This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

Kurtis Miller Photography, kmpics.com Timbered Porch with wooden bed porch swing. Circle sawn roof decking, custom timber truss. All materials provided by Sisson Dupont and Carder. www.sdclogandtimber.com

The outdoor dining room, sundeck and living room were added to the home, creating fantastic 3 season indoor-outdoor living. The dining and living room areas are roofed and screened with the sun deck area in between left open.

A Modern Farmhouse set in a prairie setting exudes charm and simplicity. Wrap around porches and copious windows make outdoor/indoor living seamless while the interior finishings are extremely high on detail. In floor heating under porcelain tile in the entire lower level, Fond du Lac stone mimicking an original foundation wall and rough hewn wood finishes contrast with the sleek finishes of carrera marble in the master and top of the line appliances and soapstone counters of the kitchen. This home is a study in contrasts, while still providing a completely harmonious aura.

This is an example of a large transitional front porch design in New York with decking and a roof extension.

Inviting front entry porch provides shade for the summer days. Planting beds are for vegetable and flowers. Low stone walls help define the walkways and gardens. Anice Hoachlander, Hoachlander Davis Photography LLC

This couple purchased a second home as a respite from city living. Living primarily in downtown Chicago the couple desired a place to connect with nature. The home is located on 80 acres and is situated far back on a wooded lot with a pond, pool and a detached rec room. The home includes four bedrooms and one bunkroom along with five full baths. The home was stripped down to the studs, a total gut. Linc modified the exterior and created a modern look by removing the balconies on the exterior, removing the roof overhang, adding vertical siding and painting the structure black. The garage was converted into a detached rec room and a new pool was added complete with outdoor shower, concrete pavers, ipe wood wall and a limestone surround. Porch Details: Features Eze Breezy Fold down windows and door, radiant flooring, wood paneling and shiplap ceiling. -Sconces, Wayfair -New deck off the porch for dining

Kerri Torrey Photography
Example of a transitional gray floor dedicated laundry room design in Toronto with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, gray walls, a side-by-side washer/dryer and white countertops

Entryway - transitional medium tone wood floor entryway idea in Orange County with gray walls and a black front door

Michael Baxley
Mid-sized traditional two-story stone exterior home idea in Little Rock

Rachael Stollar
Trendy screened-in porch idea in New York

Home office opens onto a screened-in porch, providing additional space and light. Photo: Mari Ryan
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless freestanding desk light wood floor home office remodel in Boston with gray walls

When Cummings Architects first met with the owners of this understated country farmhouse, the building’s layout and design was an incoherent jumble. The original bones of the building were almost unrecognizable. All of the original windows, doors, flooring, and trims – even the country kitchen – had been removed. Mathew and his team began a thorough design discovery process to find the design solution that would enable them to breathe life back into the old farmhouse in a way that acknowledged the building’s venerable history while also providing for a modern living by a growing family. The redesign included the addition of a new eat-in kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, wrap around porch, and stone fireplaces. To begin the transforming restoration, the team designed a generous, twenty-four square foot kitchen addition with custom, farmers-style cabinetry and timber framing. The team walked the homeowners through each detail the cabinetry layout, materials, and finishes. Salvaged materials were used and authentic craftsmanship lent a sense of place and history to the fabric of the space. The new master suite included a cathedral ceiling showcasing beautifully worn salvaged timbers. The team continued with the farm theme, using sliding barn doors to separate the custom-designed master bath and closet. The new second-floor hallway features a bold, red floor while new transoms in each bedroom let in plenty of light. A summer stair, detailed and crafted with authentic details, was added for additional access and charm. Finally, a welcoming farmer’s porch wraps around the side entry, connecting to the rear yard via a gracefully engineered grade. This large outdoor space provides seating for large groups of people to visit and dine next to the beautiful outdoor landscape and the new exterior stone fireplace. Though it had temporarily lost its identity, with the help of the team at Cummings Architects, this lovely farmhouse has regained not only its former charm but also a new life through beautifully integrated modern features designed for today’s family. Photo by Eric Roth

This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.

We love it when a home becomes a family compound with wonderful history. That is exactly what this home on Mullet Lake is. The original cottage was built by our client’s father and enjoyed by the family for years. It finally came to the point that there was simply not enough room and it lacked some of the efficiencies and luxuries enjoyed in permanent residences. The cottage is utilized by several families and space was needed to allow for summer and holiday enjoyment. The focus was on creating additional space on the second level, increasing views of the lake, moving interior spaces and the need to increase the ceiling heights on the main level. All these changes led for the need to start over or at least keep what we could and add to it. The home had an excellent foundation, in more ways than one, so we started from there. It was important to our client to create a northern Michigan cottage using low maintenance exterior finishes. The interior look and feel moved to more timber beam with pine paneling to keep the warmth and appeal of our area. The home features 2 master suites, one on the main level and one on the 2nd level with a balcony. There are 4 additional bedrooms with one also serving as an office. The bunkroom provides plenty of sleeping space for the grandchildren. The great room has vaulted ceilings, plenty of seating and a stone fireplace with vast windows toward the lake. The kitchen and dining are open to each other and enjoy the view. The beach entry provides access to storage, the 3/4 bath, and laundry. The sunroom off the dining area is a great extension of the home with 180 degrees of view. This allows a wonderful morning escape to enjoy your coffee. The covered timber entry porch provides a direct view of the lake upon entering the home. The garage also features a timber bracketed shed roof system which adds wonderful detail to garage doors. The home’s footprint was extended in a few areas to allow for the interior spaces to work with the needs of the family. Plenty of living spaces for all to enjoy as well as bedrooms to rest their heads after a busy day on the lake. This will be enjoyed by generations to come.

This incredible space features heavy columns, a coffer style ceiling, FULL masonry fireplace with gas starter, infratech heaters, aluminum railing, Travertine floor and a ton of electrical goodies. Talk about a retreat!!

For more information and additional photos of this project, which we both designed and built, go to http://a1builders.ws/2012/03/a-new-covered-back-porch-brings-life-to-an-under-utilized-backyard/

Cottage porch photo in Atlanta

A simple, yet impressive entry, and an octagonal tower. The garage is cocked at a slight angle and is designed to look like the old barn that was converted. Note the way we designed the house to preserve as many trees as possible, giving the house an established feel.