Cape Courtyard is a vacation house in the Greek Revival tradition so richly characteristic of Cape Cod. A temple-like entry portico in an enigmatic shingled wall is one’s first view on approaching the house. The view of the water is to the north, but there was a desire for a sunny, wind-sheltered southern courtyard. The house looks inward to the courtyard and outward to the bay. Set behind dunes, preserving indigenous plantings, the house is approached from the south. The wall with the entry portico screens the courtyard from the driveway. Only after passing through the portico does one discover the courtyard. The house is arrayed around the court like a village of small Greek Revival houses, connected by an intimately-scaled colonnade. The main block of the house is two stories, one room wide, running east–west, open both to the north water view and the southern courtyard. A wing containing service functions and garage defines the east side of the courtyard. The shape of the compact lot gave rise to the angled plan and dynamic courtyard geometry. Photography by Robert Benson

Light plays on the dark slate walls of the entry court through openings in the cedar roof. The roof raises up towards the far end of the house to expose the large projecting window which wraps the corner. The living spaces of the house are arrayed along the southern exposure for passive solar heating in the winter, while the roof overhang shades the summer sun. The well-insulated house uses a ground source heat pump for efficient heating and cooling. Photo copyright Brian Vanden Brink.

Existing home tear down and custom home re-build on a 60' shoreline of Big Cedar Lake in West Bend, WI. This gray and white costal home with James Hardie Aged Pewter siding and shakes with Miratec Arctic White trim and Weathered Wood Landmark shingle roofing appears larger than 40' wide on a 60' lake lot because of the 3 story lakeside view. There is a spiral staircase from the 2nd story deck to a covered patio abundant with with windows to watch the lake reflective sunsets. Photo by Ryan Hainey

VISION AND NEEDS: Our client came to us with a vision for their dream house for their growing family with three young children. This was their second attempt at getting the right design. The first time around, after working with an out-of-state online architect, they could not achieve the level of quality they wanted. McHugh delivered a home with higher quality design. MCHUGH SOLUTION: The Shingle/Dutch Colonial Design was our client's dream home style. Their priorities were to have a home office for both parents. Ample living space for kids and friends, along with outdoor space and a pool. Double sink bathroom for the kids and a master bedroom with bath for the parents. Despite being close a flood zone, clients could have a fully finished basement with 9ft ceilings and a full attic. Because of the higher water table, the first floor was considerably above grade. To soften the ascent of the front walkway, we designed planters around the stairs, leading up to the porch.

Quail West is a refined and welcoming residence that embodies the essence of transitional design. The interiors seamlessly marry traditional warmth with contemporary clean lines, creating a harmonious and timeless aesthetic. Subtle patterns, layered textures, and a soft neutral palette bring depth and serenity to each room, while thoughtfully curated furnishings elevate the home's sense of elegance and ease.

Modern Front Porch: Black Locust wood pavers set in gravel. building Lab is a design build firm specialized in modern architecture.
This is an example of a large modern gravel metal railing front porch design in San Francisco with a roof extension.

