Nestled in the hills of Vermont is a relaxing winter retreat that looks like it was planted there a century ago. Our architects worked closely with the builder at Wild Apple Homes to create building sections that felt like they had been added on piece by piece over generations. With thoughtful design and material choices, the result is a cozy 3,300 square foot home with a weathered, lived-in feel; the perfect getaway for a family of ardent skiers. The main house is a Federal-style farmhouse, with a vernacular board and batten clad connector. Connected to the home is the antique barn frame from Canada. The barn was reassembled on site and attached to the house. Using the antique post and beam frame is the kind of materials reuse seen throughout the main house and the connector to the barn, carefully creating an antique look without the home feeling like a theme house. Trusses in the family/dining room made with salvaged wood echo the design of the attached barn. Rustic in nature, they are a bold design feature. The salvaged wood was also used on the floors, kitchen island, barn doors, and walls. The focus on quality materials is seen throughout the well-built house, right down to the door knobs.

Battle Architects was commissioned to create a new family retreat on Jockey Cove in Wolfeboro, NH. The client was the son of a past Battle Architect’s client who has spent many childhood summers at a family retreat also located on Jockey Cove and wanted to create a place to establish family roots of his own. The client reassembled the same team who built his Family’s Home but John’s direction was to design a unique home that respected the site and the clients program. John’s motto is to “Never do the same thing twice”. From this beginning the home has a feel as if it grew out of the landscape oriented to take advantage of the great views of the lake and the setting sun. Details were developed with clear clean lines and lots of glass. The interior spaces were arranged so that the public spaces would have the best views of the lake where the screen porch would have the premier location as the main gathering spot for the family. The exterior palette consists of cedar shakes and skirl siding, douglas fir and deep painted green trim. The interiors consisted of a fir, white cedar, cherry, fieldstone, slate and wrought iron accents to create a palette of natural materials.

It’s about a shoemaker sometimes having no shoes. One day our own interior designer, Nathan Drewes, took a hard look at the guest suite in the dependency of his hundred-sixty-year-old house. What he saw made him aesthetically tank. While there may have been a few pieces of beloved family furniture, everything else looked dowdy, dusty, even drab. Tout suite he went right to the cobbler’s bench to reimagine the rooms. Clearly a few random patches weren’t going to be enough. The space needed total transformation. He realized a slick minimalist look would never work in those old rooms or make sense with the rest of the house. To be honest, it really didn’t reflect his taste anyway. Nathan happened to have a budding neo-classical collection, begun while still in college. For some time he had been itching to reassemble it in an appropriate setting. Despite being a millennial, his instincts led him to evoke a reverie of a luxury-loving 19th century New Orleans gentleman. Inspired by strong palettes of the past and textured interiors, he salvaged curtains and carpets from a former apartment in Lyon, found a local artisan to frame a batch of early 19th century engravings, selected rich feeling fabrics, and splurged on interesting lighting. The results are anything but drab. With rooms that conjure a shaded feeling against the intrusive tropic sun, the effect is dense with polished woods, lush with fabrics. One is enveloped in shadows and dreams. Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

Battle Architects was commissioned to create a new family retreat on Jockey Cove in Wolfeboro, NH. The client was the son of a past Battle Architect’s client who has spent many childhood summers at a family retreat also located on Jockey Cove and wanted to create a place to establish family roots of his own. The client reassembled the same team who built his Family’s Home but John’s direction was to design a unique home that respected the site and the clients program. John’s motto is to “Never do the same thing twice”. From this beginning the home has a feel as if it grew out of the landscape oriented to take advantage of the great views of the lake and the setting sun. Details were developed with clear clean lines and lots of glass. The interior spaces were arranged so that the public spaces would have the best views of the lake where the screen porch would have the premier location as the main gathering spot for the family. The exterior palette consists of cedar shakes and skirl siding, douglas fir and deep painted green trim. The interiors consisted of a fir, white cedar, cherry, fieldstone, slate and wrought iron accents to create a palette of natural materials.

