This beautiful gray composite deck features wood lattice skirting, pressure-treated wood pergola, and black railings. This deck is a multi-level deck offering two areas for entertaining.

This custom-designed walk-out bungalow cottage will be built into a hill on our clients’ lovely property near Val-des-Monts, QC. As with all of our waterfront designs, it is oriented to take full advantage of the views and sunlight. The main level has as much outdoor living space as interior space. The open-concept kitchen, dining area, and great room with fireplace open up to an expansive open deck and screened-in porch. The front porch leads to the front foyer and also has access to the lower-level deck. A walk-in pantry and powder room round out the main level. Making good use of the hill, the lower level will be at ground level on three sides, with a covered deck with hot tub wrapping around two sides and an open deck on the other. The main suite with a large walk-in closet, two additional bedrooms, spacious rec room with wood stove, main bathroom, laundry room, and mechanical room fill the space. An outdoor storage room will be accessed from the lower deck. The upper loft is an open and flexible space with large windows to provide plentiful light. The oversized 2-bay garage has windows on three sides to provide lots of natural light.

This brownstone, located in Harlem, consists of five stories which had been duplexed to create a two story rental unit and a 3 story home for the owners. The owner hired us to do a modern renovation of their home and rear garden. The garden was under utilized, barely visible from the interior and could only be accessed via a small steel stair at the rear of the second floor. We enlarged the owner’s home to include the rear third of the floor below which had walk out access to the garden. The additional square footage became a new family room connected to the living room and kitchen on the floor above via a double height space and a new sculptural stair. The rear facade was completely restructured to allow us to install a wall to wall two story window and door system within the new double height space creating a connection not only between the two floors but with the outside. The garden itself was terraced into two levels, the bottom level of which is directly accessed from the new family room space, the upper level accessed via a few stone clad steps. The upper level of the garden features a playful interplay of stone pavers with wood decking adjacent to a large seating area and a new planting bed. Wet bar cabinetry at the family room level is mirrored by an outside cabinetry/grill configuration as another way to visually tie inside to out. The second floor features the dining room, kitchen and living room in a large open space. Wall to wall builtins from the front to the rear transition from storage to dining display to kitchen; ending at an open shelf display with a fireplace feature in the base. The third floor serves as the children’s floor with two bedrooms and two ensuite baths. The fourth floor is a master suite with a large bedroom and a large bathroom bridged by a walnut clad hall that conceals a closet system and features a built in desk. The master bath consists of a tiled partition wall dividing the space to create a large walkthrough shower for two on one side and showcasing a free standing tub on the other. The house is full of custom modern details such as the recessed, lit handrail at the house’s main stair, floor to ceiling glass partitions separating the halls from the stairs and a whimsical builtin bench in the entry.

2011 NARI CAPITAL COTY GRAND AWARD WINNER A single family home in Oakton, VA built in late 80’ was occupied by family of four for 10 years. The owner wishes to expand the living space, finish the basement, add a sunroom/breakfast area addition, eliminate the deck and put in a screen porch. Also convert the laundry room to office/mudroom area. It took months of planning to get into the final design. We have implemented a plan that had a two story back addition (both basement level and first level). This required removing the cinder block wall of basement to add the seamless addition, and removing the entire first level back wall of kitchen to open up kitchen into sunroom. The major challenge was to re-route all duct work going to second level, add ducts for basement and first level to existing system. Then add a second HVAC system in attic for entire second level. Then change all load structure for tow story addition to side wall and new walls to have entire width opened up. The basement has gained a new bar area, a total new bathroom with shower and large vanities and all amenities, media area with gas fireplace and mantel surrounded with matching cherry bookcases and granite tops, recess lights, surround sound system, wood floor and steps, new sewer ejection system due to their difficult septic tank. The new French doors lead into back bricked patio The first floor gained this new 16’x20’ cathedral ceiling sunroom/breakfast addition surrounded with large arched windows and French slider leading into new screen porch. The kitchen lay-out gained three more feet in width. Also by removing partition wall between kitchen and existing family room. The first floor now has total open floor plan. The fireplace in existing family room was converted to gas and got marble surround and new mantel. All bulkhead and part of partition walls contained massive plumbing and electrical that needed to be relocated in order to implement the new kitchen layout. This design has much more appliances and a beautiful large furniture style island that is the focal point of this kitchen done in espresso color cherry cabinetry and contrasting light color exotic stove top lighted by two crystal chandeliers. The wrap around of cherry cabinetry in the kitchen with expended cabinetry into butler area and bookcases and bench in sunroom has given this couple lots to fill in. The entire first floor and leading stairs to second floor and part of the second floor was all covered with new 5” wide exotic Santos Mahogany wood floors and new railings. The powder room has been reconfigured to allow larger hallway and with new furniture style vanity this powder room even small than before but has better layout and space. The old Laundry room and has been converted to a 10’x15’ area of multipurpose space. On the left wall there are locker style cabinetry and bench. One the left wall built in and desk area with tones of storage space. The washer and dryer are install into a closet, away from site. A set of French doors were installed into the new back deck and screen porch. The large porcelain floors made the space look even larger and more utilitarian. Use of cherry cabinetry on deck and bookcase with recess lighting scaled up look of the space. The new kitchen, family room and sun room with the rich cherry cabinetry and darker granite top, tumbled marble backsplash and wide board mahogany floors, upper scale stainless steel appliances and furniture style distressed look darker wood Island and light granite have made this project a breathtaking one. The added side screen porch done with Trex decking and cathedral ceiling covered in beaded panel and corner gas fireplace all around covered with Ledgestone has given this family a place to retire in for all those autumn afternoons and much more. The major overhaul of this home from replacement of all existing doors and windows, flooring, crown molding and trim, stairs, entire first floor reface, new siding , new roofing, new electrical, new HVAC, entire new basement, bathroom, mud room, screen porch and lots more makes these owner proud to stay in this home for years to come.

