Today, not only for an exterior, brick is one of the trendiest interior design elements, especially for kitchens. Its incredibly durable structure makes the brick a perfect material for kitchens. IMAGIO too the beauty of brick and combined it with the strength of tempered glass creating this beautiful custom weathered brick solid glass backsplash for our customer. We were able to provide the look of bricks texture with a smooth surface! A solid glass backsplash is the logical choice, because after all, backsplashes can get messy, and the easier to clean the better. Need more reasons solid glass is the way to go for your backsplash? 1) IMAGIO glass is precision cut to fit your kitchen. With tile, corners and edges have dis proportioned pieces and careless cuts. Our glass is cut and fit to size leaving it seamless, clean and crisp. 2) Glass is a naturally antimicrobial surface, thus more sanitary than traditional tile or stone in a kitchen space. 3) IMAGIO glass is also very easy to clean requires no maintenance! To clean just use your favorite cleaning product with a soft cloth to wipe spatters away! Glass is a non porous surface so it is impossible to stain. 4) IMAGIO glass is physically and thermally stronger than regular glass or tile. We use tough tempered glass, meaning it is more durable and can endure high heat. 5) Grout looks great but it requires cleaning and maintenance and that is why we say grout is OUT here at IMAGIO. We have created, with our ultra clear glass, a way to enjoy the looks of natural stone and tile seamlessly and without grout. 6) Healthy kitchen design with endless design possibilities. Email info@imagioglass.com for a free estimate in 3 simple steps!

Today, not only for an exterior, brick is one of the trendiest interior design elements, especially for kitchens. Its incredibly durable structure makes the brick a perfect material for kitchens. IMAGIO too the beauty of brick and combined it with the strength of tempered glass creating this beautiful custom weathered brick solid glass backsplash for our customer. We were able to provide the look of bricks texture with a smooth surface! A solid glass backsplash is the logical choice, because after all, backsplashes can get messy, and the easier to clean the better. Need more reasons solid glass is the way to go for your backsplash? 1) IMAGIO glass is precision cut to fit your kitchen. With tile, corners and edges have dis proportioned pieces and careless cuts. Our glass is cut and fit to size leaving it seamless, clean and crisp. 2) Glass is a naturally antimicrobial surface, thus more sanitary than traditional tile or stone in a kitchen space. 3) IMAGIO glass is also very easy to clean requires no maintenance! To clean just use your favorite cleaning product with a soft cloth to wipe spatters away! Glass is a non porous surface so it is impossible to stain. 4) IMAGIO glass is physically and thermally stronger than regular glass or tile. We use tough tempered glass, meaning it is more durable and can endure high heat. 5) Grout looks great but it requires cleaning and maintenance and that is why we say grout is OUT here at IMAGIO. We have created, with our ultra clear glass, a way to enjoy the looks of natural stone and tile seamlessly and without grout. 6) Healthy kitchen design with endless design possibilities. Email info@imagioglass.com for a free estimate in 3 simple steps!

Today, not only for an exterior, brick is one of the trendiest interior design elements, especially for kitchens. Its incredibly durable structure makes the brick a perfect material for kitchens. IMAGIO too the beauty of brick and combined it with the strength of tempered glass creating this beautiful custom weathered brick solid glass backsplash for our customer. We were able to provide the look of bricks texture with a smooth surface! A solid glass backsplash is the logical choice, because after all, backsplashes can get messy, and the easier to clean the better. Need more reasons solid glass is the way to go for your backsplash? 1) IMAGIO glass is precision cut to fit your kitchen. With tile, corners and edges have dis proportioned pieces and careless cuts. Our glass is cut and fit to size leaving it seamless, clean and crisp. 2) Glass is a naturally antimicrobial surface, thus more sanitary than traditional tile or stone in a kitchen space. 3) IMAGIO glass is also very easy to clean requires no maintenance! To clean just use your favorite cleaning product with a soft cloth to wipe spatters away! Glass is a non porous surface so it is impossible to stain. 4) IMAGIO glass is physically and thermally stronger than regular glass or tile. We use tough tempered glass, meaning it is more durable and can endure high heat. 5) Grout looks great but it requires cleaning and maintenance and that is why we say grout is OUT here at IMAGIO. We have created, with our ultra clear glass, a way to enjoy the looks of natural stone and tile seamlessly and without grout. 6) Healthy kitchen design with endless design possibilities. Email info@imagioglass.com for a free estimate in 3 simple steps!