It’s about a shoemaker sometimes having no shoes. One day our own interior designer, Nathan Drewes, took a hard look at the guest suite in the dependency of his hundred-sixty-year-old house. What he saw made him aesthetically tank. While there may have been a few pieces of beloved family furniture, everything else looked dowdy, dusty, even drab. Tout suite he went right to the cobbler’s bench to reimagine the rooms. Clearly a few random patches weren’t going to be enough. The space needed total transformation. He realized a slick minimalist look would never work in those old rooms or make sense with the rest of the house. To be honest, it really didn’t reflect his taste anyway. Nathan happened to have a budding neo-classical collection, begun while still in college. For some time he had been itching to reassemble it in an appropriate setting. Despite being a millennial, his instincts led him to evoke a reverie of a luxury-loving 19th century New Orleans gentleman. Inspired by strong palettes of the past and textured interiors, he salvaged curtains and carpets from a former apartment in Lyon, found a local artisan to frame a batch of early 19th century engravings, selected rich feeling fabrics, and splurged on interesting lighting. The results are anything but drab. With rooms that conjure a shaded feeling against the intrusive tropic sun, the effect is dense with polished woods, lush with fabrics. One is enveloped in shadows and dreams. Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

damian
Inspiration for a timeless bathroom remodel in Atlanta

Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective. This was the case for FGA’s Atherton clients, empty-nesters, who were eager to reimagine their home of many years as they embarked on their next chapter: hosting grandchildren. To start, FGA kept a few outer walls to preserve the home's more expansive footprint, while opening up and reimagining the layout. The new home with a grand entry hall is oriented to highlight the long garden view. Stylistically, the goal was to lend the new home an older aesthetic that suited the surrounding neighborhood - a home that “felt like the oldest house on the block,” in the words of the client. The structure also recalls the iconic style of Bernard Maybeck who designed the husband’s childhood home. FGA studied Maybeck’s methods for intricately layering rafters, outriggers, and brackets to create a sense of familiarity and ruggedness, but modified elements to feel modern and refined. The heavy timber was specially sourced, carefully measured, cut and numbered offsite, and then meticulously reassembled on the premises. The earthy exteriors with bright cedar shingles, deep dark green trim, and textured red brick are balanced with a crisp interior palette. White cerused oak, mustard yellow library-dining millwork, a black marble bar, and copper hardware details are playfully contemporary. Recalling the exterior masonry, a handsome brick fireplace anchors the generous living room and neighboring office. From the living, dining, and kitchen, tall steel and glass French doors open onto a deep porch for easy entertaining and breezy backyard views.

Battle Architects was commissioned to create a new family retreat on Jockey Cove in Wolfeboro, NH. The client was the son of a past Battle Architect’s client who has spent many childhood summers at a family retreat also located on Jockey Cove and wanted to create a place to establish family roots of his own. The client reassembled the same team who built his Family’s Home but John’s direction was to design a unique home that respected the site and the clients program. John’s motto is to “Never do the same thing twice”. From this beginning the home has a feel as if it grew out of the landscape oriented to take advantage of the great views of the lake and the setting sun. Details were developed with clear clean lines and lots of glass. The interior spaces were arranged so that the public spaces would have the best views of the lake where the screen porch would have the premier location as the main gathering spot for the family. The exterior palette consists of cedar shakes and skirl siding, douglas fir and deep painted green trim. The interiors consisted of a fir, white cedar, cherry, fieldstone, slate and wrought iron accents to create a palette of natural materials.

Battle Architects was commissioned to create a new family retreat on Jockey Cove in Wolfeboro, NH. The client was the son of a past Battle Architect’s client who has spent many childhood summers at a family retreat also located on Jockey Cove and wanted to create a place to establish family roots of his own. The client reassembled the same team who built his Family’s Home but John’s direction was to design a unique home that respected the site and the clients program. John’s motto is to “Never do the same thing twice”. From this beginning the home has a feel as if it grew out of the landscape oriented to take advantage of the great views of the lake and the setting sun. Details were developed with clear clean lines and lots of glass. The interior spaces were arranged so that the public spaces would have the best views of the lake where the screen porch would have the premier location as the main gathering spot for the family. The exterior palette consists of cedar shakes and skirl siding, douglas fir and deep painted green trim. The interiors consisted of a fir, white cedar, cherry, fieldstone, slate and wrought iron accents to create a palette of natural materials.

ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL + CRAFTSMANSHIP: Award of Excellence PROJECT: Project RE_ CLIENT: Project RE_; Heinz Endowments; Colcom Foundation; Ford College Community Challenge; Autodesk ARCHITECTURE FIRM: Urban Design Build Studio ENGINEERS: Merit Electrical Group, Inc.; Iams Consulting, LLC; G.A. Mattern and Associates CONTRACTORS: Urban Design Build Studio PHOTOGRAPHER: Urban Design Build Studio DESCRIPTION: Project RE_ is a collaborative education, job training, research, and pre-fabrication facility with a mission to reuse materials, rebuild communities, and restore lives, located in an existing warehouse currently home to several other non-profits focused on waste reduction. The building was designed for deconstruction and incorporates examples of material reuse, with each building element being a marketable product or strategy built by the partner organizations who use the space. JURY COMMENTS: The jury was unclear as to how a building inside of another structure should be understood, but found many praiseworthy aspects including the attention to details, participation in the construction, and ability to disassemble and reassemble.