Multi-level Tiger wood deck with stone in-lay surround.
Example of a mid-sized trendy backyard deck design in Seattle with no cover

This 1912 traditional style house sits on the edge of Cheesman Park with four levels that needed updating to better suit the young family’s needs. A custom wine room was constructed on the lower level to accommodate an area for entertaining guests. The main level was divided into a smaller family room area with a double door opening into the formal living room. The kitchen and butler’s pantry were combined and remodeled for better function. The second level master bathroom was relocated and created out of an adjacent bedroom, incorporating an existing fireplace and Juliet balcony that looks out to the park. A new staircase was constructed on the third level as a continuation of the grand staircase in the center of the house. A gathering and play space opens off the stairs and connects to the third-floor deck. A Jill & Jill bathroom remodel was constructed between the girls’ rooms.

Tri-level aluminum deck with firetable. LED rope lighting was used under the handrails to provide ambient lighting. A cable railing system was installed to allow for a more broad visual sight line from any point on the deck. A matching deck skirt was added to conceal the framing and create a dry storage area for the homeowners. Holly Needham and Carl Christianson

The little cottage on Turnip Field Road in Eastham had been owned by the same couple since 1940, until they built a new, adjacent house on the property. The cottage was then handed down to the next generation, who began spending more and more time at the cottage. It was then that they contacted Cape Associates to construct a more livable home in place of that little cottage. It was crucial to the owners however, that the home keep with the understated charm and Cape Cod-feel of the neighborhood. The primary challenge was to keep it humble, while building the owners their well-deserved vacation retreat. The original cottage had no air conditioning, and renovating was quickly dismissed because of the inadequacies and the cost of modernizing. Building new allowed the team to relocate the house further back from the street, and it meant meeting the owners’ needs without compromise. Cape Associates’ project manager Lance LaLone said the owners expressed their desire to incorporate lots of wood and the types of materials that were in the old cottage. Most of the interior is pine, which was used on the flooring, the walls, and wrapped around the ceiling’s beams, giving the owners what they desired on a grander scale – a beautiful, modern dwelling that still held the personality of that little cottage that held such cherished memories. The front of the home has a two-car garage and breezeway entrance, while the rear reveals an entertainer’s paradise, with an enormous mahogany deck with an outdoor shower, a stunning Connecticut-fieldstone fireplace with a chimney that reaches around 30 feet in height, and multiple sliders to access the home. The finished basement opens to the ground level, and above the entrance breezeway is another small deck with a great view. It’s the best of indoor/outdoor living. Movement patterns from beach to house to bedroom were an important consideration. The site also provided an excellent opportunity to visually connect the basement level patio visually to the main level deck and finally the master bedroom deck. The finished home provides year-round living, with a summer-getaway atmosphere.

Deck - modern deck idea in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern deck remodel in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern deck remodel in Toronto

Minimalist deck photo in Toronto

Deck - modern deck idea in Toronto

Inspiration for a modern deck remodel in Toronto

Minimalist deck photo in Toronto

2nd story deck steps down to pool deck and hot tub deck
Inspiration for a craftsman deck remodel in Chicago

Example of a minimalist deck design in Toronto

Deck - modern deck idea in Toronto

Example of a minimalist deck design in Toronto