Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use. This picture captures the shades in their closed positions.

In an effort to increase the enjoyment hours and reduce the amount of time spent on maintenance, this entire structure in Bethesda, MD, was built using low maintenance materials. The deck was constructed with Trex Select decking inside the screened porch and across the entire surface of the deck, vinyl trim was used inside and outside of the screened porch and the ceiling is beaded 1×6 tongue and groove vinyl to create a more finished look for the interior.

In an effort to increase the enjoyment hours and reduce the amount of time spent on maintenance, this entire structure in Bethesda, MD, was built using low maintenance materials. The deck was constructed with Trex Select decking inside the screened porch and across the entire surface of the deck, vinyl trim was used inside and outside of the screened porch and the ceiling is beaded 1×6 tongue and groove vinyl to create a more finished look for the interior.

Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use.
Example of a huge classic backyard patio design in Austin with no cover

Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use. This picture captures the shades in their closed positions.

Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use.
Example of a huge classic backyard concrete patio kitchen design in Austin with a roof extension

Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use.
Example of a huge classic backyard concrete patio kitchen design in Austin with a roof extension

Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use. This picture captures the shades in their closed positions.

In an effort to increase the enjoyment hours and reduce the amount of time spent on maintenance, this entire structure in Bethesda, MD, was built using low maintenance materials. The deck was constructed with Trex Select decking inside the screened porch and across the entire surface of the deck, vinyl trim was used inside and outside of the screened porch and the ceiling is beaded 1×6 tongue and groove vinyl to create a more finished look for the interior.

Exterior Patio & Garage Shades help to reduce glare, reduce heat and are motorized for convenient use. This picture captures the shades in their closed positions.

Interior shot of year round living space. Space includes: exterior grade video monitor that can withstand extreme elements and reduce glare; direct vent gas fireplace to keep space warm all year long; exterior grade grill capped with commercial grade exhaust hood, allowing client to bring grilling inside; panoramic doors system which allows space to convert from a wall of insulated glass panels to a completely open-air room; a full width screen system that retracts into the soffits; and Zuri decking, which can withstand all elements while maintaining an elegant design. Photographed by Michael Braun.

This larger home, constructed on Martha’s Vineyard, is a collection of informal, dormered gable components and grounding one-story, shed-roof elements that reduce its overall scale. Designed to take advantage of a gently sloping up-Island property, this 5500 sq. ft. (not including finished basement) six-bedroom home includes staggered floor levels that climb from the front of the site to the rear. Generous, open living space on the entry level -- anchored on the west end by a fireplace and on the east end by the kitchen -- borders a dining area that’s nestled under a roof which also shelters the adjacent wrap-around porch. A deck off the rear of the dining space extends around the kitchen and is easily accessible from the nearby family room, too. Bedrooms occupy the other above-grade levels, including, at the upper-most level, the master suite comprised of a study, roof deck, master bath, walk-in closets and the master bedroom. A clean-lined interior of warm neutrals sets a soothing tone in which the Island landscape is welcomed through expansive windows, porches and decks. Clad in white cedar shingles with a red cedar roof, the West Tisbury House will softly weather in-tune with its meadow site. Katie Hutchison Studio collaborated with Geoffrey Koper Architect of Yarmouth Port, Mass. on the West Tisbury House. Kitchen fit-out and interior finishes, fixtures, and furnishings by others. This larger home, constructed on Martha’s Vineyard, is a collection of informal, dormered gable components and grounding one-story, shed-roof elements that reduce its overall scale. Designed to take advantage of a gently sloping up-Island property, this 5500 sq. ft. (not including finished basement) six-bedroom home includes staggered floor levels that climb from the front of the site to the rear. Generous, open living space on the entry level -- anchored on the west end by a fireplace and on the east end by the kitchen -- borders a dining area that’s nestled under a roof which also shelters the adjacent wrap-around porch. A deck off the rear of the dining space extends around the kitchen and is easily accessible from the nearby family room, too. Bedrooms occupy the other above-grade levels, including, at the upper-most level, the master suite comprised of a study, roof deck, master bath, walk-in closets and the master bedroom. A clean-lined interior of warm neutrals sets a soothing tone in which the Island landscape is welcomed through expansive windows, porches and decks. Clad in white cedar shingles with a red cedar roof, the West Tisbury House will softly weather in-tune with its meadow site. Katie Hutchison Studio collaborated with Geoffrey Koper Architect of Yarmouth Port, Mass. on the West Tisbury House. Kitchen fit-out and interior finishes, fixtures, and furnishings by others. photo by Katie Hutchison

Ryan Theede
Inspiration for a large craftsman two-story mixed siding house exterior remodel in Other

Vistafolia's modern and flexible Artificial Green Wall design offers real customer value, providing excellent bespoke solutions for any client requirement. This roof terrace had an exceptionally long, south-facing space with parapet walls clad in metal sheeting, creating an environment too hot and inhospitable for real planting. The limited area coverage was also a big issue, as putting in living plant systems would significantly reduce the floor space and hamper mobility. Our Vistafolia Panels, which can be customized to fit any conceivable dimension, fulfilled the client’s desire to look out to beautiful greenery by creating a simple solution to the problem with our versatile system and design expertise.

The huge west facing windows on this home provided a beautiful waterfront view ... and a lot of glare! Power screens provide shade at the touch of a button, reducing heat and glare inside the home, and protecting flooring and furnishings from fading.

