This traditional bi-color painted kitchen was a remodel project we did in historic Glendale, OH. The original kitchen area was dark, out-dated, had soffits at the ceiling and was subdivided with a knee wall which really chopped up the room. We opened the space up with a larger window, removed the soffits, added a lot more lighting, and added a nice of touch of creativity to the white perimeter with a touch of color in the island and matching hood. The homeowners empty nester lifestyle included entertaining friends and family, hosting local neighborhood planning meetings, and enjoying quiet mornings together before heading out to their daily activities. The wife wanted a way to bring a bit of their beautiful backyard into the kitchen, so using the soft bluish green color accomplished that nicely.

This traditional bi-color painted kitchen was a remodel project we did in historic Glendale, OH. The original kitchen area was dark, out-dated, had soffits at the ceiling and was subdivided with a knee wall which really chopped up the room. We opened the space up with a larger window, removed the soffits, added a lot more lighting, and added a nice of touch of creativity to the white perimeter with a touch of color in the island and matching hood. The homeowners empty nester lifestyle included entertaining friends and family, hosting local neighborhood planning meetings, and enjoying quiet mornings together before heading out to their daily activities. The wife wanted a way to bring a bit of their beautiful backyard into the kitchen, so using the soft bluish green color accomplished that nicely.

This residence is a renovation of a traditional landscape into a contemporary garden. Custom contemporary steel planters complement the steel detailing on the home and offer an opportunity to highlight unique native plant species. A large front yard living space offers easy socialization with this active neighborhood. The spectacular salvaged 15ft Organ Pipe Cactus grabs your eye as you enter the residence and anchors the contemporary garden. The back terrace has been designed to create inviting entertainment areas that overlook the golf course as well as protected private dining areas. A large family gathering spot is nestled between the pool and centered around the concrete fire pit. The relaxing spa has a negative edge that falls as a focal point towards the master bedroom. A secluded private dining area off of the kitchen incorporates a steel louver wall that can be opened and closed providing both privacy from adjacent neighbors and protection from the wind. Masses of succulents and cacti reinforce the structure of the home. Project Details: Architect: PHX Architecture Landscape Contractor: Premier Environments Photography: Art Holeman

David Duncan Livingston For this ground up project in one of Lafayette’s most prized neighborhoods, we brought an East Coast sensibility to this West Coast residence. Honoring the client’s love of classical interiors, we layered the traditional architecture with a crisp contrast of saturated colors, clean moldings and refined white marble. In the living room, tailored furnishings are punctuated by modern accents, bespoke draperies and jewelry like sconces. Built-in custom cabinetry, lasting finishes and indoor/outdoor fabrics were used throughout to create a fresh, elegant yet livable home for this active family of five.

Balancing modern architectural elements with traditional Edwardian features was a key component of the complete renovation of this San Francisco residence. All new finishes were selected to brighten and enliven the spaces, and the home was filled with a mix of furnishings that convey a modern twist on traditional elements. The re-imagined layout of the home supports activities that range from a cozy family game night to al fresco entertaining. Architect: AT6 Architecture Builder: Citidev Photographer: Ken Gutmaker Photography

Balancing modern architectural elements with traditional Edwardian features was a key component of the complete renovation of this San Francisco residence. All new finishes were selected to brighten and enliven the spaces, and the home was filled with a mix of furnishings that convey a modern twist on traditional elements. The re-imagined layout of the home supports activities that range from a cozy family game night to al fresco entertaining. Architect: AT6 Architecture Builder: Citidev Photographer: Ken Gutmaker Photography

Don Pearse Idea Design designed a fun, functional space for the community of active adults at Meadow View Farms in Oley, PA. The great room was designed around an open plan and blue/green color palette. The colors were chosen to create a feeling of tradition with a twist of contemporary.

The rich cherry cabinets and creamy natural stone create a traditional statement, while maintaining a light and bright overall feel. The stacked cabinets have glass inserts at the top which allows the cabinets to extend to the ceiling without feeling top heavy. The marble backsplash is complimented by glass tile accents that add to the space without overwhelming it. The glass brings a bit of whimsy to the overall traditional space. The large windows and patio doors bring in a great presence of natural light and take advantage of the sweeping ocean views. High end appliances, including a wine cooler and an induction cook top allow this family to cook with ease. Ample storage and counter space allow for large gatherings of family and friends, or just a quiet evening at home.

