The Zymdak project provides the perfect outdoor family space for hanging out or throwing a backyard party. To the side of the yard is an uncovered firepit feature for gazing out at the night-time stars.

Inspiration for a large transitional front porch remodel with a roof extension

The garden shed has shelves of glass bottles found during the garden excavation and a “booze block” that covers the sink to give the gardener more surface space to work when not using the tap. Before excavation began, the homeowners contacted Alexandria Archaelogy to register the property as a Civil War site. There was no development on the land in the 1790’s, and soldiers used the land as an encampment. Two privys; dozens of clay marbles and pipes and whiskey bottles; Union officer jacket buttons; and underwear “presser” buttons were among the many small discoveries in the surface material. Milk glass eggs once used to encourage chickens to lay eggs and barrel chimneys from a meat packing plant on the river were also uncovered. Photography by Greg Hadley

The Zymdak project provides the perfect outdoor family space for hanging out or throwing a backyard party. To the side of the yard is an uncovered firepit feature for gazing out at the night-time stars.

The Zymdak project provides the perfect outdoor family space for hanging out or throwing a backyard party. To the side of the yard is an uncovered firepit feature for gazing out at the night-time stars.

The original wrought iron handrail was uncovered in situ under a layer of wood framing and plaster, and original arches were restored to their original locations and proportions, after having been removed in the 1960s. Saltillo tiles, added over the treads and risers of the stair during the 1990s were removed, exposing the original red stained concrete floor, which was still in near pristine condition. Design Architect: Gene Kniaz, Spiral Architect; General Contractor: Eric Linthicum, Linthicum Custom Builders

Our clients came to us looking for a luxurious and comfortable multi-use indoor/outdoor living space that would be a true extension of their Smyrna home. Their wish list included a transitional style design that would provide a flexible, multipurpose layout with a plethora of options for entertaining and relaxing. Two large panoramic doors forge an immediate connection between the interior and exterior spaces and instantly doubles our client’s entertaining space. A stunning combination of covered and uncovered outdoor rooms include a dining area with ample seating conveniently located near the custom stacked stone outdoor kitchen and prep area with sleek concrete countertops, privacy screen walls and high-end appliances. The designated TV/lounge area offers additional covered seating and is the perfect spot for relaxing or watching your favorite movie or sports team.

Coleman-Dias³ Construction - a National and Provincial Award Winning Professional Renovation Contractor serving London, St Thomas and surrounding areas. A beautiful screened-in composite and cedar covered deck provides the homeowner the comforts of the cottage lifestyle in their own backyard! The spacious deck has ample room for an outdoor dining table and living room style seating area. The BBQ will be located in the uncovered area with the privacy trellis as a backdrop. Access gates in the deck skirt provide substantial enclosed storage for yard maintenance instruments.

Most porch additions look like an "after-thought" and detract from the better thought-out design of a home. The design of the porch followed by the gracious materials and proportions of this Georgian-style home. The brick is left exposed and we brought the outside in with wood ceilings. The porch has craftsman-style finished and high quality carpet perfect for outside weathering conditions. The space includes a dining area and seating area to comfortably entertain in a comfortable environment with crisp cool breezes from multiple ceiling fans. Love porch life at it's best!

Coleman-Dias³ Construction - a National and Provincial Award Winning Professional Renovation Contractor serving London, St Thomas and surrounding areas. A beautiful screened-in composite and cedar covered deck provides the homeowner the comforts of the cottage lifestyle in their own backyard! The spacious deck has ample room for an outdoor dining table and living room style seating area. The BBQ will be located in the uncovered area with the privacy trellis as a backdrop. Access gates in the deck skirt provide substantial enclosed storage for yard maintenance instruments.

Coleman-Dias³ Construction - a National and Provincial Award Winning Professional Renovation Contractor serving London, St Thomas and surrounding areas. A beautiful screened-in composite and cedar covered deck provides the homeowner the comforts of the cottage lifestyle in their own backyard! The spacious deck has ample room for an outdoor dining table and living room style seating area. The BBQ will be located in the uncovered area with the privacy trellis as a backdrop. Access gates in the deck skirt provide substantial enclosed storage for yard maintenance instruments.

This wooded, lakeside home plays an influential role in the homeowners artistic vision as a magical realist painter. By providing an environment that comes alive with the sights and sounds of nature, the artist is able to closely study as an explorer would by uncovering, recording, and rearranging the beauty of the natural world and the beauty of human beings. This connection to nature comes from a horticultural interest manifested in the daily ritual of digging and pruning in her Connecticut garden. A daily ritual of physical immersion with the dirt and the worms of life contrasts with the otherworldly fantastical spaces the artist creates for her paintings. The paradoxical character of these two places imbues her paintings with an alluring mystery.

Coleman-Dias³ Construction - a National and Provincial Award Winning Professional Renovation Contractor serving London, St Thomas and surrounding areas. A beautiful screened-in composite and cedar covered deck provides the homeowner the comforts of the cottage lifestyle in their own backyard! The spacious deck has ample room for an outdoor dining table and living room style seating area. The BBQ will be located in the uncovered area with the privacy trellis as a backdrop. Access gates in the deck skirt provide substantial enclosed storage for yard maintenance instruments.