Using TimberTech's CableRail in this application offers the ultimate view of your surroundings. Made of strong, stainless steel, CableRail by Feeney installs easily and lasts.

Clerestory windows provide ventilation and flood the kitchen with natural light. Wood floors stand up to wheelchair movement.
Mid-sized trendy u-shaped dark wood floor open concept kitchen photo in Philadelphia with a drop-in sink, recessed-panel cabinets, medium tone wood cabinets, solid surface countertops, beige backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

York Mills Residence | Layered Contemporary Elegance This York Mills residence was designed around the idea of quiet luxury expressed through architectural detail rather than excess. The interior combines classical residential proportions with contemporary forms, creating a sophisticated environment that feels highly curated while remaining comfortable and inviting for everyday living. A key design strategy was to establish a continuous architectural language across the connected living, dining, and circulation spaces. Rather than designing each zone independently, the spaces are visually tied together through consistent wall paneling, warm oak flooring, carefully controlled neutral tones, and a coordinated lighting strategy. This creates a strong sense of continuity and allows the eye to move naturally through the home. The ceiling design plays an important role in defining the character of the interior. Elaborate geometric and curved coffering introduces a sculptural element overhead, transforming the ceiling into a fifth architectural surface. The integrated perimeter illumination emphasizes these forms after dark, while recessed lighting provides functional illumination without competing with the decorative architecture. The black stone fireplace provides a deliberate counterpoint to the predominantly light interior. Its strong visual weight anchors the living area and establishes a dramatic focal point, while the softer curved seating and neutral upholstery balance its intensity. This contrast between monumental architectural elements and tactile, rounded furnishings gives the room a contemporary character without losing its residential warmth. Furniture planning was approached as an exercise in conversation, proportion, and movement. The seating arrangement creates an intimate conversational zone while maintaining a clear visual and physical connection to the dining area. The curved forms soften the geometry of the architecture and introduce a more relaxed human scale within the larger room. The dining area extends the social function of the space and is visually framed by the architectural detailing and artwork. A sculptural chandelier establishes a focal point above the dining table, while the large-scale artwork introduces color, energy, and individuality into the otherwise restrained palette. This balance between a controlled architectural background and expressive art allows the homeowner's personality to become part of the design. The flooring contributes another layer of craftsmanship. The warm wood surface establishes continuity throughout the open interior, while geometric floor detailing and directional patterns subtly define zones without relying on physical partitions. This allows the architecture to remain open while still providing a sense of hierarchy and spatial organization. Artwork, decorative objects, greenery, and furnishings were intentionally selected to introduce moments of color, texture, softness, and visual contrast. The result is not a purely minimalist interior; instead, it is a layered composition in which restraint provides the foundation for carefully selected moments of expression. Overall, the project reflects a contemporary approach to traditional luxury, architectural, highly detailed, and timeless, but never overly formal. The design prioritizes proportion, craftsmanship, material relationships, natural light, and the experience of moving through the home, creating an interior that functions as both an elegant entertaining environment and a comfortable everyday living space.

