Kimberley Bryan
Eclectic green front door photo with a yellow front door

Created for a couple moving to a smaller house and lot in order to “down¬-size” after their children had left home, this garden’s design presented many challenges. The wife, an ardent gardener, had a long wish list: a water feature; specific plants (including a river birch, a gingko tree, oakleaf hydrangeas, plants to attract butterflies, and trilliums), fragrance, a small patio, and a potting shed. She also wanted to eliminate grass from any part of the property, and to have space to plant annuals (in containers and other areas). In short, she wanted a small “dream garden” created from a site that even she characterized as “disastrous-looking” at the outset. The wife wanted pathways that would allow her to visit all parts of the garden. The patio space did not need to be sizable because of the high deck off the back of the house, but the views from the deck were important. We accomplished all of the clients' goals, and designed a series of small "garden rooms" in the backyard to create the illusion of a larger space. We also designed a "faux potting shed" front to screen the area under the deck and incorporated a raised planting bed for annuals and herbs, which was featured in an article in Fine Gardening the following year as an inventive way to disguise an eyesore in the landscape. This garden received an Award of Distinction in 2009 from the DC/MD/VA Landscape Contractors Association. Another view of the small patio and millstone vountain from the deck.© Melissa Clark Photography

Exquisite Two-Toned Kitchen
Kitchen - large contemporary kitchen idea

Created for a couple moving to a smaller house and lot in order to “down¬-size” after their children had left home, this garden’s design presented many challenges. The wife, an ardent gardener, had a long wish list: a water feature; specific plants (including a river birch, a gingko tree, oakleaf hydrangeas, plants to attract butterflies, and trilliums), fragrance, a small patio, and a potting shed. She also wanted to eliminate grass from any part of the property, and to have space to plant annuals (in containers and other areas). In short, she wanted a small “dream garden” created from a site that even she characterized as “disastrous-looking” at the outset. The wife wanted pathways that would allow her to visit all parts of the garden. The patio space did not need to be sizable because of the high deck off the back of the house, but the views from the deck were important. We accomplished all of the clients' goals, and designed a series of small "garden rooms" in the backyard to create the illusion of a larger space. We also designed a "faux potting shed" front to screen the area under the deck and incorporated a raised planting bed for annuals and herbs, which was featured in an article in Fine Gardening the following year as an inventive way to disguise an eyesore in the landscape. This garden received an Award of Distinction in 2009 from the DC/MD/VA Landscape Contractors Association. A view from the deck into the corner of the back yard, with a crape myrtle to provide seasonal interest.© Melissa Clark Photography

We call this dining room modern-farmhouse-chic! As the focal point of the room, the fireplace was the perfect space for an accent wall. We white-washed the fireplace’s brick and added a white surround and mantle and finished the wall with white shiplap. We also added the same shiplap as wainscoting to the other walls. A special feature of this room is the coffered ceiling. We recessed the chandelier directly into the beam for a clean, seamless look. This farmhouse style home in West Chester is the epitome of warmth and welcoming. We transformed this house’s original dark interior into a light, bright sanctuary. From installing brand new red oak flooring throughout the first floor to adding horizontal shiplap to the ceiling in the family room, we really enjoyed working with the homeowners on every aspect of each room. A special feature is the coffered ceiling in the dining room. We recessed the chandelier directly into the beams, for a clean, seamless look. We maximized the space in the white and chrome galley kitchen by installing a lot of custom storage. The pops of blue throughout the first floor give these room a modern touch. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016, 2017 and 2019. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: Linda McManus Images

Created for a couple moving to a smaller house and lot in order to “down¬-size” after their children had left home, this garden’s design presented many challenges. The wife, an ardent gardener, had a long wish list: a water feature; specific plants (including a river birch, a gingko tree, oakleaf hydrangeas, plants to attract butterflies, and trilliums), fragrance, a small patio, and a potting shed. She also wanted to eliminate grass from any part of the property, and to have space to plant annuals (in containers and other areas). In short, she wanted a small “dream garden” created from a site that even she characterized as “disastrous-looking” at the outset. The wife wanted pathways that would allow her to visit all parts of the garden. The patio space did not need to be sizable because of the high deck off the back of the house, but the views from the deck were important. We accomplished all of the clients' goals, and designed a series of small "garden rooms" in the backyard to create the illusion of a larger space. We also designed a "faux potting shed" front to screen the area under the deck and incorporated a raised planting bed for annuals and herbs, which was featured in an article in Fine Gardening the following year as an inventive way to disguise an eyesore in the landscape. This garden received an Award of Distinction in 2009 from the DC/MD/VA Landscape Contractors Association. A view of the back yard one year after planting.© Melissa Clark Photography

