A custom made walnut tasting table sits under an antique French iron chandelier in this custom wine cellar. A limestone tiled and vaulted ceiling adds old world flavor. Chairs are hand painted canvas with scenes of English castles. Photo by Andrew French

You’ll never lack for style or sunshine in this inspired transitional design perfect for a growing family. The timeless design merges a variety of classic architectural influences and fits perfectly into any neighborhood. A farmhouse feel can be seen in the exterior’s peaked roof, while the shingled accents reference the ever-popular Craftsman style. Inside, an abundance of windows flood the openplan interior with light. An ARDA for Model Home Design goes to Visbeen Architects, Inc. Designers: Visbeen Architects, Inc. with Benchmark Design Studio From: East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Lowell Custom Homes, Lake Geneva, WI., Scott Lowell, Lowell Management Services, Inc., Exterior of a traditional shingle style home with multiple gables and ox's eye window. Wood garage doors, stone detailing and Craftsman style columns that are tapered and sitting on stone piers. Blue-Gray siding with white trim and lantern light fixtures. An eyebrow arch entry with overhang for rocking chair seating.

Emily Followill
Elegant family room photo in Atlanta

This project involved the design of a new open-air Pool House on grounds of a 1905 carriage house estate. The main house and guesthouse on this property were also extensively renovated as part of the project. The concept for the new Pool House was to incorporate the vocabulary of these existing structures into the form while creating a protected, yet open space with a bright and fresh interior. The Pool house is sited on axis to a new fifty-foot pool and the existing Breakfast Room terrace with views back to the house and the adjacent pastoral fields. The exterior of the pool house is shingled, with bracketed rakes, exposed rafter tails and a cupola. Wood louvered shutters and a custom made removable fabric cover protect the structure during the off season. The interior of the Pool House includes a vaulted sitting area with wide beadboard on the walls and ceiling, shingled half walls and a soapstone wet bar. The bluestone flooring flows in from the pool terrace, blurring the boundaries of interior and exterior space. The bath and changing area have a built in stained bench and a vanity with an integral soapstone sink. An exterior shower enclosure is linked to the form by the bracketed extension of the main roof. Photography Barry A. Hyman. Contractor L & L Builders

With expansive fields and beautiful farmland surrounding it, this historic farmhouse celebrates these views with floor-to-ceiling windows from the kitchen and sitting area. Originally constructed in the late 1700’s, the main house is connected to the barn by a new addition, housing a master bedroom suite and new two-car garage with carriage doors. We kept and restored all of the home’s existing historic single-pane windows, which complement its historic character. On the exterior, a combination of shingles and clapboard siding were continued from the barn and through the new addition.

This home is unique like all of our designs, tailored to the clients needs and the small horse farm upon which it sits. We think of it as Shingle-Style meets Churchill Downs.

This screened-in porch off of the kitchen/family room was made for outdoor living. Large sliding glass doors open off of the family room to a screen in porch with built-in fireplace, sitting area and dining area.

Patio with multi-colored pavers and modern furniture
Large traditional gray two-story mixed siding exterior home idea in Chicago with a shingle roof

Shingle details and handsome stone accents give this traditional carriage house the look of days gone by while maintaining all of the convenience of today. The goal for this home was to maximize the views of the lake and this three-story home does just that. With multi-level porches and an abundance of windows facing the water. The exterior reflects character, timelessness, and architectural details to create a traditional waterfront home. The exterior details include curved gable rooflines, crown molding, limestone accents, cedar shingles, arched limestone head garage doors, corbels, and an arched covered porch. Objectives of this home were open living and abundant natural light. This waterfront home provides space to accommodate entertaining, while still living comfortably for two. The interior of the home is distinguished as well as comfortable. Graceful pillars at the covered entry lead into the lower foyer. The ground level features a bonus room, full bath, walk-in closet, and garage. Upon entering the main level, the south-facing wall is filled with numerous windows to provide the entire space with lake views and natural light. The hearth room with a coffered ceiling and covered terrace opens to the kitchen and dining area. The best views were saved on the upper level for the master suite. Third-floor of this traditional carriage house is a sanctuary featuring an arched opening covered porch, two walk-in closets, and an en suite bathroom with a tub and shower. Round Lake carriage house is located in Charlevoix, Michigan. Round lake is the best natural harbor on Lake Michigan. Surrounded by the City of Charlevoix, it is uniquely situated in an urban center, but with access to thousands of acres of the beautiful waters of northwest Michigan. The lake sits between Lake Michigan to the west and Lake Charlevoix to the east.

