These Cedar steps and landing in Tacoma was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

This deck and steps in Seattle was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

This deck and steps in Bellevue was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

This exterior renovation aimed to revitalize a charming 1960s Southern colonial-style brick home while preserving its timeless appeal. The skilled design team at Revolve embraced the client's vision of a "Transitional Contemporary" style, skillfully blending classic and modern elements to create a truly unique outcome. Revolve updated the home’s curved features, such as the classical columns and rounded bay windows, to achieve this beautiful transformation. They incorporated sleek lines and contemporary materials that exude sophistication. The removal of shutters and the enlargement of existing windows with modern frames and thermal glass enhanced the home’s visual appeal, increased interior natural light, and improved energy efficiency, contributing to the overall well-being of the homeowners. Gone are the days of painted-shut windows; the new windows now open smoothly, bringing a refreshing change! In keeping with the original design of the house, Revolve maintained the existing second-floor porch along the front, eliminating the picket railing and traditional molding. These elements were replaced with square columns and a minimalist custom horizontal metal railing system. Additionally, the team thoughtfully enhanced the continuous masonry façade by removing sections of brick and replacing them with a contemporary wood rainscreen. This adjustment added depth to what was previously a flat elevation and tied together areas of the house that were re-clad from vinyl siding to wood plank. The design team also redefined the geometry of the multiple rooflines and third-floor dormers to create a cohesive overall design. Carefully selected paint and stain colors added warmth and dimension to the updated exterior. Modern elements were introduced into the outdoor space, resulting in a cozy outdoor living area complete with a gas-powered fireplace and a large-screen TV—perfect for enjoying Ravens games with friends and family.

This double deck in Seattle was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

This southern cottage has a french country appeal with white painted brick, an arched entry, exposed brick trim, and brick paved patio areas. The large windows and screened in porches add a touch of southern charm. It was skillfully built by Chris Achee of Achee Builders and designed by Bob Chatham Custom Home Design.

Main Line Kitchen Design is a brand new business model! We are a group of skilled Kitchen Designers each with many years of experience planning kitchens around the Delaware Valley. And we are cabinet dealers for 6 nationally distributed cabinet lines much like traditional showrooms. Unlike full showrooms open to the general public, Main Line Kitchen Design works only by appointment. Appointments can be scheduled days, nights, and weekends either in your home or in our office and selection center. During office appointments we display clients kitchens on a flat screen TV and help them look through 100’s of sample doorstyles, almost a thousand sample finish blocks and sample kitchen cabinets. During home visits we can bring samples, take measurements, and make design changes on laptops showing you what your kitchen can look like in the very room being renovated. This is more convenient for our customers and it eliminates the expense of staffing and maintaining a larger space that is open to walk in traffic. We pass the significant savings on to our customers and so we sell cabinetry for less than other dealers, even home centers like Lowes and The Home Depot. We believe that since a web site like Houzz.com has over half a million kitchen photos any advantage to going to a full kitchen showroom with full kitchen displays has been lost. Almost no customer today will ever get to see a display kitchen in their door style and finish because there are just too many possibilities. And the design of each kitchen is unique anyway. Linda McManus Photography

Main Line Kitchen Design is a brand new business model! We are a group of skilled Kitchen Designers each with many years of experience planning kitchens around the Delaware Valley. And we are cabinet dealers for 6 nationally distributed cabinet lines much like traditional showrooms. Unlike full showrooms open to the general public, Main Line Kitchen Design works only by appointment. Appointments can be scheduled days, nights, and weekends either in your home or in our office and selection center. During office appointments we display clients kitchens on a flat screen TV and help them look through 100’s of sample doorstyles, almost a thousand sample finish blocks and sample kitchen cabinets. During home visits we can bring samples, take measurements, and make design changes on laptops showing you what your kitchen can look like in the very room being renovated. This is more convenient for our customers and it eliminates the expense of staffing and maintaining a larger space that is open to walk in traffic. We pass the significant savings on to our customers and so we sell cabinetry for less than other dealers, even home centers like Lowes and The Home Depot. We believe that since a web site like Houzz.com has over half a million kitchen photos any advantage to going to a full kitchen showroom with full kitchen displays has been lost. Almost no customer today will ever get to see a display kitchen in their door style and finish because there are just too many possibilities. And the design of each kitchen is unique anyway. Linda McManus Photography

