This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

We used: Custom cherry cabinetry in Arts & Crafts Shaker style by Kabinart in Boulder and Espresso stains. Liberty Hardware Venetian bronze 1-1/2" cabinet knobs. KitchenAid Architect II Series 22 CF counter-depth French door refrigerator. KitchenAid Architect Series II 27" convection single wall oven. KitchenAid 36" 6-burner dual fuel freestanding commercial-style range. KitchenAid Architect II Series 24" dishwasher. Sharp Insight Pro Series 24" built-in microwave drawer (Model #KB6524PS). Crystorama Solaris 12" wide pendant lights in English bronze. Granite countertops in Brown Fantasy. 3"x6" polished marble backsplash. Paint colors: Walls: Glidden Silver Cloud 30YY 63/024 Ceilings/Trims/Doors: Glidden Swan White GLC23 Robert B. Narod Photography

Recently Heidi and I worked on a Victorian tiled hallway floor at a house in Turton, Lancashire, an area which lies on the southern slopes of the West Pennine Moors. Victorian tile floors are commonly found in the reception area and hallways of older houses and public buildings, many of which date back to the reign of Queen Victoria (hence ‘Victorian’ tiles). It was during this time that the tile industry really started to boom. Upon inspection it was evident that the floor in question had suffered from some settlement in the past resulting in a crack in the base under the tiles which had lifted one side and dropped the other; this is quite common in old houses resulting in some of the tiles becoming loose and would need to be fixed back in place before the floor could be given a good clean and re-seal. Removing Lippage from Victorian Tiles The concrete floor under the tile was patched as best as could be without pulling up more of the floor and the tiles were fixed in place, unfortunately however many of the triangular tiles in the adjacent border would not lay flat resulting in a lippage issue between them which naturally the customer was not very happy about. Not wishing to cause the customer the extra expense of pulling up more tiles and relaying the concrete subfloor I left the tiles to fully set and then came back a few days later with a handheld Flex Machine fitted with a small 220 Grit Diamond pad to grind the tiles flat. As the pictures show, this made the difference and the diamond did not scratch the tiles despite the surface being dry. Diamond pads are usually used on stone floors but after some investigation back at the Tile Doctor training centre we also realised they can be used on other types of tile including Victorian. Once this was resolved the entire floor was given a thorough clean using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean worked in with a scrubbing pad. As well as cleaning the tile and grout it also removed any remaining sealer which is important if you don’t know the history of the floor as the previous coating maybe incompatible with the new sealer. Once done the floor was given a thorough rinse with water which was then extracted from the floor with a wet vacuum. Sealing Victorian Tiles The floor was left to dry and I returned later to seal the tiles with a couple of coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile and intensifies colour whilst also providing durable protection from within. Normally I use Seal and Go on Victorian Tiles however in this case the customer had specified a matt finish. The results were fantastic and the client was very pleased with the now flat Victorian tiled floor which, thanks to the cleaning and sealing, was back to looking its best. Another happy customer for the Lancashire Tile Doctor!

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt

Engineered cedar siding creates beautiful gray-blue tones at the exterior of the home, while adding a textural element to activate the simple exterior design.

Mixing styles is what we do best. The charm and history of this home paired perfectly with updated transitional furnishings.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional medium tone wood floor and brown floor living room remodel in Philadelphia with green walls, a wood fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv

CONTACT These home owners initially contacted their Designer to identify the reason that the floor in their upstairs bedroom suffered from a noticeable slant. The floor problem actually impacted a small bathroom and adjoining study also. Early on, the decision was made to re-design the footprint for the 3 rooms in conjunction with repairing the uneven floor. The approach was to gut all three spaces of walls and floors and start from scratch. The new spaces were designed with the clients needs for accessibility in mind. DESIGN The design effort included identifying the products to be used throughout the spaces. This included everything from the flooring to the wall paint. Kohler plumbing fixtures and Adelphi cabinetry were decided on first. A radiant heat grid was included for the bathroom floor. Lighting, paint and tile soon followed. Wood flooring was installed throughout the adjoining spaces. The master bedroom was redesigned to allow for entry from the study or the master bath via pocket doors. The study was given an access to the master bath also. The hardwood flooring ties the bedroom and study together and gives each room a very spacious feel. The original master bedroom was changed to incorporate a large walk-in closet that features custom storage throughout. The study that also doubles as the IT center for the home was updated with custom book cases and cabinetry from Adelphi Cabinets. When discussing the reapportioning of the entire space for the individual rooms the bathroom was given priority. The previous small bathroom did not include a window for natural light. The new design corrected that in a big way by incorporating an existing bedroom window into the new space. The decision was made early on to allow for the inclusion of a large shower with full granite walls and custom plate glass surround. The shower system includes both fixed and hand held shower heads. A thermostatic control system was included to eliminate scalding. A large bench seat of matching granite allows for relaxing while getting squeaky clean. A separate air massage tub from Kohler centered under the new windows allows for a relaxed moment while being caressed by all those tiny bubbles. His and her side by side vanity sinks allows for efficient use of the space. The Caxton sinks and coordinated toilet were selected to match the color of the tub and do so beautifully! CONSTRUCTION We started the project not knowing what we were going to find. The slanting floor upstairs was not evident in the ceiling of the first floor Once the demolition had been completed it was evident that the floor joists were at the heart of the problem. The home had been framed with floor joists that had been strung together to increase their length. Over time and with the house settling, the strung together joists started to droop from their connection point. This was concealed on the first floor by a large HVAC duct running through the garage. This was corrected by the addition of two laminated beams in the ceiling of the first floor (luckily in the garage) that re-supported the offending joists. THE END The project was a huge success in terms of problem solving and designing with budget and time frame in mind. The overall impact of the new space is impressive both visually and from a practicality point of view. The new master suite with upscale bathroom and study adds significant value to the home and the home owners quality of life!

CONTACT These home owners initially contacted their Designer to identify the reason that the floor in their upstairs bedroom suffered from a noticeable slant. The floor problem actually impacted a small bathroom and adjoining study also. Early on, the decision was made to re-design the footprint for the 3 rooms in conjunction with repairing the uneven floor. The approach was to gut all three spaces of walls and floors and start from scratch. The new spaces were designed with the clients needs for accessibility in mind. DESIGN The design effort included identifying the products to be used throughout the spaces. This included everything from the flooring to the wall paint. Kohler plumbing fixtures and Adelphi cabinetry were decided on first. A radiant heat grid was included for the bathroom floor. Lighting, paint and tile soon followed. Wood flooring was installed throughout the adjoining spaces. The master bedroom was redesigned to allow for entry from the study or the master bath via pocket doors. The study was given an access to the master bath also. The hardwood flooring ties the bedroom and study together and gives each room a very spacious feel. The original master bedroom was changed to incorporate a large walk-in closet that features custom storage throughout. The study that also doubles as the IT center for the home was updated with custom book cases and cabinetry from Adelphi Cabinets. When discussing the reapportioning of the entire space for the individual rooms the bathroom was given priority. The previous small bathroom did not include a window for natural light. The new design corrected that in a big way by incorporating an existing bedroom window into the new space. The decision was made early on to allow for the inclusion of a large shower with full granite walls and custom plate glass surround. The shower system includes both fixed and hand held shower heads. A thermostatic control system was included to eliminate scalding. A large bench seat of matching granite allows for relaxing while getting squeaky clean. A separate air massage tub from Kohler centered under the new windows allows for a relaxed moment while being caressed by all those tiny bubbles. His and her side by side vanity sinks allows for efficient use of the space. The Caxton sinks and coordinated toilet were selected to match the color of the tub and do so beautifully! CONSTRUCTION We started the project not knowing what we were going to find. The slanting floor upstairs was not evident in the ceiling of the first floor Once the demolition had been completed it was evident that the floor joists were at the heart of the problem. The home had been framed with floor joists that had been strung together to increase their length. Over time and with the house settling, the strung together joists started to droop from their connection point. This was concealed on the first floor by a large HVAC duct running through the garage. This was corrected by the addition of two laminated beams in the ceiling of the first floor (luckily in the garage) that re-supported the offending joists. THE END The project was a huge success in terms of problem solving and designing with budget and time frame in mind. The overall impact of the new space is impressive both visually and from a practicality point of view. The new master suite with upscale bathroom and study adds significant value to the home and the home owners quality of life!