The Watermill House is a beautiful example of a classic Hamptons wood shingle style home. The design and renovation would maintain the character of the exterior while transforming the interiors to create an open and airy getaway for a busy and active family. The house comfortably sits within its one acre lot surrounded by tall hedges, old growth trees, and beautiful hydrangeas. The landscape influenced the design approach of the main floor interiors. Walls were removed and the kitchen was relocated to the front of the house to create an open plan for better flow and views to both the front and rear yards. The kitchen was designed to be both practical and beautiful. The u-shape design features modern appliances, white cabinetry and Corian countertops, and is anchored by a beautiful island with a knife-edge marble countertop. The island and the dining room table create a strong axis to the living room at the rear of the house. To further strengthen the connection to the outdoor decks and pool area of the rear yard, a full height sliding glass window system was installed. The clean lines and modern profiles of the window frames create unobstructed views and virtually remove the barrier between the interior and exterior spaces. The open plan allowed a new sitting area to be created between the dining room and stair. A screen, comprised of vertical fins, allows for a degree of openness, while creating enough separation to make the sitting area feel comfortable and nestled in its own area. The stair at the entry of the house was redesigned to match the new elegant and sophisticated spaces connected to it. New treads were installed to articulate and contrast the soft palette of finishes of the floors, walls, and ceilings. The new metal and glass handrail was intended to reduce visual noise and create subtle reflections of light. Photo by Guillaume Gaudet

The homes in Heritage Hills in Chapel Hill, NC are representative of the popularity and explosive growth of American Home Ownership that occurred during the economic expansion that followed the end of WW II. They were designed and built to foster the benefits and sense of “community”, where families could come together and share theirs and their children’s lives. They are typically in very desirable locations within their larger communities, and remodeling them with modern amenities, increasing the performance and efficiency of them, and having them Green Certified (independent third-party verified) makes them extremely attractive to buyers, and helps to raise other property values within the neighborhood. Green Certified Remodeled Homes offer significant value and advantage in the marketplace over similar homes in their area, which is especially important as a new, younger era of home buyers enter the market. Current trends suggest that younger (as well as many “seasoned”) homeowners are interested in smaller, more efficient (and thus affordable) homes situated closer to shopping, their work, entertainment opportunities, and access to the economic and environmental benefits of mass transit. These older homes also offer an additional value that is continuing to gain visibility and appreciation in the market place. They were built from lumber from slower-growth trees (denser and harder wood), and as such offer superior structural support compared to the same home built using lumber from today’s faster-growing (softer and less-dense wood) trees. Robin and Kent had lived in their 2-story Gambrel Roof home in Heritage Hills since 1994. The house was structurally sound, due in large part to the old-growth (and denser) yellow pine that was used in its framing. They loved the quiet neighborhood, its sense of community and amenities, and their home. It suited their life-style and needs; and they had decided that they would remain in the home. It was showing its age, and was in need of general repairs and maintenance, and its energy, water, and indoor air quality performance was continuing to increase their ongoing cost of ownership. Robin loved the screen porch that looked out on their private and nicely landscaped back yard, but she wanted to be able to use it in the colder months of the year. She was unsatisfied with the kitchen and the mud room / laundry room, and the darkness of other living spaces. A previous water leak in the laundry room had resulted in a large patch of mold that had compromised flooring, wall board, and insulation and contributed to the homes reduced indoor air quality. The home lacked insulation in the crawl, and inadequate insulation in the attic. The single HVAC unit had been replaced a few years earlier with a more efficient unit, but with a single programmable thermostat control on the first floor and aging and un-insulated ducting, the second floor was often over-heated in the summer months. The original wood windows had begun to deteriorate and were drafty and inefficient, and the original wood-burning fireplace was an open conduit for escaping conditioned air as well as an inlet for wood-smoke smelling air being pulled into the home. The siding had been replaced a few years earlier with a cement-fiber product, but the exterior wood trim was compromised and beginning to look unsightly. Its original architecture had been altered over the years in ways that presented ongoing maintenance and durability issues, as well as disrupting the elegance of the original design. Kent has worked for over 30 years in the Environmental Sciences field, and is considered to be a national expert in understanding the sources of, and human exposure to pollutants in indoor environments. He had always been very conscious and cautious about the effects on indoor air quality that the construction, furnishings, and products used in home had on him and his family. Project Goals Increase the performance of their home by improving energy efficiency by at least 40% and lowering their natural gas and electric utility costs. Increase the performance of their home by reducing water usage by at least 40% and lowering the water utility costs. Increase the comfort of their home that was being compromised by an inadequate HVAC design, inadequate insulation, inefficient and compromised wood windows, and copious air intrusions and drafts. Improve the healthiness of the homes indoor air quality that was being compromised by an open wood-burning fireplace, and prior water intrusion that had allowed colonies of mold to thrive. Create a new Kitchen, Family Room, Home Office, Mudroom, and Laundry Room that featured some of the latest designs and trends and harmonized with the rest of the homes charm. Increase the usefulness and aesthetics of the screened porch by creating a warm and inviting semi-conditioned 3-Season Room that extended the times during the year that it was comfortable. Introduce day-lighting into areas of the home that were dark and uninviting. Brighten and harmonize all of the interior finishes. Protect and restore the exterior of the home with superior-performing products and finishes. Achieve Gold Level Green Home Certification in conformance with the ICC 700-2012 National Green Building Standards (NGBS).

Interior shot of year round living space. Space includes: exterior grade video monitor that can withstand extreme elements and reduce glare; direct vent gas fireplace to keep space warm all year long; exterior grade grill capped with commercial grade exhaust hood, allowing client to bring grilling inside; panoramic doors system which allows space to convert from a wall of insulated glass panels to a completely open-air room; a full width screen system that retracts into the soffits; and Zuri decking, which can withstand all elements while maintaining an elegant design. Photographed by Michael Braun.

Inspiration for a small contemporary drought-tolerant and full sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in San Francisco.