absolutely unique, high-quality and second to nothing. We are leaders in the garage door design industry and our forté is customization! Don't expect to select a door from a preset brochure but rather allow us to innovate, create and inspire your own taste and home's eclectic essence!

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

On the same hall is the Laundry/Utility room. Beyond the laundry function, it houses items for the family pet, including storage of leashes, food, etc. and a sleeping space. The interior Dutch door to the room allows for temporary--but friendly--containment of the sometimes overly-enthusiastic pooch. The side door leads to an exterior porch, and either the back yard or the street. dutch door • 6" x 24" & 12" x 24" Stone Peak "Moon Sky" porcelain tile by Pangaea/Sky • "Crisp Linen" Wilsonart plastic laminate • stained oak trim • Swiss Coffee paint (flat) by Benjamin Moore at cabinets • Seattle Mist paint (flat) by Benjamin Moore at walls • Whirlpool washer & Dryer • Construction by CG&S Design-Build. Photography by Tre Dunham, Fine focus Photography

Photo: Corynne Pless © 2013 Houzz
Living room - cottage living room idea in New York with beige walls

Anice Hoachlander, Hoachlander Davis Photography
Foyer - large 1950s slate floor and gray floor foyer idea in DC Metro with gray walls and a red front door

Retractable Phantom Screen Door on a Beautiful Front Entry Door
Front door - mid-sized craftsman front door idea in New York with beige walls and a medium wood front door

Everyone chilling out on the cat porch! While renovating our 1920s vintage bungalow we wanted a special place for the cats so we added a screened-in porch also known as the cat porch as it's designed to please the indoor cats and keep them entertained all day. Two cat doors on either side of our front door lead out to the screened front porch so that everyone can come and go as they please. We built steps up to corner platforms on each side of the porch and then more steps up to walkways along the top of the porch and over the screened door, so that there are plenty of spots for all our cats to enjoy the porch at the same time. We also built a fireman’s pole out of sisal rope so that they could climb up and down it like a tree and use it for a scratch post.