Design considerations included strong sun and wind protection while maintaining views. The site is remote which posed a challenge during construction, but these spectacular views are well worth it. The incredible vista from this site called for a home with three glass walls. Since the climate didn't allow for that, we built the home with 12” thick super insulated walls with quality windows that frame the amazing views, which achieved the desired cozier feel. A big overhang was added on the west to provide some outside covered space which protects the living room from the late sun until it goes down behind the mountain across the way. The client opted to install a ground source heat pump to offset heating and cooling costs, as well as a soapstone masonry heater to beat the winter chill. Exterior materials (Cement board products and metal roof) were chosen for low maintenance properties and fire resistance in this very remote location. A guesthouse/office was located just far enough away for privacy and oriented to capture the up valley views and the view across the drainage, from the office space on the second story, where windows on three sides of the dormer make you feel like you are outside.

Design considerations included strong sun and wind protection while maintaining views. The site is remote which posed a challenge during construction, but these spectacular views are well worth it. The incredible vista from this site called for a home with three glass walls. Since the climate didn't allow for that, we built the home with 12” thick super insulated walls with quality windows that frame the amazing views, which achieved the desired cozier feel. A big overhang was added on the west to provide some outside covered space which protects the living room from the late sun until it goes down behind the mountain across the way. The client opted to install a ground source heat pump to offset heating and cooling costs, as well as a soapstone masonry heater to beat the winter chill. Exterior materials (Cement board products and metal roof) were chosen for low maintenance properties and fire resistance in this very remote location. A guesthouse/office was located just far enough away for privacy and oriented to capture the up valley views and the view across the drainage, from the office space on the second story, where windows on three sides of the dormer make you feel like you are outside.

A romantic froth of flowers in blue and white surround a small patio in a front garden. The focal point is a glass sculpture by glass artist Jesse Kelly set in a container. An adjacent, smaller container is a recirculating fountain Le jardinet

Flowering smooth edge agave (Agave desmettiana)

Design considerations included strong sun and wind protection while maintaining views. The site is remote which posed a challenge during construction, but these spectacular views are well worth it. The incredible vista from this site called for a home with three glass walls. Since the climate didn't allow for that, we built the home with 12” thick super insulated walls with quality windows that frame the amazing views, which achieved the desired cozier feel. A big overhang was added on the west to provide some outside covered space which protects the living room from the late sun until it goes down behind the mountain across the way. The client opted to install a ground source heat pump to offset heating and cooling costs, as well as a soapstone masonry heater to beat the winter chill. Exterior materials (Cement board products and metal roof) were chosen for low maintenance properties and fire resistance in this very remote location. A guesthouse/office was located just far enough away for privacy and oriented to capture the up valley views and the view across the drainage, from the office space on the second story, where windows on three sides of the dormer make you feel like you are outside.

Design considerations included strong sun and wind protection while maintaining views. The site is remote which posed a challenge during construction, but these spectacular views are well worth it. The incredible vista from this site called for a home with three glass walls. Since the climate didn't allow for that, we built the home with 12” thick super insulated walls with quality windows that frame the amazing views, which achieved the desired cozier feel. A big overhang was added on the west to provide some outside covered space which protects the living room from the late sun until it goes down behind the mountain across the way. The client opted to install a ground source heat pump to offset heating and cooling costs, as well as a soapstone masonry heater to beat the winter chill. Exterior materials (Cement board products and metal roof) were chosen for low maintenance properties and fire resistance in this very remote location. A guesthouse/office was located just far enough away for privacy and oriented to capture the up valley views and the view across the drainage, from the office space on the second story, where windows on three sides of the dormer make you feel like you are outside.

Design considerations included strong sun and wind protection while maintaining views. The site is remote which posed a challenge during construction, but these spectacular views are well worth it. The incredible vista from this site called for a home with three glass walls. Since the climate didn't allow for that, we built the home with 12” thick super insulated walls with quality windows that frame the amazing views, which achieved the desired cozier feel. A big overhang was added on the west to provide some outside covered space which protects the living room from the late sun until it goes down behind the mountain across the way. The client opted to install a ground source heat pump to offset heating and cooling costs, as well as a soapstone masonry heater to beat the winter chill. Exterior materials (Cement board products and metal roof) were chosen for low maintenance properties and fire resistance in this very remote location. A guesthouse/office was located just far enough away for privacy and oriented to capture the up valley views and the view across the drainage, from the office space on the second story, where windows on three sides of the dormer make you feel like you are outside.