Example of a trendy open concept medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room design in Vancouver with white walls and a wall-mounted tv

In the Tuscany region of central Italy, a region made famous around the world for its history, landscapes, traditions, artistic legacy and fine wine, perhaps nothing is more universally recognized than the old world villa’s that are nestled into the rolling countryside. Standing at approximately 10,500 square feet, this custom residence has all of the elegance, style and craftsmanship of those old world homes, but with all of the modern amenities of a new modern luxury home. This stunning residence was recognized by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as the best custom built home in the country in 2010, a testament to the skillful designers and craftsmen who brought the homeowners vision into reality. When Chad Haas, Founder of VAULT (www.vaultgarage.com), a company that prides itself in furnishing some of the most beautiful garages in the world, was brought into the project, the home and garage had already been built. The accolades of the gorgeous villa already awarded. But the homeowner felt that the exterior and interior of the garage lacked architectural harmony with the rest of the home and so he flew Mr. Haas out to visit the space directly so that he could assist hands-on with re-designing a new look and to add furnishings to accessories the space. “When I first approached the villa from the street, I knew that I’d have my work cut out for me. Everything looked so perfect exactly the way it was designed and built. I questioned myself ‘how was I going to improve upon perfection?’, since remarkable attention was paid to even the smallest of details in the home” asked Haas. The client’s goal was to engage Haas to design and furnish a garage where he could relax, separate from the home, enjoy his growing car collection and entertain family and friends. After spending a short weekend together with the home owner to gather his ideas, Haas returned back to his Beaverton, Oregon-based company with a clearer vision: create the ultimate gentlemen’s retreat through the look of a turn-of-a-century Tuscan ‘car barn’. Absolutely nothing in the garage was overlooked – and it shows. Every design element in the garage for color, texture and material was meticulously thought out to elicit just the right feeling and emotion in everyone that enters what may be one of the most beautifully elegant garages in America, a space commonly overlooked in the construction of homes today. A main focal point of the exterior of garage is the beautiful view from the courtyard, where all three carriage doors can be seen. While the existing wood doors looked acceptable, it was agreed that something more befitting of the quality and beauty of the home were appropriate. Haas designed luxurious castle-style doors handcrafted from solid Mahogany and bathed in a rich dark brown stain that was complemented by hand-wrought iron grills, clavos and door pull hardware. The double-wide door, in particular, is truly remarkable in both its elegance, as well as its one-of-a-kind operation. “The client was concerned in this area of having mounting hardware and a motor on the ceiling. Because the cars in this area do not get brought out on a regular (daily) basis, the doors open manually by hand and operate accordion style on a track”. The homes main overhead garage doors feature jack-shaft operation which removes the clutter of a motor on the garage ceiling, but offers the convenience of powered operation. These extraordinary, custom-made castle doors look just as beautiful on the inside as the out and their unparalleled design and craftsmanship take the exterior of the home to even greater heights than before. On to the interior, a black and white epoxy coating was stripped and replaced with porcelain tiles that resembled Italian travertine stone. To give the car barn a rustic feeling and a presence that it was older, not modern, Haas worked on the development and concept directly with the home owner to collaborate with a local millwork company that designed and hand-finished substantial wood beams from distressed Doug Fir. All of the walls were hand-plastered by a local artist using straw that was harvested from the immediate area surrounding the home and incorporated into the plaster to give it a rustic antique quality. Haas conceived and designed a bar area and cabinetry for a work area that pulled inspiration from old ice boxes of the 1920’s that utilized heavy nickel-plated hardware, again to give storage spaces a rustic appearance. The warm glow from several custom porcelain neon signs, each one meticulously built entirely by hand by VAULT, are dispersed throughout the space and transform the entire room and bring it to life. The client had never previously owned a neon sign before and along with the carriage doors felt that these items have transformed the space more than any other feature. Several antique gas pumps, restored in the client’s favorite petro bran, and a few additional porcelain signs will eventually furnish the rest of the space to complement the clients amazing car collection. In addition to the countless details that set this showcase garage apart, its ability to seamlessly blend with the rest of the home and the natural, rustic setting of the Colorado Rockies, yet house modern automobiles in a manner in which they feel well placed and belong, is also noteworthy. GARAGE DESIGN & FURNISHINGS To learn more about VAULT visit them at: http://www.vaultgarage.com/ And on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VaultGarage PHOTOGRAPHY All photographs were used with the permission of photographer John Vanderpool (john.vanderpool5@gmail.com) You can visit John Vanderpool on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JVanderpoolPhotography ARCHITECTURE Jerry Gloss, Principal, KGA Architects: http://www.kgarch.com/ HOMEBUILDER Thomas Sattler Home: http://thomassattlerhomes.com/ VEHICLES Here is an overview of the cars that were photographed in this article: 1. 2014 Ferrari 458 Italia 2. 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport 3. 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (997) 4. 2008 Porsche Cayenne GTS 5. 2008 Porsche GT3 RS 6. 2013 Porsche 911 Turbo S (997) 7. 2014 Porsche Panamera GTS 8. 2013 Ford SVT Raptor (6.2L CrewCab)’ Overview of project reprinted with permission of DuPont Registry.

