Soft lines were desired in a limited space surrounded by easements, building and pool setbacks. Simple architectural curves complemented the architecture of the home. This allowed the client to have a walk around the pool and provide maximum pool surface area. The spa side dry steps allowed access to the pool steps 18" lower than the patio. The spa provides a strong visual from the family room and balancing the project the fire bowl and rainfall provides a strong visual from the arbor, grill counter, bar and master bedroom. We added a door from the master bedroom to allow access directly to the fire pit on that cold winter night. The fire bow wall provides a screen for the utility transformer and location for the rainfall. Landscaping softens the lines of the hardscape fence, and house walls. The firelight along with the low voltage lighting accent the space at night. The step lights allow for safe travel over the changes in elevation to the pool. The stone veneers match the existing grill and bar counter and the flagstone coping step treads and wall caps match existing stone kitchen patio. The concrete paving pattern was selected to match the pattern of the existing stone kitchen patio as well. The trip to the city zoning board was well worth the reward of providing everything the client wanted in a limited space. Project designed by Mike Farley. Check out Mike's reference site for more info and videos at www.FarleyPoolDesigns.com.

Lissa Gotwals
Country brick floor mudroom photo in Raleigh with white walls

Lisa Romerein
Inspiration for a cottage single front door remodel in San Francisco with beige walls and a glass front door

Charles Hilton Architects & Renee Byers LAPC From grand estates, to exquisite country homes, to whole house renovations, the quality and attention to detail of a "Significant Homes" custom home is immediately apparent. Full time on-site supervision, a dedicated office staff and hand picked professional craftsmen are the team that take you from groundbreaking to occupancy. Every "Significant Homes" project represents 45 years of luxury homebuilding experience, and a commitment to quality widely recognized by architects, the press and, most of all....thoroughly satisfied homeowners. Our projects have been published in Architectural Digest 6 times along with many other publications and books. Though the lion share of our work has been in Fairfield and Westchester counties, we have built homes in Palm Beach, Aspen, Maine, Nantucket and Long Island.

John Cole Photography
Minimalist shed photo in DC Metro

Patio - mid-sized rustic backyard concrete paver patio idea in Richmond with a fire pit and no cover

Example of a mid-sized mountain style formal and open concept light wood floor living room design in Boston with a standard fireplace, brown walls, a stone fireplace and no tv

Elegant medium tone wood floor kitchen photo in Columbus with white cabinets and paneled appliances

Traditional design blends well with 21st century accessibility standards. Designed by architect Jeremiah Battles of Acacia Architects and built by Ben Quie & Sons, this beautiful new home features details found a century ago, combined with a creative use of space and technology to meet the owner’s mobility needs. Even the elevator is detailed with quarter-sawn oak paneling. Feeling as though it has been here for generations, this home combines architectural salvage with creative design. The owner brought in vintage lighting fixtures, a Tudor fireplace surround, and beveled glass for windows and doors. The kitchen pendants and sconces were custom made to match a 1912 Sheffield fixture she had found. Quarter-sawn oak in the living room, dining room, and kitchen, and flat-sawn oak in the pantry, den, and powder room accent the traditional feel of this brand-new home. Design by Acacia Architects/Jeremiah Battles Construction by Ben Quie and Sons Photography by: Troy Thies

A stunning rustic modern exterior blends organic materials and sleek design in this energy-efficient mountain retreat, showcasing sustainable construction and luxurious craftsmanship.

"I cannot say enough good things about the Innovative Construction team and work product. They remodeled our water-damaged, 1930s basement, and exceeded all of our expectations - before and after photos simply cannot do this project justice. The original basement included an awkward staircase in an awkward location, one bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchen and small living space. We had a difficult time imagining that it could be much more than that. Innovative Construction's design team was creative, and thought completely out of the box. They relocated the stairwell in a way we did not think was possible, opening up the basement to reconfigure the bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette, living space, but also adding an office and finished storage room. The end result is as functional as it is beautiful. As with all construction, particularly a renovation of an old house, there will be inconveniences, it will be messy, and plenty of surprises behind the old walls. The Innovative Construction team maintained a clean and safe work site for 100% of the project, with minimal disruption to our daily lives, even when there was a large hole cut into our main living room floor to accommodate new stairs down to the basement. The team showed creativity and an eye for design when working around some of the unexpected "character" revealed when opening the walls. The team effectively uses technology to keep everyone on the same page about changes, requests, schedules, contracts, invoices, etc. Everyone is friendly, competent, helpful, and responsive. I felt heard throughout the process, and my requests were responded to quickly and thoroughly. I recommend Innovative Construction without reservation."

