Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

Mosaic backsplash pattern designed by client. Isn't it awesome?! Wing Wong/Memories TTL
Mid-sized transitional l-shaped linoleum floor enclosed kitchen photo in New York with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, white backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, no island and wood countertops

Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

Completely renovated home office with gray cerused oak veneer. Details include pullout keyboard tray, hidden "trough" for wire management, and retractable cabinet doors for access to CPUs and other computer accessories. New porcelain stone-look tile flooring. New flat weave lavender rug with a beige bubble pattern.

A charming Dutch Colonial had lots going for it: a great location, schools nearby, a large living room, and a pool. Though it’s charm had faded with several slap dash additions, disconnection from the garden and pool, archaic kitchen, unusable interior rooms. We listened to the owner, then diagrammed their lifestyle. We discovered they live in the kitchen. This led to a radical idea to flip the living room and kitchen. An open first floor plan allows for a flow between rooms and views through the home. The kitchen, now quite large, functions as a place to gather, work, and eat around a large center table. The living room is located in the back of the home for views of the garden and easy access to the pool. A series of floor to ceiling glass doors allow a conversation between the home and garden. A dance ensues between the old and new, the past and the rising of something new. 2 small additions expand the dining and living rooms, their roofs get low and linear to speak to the land and set a stage for the existing Gambrel roofs. The stair hall is extended to harvest a third floor attic for a guest suite. A focus on simplicity of detail and authenticity of material set the stage for the next scene both this charming home and those whom dwell within it.

Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

When our client bought their lot in Broken Top they did not build for years. Living in San Diego,they decided in 2011 to build a vacation home/ future retirement abode. Their vision included a welcoming single level with relaxing Master bedroom and bath, a kitchen/living/dining space to entertain family and friends, and an outdoor living space to enjoy the sunsets.Their vision became reality!! It also includes a wonderful second bedroom perfect for guests, with a separate entrance and a private bath with walk-in shower. The third bedroom doubles as an office with lots of windows. The home is rustic from the front. Upon entering one notices the open floor plan and contemporary kitchen design as well as the beautiful rock fireplace and abundance of light. An extra-large island in the kitchen includes a wine cooler, bar sink, and eating area. The décor of the home is comfortable and warm. And the stunning dark Acacia wood flooring runs throughout the main living area. This home is 3210 square feet on a single level. Natural mature landscaping surrounds the home giving it a settled-in feeling. This is a perfect home for retirees who host guests, or a small family. In this case,the couple will use it as their vacation get-away with retirement in their scope. Ross Chandler

The best kitchen showroom in your area is closer than you think. The four designers there are some of the most experienced award winning kitchen designers in the Delaware Valley. They design in and sell 6 national cabinet lines. And their pricing for cabinetry is slightly less than at home centers in apples to apples comparisons. Where is this kitchen showroom and how come you don’t remember seeing it when it is so close by? It’s in your own home! Main Line Kitchen Design brings all the same samples you select from when you travel to other showrooms to your home. We make design changes on our laptops in 20-20 CAD with you present usually in the very kitchen being renovated. Understanding what designs will look like and how sample kitchen cabinets, doors, and finishes will look in your home is easy when you are standing in the very room being renovated. Design changes can be emailed to you to print out and discuss with friends and family if you choose. Best of all our design time is free since it is incorporated into the very competitive pricing of your cabinetry when you purchase a kitchen from Main Line Kitchen Design. Finally there is a kitchen business model and design team that carries the highest quality cabinetry, is experienced, convenient, and reasonably priced. Call us today and find out why we get the best reviews on the internet or Google us and check. We look forward to working with you. As our company tag line says: “The world of kitchen design is changing…”

House Plan 23503JD is one of our favorite Craftsman/Bungalow-esque house plans. We're thrilled with our client's final product built in Michigan. This 3 Bedroom, 2 bath home has beautiful decorative trusses, a great combination of stone, siding, and shingles, a standing seam metal roof over the front bedroom, and a lovely front porch. Ready when you are! Where do YOU want to build? Specs-at-a-glance 3 Bedrooms 2 Baths 1,900+ Sq. Ft. Plans: http://bit.ly/23503jd #readywhenyouare #bungalow #houseplan

In downtown Argenta, North Little Rock a new three story building was constructed to house Cregan's Irish pub on the first floor, corporate offices on the second floor and condo's on the third floor. John Rogers Design provided interior and lighting design services for a client who was open to new ideas. The owner moved from a spacious home in suburban west Little Rock. He wanted to scale down while having plenty of space to entertain and display his impressive art collection. He has working knowledge of architecture and had definite ideas on design. He also made time to get involved in the planning and design phases of the project. It was a wonderful collaboration made in design heaven. This space was a blank slate, only the perimeter demising walls that separated tenet space were in place. The owner wanted all his furnishings and accessories incorporated into the space plan. Our services were to space plan, design all millwork, select all interior finishes, lighting design and develop the interior architectural documents with an architect. The following CUE magazine 2009 article interview best describes our project. Credits; Contractor: Dave Grundfest Company https://www.grundfest.com/ Millwork: Cunningham & Sons / Gary Cunningham Concrete Counters: ICS- Chis Carroll Photographer: John Watson

The third of the 3 bathrooms features a vanity similar to the first, with open storage below and a combination of drawers. This bathroom has a lighter wood-look ceramic tile floor and a dramatic black shower.