This zealous gardener was tired of her pool taking up so much space in her landscape. She asked me for ideas. The answer was simple. Since her garden brings her so much joy, I proposed adding more garden rooms to experience. We removed the large expansive pool and replaced it with a small reflecting pond that doubles as the pool. This allowed us to create 4 new garden spaces. We replaced all concrete pavers with natural PA flagstone. The traditional square lawn provides elements of simplicity, elegance and classical style while creating a new play space for the grand kids. The pergola creates depth and a great focal point from the loggia. We illuminated all the walkways and garden rooms with Escort Lighting. One of the most fun transformations was converting the spa to a fish pond. The pond provides just enough sound to drain out all neighborhood activities. In the front, we created a new permeable brick paving parking area. The parking area was designed to keep visitors from venturing to the back parking. We chose the permeable brick pavers to collect runoff that is becoming more of a problem in the neighborhood. Our final piece to this property was to come up with a unique solution creating additional privacy while minimizing root damage to the existing plant material. Our client was looking for a permanent solution that required little to no maintenance. Masonry walls were out due to the necessary footers. We looked at fence options. Wood and plastics were out, so we created post out of steel “I” beams and setting concrete lintels in between the lintels. It was perfect. This has to be one of my favorite projects to design and implement of my 25 year experience.

This zealous gardener was tired of her pool taking up so much space in her landscape. She asked me for ideas. The answer was simple. Since her garden brings her so much joy, I proposed adding more garden rooms to experience. We removed the large expansive pool and replaced it with a small reflecting pond that doubles as the pool. This allowed us to create 4 new garden spaces. We replaced all concrete pavers with natural PA flagstone. The traditional square lawn provides elements of simplicity, elegance and classical style while creating a new play space for the grand kids. The pergola creates depth and a great focal point from the loggia. We illuminated all the walkways and garden rooms with Escort Lighting. One of the most fun transformations was converting the spa to a fish pond. The pond provides just enough sound to drain out all neighborhood activities. In the front, we created a new permeable brick paving parking area. The parking area was designed to keep visitors from venturing to the back parking. We chose the permeable brick pavers to collect runoff that is becoming more of a problem in the neighborhood. Our final piece to this property was to come up with a unique solution creating additional privacy while minimizing root damage to the existing plant material. Our client was looking for a permanent solution that required little to no maintenance. Masonry walls were out due to the necessary footers. We looked at fence options. Wood and plastics were out, so we created post out of steel “I” beams and setting concrete lintels in between the lintels. It was perfect. This has to be one of my favorite projects to design and implement of my 25 year experience.

This zealous gardener was tired of her pool taking up so much space in her landscape. She asked me for ideas. The answer was simple. Since her garden brings her so much joy, I proposed adding more garden rooms to experience. We removed the large expansive pool and replaced it with a small reflecting pond that doubles as the pool. This allowed us to create 4 new garden spaces. We replaced all concrete pavers with natural PA flagstone. The traditional square lawn provides elements of simplicity, elegance and classical style while creating a new play space for the grand kids. The pergola creates depth and a great focal point from the loggia. We illuminated all the walkways and garden rooms with Escort Lighting. One of the most fun transformations was converting the spa to a fish pond. The pond provides just enough sound to drain out all neighborhood activities. In the front, we created a new permeable brick paving parking area. The parking area was designed to keep visitors from venturing to the back parking. We chose the permeable brick pavers to collect runoff that is becoming more of a problem in the neighborhood. Our final piece to this property was to come up with a unique solution creating additional privacy while minimizing root damage to the existing plant material. Our client was looking for a permanent solution that required little to no maintenance. Masonry walls were out due to the necessary footers. We looked at fence options. Wood and plastics were out, so we created post out of steel “I” beams and setting concrete lintels in between the lintels. It was perfect. This has to be one of my favorite projects to design and implement of my 25 year experience.

This zealous gardener was tired of her pool taking up so much space in her landscape. She asked me for ideas. The answer was simple. Since her garden brings her so much joy, I proposed adding more garden rooms to experience. We removed the large expansive pool and replaced it with a small reflecting pond that doubles as the pool. This allowed us to create 4 new garden spaces. We replaced all concrete pavers with natural PA flagstone. The traditional square lawn provides elements of simplicity, elegance and classical style while creating a new play space for the grand kids. The pergola creates depth and a great focal point from the loggia. We illuminated all the walkways and garden rooms with Escort Lighting. One of the most fun transformations was converting the spa to a fish pond. The pond provides just enough sound to drain out all neighborhood activities. In the front, we created a new permeable brick paving parking area. The parking area was designed to keep visitors from venturing to the back parking. We chose the permeable brick pavers to collect runoff that is becoming more of a problem in the neighborhood. Our final piece to this property was to come up with a unique solution creating additional privacy while minimizing root damage to the existing plant material. Our client was looking for a permanent solution that required little to no maintenance. Masonry walls were out due to the necessary footers. We looked at fence options. Wood and plastics were out, so we created post out of steel “I” beams and setting concrete lintels in between the lintels. It was perfect. This has to be one of my favorite projects to design and implement of my 25 year experience.

