Search results for "Sensitivities" in Home Design Ideas

This 1920’s house was updated top to bottom to accommodate a growing family. Modern touches of glass partitions and sleek cabinetry provide a sensitive contrast to the existing divided light windows and traditional moldings. Exposed steel beams provide structural support, and their bright white color helps them blend into the composition.
Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

Contractor: Anderson Contracting Services, Carl Anderson
Principal Consultants: Structural Engineers - Foley Buhl Roberts & Associates, Inc.
Photographer: Dan Gair/Blind Dog Photo, Inc. & Greg Premru Photography
This gambrel home takes full advantage of its rugged costal heights, embracing intoxicating ocean views from both wings of the house. Gracious interiors include a balance of formal living spaces, casual family quarters and private domains. Romantic details such as a tower with a curving staircase and wall of windows give it distinct personality. Architects transformed the site’s topography, providing vehicular access and building a 30-foot stone retaining wall to level the site. The change in landscape was sensitively integrated into the existing terrain through use of native materials and color. Reminiscent of estate architecture, the team created connections between the elegant seaside dwelling and its outbuildings, such as the carriage house and beach house.

Across the country, builders and architects are embracing sustainable building and design practices more than ever before. The use of eco-friendly products and materials help to create living environments that are not only sensitive to nature, but still achieves the look and feel desired by the original design.
Eldorado Stone is proud to be part of a growing number of award-winning projects that have won the highest levels in sustainable building practices and products available today. Whether it’s a traditional or contemporary design, Eldorado’s versatility and appeal offers an authentic architectural statement while adding the warmth and texture that only stone can provide.
Studio26homes, a design/ build firm dedicated to creating highly efficient, healthy homes, recently completed a 4,700+ sf project in Orefield, PA. The private residence earned the Gold rating from the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) National Green Building Guidelines certification program as the 19th certified project of any level in the country. To reach the gold standard, Orefield had to earn at least 395 points and ended up surpassing that requirement with a grand total of 542 points.
Studio26homes hadn’t used Eldorado Stone before this project and were pleased to find that Eldorado is not only passionate about what they do but also back up their products should any problems arise. The fact that Eldorado Stone is locally manufactured, offers low maintenance, is competitively priced, and features the geometric shape they were looking for provided further confirmation that this was the company to work with. They chose Eldorado’s Castle Stone and were originally going to only apply it onto the fireplace and chimney. However, because the product complemented the home’s shade of red, they chose to do a more dramatic application, which resulted in great satisfaction for both the team and the homeowners.
Eldorado Stone Profile Featured: Custom Castle Stone
Builder: studio26homes, Orefield, PA
Website: www.studio26homes.com
Architect: Alan Mascord Design Associates, Portland, OR
Website: www.mascord.com
Mason: CM Masonry, Allentown, PA
Website: www.cmmasonry.com
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Old Town Wood Floors is a premium wood flooring company operating in Winston Salem and the surrounding areas. We bring skill and artistry to the world of home design with expert workmanship in refinishing and installing wood floors. We specialize in customized designs, dark stains, and the use of reclaimed wood, as well as in sensitive historical restoration.

Build Iconic Inc. specializes in kitchen renovations for Brooklyn’s historic homes — brownstones, pre-war buildings, and landmarked properties where getting it right means respecting the original character while bringing the space fully up to modern standards. As a licensed NYC general contractor (DCA #2107844), we understand the unique challenges of working within older structures: uneven floors, outdated wiring, plaster walls, and, in some cases, Landmarks Preservation Commission requirements.
We blend historical sensitivity with modern function, preserving original details like moldings, exposed brick, and period-appropriate finishes while updating the kitchen for how people actually cook and live today. Our historical kitchen remodeling includes:
• Structural and layout updates that respect original building bones
• Electrical and plumbing upgrades brought fully up to current code
• Custom cabinetry and finishes that complement a home’s original era and style
• Careful integration of modern appliances and smart home technology without disrupting historic character
• Coordination with Landmarks requirements where applicable

Contemporary design elements meet efficient, streamlined sustainability with gorgeous CVG cedar channel siding and design sensitive James Hardie paneling.