Artistically Tuscan Francesca called me, nearly 13 years ago, as she had seen one of our ads in the Orange County Living Magazine. In that particular ad, she fell in love with the mural work our artists had done for another home we designed in Huntington Beach, California. Although this was a newly built home in Portofira Estates neighborhood, in the city of Orange, both she and her husband knew they would eventually add to the existing square footage, making the family room and kitchen much bigger. We proceeded with designing the house as her time frame and budget proceeded until we completed the entire home. Then, about 5 years ago, Francesca and her husband decided to move forward with getting their expansion project underway. They moved the walls out in the family room and the kitchen area, creating more space. They also added a game room to the upstairs portion of their home. The results are spectacular! This family room has a large angular sofa with a shaped wood frame. Two oversized chairs and ottomans on either side of the sofa to create a circular conversation and almost theatre like setting. A warm, wonderful color palette of deep plums, caramels, rich reds, burgundy, calming greens and accents of black make the entire home come together perfectly. The entertainment center wraps the fireplace and nook shelving as it takes up the entire wall opposite the sofa. The window treatments consist of working balloon shades in a deep plum silk with valances in a rich gold silk featuring wrought iron rods running vertically through the fabric. The treatment frames the stunning panoramic view of all of Orange County.

Artistically Tuscan Francesca called me, nearly 13 years ago, as she had seen one of our ads in the Orange County Living Magazine. In that particular ad, she fell in love with the mural work our artists had done for another home we designed in Huntington Beach, California. Although this was a newly built home in Portofira Estates neighborhood, in the city of Orange, both she and her husband knew they would eventually add to the existing square footage, making the family room and kitchen much bigger. We proceeded with designing the house as her time frame and budget proceeded until we completed the entire home. Then, about 5 years ago, Francesca and her husband decided to move forward with getting their expansion project underway. They moved the walls out in the family room and the kitchen area, creating more space. They also added a game room to the upstairs portion of their home. The results are spectacular! This family room has a large angular sofa with a shaped wood frame. Two oversized chairs and ottomans on either side of the sofa to create a circular conversation and almost theatre like setting. A warm, wonderful color palette of deep plums, caramels, rich reds, burgundy, calming greens and accents of black make the entire home come together perfectly. The entertainment center wraps the fireplace and nook shelving as it takes up the entire wall opposite the sofa. The window treatments consist of working balloon shades in a deep plum silk with valances in a rich gold silk featuring wrought iron rods running vertically through the fabric. The treatment frames the stunning panoramic view of all of Orange County.

Saturday June 20, 10:00 to 11:30am | Manhattan Midtown Sky Garden by Hank White, FASLA, and Aaron Booher of HMWhite This excursion to a spectacular workplace landscape will take visitors up high above the busy streets of Manhattan. The award-winning, 6,500 square-foot terrace of the Midtown Manhattan Sky Garden takes advantage of panoramic skyline views while providing an intimate garden backdrop to the mid-century-modern building’s newly-renovated interior workspace. Richly textured and seasonally diverse plantings include a dense blanket of drought-tolerant prairie grasses, wildflower perennials, and spring flowering bulbs, punctuated by flowering Crab Apple trees. At twilight, the garden evolves into a subtle stage set of textured plantings, rustling softly against the glow of a frosted glass parapet rail—a soothing space where workers can escape the conference room or the electrifying noise of the dense urban environment. The roof garden’s biophilic design has elevated employees’ well-being, productivity, and morale. Photo copyright Amy Stroud

Artistically Tuscan Francesca called me, nearly 13 years ago, as she had seen one of our ads in the Orange County Living Magazine. In that particular ad, she fell in love with the mural work our artists had done for another home we designed in Huntington Beach, California. Although this was a newly built home in Portofira Estates neighborhood, in the city of Orange, both she and her husband knew they would eventually add to the existing square footage, making the family room and kitchen much bigger. We proceeded with designing the house as her time frame and budget proceeded until we completed the entire home. Then, about 5 years ago, Francesca and her husband decided to move forward with getting their expansion project underway. They moved the walls out in the family room and the kitchen area, creating more space. They also added a game room to the upstairs portion of their home. The results are spectacular! This family room has a large angular sofa with a shaped wood frame. Two oversized chairs and ottomans on either side of the sofa to create a circular conversation and almost theatre like setting. A warm, wonderful color palette of deep plums, caramels, rich reds, burgundy, calming greens and accents of black make the entire home come together perfectly. The entertainment center wraps the fireplace and nook shelving as it takes up the entire wall opposite the sofa. The window treatments consist of working balloon shades in a deep plum silk with valances in a rich gold silk featuring wrought iron rods running vertically through the fabric. The treatment frames the stunning panoramic view of all of Orange County.

This 1995 contemporary Tudor is a spacious home with large rooms, multiple fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and spectacular views. It sat vacant for two years until the right buyer came along. The new owners were excited, and ready to dive into remodeling. First project: A totally new Master Bath. The original bath had vaulted ceilings with popcorn texture. It also had a dated Jacuzzi as its centerpiece. Removing the Jacuzzi became a priority that would free up the space and offer all kinds of interior design possibilities. The owners chose Rick Jacobson for the project. After removing the Jacuzzi, Rick removed the existing popcorn ceiling texture and replaced it with a knock-down finish. He added adjustable dimmers and additional can lighting for the right blend of lighting. The new plan began from the ground up, with in-floor heating. The new floor is constructed with 6” X 24” Porcelain planks that look great. The walk-in shower walls are constructed with 12” x 18” Travertine Porcelain tiles. The shower floor, niche, and border were crafted using 2” x 2” slate Porcelain with Travertine pencils (the border treatment). The shower features a Kohler rubbed oil shower control valve, and ceiling-mounted 11-inch rubbed oil rain shower head. It’s a great combination for this beautiful shower.

