Our client reached out to Finesse, Inc. looking for a pet sanctuary for their two cats. A design was created to allow the fur-babies to enter and exit without the assistance of their humans. A cat door was placed an the exterior wall and a 30" x 80" door was added so that family can enjoy the beautiful outdoors together. A pet friendly turf, designed especially with paw consideration, was selected and installed. The enclosure was built as a "stand alone" structure and can be easily dismantled and transferred in the event of a move in the future. Rob Kramig, Los Angeles

This contemporary farmhouse is set among the amazing vineyard views in Napa's prized Coombsville appellation. With the construction bearing soaring ceilings, resort-style Grand Suite steps into the pool and hot tub, and an oversized great room blends seamlessly into the outside with enormous retractable sliding doors. Room for the party farm table for endless entertaining. Solar, back-up generator and built-in transfer switch. Awaken to the stunning vineyard views Napa has to offer!

Part of the beauty of this home is it location, high in the hills, overlooking valleys and mountains, and facing due west. Unfortunately, the original floorplan didn’t take advantage of the views or the ample natural light. In order to bring the outside in, We widened hallways and removed many of the angled walls that were serving to cut off the transfer of light. We added and enlarged the windows on the wester facing elevation, and added a La Cantina glass door system leading out to the brand new deck. The natural tone oak wood floors bring an organic, light and bright feel throughout the home.

These clients enjoy cooking and entertaining, so their vision was to open and connect three separate rooms—the kitchen, sitting, and formal dining rooms—to create a single open and modern space where everyone could engage and participate in the activities. Opening these spaces required complex structural engineering. The wall removals required supporting the loads from the second floor and meeting the engineering requirements for shear wall and lateral support. These beams and their connections to the posts they sit on were a challenge to install because of the complex nature of the home's original framed. All these loads had to be carried through the finished basement below and rest on new footings below the basement floor. The center kitchen island was expansive, with a single slab countertop that would provide both workspace and counter seating. This slab, at 64x120 and 789 lbs., required careful planning for on-site labor, transfer routing, and precision installation. Natural daylight now floods the space from all directions. Recessed can lighting runs throughout the space, all on dimmers for maximum control of ambiance. The Better Builders design team guided the selection of hardwoods, staircase details, cabinetry, countertops, tile, and color. The muted palette and clean lines work well with our couple’s eclectic furnishings and artworks. Now, traffic and activities flow better, and every inch of the previously divided space is utilized and enjoyed. The outcome is exactly as our homeowners envisioned…and as we intended.

If there’s one thing Nelson, British Columbia is known for, it’s snow. Every year thousands of skiers and snowboarders flock to Nelson, located in interior BC, to get a dose of the area's famous fresh powder. However, along with epic snow comes freezing temperatures. During the winter season, Nelson typically averages a low of 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 degrees Celsius) and a high of 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius.) When combined with the humidity the area usually receives in the winter months, these already freezing temperatures can feel significantly cooler. Our customer took this into account when designing his Nelson-area home. The homeowner wanted to get the most out of the location and climate without spending a fortune on heating. With this in mind, a passive solar home was designed and constructed. This type of home is designed to harness, store and distribute solar energy in the winter to heat the home without the use of mechanical or electrical devices. However, with average lows hovering around 12 degrees Fahrenheit, a little more was needed to take the bite out of the chilly air. Ultimately we determined our Prestyl Heating Panels would be a great way to add heat to this home. They transfer sun-like-warmth directly to people and objects and are zone-controlled, which allows the user to heat only the spaces they are using. Ultimately what this means is you can increase your comfort while decreasing your heating costs: A perfect solution for an environmentally-conscious/budget-conscious homeowner in a ski town.

"Pebble Beach" is a sensual mix of creams, grays, lilac, lavenders, pinks, and pastel tones and gold wallpaper to make a commanding accent wall. Subtle pops of color and mixed neutrals make our wall mural the perfect muted pop for a hallway or bedroom. Create real gold tones with the complimentary kit to transfer gold leaf onto the abstract, digital printed design. The "Pebble Beach" mural is an authentic Blueberry Glitter painting converted into a large wall mural.