Prior to its near-total reconstruction, the Jett Residence was an overgrown structure hidden in a grove of trees in Iowa City, IA. The strikingly-renovated cottage now serves as a retreat house for its owners. Originally built in 1853, the residence retains a significant portion of the original, locally-made red brick. An original, vaulted stone root cellar—rumored to have been part of the Underground Railroad—also remains on the property. The owners were deeply involved in working with Neumann Monson Architects, Iowa City, in planning the renovation, according to co-owner Bobby Jett. The interior design of the 1,870 sq. ft. cottage offers a highly contemporary flair within the historic setting. The most prominent feature of the exterior is the RHEINZINK roof. “Everyone loves the roof,” Jett said. “They’ve never seen anything like it.” Approximately 2,500 sq. ft. of RHEINZINK Square Tiles were utilized. The 0.8mm prePATINA blue-grey Square Tiles were installed in a diamond pattern. Selection of the RHEINZINK Square Tiles was inspired by an old black and white photo of the house taken more half a century ago. “At that time, the roof of the house had diamond shaped shingles. We wanted to replicate that look,” according to Jett. “The architect suggested that RHEINZINK could provide the look and durability we wanted.” “We definitely wanted to replicate the roof’s visual pattern that we saw in the old photo but obviously wanted it to have more permanence and durability,” said Tim Schroeder, vice president at Neumann Monson Architects. “We’ve worked with zinc before and thought it would be a good complement to the dormers that would provide a nice crisp appearance. The RHEINZINK was definitely a nod to the historic element but provided a progressive look as well.” Fabrication of the Square Tiles was done by RHEINZINK systems partner Sheet Metal Supply (SMS), Mundelein, IL. Installation of the RHEINZINK Square Tiles was performed by Natural Metal Associates, Mont Vernon, NH. The owner of Natural Metal Associates, Lou Rondeau, has extensive hands-on experience with zinc fabrication methods and techniques. “I knew this was a unique project and I really wanted to be a part of it,” Rondeau said. Rondeau was accompanied by an apprentice and personally did the hand-cutting and folding associated with detailing the valleys and edges. The work also included installation of the RHEINZINK half-round 5½” gutter system. The installation was completed in nine days, according to Rondeau. “Zinc is a premium material that’s a real pleasure to work with,” he said.

Craftsman exterior home idea in Austin

Home is where the heart is for this family and not surprisingly, a much needed mudroom entrance for their teenage boys and a soothing master suite to escape from everyday life are at the heart of this home renovation. With some small interior modifications and a 6′ x 20′ addition, MainStreet Design Build was able to create the perfect space this family had been hoping for. In the original layout, the side entry of the home converged directly on the laundry room, which opened up into the family room. This unappealing room configuration created a difficult traffic pattern across carpeted flooring to the rest of the home. Additionally, the garage entry came in from a separate entrance near the powder room and basement, which also lead directly into the family room. With the new addition, all traffic was directed through the new mudroom, providing both locker and closet storage for outerwear before entering the family room. In the newly remodeled family room space, MainStreet Design Build removed the old side entry door wall and made a game area with French sliding doors that opens directly into the backyard patio. On the second floor, the addition made it possible to expand and re-design the master bath and bedroom. The new bedroom now has an entry foyer and large living space, complete with crown molding and a very large private bath. The new luxurious master bath invites room for two at the elongated custom inset furniture vanity, a freestanding tub surrounded by built-in’s and a separate toilet/steam shower room. Kate Benjamin Photography

VISION AND NEEDS: Our client came to us with a vision for their dream house for their growing family with three young children. This was their second attempt at getting the right design. The first time around, after working with an out-of-state online architect, they could not achieve the level of quality they wanted. McHugh delivered a home with higher quality design. MCHUGH SOLUTION: The Shingle/Dutch Colonial Design was our client's dream home style. Their priorities were to have a home office for both parents. Ample living space for kids and friends, along with outdoor space and a pool. Double sink bathroom for the kids and a master bedroom with bath for the parents. Despite being close a flood zone, clients could have a fully finished basement with 9ft ceilings and a full attic. Because of the higher water table, the first floor was considerably above grade. To soften the ascent of the front walkway, we designed planters around the stairs, leading up to the porch.

Leger Wanaselja Architecture, Kiera Marie Condrey
Inspiration for an eclectic home design remodel in San Francisco