Photo: Kimberley Bryan © 2015 Houzz
Living room - country living room idea in Seattle

Builder: J. Peterson Homes Interior Designer: Francesca Owens Photographers: Ashley Avila Photography, Bill Hebert, & FulView Capped by a picturesque double chimney and distinguished by its distinctive roof lines and patterned brick, stone and siding, Rookwood draws inspiration from Tudor and Shingle styles, two of the world’s most enduring architectural forms. Popular from about 1890 through 1940, Tudor is characterized by steeply pitched roofs, massive chimneys, tall narrow casement windows and decorative half-timbering. Shingle’s hallmarks include shingled walls, an asymmetrical façade, intersecting cross gables and extensive porches. A masterpiece of wood and stone, there is nothing ordinary about Rookwood, which combines the best of both worlds. Once inside the foyer, the 3,500-square foot main level opens with a 27-foot central living room with natural fireplace. Nearby is a large kitchen featuring an extended island, hearth room and butler’s pantry with an adjacent formal dining space near the front of the house. Also featured is a sun room and spacious study, both perfect for relaxing, as well as two nearby garages that add up to almost 1,500 square foot of space. A large master suite with bath and walk-in closet which dominates the 2,700-square foot second level which also includes three additional family bedrooms, a convenient laundry and a flexible 580-square-foot bonus space. Downstairs, the lower level boasts approximately 1,000 more square feet of finished space, including a recreation room, guest suite and additional storage.

This home was constructed as a summer cottage in 1900. Sitting high above the Maumee River on a 2.25 acre site with formal and functional gardens, every room was designed to take full advantage of the site. The 1,500 square feet of additional living space was designed in the same shingle style architecture to blend with the original cottage. The newly designed spaces include: gourmet kitchen, open family room, dining area, butler's pantry and laundry, stair tower, yoga studio, home elevator, and a two car garage. This 100+ year old home has all the functionality of the 21st century while being true to its historic start. Photography credits: Rod Foster, Michael Duket

Jessica Glynn
Large coastal gray two-story wood exterior home idea in Miami with a shingle roof

Here's one of our most recent projects that was completed in 2011. This client had just finished a major remodel of their house in 2008 and were about to enjoy Christmas in their new home. At the time, Seattle was buried under several inches of snow (a rarity for us) and the entire region was paralyzed for a few days waiting for the thaw. Our client decided to take advantage of this opportunity and was in his driveway sledding when a neighbor rushed down the drive yelling that his house was on fire. Unfortunately, the house was already engulfed in flames. Equally unfortunate was the snowstorm and the delay it caused the fire department getting to the site. By the time they arrived, the house and contents were a total loss of more than $2.2 million. Here's one of our most recent projects that was completed in 2011. This client had just finished a major remodel of their house in 2008 and were about to enjoy Christmas in their new home. At the time, Seattle was buried under several inches of snow (a rarity for us) and the entire region was paralyzed for a few days waiting for the thaw. Our client decided to take advantage of this opportunity and was in his driveway sledding when a neighbor rushed down the drive yelling that his house was on fire. Unfortunately, the house was already engulfed in flames. Equally unfortunate was the snowstorm and the delay it caused the fire department getting to the site. By the time they arrived, the house and contents were a total loss of more than $2.2 million. Our role in the reconstruction of this home was two-fold. The first year of our involvement was spent working with a team of forensic contractors gutting the house, cleansing it of all particulate matter, and then helping our client negotiate his insurance settlement. Once we got over these hurdles, the design work and reconstruction started. Maintaining the existing shell, we reworked the interior room arrangement to create classic great room house with a contemporary twist. Both levels of the home were opened up to take advantage of the waterfront views and flood the interiors with natural light. On the lower level, rearrangement of the walls resulted in a tripling of the size of the family room while creating an additional sitting/game room. The upper level was arranged with living spaces bookended by the Master Bedroom at one end the kitchen at the other. The open Great Room and wrap around deck create a relaxed and sophisticated living and entertainment space that is accentuated by a high level of trim and tile detail on the interior and by custom metal railings and light fixtures on the exterior.

Small coastal exterior home idea in Boston

This poised and vintage looking accent table against this sleek and modern chair creates a unique contrast which is perfect for a sitting or work area.

Modern Transitional Style home in Winter Park with full white brick exterior, gable roof, French Quarter bracket exterior lights, and gray accents.
Example of a large transitional white one-story brick exterior home design in Orlando with a shingle roof and a gray roof

Beautiful relaxing backyard. Photos by: Philip Jensen Carter
Inspiration for a large coastal gray split-level concrete fiberboard exterior home remodel in New York