Here are the details of a job I recently completed in the town of Biggleswade, which lies on the River Ivel in Bedfordshire. My client had a fantastic red and black Victorian tiled floor with a topical seal. However, she also had a new addition to the family in the form of a new puppy and, as I’m sure most of you reading will know, puppies can be very messy and additionally urine contains Uric acid which can eat away at sealers. Therefore, my client asked me to strip off the old topical seal, before replacing with an impregnating sealer better suited to protect the tiles against an untrained puppy. My client had been replenishing the topical seal for many years, but after discussing this decided that Tile Doctor Colour Grow, an impregnating and colour enhancing sealer, would be better suited. My first task was, of course, to remove the old topical sealer. I did this using a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean, which is a high alkaline cleaner that when used in a concentrated form can remove sealers. The alkaline helps to break down the sealer while also lifting out any ingrained dirt suffered by the stone. The solution was left to dwell for approximately twenty minutes before being scrubbing it into the tiles using a rotary machine fitted with a scrubbing pad. Nonetheless, after giving the tiles a rinse, I discovered evidence of an old impregnating sealer in the tiles that was also need to be removed before resealing. To do this I applied Tile Doctor Remove & Go which is a powerful, dedicated coatings remover which did the job although the use of a steamer and several scrubbing brushes helped with the task. After completing the stripping, I still felt that I could improve the appearance of the tiles further, so I ran over the tiles with a small six inch Tile Doctor Diamond encrusted burnishing pad fitted to a hand-held buffer to finish the cleaning process. After completely the stripping process, I gave the entire floor a rinse and left it to dry for several days. Upon my return I sealed the tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow. This is an impregnating, colour enhancing sealer that really brought out the shades of red and black in these Victorian tiles. Along with Victorian tiles, Colour Grow is also suitable for use of Flagstone, Limestone, Quarry, Sandstone and Marble tiles, amongst others. I think you will agree the floor looks transformed with the new sealer applied. Andrew Evans Bedfordshire Tile Doctor

This beautiful colonial in Marion, Massachusetts is even more gorgeous with its new GAF Timberline HD roof! There is more to a roof than shingles – in fact there are several components to a professionally installed GAF Lifetime Roofing System. Here is the anatomy of our Marion homeowner’s roof: GAF Timberline HD Shingles Marion, MAGAF Timberline HD Roof Shingles: A beautiful architectural shingle at an affordable price! This is our most popular roof shingle here at Care Free Homes! Our Marion customer selected the classic color, Charcoal. This high performance shingle features a 130 mph wind rating and highest possible fire rating. Underlayment: A felt/paper product that is installed over the entire roof deck, underlayment provides an additional layer of protection between the roof deck and the roof shingles. Ice Dam and Water Shield: After a brutal winter and unprecedented snow fall, many New England homes suffered damage from ice dams. Ice Dam and Water Shield provides added protection for eves, rakes, valleys as well as flashed areas around vent pipes, chimneys, dormers, and skylights. Whether it’s a winter wonderland or a hurricane, this homeowner will not have to worry about ice dams or driving rain. GAF Timberline HD, Marion, MA Dormers Premium Aluminum Drip Edge: Installed along the rakes, drip edge serves several purposes. It improves the efficiency of water shedding, prevents leaking from a wind-driven rain as well as movement between the deck and fascia boards. Drip edge also keeps pesky insects from infiltrating the space between the roof deck and the fascia boards. With a choice of three colors, white, brown and gray, it provides a finished look for a roof. GAF Pro-Start Eave/Rake Starter Strip: Every story has a beginning and every roof should have a starter strip. Here in New England we’ve got to have our roof be tougher than mother nature. To prevent shingle blow off, an ultra-adhered starter strip properly secures shingles in place during a storm. In contrast, the amateur roofer will often use cut-up shingles as a starter course. This weakened “starter course” lowers the wind resistance of a roof and makes it more susceptible to both wind and water damage. With straighter edges, Dura-Grip adhesive, and outstanding warranties – starter strip will provide beauty, performance and peace of mind. GAF Cobra Ridge Vent: Ridge vents provide necessary airflow to remove excess heat and moisture in an attic. It inhibits the growth of mold and protects the health of the homeowners as well as their stored possessions. A properly vented attic will also protect homes in harsh winter climates from ice damming. Why wait? Contact us today and make your house a Care Free home!

