Inspiration for a transitional home design remodel in New York

We use a small amount of the additive graphene, which improves the hardening process of concrete, resulting in increased durability, water resistance, and lasting outdoor performance. These products are sold as a complete system which houses a 20lb propane gas tank within the enclosure, which sits directly underneath the bowl. This design is especially convenient for homeowners and commercial spaces that do not have preexisting gas lines. Our fire bowls are the first U.S produced commercial concrete product reinforced with graphene and are available now.

We use a small amount of the additive graphene, which improves the hardening process of concrete, resulting in increased durability, water resistance, and lasting outdoor performance. These products are sold as a complete system which houses a 20lb propane gas tank within the enclosure, which sits directly underneath the bowl. This design is especially convenient for homeowners and commercial spaces that do not have preexisting gas lines. Our fire bowls are the first U.S produced commercial concrete product reinforced with graphene and are available now.

Dancer Concrete Design was contacted to find the best way to deliver a finished concrete floor in such a different type of space. The home’s design is of two intersecting circles that make up the garage and main living space. A basement sits below half of the structure while a structural concrete pad supports the other half circle. The floor finishing would take place in the living room, dinning room, and into the kitchen. For this project the owners were fully occupying the space. Of course this process aesthetically enhances the space, but we have also found it to increase the durability of our floors. After mechanically removing the grout we move to additional polishing steps and our two-step sealing process of densification and stain guard. Densifying is a reactive penetrating sealer that makes the concrete even stronger and resistant to scratches, stains and other contaminants. The homeowner selected a natural concrete finish – no added stains or dyes – and the final day, the team polished the floor to the desired finish, a level one, 400-grit shine.

This country house was previously owned by Halle Berry and sits on a private lake north of Montreal. The kitchen was dated and a part of a large two storey extension which included a master bedroom and ensuite, two guest bedrooms, office, and gym. The goal for the kitchen was to create a dramatic and urban space in a rural setting. Photo : Drew Hadley

The Shadowood House is part of a farm that has been in the client's family for generations. At the beginning of the process, the clients were living in a house (where this one now sits) that had been through addition after addition, making the spaces feel cramped and non-cohesive. They wanted a space for family gatherings, that was a modern take on a simple farmhouse. The clients wanted a house that feels comfortable for their children and grandchildren, but also enables them to age-in-place. In short, they wanted a house that would offer generations to come a place to feel at home. Josh Partee AIAP, ASMP, LEED AP / Architectural Photographer

The most notable design component is the exceptional use of reclaimed wood throughout nearly every application. Sourced from not only one, but two different Indiana barns, this hand hewn and rough sawn wood is used in a variety of applications including custom cabinetry with a white glaze finish, dark stained window casing, butcher block island countertop and handsome woodwork on the fireplace mantel, range hood, and ceiling. Underfoot, Oak wood flooring is salvaged from a tobacco barn, giving it its unique tone and rich shine that comes only from the unique process of drying and curing tobacco. To keep the design from being too monotonous, concrete countertops are selected to outline the perimeter cabinetry, while wire mesh cabinet frontage, aged bronze hardware, primitive light fixtures and playful bar stools liven the space and add a touch of elegance. Photo Credit: Ashley Avila

This single family home sits on a tight, sloped site. Within a modest budget, the goal was to provide direct access to grade at both the front and back of the house. The solution is a multi-split-level home with unconventional relationships between floor levels. Between the entrance level and the lower level of the family room, the kitchen and dining room are located on an interstitial level. Within the stair space “floats” a small bathroom. The generous stair is celebrated with a back-painted red glass wall which treats users to changing refractive ambient light throughout the house. Black brick, grey-tinted glass and mirrors contribute to the reasonably compact massing of the home. A cantilevered upper volume shades south facing windows and the home’s limited material palette meant a more efficient construction process. Cautious landscaping retains water run-off on the sloping site and home offices reduce the client’s use of their vehicle. The house achieves its vision within a modest footprint and with a design restraint that will ensure it becomes a long-lasting asset in the community. Photo by Tom Arban

