Design: Kris Gorton Design Builder: Miller Development Group Photography: White Light Photography
Example of a transitional kids' room design in Cedar Rapids

A custom home in Jackson, Wyoming
Large trendy open concept living room photo in Other with a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace and no tv

King of the Painters King of the Painters is the king of the painting jungle when it comes to interior and exterior projects. Our services include simple repainting of interior and exterior walls, basic and finished carpentry services, wall texturing, special wall surface effects (such as “marbleizing” and “faux finishes”), installation of recessed ceiling lights, all the way to drywall and acoustical ceiling repair. We also offer expert application of color glazes, specialty industrial coatings, including industrial enamels, epoxy, and urethane coatings. We are proud of the fact that a major portion of our new clients are referrals. King of the Painters, Inc. has earned its reputation by not only being locally owned and operated, but by ensuring quality and satisfaction. Our goal is to minimize the hassles typically associated with painting and construction work by making your painting project an enjoyable experience . . . rather than one you would like to forget. Remember, there is no substitute or compromise for quality and professionalism. Just ask some of our past and current clients gladly provided on request! Whether you need to paint your home, business, office building, shopping center or homeowners association, request a royal appointment right now by calling us anytime for a free, no-obligation estimate and expert color consultation.

This low water landscape is a way of adding texture and color to this front landscape without the use of a thirsty lawn.
Small eclectic home design photo in San Diego

Our client who we created this zen-like theater for was on a strict budget, but still wanted a space to enjoy a theater experience in a small group setting. We turned an unfinished space into a gorgeous, complete theater, included art and accessories, and did not have to sacrifice quality! Wise decisions when we designed the project - including creating detailed columns with drywall and moldings, selecting stylish light fixtures and substituting built-in cabinets with a one of a kind chest - led to us coming in right at our client's budget. Needless to say, our client was thrilled!

Trendy exterior home photo in San Francisco

Photo: Lauren Andersen © 2019 Houzz
Inspiration for a transitional kitchen remodel in San Francisco

Here's a close up of the vertical casing for the fireplace. It was our substitute for the fireplace mantel in this home. It helped give a custom feel with an older technique

A condo was given a fresh look by a few substitutions, and the use of white, black and glass furniture pieces and green accents. The client already had the couch which they liked, and wished to retain. The glass coffee and end tables keep the space looking light and airy. The mirror strategically placed above the couch bounced light around. Painted grey shelves with pipe fittings as brackets add an industrial touch which is carried through the spaces. Green accents are carried right through the dining area and the bedroom.

LOS ANGELES, CA / SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL The commission for this 4,300-square-foot residence came with significant challenges for the architects – a house had once existed on the lot but had burned down and the attempt to replace the house had stalled, leading to an abatement order and a lapse of permits. Our first challenge was to revive the lapsed construction permit by proposing to “modify” the existing structure. The practical effect this had was to fix the footprint of the new home to the existing structure’s plan outline. Having thereby inherited the large, dense block of the original house, the new strategy became one of substituting selective areas of indoor space for outdoor courtyard. This strategy of trading indoor space for outdoor courtyard allowed an erosion of the formerly monolithic structure into a series of distinct volumetric elements, and further suggested that the architectural pieces could cohere as a “village.” The main level is further eroded by large, glazed planes, merging indoor with outdoor, and virtually stretching the landscape across interior space. Moving the detached garage from the rear yard to beneath the new living space allowed for a 75-meter lap pool and a shaded olive garden. The gardens include built-in seating, extensive use of ornamental grasses and Zen-like interior courtyards. A material palette of fossilized stone, bonderized-galvanized metal, and natural Douglas fir allows for the warmth desired by the wife, while providing the modernity required by the husband. Programmatically, her music room borrows from the calm and protected olive court in the rear, while his office becomes a pavilion set in the landscape, which both addresses the street and acts as a sheltering monument for the terraced entry garden.

For years, early morning walks past this 1910 Craftsman in Houston's historic Avondale neighborhood left the new owners with lingering fantasies of making it their future home. When it became available, they acquired a home rich with history, but one nearly abolished. The home was once inhabited by Texas Governor (1931-1932) and founder of Humble Oil, Ross Sterling. But, renovations subdivided the home into multi-family rentals and destroyed original finishes. The developer driven modifications were abruptly halted by city red tags in 2018 after original windows were demolished and replaced with vinyl substitutes. With a nearly clean slate on the interior, the HRDD renovation aims to be respectful to the original context while providing coplimentary modern surprises atypical to the era. One such example is a new opening that punctures through the second floor, extending to a roof skylight. Situated at the transition between formal and informal rooms on the first floor and common space on the second floor, this subtraction is lined with a scalloped wood screen. The screen is one of multiple moments within the home where texture will combine with minimal white surfaces, providing a backdrop to the owners' collection of antique Indian furniture pieces. Additionally, a new detached replaced an existing dilapidated garage apartment and contains the owner's photography studio. Windows and a skylight are placed to capture coveted north light, ideal for photographing and editing. The main room remains an austere slate, with ceiling vaulting to a single aperture to create a dynamic moment that carries a dialogue to the opening in the main home.