The owner wanted her master suite to be a daily retreat, a place to get away and relax in her tub. The existing bathroom didn't have a tub and two small closets that opened into the cramped space. An extensive collection of jewelry and shoes overflowed chaotically into the bathroom. In the master bedroom a small desk tucked into a corner by a third small closet took up valuable real estate. The master bath and bedroom were gutted and reconfigured. The closets moved out of the bathroom, and by stealing space above the stairwell and the aforementioned desk nook, a large walk in closet with built in storage was designed at one end of the bedroom. An additional wall of cabinets that houses the TV also serves as a place for shoes and accessory storage. In the new master bath, a new tiled walk in shower with a frameless shower door, and a freestanding bathtub give the room a much more spacious feel. Luxe finishes like marble, handmade tiles, and sleek custom cabinetry add to the spa like feel of the new master bath. A new custom makeup vanity adds even more storage, and the full length mirror disguises another storage cabinet. At the end of the day, the client loves to soak in the tub as she looks out over the treetops in this second story master suite retreat.

This kitchen is located in the center of a rectangular living space. The old shaker style green cabinets, large stainless steel appliances and a two tier island with pendant lights were the focal point of the condominium. In keeping with the owner’s desire for the kitchen to “blend into” the contemporary look and feel of the condo, we changed the wood flooring to black porcelain tiles, dark sleek cabinets, a black granite top and backsplash, antiqued waterfall island top and replaced all lighting with small recessed can lighting. The walls of cabinets are all the same depth with matching black granite backsplash balanced with large cabinets left and paneled refrigerator right. The cooktop area almost appears to be “carved out”. The kitchen now melts into the background of the owners more contemporary look. Large open windows overlooking a more urban landscape give it a sense of openness. Because this condominium is on the third floor of an old commercial building, we were limited on the size of the granite slab that we could get into the building. To avoid a boring seam . . . we inlaid a piece of wood in between the granite sections adding a trimmed appearance to the granite sections. The client is very pleased that she has achieved her desired kitchen atmosphere in keeping with the contemporary motif that she has created in her condominium.

Bedroom - traditional bedroom idea in Milwaukee

This is a 50'' Orton Style Rumford Fireplace at my home in Oxford,CT. A Rumford Firplace is made with either a straight rear wall or a slanted one. The slanted ones are the better heaters and I just proved "the more efficient" as they do not have a bigger throat area than the straight variety. The book "The Forgotten Art of Building a Good Fireplace" written bu Vrest Orton in the late 60's descibes the slanted variety well and that is where they picked up the name. He did not invent them rather he wrote of what he witnessed as being nice enjoyable good heating Rumfords . It uses my self made damper and burns all winter long with the damper blade at only a 1-3/4'''' gap opening. This represents a throat area to fireplace opening area of 1 to 30 a achievement that recently left the top authority on Rumford Fireplaces in awe and disbelief as his straight backed Rumfords only get to a 1:20 ratio. Although he remained skeptical and wanting more explicit videos and refusing to sign a nondisclosure agreement, he wanted to know if I could do the same with his chosen styled Rumfords. With a large or small fire the damper stays fixed. Weather is a non issue, even foggy drizzly nights do not effect this fireplace. There are videos at FCasini on You Tube showing the 50'' burning along with my basement 36'' Orton which I did experimenting last winter . The basement [never used before] has no face, so I affixed a steel panel on it to see if it could burn at the same ratio as my 50'' which uses my self made 30 year old damper. Iinstead it has a custom vestal damper which I cut the front off as I occasionally do when the budget is limited. It burned good at a 1 to 26 ratio which is way above the 1/17 that Straight Back Rumfords normally do although their very best is 1/20 ..both of which depend on the use of the highly suggested Tee Pee Fire which will assist any fireplace in smoke evacuation due to solely emitting the smoke form the high end of the standing logs! Both of my fireplaces certainly can use this style fire but I enjoy the horizontal log cabin style because of the easy loading and longer lasting fire per load. This winter I am going to affix a glass panel to get a good look at the throat and inner breast chamber while the fireplace is burning. This will be done in my third [ also un faced like the basement] Rumford. This one uses an outside chimney that is about 18' tall, much shorter than the other two and not as warm an environment being the other two are interior chimneys. I am anxious to see if it will compete with a lesser draft ? I have been searching the patent data base and to date there is nothing close to even resemble the way I get these slanted fireplaces to pass the smoke through such a ridiculously thin throat which I call "The Gates Of Hell". The prototype is complete and installed into this fireplace which is in it's second year of performance testing and doing better than I expected, in fact before installing it last week I cleaned the throat and chimney and damper blade which hasn't been done in 6 years. This did help the performance a lot as the passage is so thin any build up greatly slows it down from the added viscosity ie flow drag. For those that don't understand the benefit of a 1:30 ratio it is half the loss of heated air up the chimney and results in a 50% increase in heat efficiency. This equals a 100% enjoyment factor for anyone whom takes fireplace burning seriously like have done and do for the past 30 years! The house doesn't get sucked cold!