The cantilevered shower seat floats above linear drain with with inset floor tile. The hand shower provides convenient access while a cconveneince wall niche holds shower accessories and products, and also complements the shower seat. © Jeffrey Totaro, photographer

ilverhorn Mountain Contemporary This contemporary Custom Home in Silverhorn at Bearspaw was designed to capitalize on the stunning woodland area surrounding it. We wanted to create a home that had a modern and edgy feel, but that would fit well in the natural surroundings. This home was built by the wonderful team at West Ridge Fine Homes, a Calgary builder with a clear direction, targeted ideas, and an openness to our collaborative process. See this project and others at www.beginwithdesign.com Photos: Carol Ellergodt

An extreme makeover turns an unassuming lanai deck into an outdoor oasis. These Bonita Bay homeowners loved the location of their home, but needed it to fit their current lifestyle. Because they love to entertain, they wanted to maximize their outdoor space—one that would accommodate a large family and lots of guests. Working with Progressive Design Build, Mike Spreckelmeier helped the homeowners formulate a list of ideas about what they wanted to achieve in the renovation; then, guided them through the process of planning their remodel. The renovation focused on reconfiguring the layout to extend the outdoor kitchen and living area—to include a new outdoor kitchen, dining area, sitting area and fireplace. Finishing details comprised a beautiful wood ceiling, cast stone accents, and porcelain tile. The lanai was also expanded to include a full size bocce ball court, which was fully encased in a beautiful custom colonnade and screen enclosure. With the extension of the outdoor space came a need to connect the living area to the existing pool and deck. The pool and spa were refinished; and a well thought-out low voltage remote-control relay system was installed for easy control of all of the outdoor and landscape lighting, ceiling fans, and hurricane shutters. This outdoor kitchen project turned out so well, the Bonita Bay homeowners hired Progressive Design Build to remodel the front of their home as well. To create much needed space, Progressive Design Build tore down an existing two-car garage and designed and built a brand new 2.5-car garage with a family suite above. The family suite included three bedrooms, two bathrooms, additional air conditioned storage, a beautiful custom made stair system, and a sitting area. Also part of the project scope, we enlarged a separate one-car garage to a two-car garage (totaling 4.5 garages), and build a 4,000 sq. ft. driveway, complete with landscape design and installation.

Terran Landscapes http://www.terranlandscapes.com Project Entry: Fishers Woodland Garden 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Theme Garden $15,000-$30,000 Award Level: Bronze Photo Description: We were contracted by the client to design a calming space for their staff to relax, take a walk, and enjoy a leisurely lunch as well as to provide their grandchildren a place to run and pick flowers. The space was originally dominated by large trees and had been overgrown with ivy, sumac and aggressive vines, providing an unwelcome, dark space with little color or visual appeal. The client requested a colorful blend of shrubs and perennials that would provide interest throughout the seasons, as well as provide privacy by screening the street traffic along Carisbrooke Road. Our goal was to create the privacy screen along the road by layering plants from the ground to the tree canopy. The theme was to let nature inspire the landscape, allowing a space that was originally woodland to become an enhanced version of itself, creating a beautiful habitat for birds and butterflies to excite the senses and satisfy all who enjoy the beauty of nature. We began by clearing the brush and removing all aggressive vines and ivy that jeopardized the health of the trees. We kept and transplanted all non- invasive or native plant material in the area to various locations throughout the property. Several yards of compost were then tilled into the soil and the existing trees fertilized to provide a rich growing environment. A few challenges occurred during the design process. It was decided that a new generator was to be installed in the woodland and due to a future addition to the house, we were forced to eliminate planned additional impervious pathway surfaces. We provided screening to hide the generator and buffer the noise, and created a meandering path and sitting area out of natural woodchips instead of the proposed bluestone to solve the impervious space issue. The woodchips add a sense of informality and invite the viewer to walk slowly through the space. The reduced noise from the additional screening of the generator allows for quiet reflection as chipmunks scurry and hummingbirds dart about between the flowers. Our plant palette consists of shady understory plants that thrive and flower vigorously from spring through fall. A tall, lush, evergreen backdrop of Ilex opaca and Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’ provides the screening and blends into a middle layer of ‘Ivory Halo’ dogwood, hydrangeas and winterberry hollies. Beautiful perennials and groundcovers bloom along the woodland path, providing a low visual layer of color and texture. Movement throughout the garden is provided by the graceful Calamagrostis brachytricha and Hakenchloa that soften the nearby hardscaping. The woodland floor is full of shade-loving Solomon’s seal, hosta, astilbe, ferns, bleeding heart, Tiarella and Aconitum. The street side of this woodland required plants with a preference for a little more sun and drought tolerance. A palette of oakleaf hydrangea, Agastache, Liatris and Rudbeckia softens the fence line and provides the desired color. As designed and installed, the woodland garden successfully provides the client’s family and office staff a quiet space where they can take a peaceful moment and enjoy nature. Photo Credit: Lisa C. Falls