For a family putting down lasting roots in Park City, this 10,000-square-foot estate within the gated enclave of Quarry Mountain Ranch is conceived as both sanctuary and legacy. Designed to evolve alongside its owners, the home balances permanence with a deep sensitivity to the land it inhabits.
Thoughtfully positioned within an alpine meadow shaped by the gentle flow of McLeod Creek, the residence embraces its setting. The waterway threads through the property, sustaining native grasses and drawing elk, deer, and migratory birdlife, grounding daily life in the rhythms of season and landscape.
Broad planes of glass and sheltering rooflines frame uninterrupted views of ski slopes and distant ridgelines, while long sightlines pull natural light deep into the interior. Terraces and covered outdoor rooms mediate between house and meadow, creating spaces for gathering, reflection, and year-round connection to the outdoors.
A restrained palette of wood and stone echoes the textures of the terrain, lending warmth and durability to the home’s contemporary expression. A separate guest house extends the architectural language, forming a discreet compound that supports family life, hospitality, and the enduring cadence of alpine living.
Architecture: Advanced Design
Interior Design: Erin Brewer Design

This 1921 Seattle Craftsman was lovingly restored with a historically sensitive kitchen remodel, main-floor laundry relocation, exterior restoration, and thoughtful accessibility upgrades. By reimagining an underused back porch, the team added square footage, brought laundry upstairs, concealed garbage storage, and honored the home's original charm with custom tile, Marmoleum floors, and triple-pane windows.

With the owners' high expectations for quality and design, Burnette Builders, in collaboration with Architect Jack Carson, AIA took on this challenging project to create one of the most meticulous homes built by the Burnette construction team.
The home's design and construction expertly incorporate a blend of steel, stone, and wood. The home structure made out of red iron that was hot-dipped galvanized provided exact standards of sleek finishes and precise lines and angles. The extensive use of limestone collected from the property gives a true Hill Country Texas feel warmth by accents of Ipe wood throughout the house's exterior.
The result is a well-crafted home sensitive to sustainability imbued with a tone and texture that is ageless.

Contractor: Anderson Contracting Services, Carl Anderson
Principal Consultants: Structural Engineers - Foley Buhl Roberts & Associates, Inc.
Photographer: Dan Gair/Blind Dog Photo, Inc. & Greg Premru Photography
This gambrel home takes full advantage of its rugged costal heights, embracing intoxicating ocean views from both wings of the house. Gracious interiors include a balance of formal living spaces, casual family quarters and private domains. Romantic details such as a tower with a curving staircase and wall of windows give it distinct personality. Architects transformed the site’s topography, providing vehicular access and building a 30-foot stone retaining wall to level the site. The change in landscape was sensitively integrated into the existing terrain through use of native materials and color. Reminiscent of estate architecture, the team created connections between the elegant seaside dwelling and its outbuildings, such as the carriage house and beach house.

At-home chic is easy with Plaza's comfortable level of polish. This friendly off white kitchen with black island cabinets shows a sensitive use of details like crown molding, legs and corbels, allowing the design to wrap the space so well.
Plaza door from Decora in Chantille Espresso and Jet finishes

The existing two story residence was built in 1937 and has a footprint of approximately 2,850 sq. ft. While much of the plan at both levels remained in its original “formal” layout with spacious rooms, the home did not meet the current day needs for this modern family. The lack of an “informal” family-room, no space to accommodate overnight guests, only a small powder room tucked under the main stair at the ground floor, and barely enough room for one car in the garage, not to mention the lack of storage space were the problems to solve.
After investigating numerous options the decision was made to introduce a new two story addition with maid’s quarters, a new laundry room, and a three car garage with plenty of additional storage space at the first floor, and a two bedroom guest suite with a kitchenette and living quarters at the second floor. Together with a small addition, this move delivered over 600 sq. ft in the main structure for a new family room with game tables and a full bathroom for guests which also serves as a cabana for the pool area.
The design of the additions, including the introduction of new fenestration to capitalize on daylight and views was sensitive to the original architecture and unanimously approved by the Historic Preservation Board of West Palm Beach.