Battle Architects was commissioned to create a new family retreat on Jockey Cove in Wolfeboro, NH. The client was the son of a past Battle Architect’s client who has spent many childhood summers at a family retreat also located on Jockey Cove and wanted to create a place to establish family roots of his own. The client reassembled the same team who built his Family’s Home but John’s direction was to design a unique home that respected the site and the clients program. John’s motto is to “Never do the same thing twice”. From this beginning the home has a feel as if it grew out of the landscape oriented to take advantage of the great views of the lake and the setting sun. Details were developed with clear clean lines and lots of glass. The interior spaces were arranged so that the public spaces would have the best views of the lake where the screen porch would have the premier location as the main gathering spot for the family. The exterior palette consists of cedar shakes and skirl siding, douglas fir and deep painted green trim. The interiors consisted of a fir, white cedar, cherry, fieldstone, slate and wrought iron accents to create a palette of natural materials.

It’s about a shoemaker sometimes having no shoes. One day our own interior designer, Nathan Drewes, took a hard look at the guest suite in the dependency of his hundred-sixty-year-old house. What he saw made him aesthetically tank. While there may have been a few pieces of beloved family furniture, everything else looked dowdy, dusty, even drab. Tout suite he went right to the cobbler’s bench to reimagine the rooms. Clearly a few random patches weren’t going to be enough. The space needed total transformation. He realized a slick minimalist look would never work in those old rooms or make sense with the rest of the house. To be honest, it really didn’t reflect his taste anyway. Nathan happened to have a budding neo-classical collection, begun while still in college. For some time he had been itching to reassemble it in an appropriate setting. Despite being a millennial, his instincts led him to evoke a reverie of a luxury-loving 19th century New Orleans gentleman. Inspired by strong palettes of the past and textured interiors, he salvaged curtains and carpets from a former apartment in Lyon, found a local artisan to frame a batch of early 19th century engravings, selected rich feeling fabrics, and splurged on interesting lighting. The results are anything but drab. With rooms that conjure a shaded feeling against the intrusive tropic sun, the effect is dense with polished woods, lush with fabrics. One is enveloped in shadows and dreams. Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

It’s about a shoemaker sometimes having no shoes. One day our own interior designer, Nathan Drewes, took a hard look at the guest suite in the dependency of his hundred-sixty-year-old house. What he saw made him aesthetically tank. While there may have been a few pieces of beloved family furniture, everything else looked dowdy, dusty, even drab. Tout suite he went right to the cobbler’s bench to reimagine the rooms. Clearly a few random patches weren’t going to be enough. The space needed total transformation. He realized a slick minimalist look would never work in those old rooms or make sense with the rest of the house. To be honest, it really didn’t reflect his taste anyway. Nathan happened to have a budding neo-classical collection, begun while still in college. For some time he had been itching to reassemble it in an appropriate setting. Despite being a millennial, his instincts led him to evoke a reverie of a luxury-loving 19th century New Orleans gentleman. Inspired by strong palettes of the past and textured interiors, he salvaged curtains and carpets from a former apartment in Lyon, found a local artisan to frame a batch of early 19th century engravings, selected rich feeling fabrics, and splurged on interesting lighting. The results are anything but drab. With rooms that conjure a shaded feeling against the intrusive tropic sun, the effect is dense with polished woods, lush with fabrics. One is enveloped in shadows and dreams. Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

It’s about a shoemaker sometimes having no shoes. One day our own interior designer, Nathan Drewes, took a hard look at the guest suite in the dependency of his hundred-sixty-year-old house. What he saw made him aesthetically tank. While there may have been a few pieces of beloved family furniture, everything else looked dowdy, dusty, even drab. Tout suite he went right to the cobbler’s bench to reimagine the rooms. Clearly a few random patches weren’t going to be enough. The space needed total transformation. He realized a slick minimalist look would never work in those old rooms or make sense with the rest of the house. To be honest, it really didn’t reflect his taste anyway. Nathan happened to have a budding neo-classical collection, begun while still in college. For some time he had been itching to reassemble it in an appropriate setting. Despite being a millennial, his instincts led him to evoke a reverie of a luxury-loving 19th century New Orleans gentleman. Inspired by strong palettes of the past and textured interiors, he salvaged curtains and carpets from a former apartment in Lyon, found a local artisan to frame a batch of early 19th century engravings, selected rich feeling fabrics, and splurged on interesting lighting. The results are anything but drab. With rooms that conjure a shaded feeling against the intrusive tropic sun, the effect is dense with polished woods, lush with fabrics. One is enveloped in shadows and dreams. Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