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

This hallway floor was actually at a house in the town of Stamford which is just over the northern border of Northamptonshire and slightly out of my area; however I was recommended to the owner by another client which is always welcome and a testimonial in itself. I work right across the county so it wasn’t long before I was in the general area and arranged a visit to carry out an inspection of the Victorian Quarry tiled floor and provide a quote for a full restoration. The owner of the house had just moved in recently and although the floor was in good overall physical, it was in need of a thorough clean and new seal to bring back some life to the tiles. Additionally she was having lots of other building work done to the house and she wanted to retain this as an original feature of the property. My quote was accepted and I was able to book the work in for the following week. These first photos show how dull the floor looked due to a build-up of builder’s dust and general wear and tear. They also show some of the equipment needed to undertake the following cleaning process. I used a brush and vacuum to remove as much loose debris and dust from the surface of the floor as possible. I then applied a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro Clean to the floor which is a strong alkaline cleaner which can also be used to remove sealers; the solution was left it to dwell for roughly ten minutes before agitating it with scrubbing pads and brushes to remove the muck that was lifted to the surface. This was then wet-vacuumed twice to remove all the slurry and neutralise any chemicals. As it was such an old property I then used a steamer to heat up the tiles and draw up any contaminants and assist with the drying process. I also chose to install two fans and a dehumidifier to dry the floor even further. With the cleaning process complete – and achieving a marked difference to the appearance of the floor – I left the tiles to finish drying for 24 hours. Upon my return to the house, I checked for any excess moisture by running damp tests as this has the potential to affect the performance of the sealer. Once satisfied with the results, I sealed the floor with two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow, a colour enhancing sealant which offers both a robust surface seal and an aesthetically pleasing finish. I also carried out water repellency tests to ensure the sealer was working as expected and the floor had sufficient protection and will be hard-wearing for a hallway which is a high traffic area. On my client’s return to the house she was very happy with the final results – in fact, she was also in contact about some further work in the New Year! Phil Vissian Northamptonshire Tile Doctor

T shaped swimming pool designed by Giuseppe Abbrancati and built by Gappsi in Smithtown NY, 11787. This swimming pool is a very special pool, not only it’s beautiful, but it is also very functional and energy efficient. The layout of the backyard incorporates raised and pool area travertine patios, hot tub spa, travertine veneered walls with 2 inches travertine copings and plenty of space for tables and chairs. The T shaped swimming pool is very functional it has a very large diving deep end area making it very safe for professional diving, it has steps in deep end for easy access and exit, it has steps along the shallow area to access the pool but also serve as sitting benches for bathers that just want to sit in water, the shallow are its perfect valley ball play area like no other pool shape would offer and all these provided with less the 800 sq ft of surface making it cost effective when running the heather and the pumps to circulate the water. This swimming pool defies the law of physics by being smaller then a 20x40 while providing a larger deep end area and a larger shallow area. For more information’s about pool constructions please visit Gappsi.com or call us at 631-543-1177.