Wing Wong, Memories TTL
Small transitional white tile marble floor bathroom photo in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, a two-piece toilet and white walls

Contemporary kitchen cabinetry with a "peekaboo" opening. See this photo featured in the article below! https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/81034984/list/semi-open-kitchen-see-through-cabinets-offer-peekaboo-views Photography by Nate Donovan

Minimalist home design photo in San Francisco

Example of a mid-sized transitional freestanding desk dark wood floor and brown floor study room design in New York with beige walls and no fireplace

This home in the upscale Dominion area was completely transformed from an outdated rustic interior to a fresh and modern space! The kitchen has an upgraded island with Taj Mahal waterfall panels and mitered edges, similar to the rest of the kitchen Taj Mahal quartzite countertops and backsplash. The existing perimeter cabinets in the kitchen were painted a classic white lacquer finish. A new dual finish Blue Star vent hood was installed, along with gorgeous matching brass knobs and faucets. The kitchen flooring is white oak herringbone pattern hardwood which flows throughout the house. The entryway has a brand new iron pivot door making for a seamless transition into the home. This homeowner's guest bathroom was completely gutted and replaced with a quartz countertop, wainscoting dolomite tile on bathroom walls, and mother of pearl floor tile. The connecting guest bedroom was completely repainted and given a brand new look with bright blue and white wallpaper. The powder room is to die for, with gold and black accents, a gorgeous new moss green vanity, and a black quartzite countertop with an golden under-mount sink. Lastly, we completed the home bar area, installing a antiqued backsplash and custom lit floating shelves, perfect for keeping the homeowner's liquor of choice. It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

We renovated the exterior and installed the hardscaping of the traditional colonial home in Villanova, PA. The flagstone patio has a beautiful hand-crafted pergola made from reclaimed long leaf pine. The outdoor fireplace was constructed out of mica and granite and has two storage areas for wood. The stone retaining wall includes interior lighting. A short walk down an adjoining staircase brings you to a courtyard immediately outside of the basement. The courtyard features the same flagstone, stone retaining wall and interior lighting. Regarding the house itself, we rebuilt the chimney (and the accompanying fireplace inside), added Harding plank cement siding, and built the retaining wall along the driveway. Rudloff Custom Builders has won Best of Houzz for Customer Service in 2014, 2015 2016 and 2017. We also were voted Best of Design in 2016, 2017 and 2018, which only 2% of professionals receive. Rudloff Custom Builders has been featured on Houzz in their Kitchen of the Week, What to Know About Using Reclaimed Wood in the Kitchen as well as included in their Bathroom WorkBook article. We are a full service, certified remodeling company that covers all of the Philadelphia suburban area. This business, like most others, developed from a friendship of young entrepreneurs who wanted to make a difference in their clients’ lives, one household at a time. This relationship between partners is much more than a friendship. Edward and Stephen Rudloff are brothers who have renovated and built custom homes together paying close attention to detail. They are carpenters by trade and understand concept and execution. Rudloff Custom Builders will provide services for you with the highest level of professionalism, quality, detail, punctuality and craftsmanship, every step of the way along our journey together. Specializing in residential construction allows us to connect with our clients early in the design phase to ensure that every detail is captured as you imagined. One stop shopping is essentially what you will receive with Rudloff Custom Builders from design of your project to the construction of your dreams, executed by on-site project managers and skilled craftsmen. Our concept: envision our client’s ideas and make them a reality. Our mission: CREATING LIFETIME RELATIONSHIPS BUILT ON TRUST AND INTEGRITY. Photo Credit: JMB Photoworks