This Terrazzo tiled hallway at a property in Northampton was in a really bad state. It was heavily soiled and suffered from glue marks where the original carpet covering it had been removed. Additionally, there was some damage to the edges of the doorway, and a large crack in the floor running across the width of the hallway. Terrazzo is an interesting material, originally produced in Italy, that consists mainly of concrete with segments of marble and other stone interspersed and held together with a resin. Since Terrazzo is formed in this way, I explained to the customer that I would fill the crack along the floor and the small holes around the edges with concrete, before then using tile paint to match in the colours as best as possible. This would be the most cost-effective solution, which was ideal since the customer had a limited budget for the repairs. Before beginning the restoration, I tested a small area using a diamond encrusted burnishing pad, thereby giving the customer an indication of the type of results that could be achieved. With the customer pleased by the results, the job was booked in for the following week. To begin, Tile Doctor Remove & Go was applied to the floor and was left to dwell for ten minutes to soften the carpet glue and break down any old sealer. This was then scrubbed in to the tiles with a pad fitted to a rotary machine. To remove the remaining residue and marks in the particularly stubborn areas, I used a manual hand scraper. The entire floor was then wet vaxed to soak up the soiled cleaner and leave the area clean for burnishing. This was followed by the use of Tile Doctor diamond encrusted burnishing pads to polish the tiles, starting with a coarse grit pad, followed by wet vaxing and repeating the process with a medium grit pad and finally the fine grit pad to achieve the desired effect. I then installed a turbo dryer to dry the floor. I returned to the property once the floor was dry and carried out the repairs which had been discussed earlier with the customer (filling the holes and cracks in the floor with concrete), cleaning off any concrete residue before I finished for the day. Upon my return to the property the next day, I refined the polish on the floor even further by applying the extra fine grit burnishing pad. To finish off the three day restoration, I sealed the Terrazzo tiles using two coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow sealer. As an impregnating sealer, Colour Grow soaks into the pores of the stone, protecting it from ingrained dirt. Colour Grow also contains colour intensifying properties, allowing it to enhance the naturally occurring shades in the stone, and therefore stopping it from appearing dull. This floor certainly was in a bad state, with damage as well as dirt to deal with, but I’m pleased to say that the work went a long way in transforming its appearance, leaving a very happy customer. Phil Vissian Northamptonshire Tile Doctor