Not all architectural imagery is created equal. Some renderings look obviously computer-generated, with flat lighting and plastic-looking materials that fail to convince viewers. Others are so precise that they are indistinguishable from photographs. That second category, realistic architectural visualization rendering, has become the standard expectation for architects, developers, and marketers who need imagery capable of withstanding close scrutiny from investors, buyers, and planning authorities. As audiences grow more visually literate, the tolerance for obviously artificial, video-game-like imagery in professional presentations continues to shrink. What Sets Realistic Visualization Apart Realistic architectural visualization goes beyond simply modeling a building in three dimensions. It requires physically accurate lighting simulation, true-to-life material properties, and careful attention to the small imperfections that make real-world photography convincing, such as subtle reflections, ambient occlusion in corners, and natural depth of field. The goal is an image that a viewer would believe was captured by a camera on-site rather than generated by software. Achieving that level of believability typically means dozens of small adjustments layered on top of one another rather than any single dramatic setting. Realistic Versus Stylized Rendering Approaches Stylized or conceptual renderings still have their place, particularly in early design phases when a looser, more artistic representation helps convey mood without locking in every detail. But once a project moves toward marketing, investment, or permitting, stakeholders need to see exactly what they are getting. Realistic visualization removes ambiguity, showing true material colors, accurate proportions, and honest lighting conditions rather than idealized abstractions. Understanding which approach a project actually needs at each stage helps clients avoid paying for a level of polish that a given milestone does not yet require. Why Realism Builds Client and Buyer Confidence Buyers and investors are understandably skeptical of overly polished or unrealistic marketing images. When a rendering looks convincingly real, it builds trust rather than raising doubts about what the finished project will actually look like. This is especially important in real estate presales, where buyers are committing significant sums based largely on visual material rather than a finished physical space. A rendering that later turns out to have misrepresented the finished product can also create legal and reputational exposure for developers, making accuracy a genuine business risk rather than just an aesthetic preference. The Technical Pillars Behind Every Realistic Scene Achieving true realism depends on several technical disciplines working together: physically based rendering engines that simulate how light actually behaves, high-resolution texture libraries that replicate real materials like stone, wood, and glass, and careful camera work that mimics real photographic lenses and exposure. Post-production adds a final layer of color grading and atmospheric effects that ties everything together into a cohesive, believable image. Each of these pillars depends on the others; even flawless material work can be undermined by lighting that behaves in a physically implausible way. Applications Across Residential, Commercial, and Institutional Projects Realistic visualization serves a wide range of building types, from single-family homes and luxury condominiums to office towers, hotels, schools, and healthcare facilities. Each typology has its own material palette and lighting expectations, and an experienced studio adjusts its approach accordingly, whether that means warm, inviting tones for a residential lobby or crisp, professional lighting for a corporate headquarters. Institutional clients such as universities and hospitals often have additional requirements around accessibility signage and wayfinding, which need to be represented accurately alongside the architecture itself. How AIMIR CG Delivers Photorealistic Accuracy Our studio specializes in realistic architectural visualization rendering that holds up under close inspection. Every project moves through a disciplined pipeline of modeling, texturing, lighting, and post-production review, with artists cross-checking material references and lighting studies against real-world photography. This attention to detail is why clients consistently describe our end product as impressive and our process as easy to work with. A dedicated quality review stage before delivery catches inconsistencies that might otherwise slip through a faster, less structured pipeline. Common Challenges in Achieving True Realism Realistic rendering is technically demanding. Common obstacles include accurately simulating how light bounces between surfaces, matching material reflectivity to real product specifications, and avoiding the uncanny, slightly artificial look that comes from over-processed images. Overcoming these challenges requires experienced artists who understand both the science of light and the craft of photography, not just software proficiency. Rushed production schedules are often the real culprit behind unconvincing renderings, since realism typically requires several iterative passes rather than a single render. What to Look for in a Realism-Focused Rendering Studio When evaluating a rendering partner, review their portfolio critically. Do the images include convincing shadow detail and material variation, or do surfaces look uniformly smooth and artificial? Ask about their revision process and how closely they work with architects to source accurate material and lighting references, since realism is ultimately the product of disciplined collaboration, not a single software setting. It also helps to ask for examples of past projects in a similar building type, since a studio's strengths can vary across typologies. Ready for Renderings That Look Real If your project deserves imagery that can stand up to the scrutiny of investors, buyers, and planning boards, AIMIR CG is ready to help. Our team combines technical precision with artistic judgment to deliver visualization that looks and feels genuinely real. Contact us to discuss how photorealistic rendering can strengthen your next presentation or marketing campaign, and let us show you examples from projects similar to your own.