Vaulted Stairwell leading from front foyer to large second floor landing with views over living/dining area below. The landing also contains a built-in library and space for the owners' clavinova. Careful attention was given to sensitive uplighting of the timber beams and posts and we avoided doing any pot lights within the Tongue-and-groove ceiling.

Keyes Road is a two-storey, semi-detached red brick house dating to around 1890-1910. The focus of our work was on the ground floor where we were asked to improve the layout and use of the main living areas of the house, for an active family of four. Important to the design was to maximise the quality and amount of light as well as connection to the garden and flow to the rest of the house.
Our proposal introduces three single storey extensions, comprising a central, large space that extends the main outrigger of the house. To each side are smaller volumes, affording a full width kitchen. While defining a series of discrete volumes, it was important for us to ensure that the kitchen, living, family and dining rooms that are interconnecting and continuous. The result is a big space punctuated by a series of differently sized arches, defining spaces to ensure their intimacy.
It was important for our client to have a sense of warmth and comfort - perhaps not dissimilar to the qualities of a hotel lobby. The colour scheme of the rooms are warm white painted plaster, natural wood flooring with black, bronze and brass accents. Indirect and carefully placed light fittings pulls together the atmosphere of the rooms - particularly in the evenings.
Externally, we felt it important to differentiate the extensions from the main house by using a dark, charcoal grey brick. This sets up a contrasting yet complimentary relationship to the rich red coloured brick house. The facets of the brick play with light and depth as do the graduated brick arches.
During the design process, we grappled with floor levels, the direction of sunlight, and care to not encroach on the neighbouring properties. As the house is in a conservation area, we worked closely with our trusted planning advisor. Throughout, we pursued a sensitive design strategy, using pitched roofs, matching materials and careful detailing. Internally, many of the original details are intact. This has enabled us to create an eclectic ensemble of elements, colours and materials varying in age and period.

A new-build, replacement dwelling in a sensitive green belt location, designed to take advantage of the countryside setting and views.
By capitalising on volume increases to the existing dwelling through a series of incremental Permitted Development schemes, the home better suits its site and context. By raising a previously ground bearing floor area into a cantilever it can now encapsulate long ranging views from the master bedroom. To create a contemporary rural aesthetic the materials include a zinc roof, pre-weathered burnt timber cladding and brick.
Landscaping has been designed by renowned British Garden Designer Andy Sturgeon who created three distinct gardens: a wild flower walk to the pool, a formal crescent-shaped striped lawn and south-facing gravel garden. The garden takes advantage of views across the Thames valley to Hedsor House and Cliveden, as a result of it being elevated and levelled with excavation material from the basement.