I've been on dedicated plant watch the past couple of weeks. With the temperatures rising here in the Hudson River Valley, my garden has just started to emerge from its winter rest. This past winter may not have had the arctic blasts and epic snow storms of the previous years, but it was still long and dark like any typical northeast winter. So it's always with giddy anticipation that I obsessively check in on the garden in the early spring for the first signs of green! The Woodland Peony has been one of the first plants to push through the garden with its rosy, brownish-green leaves. I mistakenly planted it last year near the hose bib, watched it bud up and then quickly get trampled by my children who have a frenetic passion for all things water. After I got over my sudden loss, I relocated the bare roots last fall under our old Crabapple tree at the front of the house. Unlike the more common peonies that thrive in full sun, the Woodland Peony is a nice, compact selection for the woodland shade garden. These peonies naturalize in deciduous woodlands where they can enjoy early spring sun and summer shade. I'm hoping that our Crabapple's canopy will provide just the right amount of filtered sunlight. The Woodland Peony, as with all peonies, is also deer resistant, which always makes for an attractive plant in my eyes. We live on a little under two-and-a-half acres of land surrounded by properties that find themselves somewhere between farmland, meadow, woodland and marsh. Needless to say, the deer are king here and our gardens suffer. My peonies were a gift, but came from Peony's Envy, a nursery located in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Their website is a great resource for all things peony. I'm hoping one day to make it out to their nursery to take walk among their acres of tree, herbaceous and intersectional peonies. PAEONIA JAPONICA Type - Herbaceous Perennial Hardiness Zone - 3-8 Height - 1.0 - 1.5' Spread - 1.0 - 1.5' Exposure - Part shade Bloom Color - White single flower with yellow stamens Bloom Time - Mid-Late April Flower - Fragrant Features - Scarlet and indigo seed pods, Deer resistance For more information on Paeonia japonica see the Missouri Botanical Garden's Plant Finder.

This beautiful colonial in Marion, Massachusetts is even more gorgeous with its new GAF Timberline HD roof! There is more to a roof than shingles – in fact there are several components to a professionally installed GAF Lifetime Roofing System. Here is the anatomy of our Marion homeowner’s roof: GAF Timberline HD Shingles Marion, MAGAF Timberline HD Roof Shingles: A beautiful architectural shingle at an affordable price! This is our most popular roof shingle here at Care Free Homes! Our Marion customer selected the classic color, Charcoal. This high performance shingle features a 130 mph wind rating and highest possible fire rating. Underlayment: A felt/paper product that is installed over the entire roof deck, underlayment provides an additional layer of protection between the roof deck and the roof shingles. Ice Dam and Water Shield: After a brutal winter and unprecedented snow fall, many New England homes suffered damage from ice dams. Ice Dam and Water Shield provides added protection for eves, rakes, valleys as well as flashed areas around vent pipes, chimneys, dormers, and skylights. Whether it’s a winter wonderland or a hurricane, this homeowner will not have to worry about ice dams or driving rain. GAF Timberline HD, Marion, MA Dormers Premium Aluminum Drip Edge: Installed along the rakes, drip edge serves several purposes. It improves the efficiency of water shedding, prevents leaking from a wind-driven rain as well as movement between the deck and fascia boards. Drip edge also keeps pesky insects from infiltrating the space between the roof deck and the fascia boards. With a choice of three colors, white, brown and gray, it provides a finished look for a roof. GAF Pro-Start Eave/Rake Starter Strip: Every story has a beginning and every roof should have a starter strip. Here in New England we’ve got to have our roof be tougher than mother nature. To prevent shingle blow off, an ultra-adhered starter strip properly secures shingles in place during a storm. In contrast, the amateur roofer will often use cut-up shingles as a starter course. This weakened “starter course” lowers the wind resistance of a roof and makes it more susceptible to both wind and water damage. With straighter edges, Dura-Grip adhesive, and outstanding warranties – starter strip will provide beauty, performance and peace of mind. GAF Cobra Ridge Vent: Ridge vents provide necessary airflow to remove excess heat and moisture in an attic. It inhibits the growth of mold and protects the health of the homeowners as well as their stored possessions. A properly vented attic will also protect homes in harsh winter climates from ice damming. Why wait? Contact us today and make your house a Care Free home!