Home is where the heart is for this family and not surprisingly, a much needed mudroom entrance for their teenage boys and a soothing master suite to escape from everyday life are at the heart of this home renovation. With some small interior modifications and a 6′ x 20′ addition, MainStreet Design Build was able to create the perfect space this family had been hoping for. In the original layout, the side entry of the home converged directly on the laundry room, which opened up into the family room. This unappealing room configuration created a difficult traffic pattern across carpeted flooring to the rest of the home. Additionally, the garage entry came in from a separate entrance near the powder room and basement, which also lead directly into the family room. With the new addition, all traffic was directed through the new mudroom, providing both locker and closet storage for outerwear before entering the family room. In the newly remodeled family room space, MainStreet Design Build removed the old side entry door wall and made a game area with French sliding doors that opens directly into the backyard patio. On the second floor, the addition made it possible to expand and re-design the master bath and bedroom. The new bedroom now has an entry foyer and large living space, complete with crown molding and a very large private bath. The new luxurious master bath invites room for two at the elongated custom inset furniture vanity, a freestanding tub surrounded by built-in’s and a separate toilet/steam shower room. Kate Benjamin Photography

Siding & Windows Group remodeled the exterior of this Wilmette, IL Home with James HardiePlank Cedarmill Lap Siding in alternating sizes on first elevation and James HardieShingle Straight Edge Siding on second elevation in ColorPlus Technology Color Mountain Sage and HardieTrim Smooth Boards in ColorPlus Technology Color Sail Cloth on the entire Exterior. Also replaced Roof, Gutters and Downspouts.

This 3 BR, 3 1/2 bath home allows the owners to live on one level most of the time. The Master Suite is on the main level along with the Living Room, Kitchen, Dining, pantries, Sun Room and service areas. The upper level houses two ample bedrooms while the lower level supports a rec center, media room, wine cellar, shop and full wet bar. Conceived as a Great Room house, the main level is designed as one seamless space that flows onto an ample deck overlooking the rear yard. We also incorporated a variety of green building techniques - photo-voltaic shingles on the roof of the garage to generate a portion of the home's energy, a super insulated building envelope, rain water harvesting, high performance windows and doors, a high efficiency heat pump, low flow bath & kitchen fixtures, Energy Star appliances and LED lighting - that greatly reduced this structure's carbon footprint. All of the strategies amounted to a 30% reduction in the energy consumption in this home relative to comparable structures.

The little cottage on Turnip Field Road in Eastham had been owned by the same couple since 1940, until they built a new, adjacent house on the property. The cottage was then handed down to the next generation, who began spending more and more time at the cottage. It was then that they contacted Cape Associates to construct a more livable home in place of that little cottage. It was crucial to the owners however, that the home keep with the understated charm and Cape Cod-feel of the neighborhood. The primary challenge was to keep it humble, while building the owners their well-deserved vacation retreat. The original cottage had no air conditioning, and renovating was quickly dismissed because of the inadequacies and the cost of modernizing. Building new allowed the team to relocate the house further back from the street, and it meant meeting the owners’ needs without compromise. Cape Associates’ project manager Lance LaLone said the owners expressed their desire to incorporate lots of wood and the types of materials that were in the old cottage. Most of the interior is pine, which was used on the flooring, the walls, and wrapped around the ceiling’s beams, giving the owners what they desired on a grander scale – a beautiful, modern dwelling that still held the personality of that little cottage that held such cherished memories. The front of the home has a two-car garage and breezeway entrance, while the rear reveals an entertainer’s paradise, with an enormous mahogany deck with an outdoor shower, a stunning Connecticut-fieldstone fireplace with a chimney that reaches around 30 feet in height, and multiple sliders to access the home. The finished basement opens to the ground level, and above the entrance breezeway is another small deck with a great view. It’s the best of indoor/outdoor living. Movement patterns from beach to house to bedroom were an important consideration. The site also provided an excellent opportunity to visually connect the basement level patio visually to the main level deck and finally the master bedroom deck. The finished home provides year-round living, with a summer-getaway atmosphere.