The clients enjoy entertaining guests in their home. They enjoy sports events, but don't necessarily enjoy the hustle 'n bustle of going to the stadium, finding a place to park, and in the case of football, freezing to death. They much prefer sharing the ambiance of their comfortable home, offering snacks and drinks from the bar, and enjoying a round of pool during intermissions and halftime, or watching halftime shows on a state-of-the-art home theater.
These clients were so committed to this enterprise, they dedicated their 3,000 sq’ basement, except those areas already used for utility, storage, and mechanical needs, the renovation.To make sure the clients' every wish was met, a complete entertainment area was designed and constructed with ease of movement, lighting, and safety in mind. The area would include a home theater with totally wireless controls, a pool room, and a social area replete with a commercial-grade wet bar.
The home theater consists of a screen within a custom cabinet system that also houses the complete audio-visual equipment center. Speakers are nestled in custom benches with the sound cones discretely hidden behind fabric panels. The motor for the panel that hides the screen when not in use is behind a similar fabric panel.The furniture style cabinet has Shaker style doors with walnut peg inlays and leaded glass panels. There are multiple lighting "scenes" for ambiance; low-voltage lighting inside the crown molding, and recessed can lights are discretely placed so that they can provide an extra level of illumination when required.The pool room was walled with a custom wainscot paneling with clear cherry stiles and rails finished with a clear satin lacquer.
The panels are of Madagascar ebony with a light satin stain and a clear lacquer finish. A custom cue rack was constructed from clear cherry and backed with the Madagascar ebony panel.Drink rails were custom fabricated from cherry and custom crown molding was fabricated to match the rest of the house. The space is lit with a combination of recessed lights and a series of hidden lights behind crown molding for dramatic effect. The bar area is topped with a custom crown detail to contain the lighting.
The bar is constructed in the same manner and fashion as the theater and pool rooms with Shaker style cabinetry with square walnut peg in the door corners and decorative leaded glass door fronts with more than enough front and back bar space to serve and enjoy drinks and snacks. Entry behind the bar is through custom, bi-directional butler doors. A custom bottle display and storage area takes up the bottom half of the bar's back wall. And, for the sake of convenience, a full size automatic dishwasher is installed under the bar for cleaning glasses and stemware. The bar is also tricked out with an espresso machine, its own flat screen TV and AmX video controller.
The bar is lit with puck lights in the upper cabinets that illuminate downward through glass shelves, and low-voltage lighting is used behind the bottle display. The bar itself is lit by a series of earthen tone pendant lights.All three areas complement each other and are in total harmony with the remainder of the house. Moldings were matched, carpeting styles were chosen to complement rather than compromise, and muted, natural colors and textures were chosen that complement the surroundings. There is a seamless transition between the newer areas of the home and those already in everyday use. The entire area is a nebula of electrons operating servos, quietly opening and closing hidden switches, mysteriously dimming and brightening lights, and not only creating an alluring atmosphere, but one that is programmable, available at the touch of a finger to a heat sensitive screen, for an individual, or a group. At a single touch the lights in the theater and bar areas dim as the theater screen lowers into viewing position. Not only does the AMX controller open and close shades and window treatments to facilitate better viewing, but on an entirely different level it controls the very access to the property. It opens and closes entryways, external doors and gates as well.None of this magic came easily. Electrical circuits were at a premium. Over heating plagued the AV rack, and pesky rays of light seemed to creep in where and when they were least welcome. An exhaust fan was installed in the AV cabinet to dissipate the heat. New electrical outlets were scheduled and placed while others were moved. The bar area received custom wire chases hidden within the cabinetry. Exterior roll-a-way shutters, all controlled from the AMX controller, were installed and programmed as the answer to those pesky light rays.

Bologna reveals an artistic and sculptural sensitivity, bringing together antique marks and modern-day elements.
Marble specks and coloured pebbles intertwine and overlap; memory and vision speak through a furnishing surface on which different material worlds find their place and melt into a casually-chic patina with a dual personality.
The industry standard is to include an extra 10% allowance for ‘wastage’.

The Owners of a home that had been consumed by the moving dunes of Lake Michigan wanted a home that would not only stand the test of aesthetic time, but survive the vicissitudes of the environment.
With the assistance of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality as well as the consulting civil engineer and the City of Grand Haven Zoning Department, a soil stabilization site plan was developed based on raising the new home’s main floor elevation by almost three feet, implementing erosion studies, screen walls and planting indigenous, drought tolerant xeriscaping. The screen walls, as well as the low profile of the home and the use of sand trapping marrum beachgrass all help to create a wind shadow buffer around the home and reduce blowing sand erosion and accretion.
The Owners wanted to minimize the stylistic baggage which consumes most “cottage” residences, and with the Architect created a home with simple lines focused on the view and the natural environment. Sustainable energy requirements on a budget directed the design decisions regarding the SIPs panel insulation, energy systems, roof shading, other insulation systems, lighting and detailing. Easily constructed and linear, the home harkens back to mid century modern pavilions with present day environmental sensitivities and harmony with the site.
James Yochum
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