If you've ever taken a road trip that meandered through the countryside you've probably noticed that simple house sitting at the end of a dirt road. It looks cozy and has a rustic charm that reminds us of a more straightforward way of living. A warm, cozy fire on a chilly fall evening, or sitting on the farmers' porch enjoying a cold iced tea at the end of a long summer day. Today, as more of us are beginning to appreciate the warmth of that rustic setting, one design style is rapidly growing in popularity. Known as “Modern Rustic” it provides homeowners with the warm, natural, and inviting style of that rural farmhouse, along with the clean, simple lines of modern design. One of the characteristics of the Modern Rustic design aesthetic is that is evidenced by both the physical rooms, as well as in individual pieces of furniture within the space. The primary design components of this style are the warmth of natural materials and the texture those material provide. Exposed wood and stone or brick are often used to add character and the appearance of warmth to the aesthetic. These are textures typically found in old hand-built country homes, as these were the building materials available at the time. Woolen objects like rugs and blankets are used as décor to add warm textures to the space. Modern Rustic also uses smooth textures, for example, counter and chairs surfaces and cabinetry. These are the textures that provide the clean and modern feel. Shape and architecture play a significant role in the overall design environment. Natural elements like stones and wood are typically rough and asymmetrical in their natural state. A Modern Rustic design combines these natural shapes like tree branches, antlers and river stones with rectangles, spheres, and sharp angles. Think Cathedral ceilings, large prominent stairs, huge natural beams, and beautiful stone fireplaces. I am extremely proud of this project and we finish right on time before the couple get married. Contact @jojowongdesign for next gigs. @ Houston, Texas

Photos by Robin Amorello, CKD CAPS
Open concept kitchen - mid-sized contemporary l-shaped light wood floor open concept kitchen idea in Portland Maine with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets, granite countertops, gray backsplash, glass tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances and an island

Although largely dictated by the husband's need for accessibility, the universal design of this kitchen is also extremely friendly for a person of smaller stature (his wife!) The Crystal Keyline island, range-hood and accessible cooktop area are focal points, finished in Antique Ivory w/Brown Highlights, that contrast nicely with Crystal Keyline Toasted Rye w/Brown Highlights cabinetry. The Bayfield door style unifies the design. An accessible prep area next to the right of the stove allows plenty of room for multiple cooks in the kitchen. Typhoon Bordeaux granite countertops are layered in staggered heights for added visual interest. The on-set of a neuromuscular disorder was the basis for this custom kitchen and required the complete customization of this space to the specific needs of the client, as well as to his wife who does most the cooking on a daily basis. The layout was designed for the couple to be able to work together in the kitchen, or independently. The couple feels at home in this kitchen yet, it’s not obvious that someone with physical limitations utilizes this space.

If you've ever taken a road trip that meandered through the countryside you've probably noticed that simple house sitting at the end of a dirt road. It looks cozy and has a rustic charm that reminds us of a more straightforward way of living. A warm, cozy fire on a chilly fall evening, or sitting on the farmers' porch enjoying a cold iced tea at the end of a long summer day. Today, as more of us are beginning to appreciate the warmth of that rustic setting, one design style is rapidly growing in popularity. Known as “Modern Rustic” it provides homeowners with the warm, natural, and inviting style of that rural farmhouse, along with the clean, simple lines of modern design. One of the characteristics of the Modern Rustic design aesthetic is that is evidenced by both the physical rooms, as well as in individual pieces of furniture within the space. The primary design components of this style are the warmth of natural materials and the texture those material provide. Exposed wood and stone or brick are often used to add character and the appearance of warmth to the aesthetic. These are textures typically found in old hand-built country homes, as these were the building materials available at the time. Woolen objects like rugs and blankets are used as décor to add warm textures to the space. Modern Rustic also uses smooth textures, for example, counter and chairs surfaces and cabinetry. These are the textures that provide the clean and modern feel. Shape and architecture play a significant role in the overall design environment. Natural elements like stones and wood are typically rough and asymmetrical in their natural state. A Modern Rustic design combines these natural shapes like tree branches, antlers and river stones with rectangles, spheres, and sharp angles. Think Cathedral ceilings, large prominent stairs, huge natural beams, and beautiful stone fireplaces. I am extremely proud of this project and we finish right on time before the couple get married. Contact @jojowongdesign for next gigs. @ Houston, Texas

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.