This Dartmouth, MA home decided to go maintenance free with new Mastic Vinyl Siding and Harvey Windows. These Homeowners elevated their home with two different types of siding. The front facing of the home has Mastic Carvedwood 44 Vinyl Siding in the color White. For the rest of the home we installed, Mastic Cedar Discovery Vinyl Siding in the color Victorian Gray, adding curb appeal and value to this Dartmouth home. With realistic wood grain texture and shadow lines, Carvedwood 44 is manufactured to replicate the look and feel of natural cedar clapboard siding. It is also engineered to last and is crack and fade resistant. Cedar Discovery shingles imitate the traditional look of wood without the costly upkeep. It is durable, has a wind rating up to 230 mph, and protects against insect damage. Both Mastic Carvedwood 44 and Cedar Discovery come in a wide variety of colors, shading, and textures to choose from. To help make your decision use the Mastic’s interactive Home Exterior Visualizer. As a Mastic Elite contractor, we are proud to offer our customers professional product warranties in addition to our very own, 10 year workmanship guarantee. We also installed Harvey Classic Windows. These attractive, energy efficient windows feature easy, finger-tip operation and tilt in for easy cleaning. Harvey Classics come in a variety of colors, grid patterns, and hardware finishes. Manufactured right here in the New England, every window is customized to your specifications. Considering a maintenance free makeover for your home? Make your dream project a reality with Care Free Homes! For 40 years our family has been honored to serve thousands of homeowners from Cape Cod, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Eastern Rhode Island. With outstanding product warranties – we are happy to say that past customers are our number one source of business. When the time comes to replace your roof, siding, windows, deck, or front porch – give us a call at (508) 997-1111 for a free quote!

We are so excited about this stylish Houston patio addition! It's one of our most recent outdoor living space design projects - and one of our new favorites! We particularly love the rustic corner fireplace, the beautiful, vaulted pine ceiling and the Restoration Hardware furniture and accessories. "Even though this space has an outdoor kitchen - often the highlight of our projects - the focus here is beautiful, comfortable outdoor living," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "And I have to say, I think this is one of the most gorgeous spaces we've created for doing that - in style." "This project was special from the start, as we were creating this space for a friend of Wayne’s who had been a long time mentor to his boys growing up," adds Lisha Maxey, owner of LGH Designs in Houston (she coordinated furniture and finishes for the project). "This client was the principal of their high school and knew all of them very well and Wayne, too. This made it very personal, indeed, and we wanted everything to be perfect!" The 23- by 16-foot addition, located at the back of the house in Cypress, looks out onto a manmade lake in the homeowners' subdivision. The focal point? A 9-foot-8-inch-high-by-7-foot-wide corner fireplace in Earth Grey rustic ledgestone from Colorstone in Houston. The fireplace features a custom wooden mantel, stone bench seating and a 52-inch Sunbrite outdoor TV. Another highlight is the flooring - silver travertine tile laid out in a Versailles pattern. "We chose silver travertine in a 'Tumbled' color palette with variations of cream and brown," says Lisha. "So we had those two colors, plus grey, to pull from." The 7-foot-long, stucco outdoor kitchen island's countertops are also noteworthy - Absolute Black granite in a leathered finish offering a modern look and a dark grey hue that works perfectly with the color palette. The kitchen island also houses an RCS 30-inch grill and fridge. The seating area includes a sectional couch, coffee table, two swivel chairs and two ottomans - all from Restoration Hardware. "We used Restoration Hardware's Biscayne sectional, swivel chairs and ottomans in gray, with textured linen weave in Sand and cushions and peacock accent pillows in gray," says Lisha. The coffee table is made of solid teak with a concrete top - as is the matching side table. "We added a console table, also in teak, behind the sofa. And for accents, we added three Amalfi lanterns from Restoration Hardware in weathered zinc." A Sunbrella® Heathered area rug (in Gray) was added to anchor the space and visually tie it together. "The space as a whole leans towards a transitional style, in that it has many traditional cozy comforts and colors, but the furniture gives it a more contemporary look," says Lisha. "The idea from the beginning was to marry these two styles, as our clients wanted a look that would not age and be in vogue for years to come." On the exterior, you can see how we worked to make the addition blend with the existing home - matching the shingles and stucco and continuing the landscaping. 3D graphic renderings and a virtual video tour allowed the clients to know exactly what the space would look like beforehand. "It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process," says Outdoor Homescapes' graphic designer, Kristy Buell Franks. "Floor plans and elevation drawings are good for giving an idea of the overall scope of the project, but it's the 3D renderings that really show what the space is going to look like." The 3D graphics and video tours also help immensely when choosing finishing materials and furniture, she says: "The clients' choices can be put into the design to allow the clients to see how the materials will work with the existing materials on the house and how the furniture will look in the space." What do you like about this space? Post a comment and let us know!

