Two Birds Photography
Kids' room - transitional kids' room idea in Chicago

For this project, the entire kitchen was designed around the “must-have” Lacanche range in the stunning French Blue with brass trim. That was the client’s dream and everything had to be built to complement it. Bilotta senior designer, Randy O’Kane, CKD worked with Paul Benowitz and Dipti Shah of Benowitz Shah Architects to contemporize the kitchen while staying true to the original house which was designed in 1928 by regionally noted architect Franklin P. Hammond. The clients purchased the home over two years ago from the original owner. While the house has a magnificent architectural presence from the street, the basic systems, appointments, and most importantly, the layout and flow were inappropriately suited to contemporary living. The new plan removed an outdated screened porch at the rear which was replaced with the new family room and moved the kitchen from a dark corner in the front of the house to the center. The visual connection from the kitchen through the family room is dramatic and gives direct access to the rear yard and patio. It was important that the island separating the kitchen from the family room have ample space to the left and right to facilitate traffic patterns, and interaction among family members. Hence vertical kitchen elements were placed primarily on existing interior walls. The cabinetry used was Bilotta’s private label, the Bilotta Collection – they selected beautiful, dramatic, yet subdued finishes for the meticulously handcrafted cabinetry. The double islands allow for the busy family to have a space for everything – the island closer to the range has seating and makes a perfect space for doing homework or crafts, or having breakfast or snacks. The second island has ample space for storage and books and acts as a staging area from the kitchen to the dinner table. The kitchen perimeter and both islands are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Paper White. The wall cabinets flanking the sink have wire mesh fronts in a statuary bronze – the insides of these cabinets are painted blue to match the range. The breakfast room cabinetry is Benjamin Moore’s Lampblack with the interiors of the glass cabinets painted in Paper White to match the kitchen. All countertops are Vermont White Quartzite from Eastern Stone. The backsplash is Artistic Tile’s Kyoto White and Kyoto Steel. The fireclay apron-front main sink is from Rohl while the smaller prep sink is from Linkasink. All faucets are from Waterstone in their antique pewter finish. The brass hardware is from Armac Martin and the pendants above the center island are from Circa Lighting. The appliances, aside from the range, are a mix of Sub-Zero, Thermador and Bosch with panels on everything.

