Photo Credit: Neil Landino VIDEO BLOG, EPISODE 2 – FINDING THE PERFECT STONE Watch this happy client’s testimonial on how Connecticut Stone transformed her existing kitchen into a bright, beautiful and functional space.Featuring Calacatta Gold Marble and Carrara Marble. Video Link: https://youtu.be/hwbWNMFrAV0

Neil Michael - Axiom Photography
Inspiration for a small modern courtyard patio remodel in Sacramento

Example of a farmhouse red two-story gable roof design in New York

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.

The existing concrete water tank, with interior dimensions 50 foot diameter and 28 foot height, was built in 1907 on a high south facing ridge overlooking the City of New Haven and Long Island Sound. Monumental red rock formations of similar height, East Rock and West Rock, define the natural landscape boundaries of the City and frame the views from this high point. The evolution of the neighborhood toward residential uses and other elements such as the four columns of the interior supporting the roof on a two way grid of beams as well as the size of the tank made it ideal for reuse as a dwelling. By insulating the 10" thick roof slab and the 18" thick concrete walls, on the outside maximum advantage is taken of the thermal mass. The approach from the street is by a stair on the east side which rises 9 feet to the 100 foot square level area on which the water tank sits. To the west of the stair at street level is the garage, once an underground vault for valves. A climb to the top reveals views over the City and Sound while the porch to the left invites entry. At the center, a two story high library, bounded by four columns and lit by four circular skylights, orders the scheme. The living room within the two story high 'bow' to the south opens to a porch shaded by grape vines which replaced an earlier canvas roof. The kitchen to the east is intended as the primary eating place although the library can be the focus of larger feasts. The studio to the north is lit by a two story high glass wall and bounded by offices. On the second floor, the bedrooms flank the upper library space while bathrooms and dressing rooms are placed to the north. The deep existing wall and projecting bays create window seats at east and west openings. At all other openings the glass is set within the wall. The roof is accessed from outside by the spiral stair in the existing octagonal tower.

This newly constructed ‘farmhouse’ had an overgrown city landscape just begging to be cultivated. Today, two almond trees flank the parking strip, while plums, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, herbs and flowers overflow the courtyard garden. A split cedar fence is the perfect rustic backdrop, an inspiration that drove the client to cover every picket with an aluminum can! Raised beds built from dry-stack stone define and contain this urban farmstead, while drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting help keep the landscape watered in a low-impact way. Photos by Coreen Schmidt

Custom locally built dining table designed by For a family wanting a dramatic entry and dining room, but with requirements that it be an indestructible venue for weekly brunches with guest lists including small children! Our first solution was to create a contrasting border integral to the hardwood floor, in lieu of an area rug. From there, we introduced furniture in resilient materials such as fiberglass chairs and a locally made custom table of Heather's design in reclaimed hardwood, steel and acrylic. Luxurious drapes, dramatic accessories and a chandelier with glimmer added the required panache. Interior design by Heather Garrett Interior Design. Custom original dining table designed by Heather Garrett available through Heather Garrett Interior Design. Contact us for more information. Photography by John Bessler

Example of a transitional living room design in St Louis

Ashley Avila
Inspiration for a rustic wet bar remodel in Grand Rapids

Photo of a mid-sized southwestern full sun backyard stone landscaping in Phoenix.

Peter Rymwid
Mid-sized transitional slate floor eat-in kitchen photo in New York with a farmhouse sink, shaker cabinets, dark wood cabinets and granite countertops

Courtesy Coastal Living, a division of the Time Inc. Lifestyle Group, photography by Tria Giovan. Coastal Living is a registered trademark of Time Inc. and is used with permission.

Michael Glassman
Hot tub - mediterranean hot tub idea in Sacramento

Mid-sized eclectic galley light wood floor kitchen photo in Chicago with an undermount sink, black cabinets, quartz countertops, black backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and black countertops

Location: Los Olivos, CA // Type: New Construction // Architect: Appelton & Associates // Photo: Creative Noodle
Example of a huge cottage brown two-story wood gable roof design in Santa Barbara

Small coastal condo gets a new life! This project started as a consultation that really focused on whether or not it was feasible to maximize functionality out of a tight kitchen area in a condo on the beach. The cabinetry was sort of dated but not terrible terrible. Refresh or total gut of this small kitchen The client wanted to give it a refresh worked but we had worked with her before…so she could not quite decide how far to go. Maybe just repaint the existing cabinets? She needed some furniture. She wanted a little more ambiance and pizazz. And she wanted the Cheryl magic. Ok finally, decision made. Kitchen had to go@! Decision made- a new kitchen to go with the new living! After further review on site with her during the consult meeting, and pitching a few inquiries around for bids on cabinetry and countertops – she ultimately decided to gut and re-do the whole layout. And man-oh-man what a difference some well executed design makes!! This layout was unique and truly optimized every inch we could muster from the kitchen. (Working around that spiral staircase and navigating the soffit that wrapped the entire kitchen and adjacent living room!!) Colors needed to be bold while still feeling fresh so we paired a deep aubergine and a sort of “matte” Caribbean blue which laid the groundwork for a stunning living area palette. Tough layout to enlarge much There were a lot of other “givens” in this space that made the execution of the design a highly strategized process. We knew we had to work around the large wall space that starts the kitchen because it had the laundry room hiding on the other side… the awkward nook with windows on all sides that was a small breakfast area before the remodel… oh, and did we mention that dang spiral staircase?! Multiple site visits to plot the cabinetry and countertop curve paid off all said and done, though! Living space that work with the open floor plan kitchen Designing the furnishings then became the fun part! With a smaller living space flanked by windows and sliders – but one that needed to balance the kitchen in substance – we had to break a few preferred design rules to make up the amount of seating desired. The deep grape-y purple barrel swivels were the perfect “transition” piece by the slider offering access to the views while being versatile enough to still afford safe use of the slider and passage outside. Adding some graphic punch with the droplet shaped, stone and brass cocktail table and bold multicolored rug we love the balance of these weightier aesthetic choices with the adjacent kitchen. Signature pieces make all the difference Carrying through little pops of that blue green between the counter stools (I die! Seriously! SO GORGEOUS) and the sofa (with those brass nails!) — these colors really created a sturdy but eclectic tonal feel that the client was just over the moon for. The art and grasscloth on the walls throughout developed the architecture of the space in an overall structure that was really lacking – it feels warm, inviting, comfortable – BEAUTIFUL – but not too priss and pomp. Now if we could just keep the pup off the sofa!

Photo of a mid-sized mediterranean vegetable garden landscape in Santa Barbara.

Beach style two-story mixed siding exterior home photo in Other

Neil Michael - Axiom Photography
Inspiration for a small modern shade courtyard outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in Sacramento with decking.