Inspiration for a timeless pool remodel in Boston

Inspiration for a transitional bathroom remodel

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
Example of a classic dark wood floor kitchen design in Boston with beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, an island, a farmhouse sink and stainless steel appliances

Cottage staircase photo in New York

Travis J Photography
Inspiration for a transitional formal living room remodel in Salt Lake City with white walls and a ribbon fireplace

Belathée Photography
Inspiration for a country dining room remodel in Seattle with white walls

A simple front facade consisting solely of ten-foot shuttered French doors radiates elegance in this new traditional foursquare home in Washington, D.C. Featured in Country Living magazine, the airy plan offers spaciousness in a limited-fronted site of the American foursquare house. The goal for the design was creating a contemporary foursquare style house. The family room and kitchen of this American foursquare interior are separated by a glassy built-in rather than walls, encouraging visual connection between the spaces in the four square house. Though nestled in the city, this American foursquare home feels like a classic country home.

This renovated brick rowhome in Boston’s South End offers a modern aesthetic within a historic structure, creative use of space, exceptional thermal comfort, a reduced carbon footprint, and a passive stream of income. DESIGN PRIORITIES. The goals for the project were clear - design the primary unit to accommodate the family’s modern lifestyle, rework the layout to create a desirable rental unit, improve thermal comfort and introduce a modern aesthetic. We designed the street-level entry as a shared entrance for both the primary and rental unit. The family uses it as their everyday entrance - we planned for bike storage and an open mudroom with bench and shoe storage to facilitate the change from shoes to slippers or bare feet as they enter their home. On the main level, we expanded the kitchen into the dining room to create an eat-in space with generous counter space and storage, as well as a comfortable connection to the living space. The second floor serves as master suite for the couple - a bedroom with a walk-in-closet and ensuite bathroom, and an adjacent study, with refinished original pumpkin pine floors. The upper floor, aside from a guest bedroom, is the child's domain with interconnected spaces for sleeping, work and play. In the play space, which can be separated from the work space with new translucent sliding doors, we incorporated recreational features inspired by adventurous and competitive television shows, at their son’s request. MODERN MEETS TRADITIONAL. We left the historic front facade of the building largely unchanged - the security bars were removed from the windows and the single pane windows were replaced with higher performing historic replicas. We designed the interior and rear facade with a vision of warm modernism, weaving in the notable period features. Each element was either restored or reinterpreted to blend with the modern aesthetic. The detailed ceiling in the living space, for example, has a new matte monochromatic finish, and the wood stairs are covered in a dark grey floor paint, whereas the mahogany doors were simply refinished. New wide plank wood flooring with a neutral finish, floor-to-ceiling casework, and bold splashes of color in wall paint and tile, and oversized high-performance windows (on the rear facade) round out the modern aesthetic. RENTAL INCOME. The existing rowhome was zoned for a 2-family dwelling but included an undesirable, single-floor studio apartment at the garden level with low ceiling heights and questionable emergency egress. In order to increase the quality and quantity of space in the rental unit, we reimagined it as a two-floor, 1 or 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment with a modern aesthetic, increased ceiling height on the lowest level and provided an in-unit washer/dryer. The apartment was listed with Jackie O'Connor Real Estate and rented immediately, providing the owners with a source of passive income. ENCLOSURE WITH BENEFITS. The homeowners sought a minimal carbon footprint, enabled by their urban location and lifestyle decisions, paired with the benefits of a high-performance home. The extent of the renovation allowed us to implement a deep energy retrofit (DER) to address air tightness, insulation, and high-performance windows. The historic front facade is insulated from the interior, while the rear facade is insulated on the exterior. Together with these building enclosure improvements, we designed an HVAC system comprised of continuous fresh air ventilation, and an efficient, all-electric heating and cooling system to decouple the house from natural gas. This strategy provides optimal thermal comfort and indoor air quality, improved acoustic isolation from street noise and neighbors, as well as a further reduced carbon footprint. We also took measures to prepare the roof for future solar panels, for when the South End neighborhood’s aging electrical infrastructure is upgraded to allow them. URBAN LIVING. The desirable neighborhood location allows the both the homeowners and tenant to walk, bike, and use public transportation to access the city, while each charging their respective plug-in electric cars behind the building to travel greater distances. OVERALL. The understated rowhouse is now ready for another century of urban living, offering the owners comfort and convenience as they live life as an expression of their values. Photography: Eric Roth Photo