Sandstone is a particularly popular choice for kitchen and hallway floors amongst home owners in the UK. It not only possesses beautiful natural shades and features, but it is also typically hard wearing, making it an ideal stone for tiled flooring in high traffic areas of a house and can often be found laid as large riven flagstones in pubs and other commercial premises. Naturally, just like any other type of tiled floor, Sandstone needs to be maintained using appropriate products and methods. A lack of adequate surface sealer in particular leaves Sandstone susceptible to ingrained dirt, and can leave distinct, unsightly patches such as those in the photograph below. In this instance, I visited a client in the old Essex town of Thaxted, who believed that her four square meter Sandstone tiled floor might be suffering from damp issues after lifting up the mats covering the area. However, when I arrived at the property and ran damp tests, I found the issue to be superficial. The Sandstone floor however did require attention in the form of a deep clean and a fresh seal to tackle the white patches and prevent further discolouration. To begin the cleaning process I spread Tile Doctor Remove & Go evenly across the floor. It was left to dwell for approximately 15 minutes, during which time it worked to break down the old sealer remaining on the tiles. I then agitated the area twice over with both a black scrubbing pad fitted to a rotation machine lift away any dirt. The resultant slurry was removed using a wet vacuum and the floor was then rinsed with water and then mixed a strong solution of one part Tile Doctor Pro Clean to three parts water which was used to give the floor a final clean and scrub the grout clean before using the wet vacuum again and giving the floor a final rinse with water. After completing the cleaning process I left the floor to dry over the weekend. Upon my return to the house I proceeded to seal the tiles with three coats of Tile Doctor Colour Grow which is an impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the stone and provide durable surface protection going forward. Colour Grow is also specially designed to let the floor breathe and enhance the natural colours in the stone and, in this case, really helped to intensify the natural sand-coloured shades in the tiles. The difference made to these Sandstone tiles was really noticeable, with the white patches completely removed and the surface more generally back to looking like new, needless to say, my client was very happy with the results. Nick Murphy South Essex Tile Doctor

Kitchen designed for differing heights of kitchen cooks. One of the homeowners has an arm / shoulder injury making chopping food painful. The island countertop was lowered to accommodate her height and allow her to cut at a level that didn't cause pain. Photography: Augie Salbosa

This residence was a complete gut renovation of a 4-story row house in Park Slope, and included a new rear extension and penthouse addition. The owners wished to create a warm, family home using a modern language that would act as a clean canvas to feature rich textiles and items from their world travels. As with most Brooklyn row houses, the existing house suffered from a lack of natural light and connection to exterior spaces, an issue that Principal Brendan Coburn is acutely aware of from his experience re-imagining historic structures in the New York area. The resulting architecture is designed around moments featuring natural light and views to the exterior, of both the private garden and the sky, throughout the house, and a stripped-down language of detailing and finishes allows for the concept of the modern-natural to shine. Upon entering the home, the kitchen and dining space draw you in with views beyond through the large glazed opening at the rear of the house. An extension was built to allow for a large sunken living room that provides a family gathering space connected to the kitchen and dining room, but remains distinctly separate, with a strong visual connection to the rear garden. The open sculptural stair tower was designed to function like that of a traditional row house stair, but with a smaller footprint. By extending it up past the original roof level into the new penthouse, the stair becomes an atmospheric shaft for the spaces surrounding the core. All types of weather – sunshine, rain, lightning, can be sensed throughout the home through this unifying vertical environment. The stair space also strives to foster family communication, making open living spaces visible between floors. At the upper-most level, a free-form bench sits suspended over the stair, just by the new roof deck, which provides at-ease entertaining. Oak was used throughout the home as a unifying material element. As one travels upwards within the house, the oak finishes are bleached to further degrees as a nod to how light enters the home. The owners worked with CWB to add their own personality to the project. The meter of a white oak and blackened steel stair screen was designed by the family to read “I love you” in Morse Code, and tile was selected throughout to reference places that hold special significance to the family. To support the owners’ comfort, the architectural design engages passive house technologies to reduce energy use, while increasing air quality within the home – a strategy which aims to respect the environment while providing a refuge from the harsh elements of urban living. This project was published by Wendy Goodman as her Space of the Week, part of New York Magazine’s Design Hunting on The Cut. Photography by Kevin Kunstadt