Don Pearse Idea Design designed a fun, functional space for the community of active adults at Meadow View Farms in Oley, PA. The great room was designed around an open plan and blue/green color palette. The colors were chosen to create a feeling of tradition with a twist of contemporary.

After photos - completed kitchen! Wolf Range oven and stove top.
Eclectic kitchen photo in Denver

This zealous gardener was tired of her pool taking up so much space in her landscape. She asked me for ideas. The answer was simple. Since her garden brings her so much joy, I proposed adding more garden rooms to experience. We removed the large expansive pool and replaced it with a small reflecting pond that doubles as the pool. This allowed us to create 4 new garden spaces. We replaced all concrete pavers with natural PA flagstone. The traditional square lawn provides elements of simplicity, elegance and classical style while creating a new play space for the grand kids. The pergola creates depth and a great focal point from the loggia. We illuminated all the walkways and garden rooms with Escort Lighting. One of the most fun transformations was converting the spa to a fish pond. The pond provides just enough sound to drain out all neighborhood activities. In the front, we created a new permeable brick paving parking area. The parking area was designed to keep visitors from venturing to the back parking. We chose the permeable brick pavers to collect runoff that is becoming more of a problem in the neighborhood. Our final piece to this property was to come up with a unique solution creating additional privacy while minimizing root damage to the existing plant material. Our client was looking for a permanent solution that required little to no maintenance. Masonry walls were out due to the necessary footers. We looked at fence options. Wood and plastics were out, so we created post out of steel “I” beams and setting concrete lintels in between the lintels. It was perfect. This has to be one of my favorite projects to design and implement of my 25 year experience.

After photos - completed kitchen!
Kitchen - eclectic kitchen idea in Denver

Losing large specimen trees is never desirable. But when the unimaginable happens, we are presented with an opportunity to rethink and refresh, even in traditional residential settings. We replaced the lawn area beneath the remaining London plane with a fine fescue seed mix. Our design strategy was to hold space and create immediate impact while reducing maintenance needs as the landscape matured. Into this base, we planted evergreen basal foliage, long bloomers and early spring/late fall color to create an immersive all-season groundcover that will slowly intermingle. Annually, this low mow is cut no lower than 4” (thereby safeguarding habitat) while the tidily trimmed perimeter utilizes remnant turf grass as visible cues to care. Dissecting the rectilinear green space, permeable hardscaping offers a gently curved path towards the front entryway; an invitation to pause and observe the landscape’s diverse textures and activity up close. Within which, a legacy planting of new specimen trees. Traditional shrub heavy foundation plantings are often static and rigid; this perennial rich redesign is structured yet airy to retain design cohesion with the naturalistic stylized meadow and offer vibrant textural all-season interest. This project blends different landscape styles to create a biodiverse habitat that is ecologically beneficial, beautiful and resilient. In high summer, a doe finds refuge for her fawn while the family’s children delight in the buzzing activity of smaller inhabitants, native bees and assorted pollinators, that now call this habitat home.

Losing large specimen trees is never desirable. But when the unimaginable happens, we are presented with an opportunity to rethink and refresh, even in traditional residential settings. We replaced the lawn area beneath the remaining London plane with a fine fescue seed mix. Our design strategy was to hold space and create immediate impact while reducing maintenance needs as the landscape matured. Into this base, we planted evergreen basal foliage, long bloomers and early spring/late fall color to create an immersive all-season groundcover that will slowly intermingle. Annually, this low mow is cut no lower than 4” (thereby safeguarding habitat) while the tidily trimmed perimeter utilizes remnant turf grass as visible cues to care. Dissecting the rectilinear green space, permeable hardscaping offers a gently curved path towards the front entryway; an invitation to pause and observe the landscape’s diverse textures and activity up close. Within which, a legacy planting of new specimen trees. Traditional shrub heavy foundation plantings are often static and rigid; this perennial rich redesign is structured yet airy to retain design cohesion with the naturalistic stylized meadow and offer vibrant textural all-season interest. This project blends different landscape styles to create a biodiverse habitat that is ecologically beneficial, beautiful and resilient. In high summer, a doe finds refuge for her fawn while the family’s children delight in the buzzing activity of smaller inhabitants, native bees and assorted pollinators, that now call this habitat home.

Sometimes we like it traditional! This family that is very active in their community, needed a kitchen that will endure a lot of traffic, and have ample storage for oversized cookware and serving pieces, to be able to accommodate the weekly Shabbos Kiddish that they host. Can you spot the hiding place for the huge cholont pot?