This was a full renovation of a 1920’s home sitting on a five acre lot. This is a beautiful and stately stone home whose interior was a victim of poorly thought-out, dated renovations and a sectioned off apartment taking up a quarter of the home. We changed the layout completely reclaimed the apartment and garage to make this space work for a growing family. We brought back style, elegance and era appropriate details to the main living spaces. Custom cabinetry, amazing carpentry details, reclaimed and natural materials and fixtures all work in unison to make this home complete. Our energetic, fun and positive clients lived through this amazing transformation like pros. The process was collaborative, fun, and organic.

TEAM Architect: LDa Architecture & Interiors Builder: Lou Boxer Builder Photographer: Greg Premru Photography
Example of a mid-sized cottage open concept medium tone wood floor, vaulted ceiling, brown floor and shiplap wall living room design in Boston with no tv and white walls

The front of this townhouse was boring and obscured by overgrown bushes. We replaced the siding and shutters, installed a new front door, etched and stained the boring concrete step, added a curving brick walkway, built a lattice shield to hide the trash can, redesigned the landscaping and added a river birch.

New built-in closets in the addition are easily accessed from the master bedroom. We framed the storage cabinets to look built-in. To break up a wall of storage, we added a window seat that is open underneath. The new circulation resulted from the addition encouraged the homeowner to rethink their interior spaces and renovate them with new paint, wallpaper and furniture. The owners worked with Stacy Wallace of Heart of James, an interior designer, to oversee this process. The existing house floors were not level. We replaced and sistered many joists as they had deteriorated over the 93 year age of the house. New white oak flooring covers both the addition and the affected sitting room and master bedroom.

This was a full renovation of a 1920’s home sitting on a five acre lot. This is a beautiful and stately stone home whose interior was a victim of poorly thought-out, dated renovations and a sectioned off apartment taking up a quarter of the home. We changed the layout completely reclaimed the apartment and garage to make this space work for a growing family. We brought back style, elegance and era appropriate details to the main living spaces. Custom cabinetry, amazing carpentry details, reclaimed and natural materials and fixtures all work in unison to make this home complete. Our energetic, fun and positive clients lived through this amazing transformation like pros. The process was collaborative, fun, and organic.

The Shadowood House is part of a farm that has been in the client's family for generations. At the beginning of the process, the clients were living in a house (where this one now sits) that had been through addition after addition, making the spaces feel cramped and non-cohesive. They wanted a space for family gatherings, that was a modern take on a simple farmhouse. The clients wanted a house that feels comfortable for their children and grandchildren, but also enables them to age-in-place. In short, they wanted a house that would offer generations to come a place to feel at home. Josh Partee AIAP, ASMP, LEED AP / Architectural Photographer