Our client, with whom we had worked on a number of projects over the years, enlisted our help in transforming her family’s beloved but deteriorating rustic summer retreat, built by her grandparents in the mid-1920’s, into a house that would be livable year-‘round. It had served the family well but needed to be renewed for the decades to come without losing the flavor and patina they were attached to. The house was designed by Ruth Adams, a rare female architect of the day, who also designed in a similar vein a nearby summer colony of Vassar faculty and alumnae. To make Treetop habitable throughout the year, the whole house had to be gutted and insulated. The raw homosote interior wall finishes were replaced with plaster, but all the wood trim was retained and reused, as were all old doors and hardware. The old single-glazed casement windows were restored, and removable storm panels fitted into the existing in-swinging screen frames. New windows were made to match the old ones where new windows were added. This approach was inherently sustainable, making the house energy-efficient while preserving most of the original fabric. Changes to the original design were as seamless as possible, compatible with and enhancing the old character. Some plan modifications were made, and some windows moved around. The existing cave-like recessed entry porch was enclosed as a new book-lined entry hall and a new entry porch added, using posts made from an oak tree on the site. The kitchen and bathrooms are entirely new but in the spirit of the place. All the bookshelves are new. A thoroughly ramshackle garage couldn’t be saved, and we replaced it with a new one built in a compatible style, with a studio above for our client, who is a writer.

Photo: Mick Hales
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Home sweeter home. The front entry was re-configured to replace an extraneous door with a window onto the dining room.
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Michael Moran/OTTO photography We took a predictable suburban spec house and transformed it into a unique home of enduring value and family-centered design. The existing footprint was expanded where it needed it most: in the family and kitchen area, creating a large square room with open views to a protected nature preserve abutting the property. An unexpected glass canopy and teak entry door are clues that what lies beyond is hardly commonplace. The design challenge was to infuse modern-day functionality and architectural quality into a spec house. Working in partnership with Gary Cruz Studio, we designed the pared down, art-filled interiors with the goal of creating comfortable, purposeful living environments. We also sought to integrate the existing pool and rear deck into the overall building design, extending the usable space outside as a screened-in porch, a dining terrace, and a seating area around a stone fire pit.

The beautiful entryway to our Hampton's style home.
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The brightly colored home helps contrast the dark Seattle days and works well with the adjacent homes which are also bright colors. Landscaping is a future project. John Wilbanks Photography

This Tuscan style home located in Newport Beach, CA was missing the focal point of entry which was the entry door. It was incorrectly fitted with a Spanish Colonial style by the builder which was made of a less-than-adequate quality thus it became unusable after only a few years of use. The home itself had a rich Tuscan architectural flavor that was begging for an authentically designed entry door that would bring it justice. After extensive research of real Tuscan historical homes, our design team came up with a wonderful entry door design that would complement the home's intended style. The main focus was to maintain that old world charm of historic Tuscan style homes with heavily aged wooden doors and authentically handmade hardware that would not only be decorative but functional. The entry door was beautifully crafted by our finish carpenters in reclaimed oak on the exterior and smooth, clear alder on the inside to complement the interior of the home just as well as the exterior. Finishing the exterior of the door in a dark stain tied in well with the bronze lanterns and iron work throughout the home's exterior. Custom designed pull rings were hand-forged and are unique to this particular entry door project. At Dynamic Garage Door, our designers dedicate time and years of architectural experience to each project we are commissioned to realize for our clients. Whether you're looking for a unique entry door, a custom designed garage door or exclusively crafted garden gates that evoke the beauty and charm of the old world, we make sure to pull out all the stops to make your custom dream become a reality. Contact our Design Center in Orange County for project inquiries and door pricing: (855) 343-3667

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This “Arizona Inspired” home draws on some of the couples’ favorite desert inspirations. The architecture honors the Wrightian design of The Arizona Biltmore, the courtyard raised planter beds feature labeled specimen cactus in the style of the Desert Botanical Gardens, and the expansive backyard offers a resort-style pool and cabana with plenty of entertainment space. Additional focal areas of landscape design include an outdoor living room in the front courtyard with custom steel fire trough, a shallow negative-edge fountain, and a rare “nurse tree” that was salvaged from a nearby site, sits in the corner of the courtyard – a unique conversation starter. The wash that runs on either side of the museum-glass hallway is filled with aloes, agaves and cactus. On the far end of the lot, a fire pit surrounded by desert planting offers stunning views both day and night of the Praying Monk rock formation on Camelback Mountain. Project Details: Landscape Architect: Greey|Pickett Architect: Higgins Architects Builder: GM Hunt Builders Landscape Contractor: Benhart Landscaping Interior Designer: Kitchell Brusnighan Interior Design Photography: Ian Denker

Hear what our clients, Karen & Robert, have to say about their project by clicking on the Facebook link and then the Videos tab. Hannah Goering Photography

Photos by Vic Moss, Moss Photography
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Welcome home! Stunning Craftsman exterior featuring JamesHardie fiber cement siding.
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