Transfer from Chicago to San Francisco. We did his home in Chicago. Which incidentally appeared on the cover of Chicago Home Interiors. The client is a google executive transplanted. The home is roughly 1500 sq. ft and sits right in the middle of the Castro District. Art deco and arts and craft detailing. The client opted to go with color, and they drove the color scheme. The living room was awkward with only one plain wall. It needed to accommodate entertaining, audio and video use, and be a workspace. Additionally, the client wanted the room to transition easily weather it was just him and his partner or many guests. We opted to do central furniture arrangements. Therefore, we took advantage of the fireplace, large window focal point and added a media wall as a third focal point. Dining is a large square table with two large buffets. The unique feature is a ceiling mural. The color scheme is moody browns greens and purples.

Building materials are one of the primary sources of indoor air contaminants that negatively affect the health of our living spaces The EcoCraft team has meticulously selected building materials that are healthy, recyclable, and free of harmful contaminants thereby improving the health of our homes. Consider also that consistent temperatures between floors, rooms, and surfaces plays a critical role in how humans experience true comfort. Our advanced airtight continuously insulated building envelopes eliminate drafts and cold surface to ensure consistent air and surface temperatures. Individually zoned floors and spaces provide occupant control for added flexibility and individualized temperature settings. Our extra thick walls and energy star windows reduce sound transfer between the interior and exterior spaces, while our state of the art mechanical systems run quietly to provide an experience you can feel, but can barely hear.

The SeasonGuard windows and patio door our client, Bill, recently had installed by our craftsmen are built fit any opening in the home. They utilize Latitude Glass which is high-performance insulated glass that is engineered to provide maximum thermal efficiency and comfort. Thanks to a lifetime, non-prorated transferable warranty that also covers accidental glass breakage, Bill will have peace of mind knowing that his windows are protected well into the future.

Duration® Premium Cool Shingles reflect solar energy, helping decrease the amount of heat transferred to a home’s interior – and the amount of air conditioning needed to keep it comfortable. Duration® Premium Cool Shingles are ENERGY STAR® rated and feature unique lighter colors that have corresponding Owens Corning™ Hip & Ridge Shingles. These shingles also offer our patented SureNail® Technology.

This airy living room was conceived around the homeowners love of art and nature. A palette derived from sea and sand, natural elements were brought in both literally and figuratively. Warm wood and earthen accents are countered by sleek, modern accent chairs. The embroidered linen draperies draw the eye up and serve as a dramatic backdrop to the serene conversation area. Oversized mirrors transfer the ambient light throughout the room. The centerpiece of the room is a silk and copper aerial sculpture by artist Jan R. Carson (www.janrcarson.com) that is accented by a halogen spotlight. The lighting casts an ever-changing shadow, creating life and whimsy to the room. The homeowners have even been known to move the furniture back, spotlight the mobile, and use the room as a salsa dance floor! A reclaimed hand-carved door was repurposed as a coffee table. Modern elements such as the lucite "Ghost" chair, the Gus rocker, and impressionist original oil painting balance out the rustic elements of the room. Julie Austin Photography

Building materials are one of the primary sources of indoor air contaminants that negatively affect the health of our living spaces The EcoCraft team has meticulously selected building materials that are healthy, recyclable, and free of harmful contaminants thereby improving the health of our homes. Consistent temperatures between floors, rooms, and surfaces play a critical role in how humans experience true comfort. Consider also, quiet spaces free of outside ambient noise have been proven to improve sleep, focus, and productivity. Our extra thick walls and energy star windows reduce sound transfer between the interior and exterior spaces, while our state of the art mechanical systems run quietly to provide an experience you can feel, but can barely hear. Call 1-800-274-6198 to start custom designing your dream luxury home today.