Kelly Peak
Inspiration for a mid-sized mid-century modern gray one-story stucco flat roof remodel in Phoenix

We are so excited about this stylish Houston patio addition! It's one of our most recent outdoor living space design projects - and one of our new favorites! We particularly love the rustic corner fireplace, the beautiful, vaulted pine ceiling and the Restoration Hardware furniture and accessories. "Even though this space has an outdoor kitchen - often the highlight of our projects - the focus here is beautiful, comfortable outdoor living," says Outdoor Homescapes of Houston owner Wayne Franks. "And I have to say, I think this is one of the most gorgeous spaces we've created for doing that - in style." "This project was special from the start, as we were creating this space for a friend of Wayne’s who had been a long time mentor to his boys growing up," adds Lisha Maxey, owner of LGH Designs in Houston (she coordinated furniture and finishes for the project). "This client was the principal of their high school and knew all of them very well and Wayne, too. This made it very personal, indeed, and we wanted everything to be perfect!" The 23- by 16-foot addition, located at the back of the house in Cypress, looks out onto a manmade lake in the homeowners' subdivision. The focal point? A 9-foot-8-inch-high-by-7-foot-wide corner fireplace in Earth Grey rustic ledgestone from Colorstone in Houston. The fireplace features a custom wooden mantel, stone bench seating and a 52-inch Sunbrite outdoor TV. Another highlight is the flooring - silver travertine tile laid out in a Versailles pattern. "We chose silver travertine in a 'Tumbled' color palette with variations of cream and brown," says Lisha. "So we had those two colors, plus grey, to pull from." The 7-foot-long, stucco outdoor kitchen island's countertops are also noteworthy - Absolute Black granite in a leathered finish offering a modern look and a dark grey hue that works perfectly with the color palette. The kitchen island also houses an RCS 30-inch grill and fridge. The seating area includes a sectional couch, coffee table, two swivel chairs and two ottomans - all from Restoration Hardware. "We used Restoration Hardware's Biscayne sectional, swivel chairs and ottomans in gray, with textured linen weave in Sand and cushions and peacock accent pillows in gray," says Lisha. The coffee table is made of solid teak with a concrete top - as is the matching side table. "We added a console table, also in teak, behind the sofa. And for accents, we added three Amalfi lanterns from Restoration Hardware in weathered zinc." A Sunbrella® Heathered area rug (in Gray) was added to anchor the space and visually tie it together. "The space as a whole leans towards a transitional style, in that it has many traditional cozy comforts and colors, but the furniture gives it a more contemporary look," says Lisha. "The idea from the beginning was to marry these two styles, as our clients wanted a look that would not age and be in vogue for years to come." On the exterior, you can see how we worked to make the addition blend with the existing home - matching the shingles and stucco and continuing the landscaping. 3D graphic renderings and a virtual video tour allowed the clients to know exactly what the space would look like beforehand. "It takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process," says Outdoor Homescapes' graphic designer, Kristy Buell Franks. "Floor plans and elevation drawings are good for giving an idea of the overall scope of the project, but it's the 3D renderings that really show what the space is going to look like." The 3D graphics and video tours also help immensely when choosing finishing materials and furniture, she says: "The clients' choices can be put into the design to allow the clients to see how the materials will work with the existing materials on the house and how the furniture will look in the space." What do you like about this space? Post a comment and let us know! URL http://www.outdoorhomescapes.com