In the Tuscany region of central Italy, a region made famous around the world for its history, landscapes, traditions, artistic legacy and fine wine, perhaps nothing is more universally recognized than the old world villa’s that are nestled into the rolling countryside. Standing at approximately 10,500 square feet, this custom residence has all of the elegance, style and craftsmanship of those old world homes, but with all of the modern amenities of a new modern luxury home. This stunning residence was recognized by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as the best custom built home in the country in 2010, a testament to the skillful designers and craftsmen who brought the homeowners vision into reality. When Chad Haas, Founder of VAULT (www.vaultgarage.com), a company that prides itself in furnishing some of the most beautiful garages in the world, was brought into the project, the home and garage had already been built. The accolades of the gorgeous villa already awarded. But the homeowner felt that the exterior and interior of the garage lacked architectural harmony with the rest of the home and so he flew Mr. Haas out to visit the space directly so that he could assist hands-on with re-designing a new look and to add furnishings to accessories the space. “When I first approached the villa from the street, I knew that I’d have my work cut out for me. Everything looked so perfect exactly the way it was designed and built. I questioned myself ‘how was I going to improve upon perfection?’, since remarkable attention was paid to even the smallest of details in the home” asked Haas. The client’s goal was to engage Haas to design and furnish a garage where he could relax, separate from the home, enjoy his growing car collection and entertain family and friends. After spending a short weekend together with the home owner to gather his ideas, Haas returned back to his Beaverton, Oregon-based company with a clearer vision: create the ultimate gentlemen’s retreat through the look of a turn-of-a-century Tuscan ‘car barn’. Absolutely nothing in the garage was overlooked – and it shows. Every design element in the garage for color, texture and material was meticulously thought out to elicit just the right feeling and emotion in everyone that enters what may be one of the most beautifully elegant garages in America, a space commonly overlooked in the construction of homes today. A main focal point of the exterior of garage is the beautiful view from the courtyard, where all three carriage doors can be seen. While the existing wood doors looked acceptable, it was agreed that something more befitting of the quality and beauty of the home were appropriate. Haas designed luxurious castle-style doors handcrafted from solid Mahogany and bathed in a rich dark brown stain that was complemented by hand-wrought iron grills, clavos and door pull hardware. The double-wide door, in particular, is truly remarkable in both its elegance, as well as its one-of-a-kind operation. “The client was concerned in this area of having mounting hardware and a motor on the ceiling. Because the cars in this area do not get brought out on a regular (daily) basis, the doors open manually by hand and operate accordion style on a track”. The homes main overhead garage doors feature jack-shaft operation which removes the clutter of a motor on the garage ceiling, but offers the convenience of powered operation. These extraordinary, custom-made castle doors look just as beautiful on the inside as the out and their unparalleled design and craftsmanship take the exterior of the home to even greater heights than before. On to the interior, a black and white epoxy coating was stripped and replaced with porcelain tiles that resembled Italian travertine stone. To give the car barn a rustic feeling and a presence that it was older, not modern, Haas worked on the development and concept directly with the home owner to collaborate with a local millwork company that designed and hand-finished substantial wood beams from distressed Doug Fir. All of the walls were hand-plastered by a local artist using straw that was harvested from the immediate area surrounding the home and incorporated into the plaster to give it a rustic antique quality. Haas conceived and designed a bar area and cabinetry for a work area that pulled inspiration from old ice boxes of the 1920’s that utilized heavy nickel-plated hardware, again to give storage spaces a rustic appearance. The warm glow from several custom porcelain neon signs, each one meticulously built entirely by hand by VAULT, are dispersed throughout the space and transform the entire room and bring it to life. The client had never previously owned a neon sign before and along with the carriage doors felt that these items have transformed the space more than any other feature. Several antique gas pumps, restored in the client’s favorite petro bran, and a few additional porcelain signs will eventually furnish the rest of the space to complement the clients amazing car collection. In addition to the countless details that set this showcase garage apart, its ability to seamlessly blend with the rest of the home and the natural, rustic setting of the Colorado Rockies, yet house modern automobiles in a manner in which they feel well placed and belong, is also noteworthy. GARAGE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS To learn more about VAULT visit them at: http://www.vaultgarage.com/ And on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VaultGarage PHOTOGRAPHY All photographs were used with the permission of photographer John Vanderpool (john.vanderpool5@gmail.com) You can visit John Vanderpool on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JVanderpoolPhotography ARCHITECTURE Jerry Gloss, Principal, KGA Architects: http://www.kgarch.com/ HOMEBUILDER Thomas Sattler Home: http://thomassattlerhomes.com/ VEHICLES Here is an overview of the cars that were photographed in this article: 1. 2014 Ferrari 458 Italia 2. 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport 3. 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 4. 2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS 5. 2008 Porsche GT3 RS 6. 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo S (997) 7. 2014 Porsche Panamera GTS 8. 2013 Ford SVT Raptor (6.2L CrewCab)’ Overview of project reprinted with permission of DuPont Registry.

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 is a great house. Perched high on a private, heavily wooded site, it has a rustic contemporary aesthetic. Vaulted ceilings, sky lights, large windows and natural materials punctuate the main spaces. The existing large format mosaic slate floor grabs your attention upon entering the home extending throughout the foyer, kitchen, and family room. Specific requirements included a larger island with workspace for each of the homeowners featuring a homemade pasta station which requires small appliances on lift-up mechanisms as well as a custom-designed pasta drying rack. Both chefs wanted their own prep sink on the island complete with a garbage “shoot” which we concealed below sliding cutting boards. A second and overwhelming requirement was storage for a large collection of dishes, serving platters, specialty utensils, cooking equipment and such. To meet those needs we took the opportunity to get creative with storage: sliding doors were designed for a coffee station adjacent to the main sink; hid the steam oven, microwave and toaster oven within a stainless steel niche hidden behind pantry doors; added a narrow base cabinet adjacent to the range for their large spice collection; concealed a small broom closet behind the refrigerator; and filled the only available wall with full-height storage complete with a small niche for charging phones and organizing mail. We added 48” high base cabinets behind the main sink to function as a bar/buffet counter as well as overflow for kitchen items. The client’s existing vintage commercial grade Wolf stove and hood commands attention with a tall backdrop of exposed brick from the fireplace in the adjacent living room. We loved the rustic appeal of the brick along with the existing wood beams, and complimented those elements with wired brushed white oak cabinets. The grayish stain ties in the floor color while the slab door style brings a modern element to the space. We lightened the color scheme with a mix of white marble and quartz countertops. The waterfall countertop adjacent to the dining table shows off the amazing veining of the marble while adding contrast to the floor. Special materials are used throughout, featured on the textured leather-wrapped pantry doors, patina zinc bar countertop, and hand-stitched leather cabinet hardware. We took advantage of the tall ceilings by adding two walnut linear pendants over the island that create a sculptural effect and coordinated them with the new dining pendant and three wall sconces on the beam over the main sink.