This townhome located on Lake Anna of Reston, VA own into a confined gall kitchen with a very limited cabinet space, short wall cabinets, big closet taking over big portion of kitchen, duct chase creating a big barrier, plumbing chases causing bulkhead and a bearing wall header to name a few of obstacles Their dream was to walk in from front door and have a clear view of wall to wall scenic view of the lake. Modernize the kitchen, eliminate bearing walls, lots of storage, upgraded appliances and so much more. They have been chasing this dream for years and have been turned down by multiple firms due to level of difficulty of the project, budget constraint and as she put it “cleeking with a design firm that can feel her needs” Our staff spent countless number of hours to hear her and bring her dream to reality. The main constraint was the bearing wall on corner of foyer and living room, which was a closet, main duct chase and return ducts, obscene amount of plumbing and not to mention structural load. By the way of re-routing mechanical chases, and reformulating all second-floor plumbing stack to back walls, and then inserting few structural beams that transfer the second-floor joists to front and back wall, we have accomplished the biggest goals of all and created the view open floor plan Now home to a big island with cooktop and beverage center. The home has front to back clear view of the scenic lake. ¬¬¬With expanding the kitchen into front breakfast area, we have doubled up on storage and cabinet space. Long line of gorgeous counter top and full backsplash under new Led lighting has glorified this kitchen project. The linear porcelain floor tile has complimented the counter top and her trophy accessories.

Fulfilling the promise of their corporate mission of “Quality without Compromise” Fabrica manufactures carpets and rugs for the most demanding segments of the high-end style residential market. Fabrica's distinctive broadloom carpet, custom area rugs, and hand-tufted rugs have earned Fabrica an international reputation for exquisite style and exceptional performance. Over their 40-year history of selling top quality floor coverings, Sarmazian Bros. Ltd.'s reputation for high caliber products and service is continually being enhanced by the testimonials of its customers. As a family-owned business, the Sarmazian brothers and their staff pride themselves on the ability to provide the best end-to-end purchasing experience in the market. New flooring is the foundation of personal expression in any home; at the same time, it is one of the most costly investments. This is why Sarmazian's takes the extra time to supply the expert knowledge, exceptional pricing, and professional installation enabling to transfer optimum satisfaction to the customer. Sarmazian's award winning showrooms allow the imagination to go wild. The spacious design and interactive layouts let customers browse, touch, and feel the extensive selection of merchandise in a friendly relaxed atmosphere. Because Sarmazian Bros. deals directly with the manufacturers and installers we offer quicker service, better support, and pass on the savings directly to you, the customer.

Matt Lawson
Inspiration for a modern kitchen remodel in Vancouver

Flooring made from cork can help you save money on your heating and cooling bills. The same cellular structure that insulates a floating cork floor against noise transfer will also keep out unwanted heat energy in the summer, or to keep it in the home in the winter. This means less energy will be expended to control the temperature of an interior space, a bonus to any wallet. Look into floating cork flooring today for better management.

This airy living room was conceived around the homeowners love of art and nature. A palette derived from sea and sand, natural elements were brought in both literally and figuratively. Warm wood and earthen accents are countered by sleek, modern accent chairs. The embroidered linen draperies draw the eye up and serve as a dramatic backdrop to the serene conversation area. Oversized mirrors transfer the ambient light throughout the room. The centerpiece of the room is a silk and copper aerial sculpture by artist Jan R. Carson (www.janrcarson.com) that is accented by a halogen spotlight. The lighting casts an ever-changing shadow, creating life and whimsy to the room. The homeowners have even been known to move the furniture back, spotlight the mobile, and use the room as a salsa dance floor! A reclaimed hand-carved door was repurposed as a coffee table. Modern elements such as the lucite "Ghost" chair, the Gus rocker, and impressionist original oil painting balance out the rustic elements of the room. Julie Austin Photography

Transitional home design photo in Baltimore