When I began this kitchen project, the space was constrained by an awkward peninsula and a dropped ceiling that compressed the room both physically and visually. Fluorescent fixtures sat behind a plastic diffuser, and the refrigerator was wedged beside the range, leaving the kitchen feeling crowded while also making poor use of the available space. The transformation began by taking things away. The dropped ceiling was removed, the fluorescent tubes went with it, and the room suddenly gained height and light. The peninsula was removed too, opening the floor plan and allowing the cabinetry to continue down an adjacent wall and incorporate a second window. What had been a small, enclosed kitchen became a generous working space with room for a slim, functional L-shaped island, additional cabinetry and, perhaps most importantly, a much more natural relationship between the different parts of the kitchen. The palette is quiet, but there is a lot happening within it. Soft sage cabinetry grounds the room, while warm white upper cabinets and pantry cabinetry lift the space. A pure white quartz countertop provides a crisp surface against the cabinetry, and soft brass hardware adds just enough warmth. The new Sub Zero refrigerator was given its own wall, beside a full pantry, freeing the range wall to become a strong focal point. A Monogram range now sits centered beneath an angular stainless-steel Zephyr hood, framed by the kitchen's most distinctive element: a graphite backsplash made from WOW Design's Pottery tile. Inspired by Japanese handmade ceramics, the tiles have a wonderfully tactile, imperfect character. Most are deep graphite, but here and there the surface breaks into strokes of camel, dusty peach and deep blue-gunmetal glaze. There is an almost painterly quality to the way those colors move across the wall, giving the kitchen something that is difficult to achieve with a more uniform material—the feeling that someone actually made it. The rest of the room was designed around that same balance of simplicity and warmth. New pale oak flooring runs throughout the ground floor, bringing a natural material and a soft golden tone beneath the cooler sage and graphite. Floating oak shelves flank the windows and provide a home for plants, ceramics and a few favorite objects, while another pair of shelves beside the refrigerator creates a small landing place for the things that inevitably arrive with you at the end of the day—keys, mail, bags and whatever else happens to be in your hands. The island occupies a surprisingly small footprint, yet its L-shaped form provides both additional work surface and seating without interrupting the flow of the room. A deep sink with an integrated cutting board and roll-up drying rack, a commercial-style faucet and under-cabinet LED lighting bring the practical details up to the same level of thoughtfulness as the larger design decisions. In the end, the renovation did more than just enlarge the kitchen; it created a space that feels calm, contemporary, warm, and a little unexpected … and, most importantly, we created a kitchen that finally makes sense for the way my clients live. AFTER photos: Bernardo Grijalva

When I began this kitchen project, the space was constrained by an awkward peninsula and a dropped ceiling that compressed the room both physically and visually. Fluorescent fixtures sat behind a plastic diffuser, and the refrigerator was wedged beside the range, leaving the kitchen feeling crowded while also making poor use of the available space. The transformation began by taking things away. The dropped ceiling was removed, the fluorescent tubes went with it, and the room suddenly gained height and light. The peninsula was removed too, opening the floor plan and allowing the cabinetry to continue down an adjacent wall and incorporate a second window. What had been a small, enclosed kitchen became a generous working space with room for a slim, functional L-shaped island, additional cabinetry and, perhaps most importantly, a much more natural relationship between the different parts of the kitchen. The palette is quiet, but there is a lot happening within it. Soft sage cabinetry grounds the room, while warm white upper cabinets and pantry cabinetry lift the space. A pure white quartz countertop provides a crisp surface against the cabinetry, and soft brass hardware adds just enough warmth. The new Sub Zero refrigerator was given its own wall, beside a full pantry, freeing the range wall to become a strong focal point. A Monogram range now sits centered beneath an angular stainless-steel Zephyr hood, framed by the kitchen's most distinctive element: a graphite backsplash made from WOW Design's Pottery tile. Inspired by Japanese handmade ceramics, the tiles have a wonderfully tactile, imperfect character. Most are deep graphite, but here and there the surface breaks into strokes of camel, dusty peach and deep blue-gunmetal glaze. There is an almost painterly quality to the way those colors move across the wall, giving the kitchen something that is difficult to achieve with a more uniform material—the feeling that someone actually made it. The rest of the room was designed around that same balance of simplicity and warmth. New pale oak flooring runs throughout the ground floor, bringing a natural material and a soft golden tone beneath the cooler sage and graphite. Floating oak shelves flank the windows and provide a home for plants, ceramics and a few favorite objects, while another pair of shelves beside the refrigerator creates a small landing place for the things that inevitably arrive with you at the end of the day—keys, mail, bags and whatever else happens to be in your hands. The island occupies a surprisingly small footprint, yet its L-shaped form provides both additional work surface and seating without interrupting the flow of the room. A deep sink with an integrated cutting board and roll-up drying rack, a commercial-style faucet and under-cabinet LED lighting bring the practical details up to the same level of thoughtfulness as the larger design decisions. In the end, the renovation did more than just enlarge the kitchen; it created a space that feels calm, contemporary, warm, and a little unexpected … and, most importantly, we created a kitchen that finally makes sense for the way my clients live. AFTER photos: Bernardo Grijalva