Pleasant Heights is a newly constructed home that sits atop a large bluff in Chatham overlooking Pleasant Bay, the largest salt water estuary on Cape Cod. - Two classic shingle style gambrel roofs run perpendicular to the main body of the house and flank an entry porch with two stout, robust columns. A hip-roofed dormer—with an arch-top center window and two tiny side windows—highlights the center above the porch and caps off the orderly but not too formal entry area. A third gambrel defines the garage that is set off to one side. A continuous flared roof overhang brings down the scale and helps shade the first-floor windows. Sinuous lines created by arches and brackets balance the linear geometry of the main mass of the house and are playful and fun. A broad back porch provides a covered transition from house to landscape and frames sweeping views. - Inside, a grand entry hall with a curved stair and balcony above sets up entry to a sequence of spaces that stretch out parallel to the shoreline. Living, dining, kitchen, breakfast nook, study, screened-in porch, all bedrooms and some bathrooms take in the spectacular bay view. A rustic brick and stone fireplace warms the living room and recalls the finely detailed chimney that anchors the west end of the house outside. - PSD Scope Of Work: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Construction | Living Space: 6,883ft² | Photography: Brian Vanden Brink |

Designed By: Richard Bustos Photos By: Jeri Koegel Ron and Kathy Chaisson have lived in many homes throughout Orange County, including three homes on the Balboa Peninsula and one at Pelican Crest. But when the “kind of retired” couple, as they describe their current status, decided to finally build their ultimate dream house in the flower streets of Corona del Mar, they opted not to skimp on the amenities. “We wanted this house to have the features of a resort,” says Ron. “So we designed it to have a pool on the roof, five patios, a spa, a gym, water walls in the courtyard, fire-pits and steam showers.” To bring that five-star level of luxury to their newly constructed home, the couple enlisted Orange County’s top talent, including our very own rock star design consultant Richard Bustos, who worked alongside interior designer Trish Steel and Patterson Custom Homes as well as Brandon Architects. Together the team created a 4,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bathroom contemporary house where R&R get top billing in almost every room. Two stories tall and with lots of open spaces, it manages to feel spacious despite its narrow location. And from its third floor patio, it boasts panoramic ocean views. “Overall we wanted this to be contemporary, but we also wanted it to feel warm,” says Ron. Key to creating that look was Richard, who selected the primary pieces from our extensive portfolio of top-quality furnishings. Richard also focused on clean lines and neutral colors to achieve the couple’s modern aesthetic, while allowing both the home’s gorgeous views and Kathy’s art to take center stage. As for that mahogany-lined elevator? “It’s a requirement,” states Ron. “With three levels, and lots of entertaining, we need that elevator for keeping the bar stocked up at the cabana, and for our big barbecue parties.” He adds, “my wife wears high heels a lot of the time, so riding the elevator instead of taking the stairs makes life that much better for her.”

We met with our clients to design an updated entertaining space and bring their vision to life. To complete this outdoor oasis, we needed not one, but three decks – a pool level deck, a second story balcony deck, and a third story walk out. Over 3,000 sq. ft! To start, we removed the existing decking and railing and installed a brand new frame with proper under deck supports. Then, we installed TimberTech Legacy decking in a gorgeous Ashwood color with Ashwood fascia wrap. Espresso feature boards are placed throughout the large area, and the diagonal pattern that frames the rectangular pool offers interesting angles and lines, making the deck a true work of art. Black aluminum railings were installed on the side of the deck , while black Ultralox and glass balusters suit the front railings. We removed the existing railings, deck, and deck drain on the second level balcony deck, and replaced it with decking to match the pool level deck, as well as a new deck drain. A proper deck drainage system allows for a safe, dry entertaining space below — a great place to get out of the sun on a hot Maryland day! Black Ultralox railings with glass balusters add an elegant, modern accent to the Ashwood decking. The smaller upper deck was designed to match the two lower level decks, featuring the same gorgeous details, such as the glass balusters and espresso feature boards.