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**Paragraph 1: Spatial Composition & Architectural Volume** This terrace operates as an outdoor room in the fullest architectural sense — a compressed foreground plane opening onto one of the most consequential borrowed landscapes in the world. The composition is organized along a strong diagonal: an L-shaped seating arrangement anchors the lower left and right quadrants, its low-slung horizontality deliberately calibrated to sit beneath the sightline of the parapet rail so that the vista remains uninterrupted from a seated position. The spatial logic is one of layered thresholds. First, the intimate zone of the furniture group; second, the clipped boxwood hedge set within a matte-dark planter, functioning as a green datum line and soft balustrade; third, the slender vertical picket railing, whose rhythmic cadence reads as a fine-grained screen rather than a barrier; and finally the middle-ground canopy of Central Park and the distant supergraphic of the Billionaires' Row skyline. To the left, a mature juniper mass performs as a living pilaster, terminating the composition and screening the adjacent stone masonry wall — a rough-hewn ashlar remnant of the prewar building envelope that grounds the scheme in its architectural provenance. The stepped stone paving and the raked geometry of the railing as it descends to the right introduce a subtle asymmetry, preventing the picturesque from becoming static. **Paragraph 2: Materiality, Color & Texture** The material palette is disciplined to the point of austerity, precisely so the horticulture and the skyline may carry the chromatic load. Powder-coated aluminum in a deep graphite-bronze forms the furniture armature — slender, squared-section framing with an almost Miesian restraint — paired with performance-grade upholstery in a warm dove grey whose greige undertone reads neither cold nor sallow against the surrounding foliage. The single decorative gesture, ikat-patterned scatter cushions in charcoal and ecru, introduces a hand-loomed irregularity that humanizes the machined frames. Underfoot, large-format bluestone or cast-stone pavers in a cool grey provide a matte, granular ground plane, echoed in the honed surface of the low cocktail table. Against this monochrome scaffolding, the botanical register supplies saturation: the dense, glossy, small-leaf texture of the boxwood; the feathery, blue-green needling of the juniper; trailing ivy softening the planter edge; and, in the near foreground, the blowsy, dessicating panicles of hydrangea in blush, sage and antique rose. A ceramic vessel of coral-and-butter garden roses and a pair of banded stoneware cups on a rimmed tray introduce warm terracotta accents — small, deliberate points of chromatic heat within an otherwise tonal field. **Paragraph 3: Lighting, Atmosphere & Style Profile** The scheme is lit almost entirely by ambient, high-latitude daylight, diffused through a stratus-laced sky that acts as an enormous softbox. The result is shadowless modeling: the upholstery reads as luminous rather than glaring, the foliage retains full chromatic depth without specular hotspots, and the pale limestone and glass towers beyond are rendered in atmospheric perspective, receding into a silvered haze. No artificial fixtures assert themselves in the frame — a confident editorial choice that keeps the scheme legible as a daytime sanctuary and defers entirely to the natural theatre of the site. The prevailing mood is one of cultivated repose: urbane but unhurried, private without being hermetic. Stylistically, the project synthesizes into what might be termed **Refined Metropolitan Naturalism** — a hybrid of Soft Minimalism's tonal restraint and reductive geometry with the structured horticultural formality of a classical English terrace garden. The vocabulary is contemporary and materially honest, yet it observes the compositional manners of the prewar building it inhabits, treating the skyline not as backdrop but as the primary work of art around which the entire interior architecture of the terrace has been quietly framed.

Our mission is to guide clients seamlessly through the design/Install process; presenting the very best options, maximizing the use of latest technologies and delivering on the quality and integrity of our work. Our ultimate goal is to bring the clients dream space to life.

Details - Hand polished corners in natural marble Photos by Blackstock Photography
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This bedroom and full bathroom are part of an adventuresome project my wife and I embarked upon to create a complete apartment in the basement of our townhouse. We designed a floor plan that creatively and efficiently used all of the 385-square-foot-space, without sacrificing beauty, comfort or function – and all without breaking the bank! To maximize our budget, we did the work ourselves and added everything from thrift store finds to DIY wall art to bring it all together. A partial double closet bar adds a little extra space while still leaving room for longer hanging clothes.

Jane Benson
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3 deep drawers with extra wide frames house spices and other necessities near the range. Hardware by Schaub & Co.
Inspiration for a timeless kitchen remodel in New York

Budget Blinds blackout roller shades, photo credit installer Adam Brannick
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Photo by Tory Taglio Photography
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