This cozy lake cottage skillfully incorporates a number of features that would normally be restricted to a larger home design. A glance of the exterior reveals a simple story and a half gable running the length of the home, enveloping the majority of the interior spaces. To the rear, a pair of gables with copper roofing flanks a covered dining area and screened porch. Inside, a linear foyer reveals a generous staircase with cascading landing. Further back, a centrally placed kitchen is connected to all of the other main level entertaining spaces through expansive cased openings. A private study serves as the perfect buffer between the homes master suite and living room. Despite its small footprint, the master suite manages to incorporate several closets, built-ins, and adjacent master bath complete with a soaker tub flanked by separate enclosures for a shower and water closet. Upstairs, a generous double vanity bathroom is shared by a bunkroom, exercise space, and private bedroom. The bunkroom is configured to provide sleeping accommodations for up to 4 people. The rear-facing exercise has great views of the lake through a set of windows that overlook the copper roof of the screened porch below.

This curved arbor was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years.

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

Main Line Kitchen Design is a brand new business model! We are a group of skilled Kitchen Designers each with many years of experience planning kitchens around the Delaware Valley. And we are cabinet dealers for 6 nationally distributed cabinet lines much like traditional showrooms. Unlike full showrooms open to the general public, Main Line Kitchen Design works only by appointment. Appointments can be scheduled days, nights, and weekends either in your home or in our office and selection center. During office appointments we display clients kitchens on a flat screen TV and help them look through 100’s of sample doorstyles, almost a thousand sample finish blocks and sample kitchen cabinets. During home visits we can bring samples, take measurements, and make design changes on laptops showing you what your kitchen can look like in the very room being renovated. This is more convenient for our customers and it eliminates the expense of staffing and maintaining a larger space that is open to walk in traffic. We pass the significant savings on to our customers and so we sell cabinetry for less than other dealers, even home centers like Lowes and The Home Depot. We believe that since a web site like Houzz.com has over half a million kitchen photos any advantage to going to a full kitchen showroom with full kitchen displays has been lost. Almost no customer today will ever get to see a display kitchen in their door style and finish because there are just too many possibilities. And the design of each kitchen is unique anyway. Linda McManus Photography

This southern cottage has a french country appeal with white painted brick, an arched entry, exposed brick trim, and brick paved patio areas. The large windows and screened in porches add a touch of southern charm. It was skillfully built by Chris Achee of Achee Builders and designed by Bob Chatham Custom Home Design.

This Ipe deck in Bellevue was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

Main Line Kitchen Design is a brand new business model! We are a group of skilled Kitchen Designers each with many years of experience planning kitchens around the Delaware Valley. And we are cabinet dealers for 6 nationally distributed cabinet lines much like traditional showrooms. Unlike full showrooms open to the general public, Main Line Kitchen Design works only by appointment. Appointments can be scheduled days, nights, and weekends either in your home or in our office and selection center. During office appointments we display clients kitchens on a flat screen TV and help them look through 100’s of sample doorstyles, almost a thousand sample finish blocks and sample kitchen cabinets. During home visits we can bring samples, take measurements, and make design changes on laptops showing you what your kitchen can look like in the very room being renovated. This is more convenient for our customers and it eliminates the expense of staffing and maintaining a larger space that is open to walk in traffic. We pass the significant savings on to our customers and so we sell cabinetry for less than other dealers, even home centers like Lowes and The Home Depot. We believe that since a web site like Houzz.com has over half a million kitchen photos any advantage to going to a full kitchen showroom with full kitchen displays has been lost. Almost no customer today will ever get to see a display kitchen in their door style and finish because there are just too many possibilities. And the design of each kitchen is unique anyway. Linda McManus Photography

This southern cottage has a french country appeal with white painted brick, an arched entry, exposed brick trim, and brick paved patio areas. The large windows and screened in porches add a touch of southern charm. It was skillfully built by Chris Achee of Achee Builders and designed by Bob Chatham Custom Home Design.

These steps in Lake City was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

This cedar deck and steps in Kirkland was built by the skilled craftsman of Green Spaces Landscaping. Our full services company had been providing custom landscape solutions for over 15 years. Please contact us today to discuss how we can provide value and exceed your needs. Our professional landscape designers are ready to assist you.

Dream Outdoor Solutions, an architectural design-build firm, transforms fine Northern Virginia homes using award-winning design and a team of the company's most skilled craftspeople. Dream's sparkling reputation has been built on re-imagining homes through the creative use of light and space, whether the project is creating the most of existing footage, contributing more space, or a combination of both. We have 30+ years of experiences for give you better quality results.