Transitional kitchen photo in Orange County

Reka Ivany Photography
Example of a mid-sized transitional master white tile and subway tile porcelain tile and gray floor walk-in shower design in Vancouver with flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, a one-piece toilet, white walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops and a hinged shower door

The Poinciana House was the renovation of a 1937 Colonial house located in the Idelwyld Neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. The objective of the renovation was taking this internally oriented home and opening up the interior spaces to the exterior making the outdoors an extension of the living space. The addition of a new master bathroom was also a part of the program An enclosed exterior entry courtyard was created using a newly built privacy wall. Interior spaces that bordered the entry courtyard were connected through French doors which open to an adjoining veranda. A lily pond was added as a point of interest in the courtyard. An existing asphalt single roof was replaced with a new standing seam metal roof to giving the house a touch of the tropics and a modern “Cracker” aesthetic. Other exterior improvements included a new swimming pool in the back yard surrounded by a concrete paver deck with new landscaping. A new roof deck was also placed adjoining the second floor master bedroom. The living room was reworked using a short glass block wall to define an entry just to the inside of the newly placed French doors. These French doors were built with pocketed sliding screen doors so the living room could be opened up to the prevailing breeze and naturally ventilated. A polished concrete floor was placed in the living room along with a new lighting system. Biedermeir furniture was selected to create an eclectic aesthetic in contrast to the polished concrete floor. French doors were also installed at the rear of the house opening to the backyard. In the dining room in addition to the newly installed French doors the original “Ketchum” tile floor was excavated from under an existing parquet wood floor, were restored. An existing garage was demolished and replaced with a new second level master bathroom with a new carport below. Features of note in the bathroom are the hanging double sided mirrors over double wide granite vanities with the lighting fixture “The Beverly” above, designed for and named after the client. The claw foot cast iron tub was sourced from a salvage yard. This bathroom was also featured in Interior Design Magazine and a number newspaper articles and other periodicals. Photos: Bill sanders Photography

The Poinciana House was the renovation of a 1937 Colonial house located in the Idelwyld Neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale. The objective of the renovation was taking this internally oriented home and opening up the interior spaces to the exterior making the outdoors an extension of the living space. The addition of a new master bathroom was also a part of the program An enclosed exterior entry courtyard was created using a newly built privacy wall. Interior spaces that bordered the entry courtyard were connected through French doors which open to an adjoining veranda. A lily pond was added as a point of interest in the courtyard. An existing asphalt single roof was replaced with a new standing seam metal roof to giving the house a touch of the tropics and a modern “Cracker” aesthetic. Other exterior improvements included a new swimming pool in the back yard surrounded by a concrete paver deck with new landscaping. A new roof deck was also placed adjoining the second floor master bedroom. The living room was reworked using a short glass block wall to define an entry just to the inside of the newly placed French doors. These French doors were built with pocketed sliding screen doors so the living room could be opened up to the prevailing breeze and naturally ventilated. A polished concrete floor was placed in the living room along with a new lighting system. Biedermeir furniture was selected to create an eclectic aesthetic in contrast to the polished concrete floor. French doors were also installed at the rear of the house opening to the backyard. In the dining room in addition to the newly installed French doors the original “Ketchum” tile floor was excavated from under an existing parquet wood floor, were restored. An existing garage was demolished and replaced with a new second level master bathroom with a new carport below. Features of note in the bathroom are the hanging double sided mirrors over double wide granite vanities with the lighting fixture “The Beverly” above, designed for and named after the client. The claw foot cast iron tub was sourced from a salvage yard. This bathroom was also featured in Interior Design Magazine and a number newspaper articles and other periodicals. Bill Sanders Photography