Tucker Design Awards celebrate the innovation and vision that designers bring to their projects through the specification and use of natural stone materials. For members of the Natural Stone Institute, acknowledgment as a contributor to a Tucker Design Awards winning project is a genuine tribute to their traditional values, physicality of work, and dedication to precise specifications required in the realization of such accomplished architectural design. Landscape Architect Design Workshop, Aspen, CO Landscape Contractor/ Installer Landscape Workshop, Carbondale, CO Stone Installer JD Masonry, Arvada, CO Stone Suppliers Coldspring, Cold Spring, MN Gallegos Corporation, Vail, CO Through a collective dialogue between landscape, architecture and interior design, a new vision reimagines the disturbed site into a livable landscape, emblematic of our American West. The residence – an ensemble of structures designed in a modern ranch vernacular – is effortlessly unified through layered, interconnected outdoor gathering spaces and regional materials that elaborates upon the experience of moving between structures, heightening and renewing one’s sense of place. Upon entering the courtyard, one is immediately aware of seamless and unfolding relationships between architecture and landscape through a sophisticated, regional palette of natural stone, water, and plants. Set upon architectural focal points, two perpendicular sandstone paths descend into the space and converge upon a monolithic, hand-carved granite fountain. The design of the fountain is purposefully quiet, both in its detailing and operation. The feature includes a recessed interior, allowing water to become still before it reaches the surface, with lightly cleft sides, allowing the water to delicately bounce as it descends into the geometric lower granite basin. The landscape architect’s selection of various stone material extends the tones of the home’s granite walls and contextual surroundings into the garden, but also be detailed in a manner that balances rural and modern qualities. The majority of the paving is constructed of rectilinear gray sandstone with a natural finish and snapped edges, laid in a staggered running bond organization. Throughout the garden, thoughtful attention was also given to the configuration and layout of terraces, pathways, and steps. In doing so, this ensured that the edges of the terrace and its interface to other elements were designed so that no “leftover” stone paver pieces would be found. Within the central courtyard, split-faced stone stairs descend into a rectilinear plinth of lawn, punctuated by a carved granite fire pit. Leveraging the property’s existing topographic relief, a shallow infinity-edge dipping pool abstracts the transparent and cavity-like pools found throughout the Rocky Mountains. The design purposefully achieves the illusion of a larger water feature with the distant pond and offers a refreshing recreational element. Containing the infinity edge, a designed granite escarpment emerges from the meadow, juxtaposing the geometric water feature and providing informal seating ledges. The site’s prior use required the landscape architect to incorporate a highly technical and complex sub-surface structural system. The initial geotechnical report identified the building envelopes rested on 12 feet of man-placed fill. Assuming a 1 percent settlement, the team faced concerns that the terraces would settle up to 12 inches. In response, a grid of structural micro-piles provides the necessary foundation for the construction of terraces immediately outside of the architecture, under the water features and site walls. The solution enabled the crisp detailing and design resolution of the architectural structures to seamlessly connect with the horizontal stone terraces.