Hunter Douglas offers an excellent option to blackout a room. Their Blackout System borders the roller shade, blocking any light that may come through on the sides and bottom. This system is ideal if you suffer from migraines or are a light sleeper.

Anthony J. Musso, Architect
Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless beige one-story concrete fiberboard gable roof remodel in New York

JLC was charged with transforming a 35 year old home which had suffered a remodel or two into a cohesive and modern home. Sustainable design principles were placed at the forefront of the design process alongside functionality and aesthetics. The end result is a roughly 3,000 sf home that is both comfortable and beautiful. The exterior palette is defined by Resysta siding and decking, acrylic stucco, a standing seam metal roof and black aluminum windows and doors. At the interiors white oak and walnut cabinetry throughout bring natural warmth to the clean, white interior. The home achieved LEED Platinum in 2017 and was featured on the San Diego Green Building Council’s 2017 Green Homes Tour. Project website: neuhaus-encinitas.blogspot.com

The owners of this house appreciate living in a home that is connected with its tropical context. Set in a dense residential neighborhood, the challenge was to create a home with a garden as an extension of its interior, whilst retaining a sense of privacy that the owners valued. Working within the existing shell of an old semi-detatched house, the interior layout was reconfigured to create a series spaces that open out to the lush tropical garden. The existing kitchen was converted into an open kitchen, connecting the backyard to the dining and living room. Large sliding windows open the living/dining space to its patio and garden to offer an outdoor dining experience. The existing hallway and common bathroom also suffered from daylight and natural ventilation. A skylight was inserted to brighten the otherwise existing dim hallway. The previously mechanically ventilated bathroom was also converted into a semi-outdoor bathroom with the introduction of an air-well and feature rock wall. The guest bedroom, previously accessible through the kitchen, was turned into a home office now exclusive to the master bedroom. A private courtyard was introduced to connect the master bedroom and home office to create a private sanctuary for one residing in the the bedroom or working in the office.

When our MOSS customers purchased their Arlington home, it came with a back deck that was suffering from wear and tear. It was also inconvenient to reach from the main home, as it was accessible only from the side of the house. Their vision was a large screened porch with room for a dining area, mounted television, cozy lounge space, and, most of all, easy access from the house. MOSS designed a beautiful screened porch with all of those features, with Trex boards for easy maintenance and upkeep, plus created a sliding glass door from the main house to allow for seamless flow from the house. In the end, a beautiful and functional update to this Arlington home.

Again, considering the beautiful vistas open to this home, maximizing views was an important factor in every part of our design. The pool is vinyl-lined; our design/build team added a Long Island boulder wall in front of some plantings to increase the natural look of the pool area; we also added a large custom diving rock. Deck and Patio's prayers and hopes go out to all our fellow citizens suffering from these recent hurricane disasters. www.deckandpatio.com

Restoration of a 130 year old portico in Montreal's West end. This project was undertaken to restore the grand entry to a lovely heritage home. The structure suffered from major deterioration including rot and damage from carpenter ants. The floor structure and stairs were completely replaced with Ipe decking and treads. The newel posts, square columns and pedestals were constructed on site from PVC lumber to prevent rot in the future. The entire structure stripped, sanded and repainted after all the fascia, soffits and cornice moldings were replaced. The handrails and balusters were reproduced in yellow pine and updated to meet modern code requirements. The metal roof was patched and repainted, and the concrete footings repaired and parged. I'm confident that our work will last another century!

This family of 5 was quickly out-growing their 1,220sf ranch home on a beautiful corner lot. Rather than adding a 2nd floor, the decision was made to extend the existing ranch plan into the back yard, adding a new 2-car garage below the new space - for a new total of 2,520sf. With a previous addition of a 1-car garage and a small kitchen removed, a large addition was added for Master Bedroom Suite, a 4th bedroom, hall bath, and a completely remodeled living, dining and new Kitchen, open to large new Family Room. The new lower level includes the new Garage and Mudroom. The existing fireplace and chimney remain - with beautifully exposed brick. The homeowners love contemporary design, and finished the home with a gorgeous mix of color, pattern and materials. The project was completed in 2011. Unfortunately, 2 years later, they suffered a massive house fire. The house was then rebuilt again, using the same plans and finishes as the original build, adding only a secondary laundry closet on the main level.

This silk area rug had suffered heavy staining in one section approximately 5 inches in diameter. After several failed attempts by the client to remove the stain with grocery cleaning agents, the client gave us a call. The area rug was an expensive purchase and the client's were clearly distraught about what had happened to their rug. After working with our team of master area rug cleaning experts, we were successful in removing the stain. Take a look at the before and after photos.