Holger Obenaus Photography
Large traditional brown three-story wood exterior home idea in Charleston

An Arts & Crafts Bungalow is one of my favorite styles of homes. We have quite a few of them in our Stockton Mid-Town area. And when C&L called us to help them remodel their 1923 American Bungalow, I was beyond thrilled. As per usual, when we get a new inquiry, we quickly Google the project location while we are talking to you on the phone. My excitement escalated when I saw the Google Earth Image of the sweet Sage Green bungalow in Mid-Town Stockton. "Yes, we would be interested in working with you," I said trying to keep my cool. But what made it even better was meeting C&L and touring their home, because they are the nicest young couple, eager to make their home period perfect. Unfortunately, it had been slightly molested by some bad house-flippers, and we needed to bring the bathroom back to it "roots." We knew we had to banish the hideous brown tile and cheap vanity quickly. But C&L complained about the condensation problems and the constant fight with mold. This immediately told me that improper remodeling had occurred and we needed to remedy that right away. The Before: Frustrations with a Botched Remodel The bathroom needed to be brought back to period appropriate design with all the functionality of a modern bathroom. We thought of things like marble countertop, white mosaic floor tiles, white subway tile, board and batten molding, and of course a fabulous wallpaper. This small (and only) bathroom on a tight budget required a little bit of design sleuthing to figure out how we could get the proper look and feel. Our goal was to determine where to splurge and where to economize and how to complete the remodel as quickly as possible because C&L would have to move out while construction was going on. The Process: Hard Work to Remedy Design and Function During our initial design study, (which included 2 hours in the owners’ home), we noticed framed images of William Morris Arts and Crafts textile patterns and knew this would be our design inspiration. We presented C&L with three options and they quickly selected the Pimpernel Design Concept. We had originally selected the Black and Olive colors with a black vanity, mirror, and black and white floor tile. C&L liked it but weren’t quite sure about the black, We went back to the drawing board and decided the William & Co Pimpernel Wallpaper in Bayleaf and Manilla color with a softer gray painted vanity and mirror and white floor tile was more to their liking. After the Design Concept was approved, we went to work securing the building permit, procuring all the elements, and scheduling our trusted tradesmen to perform the work. We did uncover some shoddy work by the flippers such as live electrical wires hidden behind the wall, plumbing venting cut-off and buried in the walls (hence the constant dampness), the tub barely balancing on two fence boards across the floor joist, and no insulation on the exterior wall. All of the previous blunders were fixed and the bathroom put back to its previous glory. We could feel the house thanking us for making it pretty again. The After Reveal: Cohesive Design Decisions We selected a simple white subway tile for the tub/shower. This is always classic and in keeping with the style of the house. We selected a pre-fab vanity and mirror, but they look rich with the quartz countertop. There is much more storage in this small vanity than you would think. The Transformation: A Period Perfect Refresh We began the remodel just as the pandemic reared and stay-in-place orders went into effect. As C&L were already moved out and living with relatives, we got the go-ahead from city officials to get the work done (after all, how can you shelter in place without a bathroom?). All our tradesmen were scheduled to work so that only one crew was on the job site at a time. We stayed on the original schedule with only a one week delay. The end result is the sweetest little bathroom I've ever seen (and I can't wait to start work on C&L's kitchen next). Thank you for joining me in this project transformation. I hope this inspired you to think about being creative with your design projects, determining what works best in keeping with the architecture of your space, and carefully assessing how you can have the best life in your home.

Kids bedroom
Bedroom - large transitional carpeted bedroom idea in Calgary with blue walls and no fireplace

The Kingsley-Bate Sag Harbor 4-Piece Curved Sectional Set blends the best of all weather wicker and grade A teak elements in a marriage of form and function. The curved sectional adds a new dimension to porch or patio in all weather wicker weave available in three colorways. The top grade Provence emphasizes natural features of the wood giving each piece in the collection its own individual look. The table is further "aged" with a gray stain finish that will wear away if left uncovered after one season of use. Select between a beautiful gray teak or galvanized table top finish. The exposed wood will then age naturally to a beautiful gray patina. This creative ensemble also includes a wedge table which can be positioned between the two sectional sections or at the end.

The homeowners of this project wanted to extend their living room and create plenty of space to entertain their family. We extended their existing space by 12 feet and removed a center column that disrupted the view of lake. We added a wood burning fireplace and revamped their existing outdoor kitchen to give it a fresh look. The ceiling is a 1x6 tongue and groove with an English Porter stain with a clear coat to give it some shine. The flooring is a Versailles pattern travertine to give it a nice finish. We also added some uncovered space to spend some time out near the lake with new landscaping to complete that look. Photo Credit: TK Images

This wooded, lakeside home plays an influential role in the homeowners artistic vision as a magical realist painter. By providing an environment that comes alive with the sights and sounds of nature, the artist is able to closely study as an explorer would by uncovering, recording, and rearranging the beauty of the natural world and the beauty of human beings. This connection to nature comes from a horticultural interest manifested in the daily ritual of digging and pruning in her Connecticut garden. A daily ritual of physical immersion with the dirt and the worms of life contrasts with the otherworldly fantastical spaces the artist creates for her paintings. The paradoxical character of these two places imbues her paintings with an alluring mystery.