It’s about a shoemaker sometimes having no shoes. One day our own interior designer, Nathan Drewes, took a hard look at the guest suite in the dependency of his hundred-sixty-year-old house. What he saw made him aesthetically tank. While there may have been a few pieces of beloved family furniture, everything else looked dowdy, dusty, even drab. Tout suite he went right to the cobbler’s bench to reimagine the rooms. Clearly a few random patches weren’t going to be enough. The space needed total transformation. He realized a slick minimalist look would never work in those old rooms or make sense with the rest of the house. To be honest, it really didn’t reflect his taste anyway. Nathan happened to have a budding neo-classical collection, begun while still in college. For some time he had been itching to reassemble it in an appropriate setting. Despite being a millennial, his instincts led him to evoke a reverie of a luxury-loving 19th century New Orleans gentleman. Inspired by strong palettes of the past and textured interiors, he salvaged curtains and carpets from a former apartment in Lyon, found a local artisan to frame a batch of early 19th century engravings, selected rich feeling fabrics, and splurged on interesting lighting. The results are anything but drab. With rooms that conjure a shaded feeling against the intrusive tropic sun, the effect is dense with polished woods, lush with fabrics. One is enveloped in shadows and dreams. Photography by Sara Essex Bradley

Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective. This was the case for FGA’s Atherton clients, empty-nesters, who were eager to reimagine their home of many years as they embarked on their next chapter: hosting grandchildren. To start, FGA kept a few outer walls to preserve the home's more expansive footprint, while opening up and reimagining the layout. The new home with a grand entry hall is oriented to highlight the long garden view. Stylistically, the goal was to lend the new home an older aesthetic that suited the surrounding neighborhood - a home that “felt like the oldest house on the block,” in the words of the client. The structure also recalls the iconic style of Bernard Maybeck who designed the husband’s childhood home. FGA studied Maybeck’s methods for intricately layering rafters, outriggers, and brackets to create a sense of familiarity and ruggedness, but modified elements to feel modern and refined. The heavy timber was specially sourced, carefully measured, cut and numbered offsite, and then meticulously reassembled on the premises. The earthy exteriors with bright cedar shingles, deep dark green trim, and textured red brick are balanced with a crisp interior palette. White cerused oak, mustard yellow library-dining millwork, a black marble bar, and copper hardware details are playfully contemporary. Recalling the exterior masonry, a handsome brick fireplace anchors the generous living room and neighboring office. From the living, dining, and kitchen, tall steel and glass French doors open onto a deep porch for easy entertaining and breezy backyard views.

Home design - contemporary home design idea in Toronto

Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective. This was the case for FGA’s Atherton clients, empty-nesters, who were eager to reimagine their home of many years as they embarked on their next chapter: hosting grandchildren. To start, FGA kept a few outer walls to preserve the home's more expansive footprint, while opening up and reimagining the layout. The new home with a grand entry hall is oriented to highlight the long garden view. Stylistically, the goal was to lend the new home an older aesthetic that suited the surrounding neighborhood - a home that “felt like the oldest house on the block,” in the words of the client. The structure also recalls the iconic style of Bernard Maybeck who designed the husband’s childhood home. FGA studied Maybeck’s methods for intricately layering rafters, outriggers, and brackets to create a sense of familiarity and ruggedness, but modified elements to feel modern and refined. The heavy timber was specially sourced, carefully measured, cut and numbered offsite, and then meticulously reassembled on the premises. The earthy exteriors with bright cedar shingles, deep dark green trim, and textured red brick are balanced with a crisp interior palette. White cerused oak, mustard yellow library-dining millwork, a black marble bar, and copper hardware details are playfully contemporary. Recalling the exterior masonry, a handsome brick fireplace anchors the generous living room and neighboring office. From the living, dining, and kitchen, tall steel and glass French doors open onto a deep porch for easy entertaining and breezy backyard views.

This remodeled bedroom was upgraded to an elegant and sophisticated master retreat. Using metallic plasters and various techniques of application with this beautiful repeat stencil pattern, this accent wall is a stunning focal feature of this master bedroom. Copyright © 2016 The Artists Hands