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the building was erected on a shallow commercial lot between two 120 year old masonry buildings and a new residential rental building. 330 Grand Street is a mix of 725 SF 1BRs and 1050 SF 2BR apartments. It also contains a 1100 SF two story duplex as well as private and public rooftop space, large private balconies for most units and two large private terraces for the ground floor units. 330 Grand Street was originally designed and approved at the NYC DOB as a prefabricated modular building. During the pandemic, as shipping costs skyrocketed putting the project at risk, we suggested redesigning the building as a reinforced cast-in-place concrete structure. Concrete was readily available and prices had not been affected by the demand increase that many other materials suffered in the pandemic. We took this opportunity to raise floor to ceiling heights, enlarge high performance windows and redistribute the buildings MEPFS and Structural Systems to create very open floor plans. The challenge was to create a luxurious sensorial living experience with very limited means. In a city with very high construction costs, low cost residential buildings in the area are usually devoid of good quality, design and character. Our approach was to aim high for the end user, prioritizing natural light, open space with long visual perspectives, high ceilings and as always, rejecting the use of predefined building templates. Our biggest challenge was to ensure that the small spaces feel as clean cut, large and bright as possible. Several unique design decisions were made to ensure low cost and high quality; Floor plans were laid out so that spaces were wide open and free of clutter from mechanical or structural interruptions. Therefore all infrastructure was placed in lateral demising walls, which in turn act as the unit’s storage and kitchen. The apartments feel wide open, are super quiet and have more storage space than any other comparable apartment in the city. To solve the problem of the site’s shallow commercial lot which is typically prone to dark interior spaces we focused our attention on the building’s envelope. Instead of the usual small punched window openings, oversized high performance windows were designed to ensure that light penetrated as far as possible into the units. In the smaller 1BR units, the full 50’ depth of the lot is perceived by partitioning spaces with sliding pocket doors that can be retracted to allow deep visual perspectives, making the sight lines in the space feel longer, larger, more ample than normal. In addition to the full height glazing, each unit above the 2nd floor receives a 7 foot covered balcony, adding 120 to 240 sf to each apartment, something unusual in New York City buildings. The space is large enough for a full size dining table, when the weather permits being outside. We also worked hard to ensure modularity. For example, all kitchen units are all identical throughout the building. The idea of modularity and the economy of the repetitive unit is exercised to the maximum through the building. Hardware, appliances, flooring, wall coverings and material finishes are all carefully selected to feel bespoke, high quality and unique. It was important to KURV that the result of this work manifest into something that would deeply connect with the end user and sustain relationships with the consumers of this space. All images by KURV Architecture ©

Low cost renovation of a classic pre-war apartment in Brooklyn, New York. The original floor plan of this one bedroom pre-war unit was simple and efficient, but the space suffered from over 90 years of neglect and poor maintenance. The existing kitchen and bathrooms spaces were gutted and updated with new stone finishes and chrome fixtures. The linear kitchen layout was flipped to allow maximum natural light to the primary work areas. A new glass shower enclosure replaces the original tile shower stall to provide a more opening feeling. New plaster finishes, minimal window treatments, door hardware, and custom furniture complete the renovation.

https://bit.ly/2BXMQxo The next benefit of using cork flooring is that this type of flooring offers a higher level of comfort. The structure of cork is such that it is made up of hundreds of millions of tiny cells packed closely together. These cells are air pockets can absorb shockwaves or pressure, so walking on this flooring not only relieves stress on your joints but also helps to reduce the weariness that is brought on when you walk a lot over a hard surface. If you suffer from knee pain or any joint pain, you will find that walking over a cork floor is so much easier than walking over, say a ceramic tile floor.

The little girl's room previously was painted a dark intense yellow and suffered from too much furniture syndrome. The homeowner painted the walls an off white, removed half the furniture and dressed all the beds with crisp, white linens.

The common space in The Maslow House at Flanders Mill. Many Montanans suffer some degree of seasonal affective disorder during the long winter months. To help, generous windows and crisp white walls pipe daylight into every corner of the home's communal living areas.

This lovely 2-story townhome suffered the effects of more than 120 years of “remuddling” and “modernization” through significant modification of the structural framing. With a large section of a load-bearing wall removed and shear walls, the full 3-story building was structurally compromised. The program included the installation of a steel beam and structural reframing, beginning at the ground floor and through to the 3rd-floor living space. The new structural design allowed for a significantly improved living space. The kitchen was relocated and expanded, as were the living room and dining room. Several upgrades were made to the home, including incorporating all-electrical appliances. 1900 Victorian now boasts several eco-friendly and energy-efficient features.

The homeowners loved the lot this home sat on, but it lacked a garage and the exterior suffered from years of deferred maintenance before they purchased. With new siding, windows, roof, and an attached two-car garage addition with bonus room above, they have more living and storage space, and a clearly dedicated path to the front door — the addition also added a foyer. Corrugated metal accents add interest. The new screened porch is convenient to the pool and house. Photo by Liz Smutko

After years of suffering through a poorly designed kitchen that didn’t meet her needs, our client made the difficult decision to re-remodel her kitchen. Now that the kitchen is complete, she's happier than ever in her new kitchen. What used to be a space that was intimidating and difficult to use has become a place designed specifically for her needs, where every appliance and shelf is within comfortable reach and the design is tailored exactly to her personal style.

The existing concrete aggregate terrace suffered from disrepair and access was limited from the rear of the Bethesda home. We were tasked with replacing all paving, coping, and stairs. An improved water feature behind the original kidney-shaped pool provided white noise to distract visitors from the nearby highway noise.

Our first job with this home was an internal renovation. Sadly, the homeowner had suffered a flood from the upstairs to the downstairs and there was a lot of damage to fix. After we transformed the interior (bedrooms, bathrooms, mudroom and kitchen), we set to work on the beautiful exterior. We wanted to update and improve the exterior of the home without overwhelming the original style of the house. We also wanted to make sure that the new additions added proportion and visual appeal to a home that has great bones and a stunning updated interior.