This 1995 contemporary Tudor is a spacious home with large rooms, multiple fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and spectacular views. It sat vacant for two years until the right buyer came along. The new owners were excited, and ready to dive into remodeling. First project: A totally new Master Bath. The original bath had vaulted ceilings with popcorn texture. It also had a dated Jacuzzi as its centerpiece. Removing the Jacuzzi became a priority that would free up the space and offer all kinds of interior design possibilities. The owners chose Rick Jacobson for the project. After removing the Jacuzzi, Rick removed the existing popcorn ceiling texture and replaced it with a knock-down finish. He added adjustable dimmers and additional can lighting for the right blend of lighting. The new plan began from the ground up, with in-floor heating. The new floor is constructed with 6” X 24” Porcelain planks that look great. The walk-in shower walls are constructed with 12” x 18” Travertine Porcelain tiles. The shower floor, niche, and border were crafted using 2” x 2” slate Porcelain with Travertine pencils (the border treatment). The shower features a Kohler rubbed oil shower control valve, and ceiling-mounted 11-inch rubbed oil rain shower head. It’s a great combination for this beautiful shower.

Builder: Boone Construction Photographer: M-Buck Studio This lakefront farmhouse skillfully fits four bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms in this carefully planned open plan. The symmetrical front façade sets the tone by contrasting the earthy textures of shake and stone with a collection of crisp white trim that run throughout the home. Wrapping around the rear of this cottage is an expansive covered porch designed for entertaining and enjoying shaded Summer breezes. A pair of sliding doors allow the interior entertaining spaces to open up on the covered porch for a seamless indoor to outdoor transition. The openness of this compact plan still manages to provide plenty of storage in the form of a separate butlers pantry off from the kitchen, and a lakeside mudroom. The living room is centrally located and connects the master quite to the home’s common spaces. The master suite is given spectacular vistas on three sides with direct access to the rear patio and features two separate closets and a private spa style bath to create a luxurious master suite. Upstairs, you will find three additional bedrooms, one of which a private bath. The other two bedrooms share a bath that thoughtfully provides privacy between the shower and vanity.

The hanging rattan balls were sprayed a glittering gold metallic and filled with LED string lights for an extra magical effect.
Inspiration for a small tropical courtyard gravel concrete floor home design remodel in San Francisco with a skylight

Artistically Tuscan Francesca called me, nearly 13 years ago, as she had seen one of our ads in the Orange County Living Magazine. In that particular ad, she fell in love with the mural work our artists had done for another home we designed in Huntington Beach, California. Although this was a newly built home in Portofira Estates neighborhood, in the city of Orange, both she and her husband knew they would eventually add to the existing square footage, making the family room and kitchen much bigger. We proceeded with designing the house as her time frame and budget proceeded until we completed the entire home. Then, about 5 years ago, Francesca and her husband decided to move forward with getting their expansion project underway. They moved the walls out in the family room and the kitchen area, creating more space. They also added a game room to the upstairs portion of their home. The results are spectacular! This family room has a large angular sofa with a shaped wood frame. Two oversized chairs and ottomans on either side of the sofa to create a circular conversation and almost theatre like setting. A warm, wonderful color palette of deep plums, caramels, rich reds, burgundy, calming greens and accents of black make the entire home come together perfectly. The entertainment center wraps the fireplace and nook shelving as it takes up the entire wall opposite the sofa. The window treatments consist of working balloon shades in a deep plum silk with valances in a rich gold silk featuring wrought iron rods running vertically through the fabric. The treatment frames the stunning panoramic view of all of Orange County.

Staircase - mid-sized traditional carpeted and underground carpeted and gray floor staircase idea in Toronto with wooden risers, gray walls and no fireplace

Timmerman Photography Sculpture by Mayme Kratz This is a home we initially built in 1995 and after it sold in 2014 we were commissioned to come back and remodel the interior of the home. We worked with internationally renowned architect Will Bruder on the initial design on the home. The goal of home was to build a modern hillside home which made the most of the vista upon which it sat. A few ways we were able to achieve this were the unique, floor-to-ceiling glass windows on the side of the property overlooking Scottsdale, a private courtyard off the master bedroom and bathroom, and a custom commissioned sculpture Mayme Kratz. Stonecreek's particular role in the project were to work alongside both the clients and the architect to make sure we were able to perfectly execute on the vision and design of the project. A very unique component of this house is how truly custom every feature is, all the way from the window systems and the bathtubs all the way down to the door handles and other features.

Heidi A. Long
Small rustic exterior home idea