This project was the result of the owner’s desire to install a swimming pool and outdoor living space inspired by tropical resorts they had visited on family vacations. The one element asked for specifically was a large waterfall spilling into the pool. The challenge for the designers was how to achieve the look the owner’s wished without the use of clichéd items such as thatched huts and tiki torches. The designers decided lush full plantings using plants found in the northeast region that met certain design criteria would be the primary way of giving the tropical feel. Boulder outcroppings, irregular stone paving and fire bowls along the back of the pool would complete the look. The property is located in a newer subdivision with homes on both sides and a school to the rear. A walkway connects the neighborhood and the school along one side. The desired privacy would be addressed by the placement of plants and trees around the perimeter in mounded beds. Placing the waterfall to the rear of the pool helped block the view of the school beyond. The township had restrictions on the amount of impervious material allowable on site. The patio was designed to the maximum allowable size with square footage going to where it would be most usable. Planting beds were cut into the patio to decrease unnecessary square footage, divide spaces, and allow for more places to add plants and trees. A rectangular swimming pool was chosen to make it easier to install an automatic pool cover. The pool was designed, with input from the landscape designers, and contracted separately by the owner. The landscape designers chose the location of pool and waterfall so that it was prominently placed to be the focal point of the backyard. The pool includes a curving sunbathing shelf running from end to end, finished in a lighter color to make it more visible, with removable umbrellas for shade and to add to the resort feel. To tie into the boulders used throughout the design, a large boulder was used as a substitute for a diving board. The yard sloped down towards the back of the property which required a large amount of soil to be added and large boulder retaining wall along the back. For the planting design, the designers choose to focus on plants with larger leaves, various leaf colors and textures, and plants with large flowers in bold colors. These plants were then arranged into a loose lush planting scheme mixed with more traditional northeast plants such as pines, grasses, and roses. Unique plants such as hardy bananas were added for their tropical and exotic look. The full planting beds help to nestle in and enclose the living space. Broken flagstone was chosen for the patio and intentionally left irregular at the edges. PA flagstone was avoided and a stone with gold and brown tones was chosen. Boulder outcroppings added to the natural and tropical theme. The fire pit was designed with a large built-in bench to increase the amount of seating. The designers chose a rounded smooth shape and incorporated the same stone as the pool coping for the caps and bench. For entertaining guests the outdoor kitchen was outfitted with a large gas grill, beverage taps, refrigerator, sink and a dedicated lobster cooker. The kitchen was finished with granite countertops and stainless steel cabinets. Two strategically placed fire bowls, along with the low voltage lighting, add additional interest to the space at night. While the designers were faced with many challenges the resulting design incorporated enough elements to achieve the desired look and feel. Using plants appropriate to the northeast that fit the design criteria and carefully choosing hardscaping materials was essential. The owner’s feel they now have their own tropical theme resort right in their Pennsylvania backyard.

In the rear of the garden we built a deck and arbor. The stain we used was a Cabot stain color called "Driftwood". Although this garden was installed more than 20 years ago, it holds up well as an early attempt at using a native carex as a lawn substitute. Photo Chris Jacobson, GardenArt group .

In the kitchen the original pink laminate countertops and dining table were swapped for granite countertops and backsplash. The cabinetry is the same but updated with simple polished and brushed chrome hardware. The chipped ceramic tile floor was substituted with a gray porcelain tile set in a random brick pattern. A novelty door that reads “laundry” was installed at the end of the kitchen to allow warmth and natural light through, giving the room a spark of personality. The new table and chairs were custom made and proportioned to allow for the French door leading to the patio to swing with ease. See the before pictures at the end of this project.

Patrick & Topaze McCaffery - Taproot Garden Design & Fine Gardening "April 2016: One gallon plants, almost a year later; Salvia sonomensis 'Bee's Bliss' groundcovers grow at an amazing rate."

King of the Painters King of the Painters is the king of the painting jungle when it comes to interior and exterior projects. Our services include simple repainting of interior and exterior walls, basic and finished carpentry services, wall texturing, special wall surface effects (such as “marbleizing” and “faux finishes”), installation of recessed ceiling lights, all the way to drywall and acoustical ceiling repair. We also offer expert application of color glazes, specialty industrial coatings, including industrial enamels, epoxy, and urethane coatings. We are proud of the fact that a major portion of our new clients are referrals. King of the Painters, Inc. has earned its reputation by not only being locally owned and operated, but by ensuring quality and satisfaction. Our goal is to minimize the hassles typically associated with painting and construction work by making your painting project an enjoyable experience . . . rather than one you would like to forget. Remember, there is no substitute or compromise for quality and professionalism. Just ask some of our past and current clients gladly provided on request! Whether you need to paint your home, business, office building, shopping center or homeowners association, request a royal appointment right now by calling us anytime for a free, no-obligation estimate and expert color consultation.

Entire penthouse deck was redone. Four large, oblong existing planters were cleaned out and new screening plants, or a mixed planting, were designed and installed. Three large lightweight containers in black were substituted for existing ceramic containers. Two smaller matching lightweight containers were added to create a grouping around an existing sculpture.

Inspiration for a traditional landscaping in San Francisco.

1423 Valley Crest Drive At Best Homes, we have a wide variety of floorplans available with customizable options throughout your dream home. We don’t, and won’t, take short cuts in our construction process, nor will we substitute lesser materials and labor costs to compete with lower priced builders. Our pricing is simply based on a percentage over the cost of construction. Our customers appreciate our transparent, no non-sense approach to helping them find the right design and amenity level to fit their desired price point. Stock plans or custom designs, your lot or ours, building with Best Custom Homes is a choice you’ll be glad you made.