Located on a beautiful point on the coast, this year-round residence boasts an almost 360° view of the surrounding coastline. Originally planned as a second floor addition and renovation to an existing cape style house, this new construction home on piers celebrates the natural Maine coast. A focus on traditional, natural finishes drove the material selection for both the interior and exterior of the house, while a sleek modern design approach was taken for the overall form and layout of the program. With a compact allowable footprint, each programmatic element was carefully designed to maximize useable space while framing sweeping views to the ocean.

Edible Veggie Beds at the Side Entry With a Flagstone Destination Pathway
This is an example of a mediterranean landscaping in Santa Barbara.

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!

This project is the definition of where the finesse of craftsmanship and structural brute must meet and far exceed client expectations. ​ The massive undertaking of excavating 700 cubic yards of soil to add a new basement below the existing structure took this 2-story home to 4,000 square feet. This now 3-story Victorian boasts 1,800 additional square feet of useable space including a third living room with soundproof insulation and custom built-in cabinetry, a wet bar, full bathroom with Waterworks fixtures and intricate marble tile, private office, laundry room equipped with a chute from every floor, and a gym & guest room. ​ Restoring, the original upper 2 floors of this stunning Victorian to its former glory was another challenge in and of itself. Rehabbing vaulted coved ceilings & original early 19th century mantels, renovating the bedrooms and bathrooms, updating the kitchen and creating an indoor/outdoor experience by installing doors in the former window locations between the dining room and patio were just a few key elements of this project.

New construction and original landscaping completed in 2010. Original design had boulders between the driveway and home to minimize the stop and create curb appeal. An assortment of unusual trees (lions head maple, moon rise maple, hinokie cypress, twisted baby locus, and paper bark maple and others) were installed to compliment the home on the naturally wooded lot. Many different perennials and flowering shrubs were installed between these unique specimen trees to provide interest throughout the year. Phase 2 was initiated by the homeowner in 2016 were we landscaped the backyard, which was overgrown with wild trees. It was cleared to create a more useable space and play area for children. Our design team created a master landscape plan and was an integral part with the approval process with the municipality. We worked in tandem with an engineering firm to design and install a bio-retention pond. The pond was designed to take all of the runoff from the newly landscaped backyard. Wet loving plants were incorporated into the pond to beautify the area and absorb the water. A custom, multi-level play set was installed over artificial turf to blend with the newly expanded lawn area. An assortment of trees, shrubs and perennial were installed on the hillside separating the upper yard and newly expanded lower area. Low voltage landscape lighting was expanded to highlight the new plantings and provide light for the children to play in the evening. Our landscape design complimented he newly installed covered outdoor living space.

The living room once had a small covered desk area where the bar seating and piano are. The deck area was too small for the growing family, they longed for a more useable and functional space they now have.

Our customer was tired of having a tiny food preparation space that occupied only a small part of their kitchen. We worked with them to make the entire kitchen space useable and the result is nothing short of an amazing change! We started with bulkhead removal to allowing cabinets extending to the ceiling. New Porcelain flooring was installed followed by Benjamin Moore custom painted cabinetry in the customers chosen colours. Beautiful quartz ounters were then installed followed by a mosaic backsplash to tie it all together. Stunning! Check out the before pics to see where we started!

This Seattle couple was wanting to transform their small city parcel into a useable, kid safe garden. Terrain worked with the designers to install a low maintenance yard that provides year round color and interest. A small pottery water feature highlights a bluestone dining area that is bordered by two beautifully pruned fruit trees. The entire yard now has a stunning cohesive look and feel that continues to give an excellent return on investment. Design by Shapiro Ryan Design

Entertaining is a common activity for this client. The island allowed her to hide the clean up area while still having an abundance of useable serving space for food and drinks.

Small useable backyard for a townhouse, with no-maintenance patio and artificial grass.
Example of a backyard patio design in Toronto with no cover

An Outdoor Room with a Flagstone Patio and Beautiful Drought Tolerant Landscaping. Ashley Farrell Landscape Design
Inspiration for a mediterranean landscaping in Santa Barbara.

Located on a heritage-lined street in Melbourne’s Williamstown, a young family were seeking a contemporary home with ample room to grow. Benni Trajcevski of Achieve Design Group answered their call, creating the epitome of modern living concealed behind a modest façade. To achieve the long wish list including large indoor and outdoor gathering spaces to entertain family and friends, separate adult and children living and sleeping zones, and a pool suitable for year-round use, Benni has maximised every inch of the block. Seamless transitional spaces link inside with out. This flow between the indoors and outdoors is a key feature of the home, achieved through generous open floor planning and glazing. For example, large hidden sliding doors allow the pool to be closed-off for use in winter; acrylic glass panels link the pool with the sunken lounge, which includes a fire pit for year-round comfort. The inclusion of a courtyard and voids throughout create separate useable zones while maintaining the feeling of spaciousness. Orientated to the north and surrounded with floor to ceiling windows to optimise natural light, the courtyard divides the formal lounge area with the informal living area, while the first floor is divided into four separate wings for privacy and functionality. The interiors are detailed with quality materials and finishes to achieve a sleek and sophisticated aesthetic. Contrasting materials in muted tones, including tiles, steel and lightweight timbers are featured throughout. Corian and a moss green wall are unexpected features.

Trendy home design photo in Miami

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

This couple had lived in their home over 20-years, with their handicapped adult daughter. 5 years-ago they added onto the back of their home to accommodate appropriate housing needs for her, such as a wheel-chair lift. However, their home needed wheelchair-accessibility, beginning with transition from daughter’s room on lower level, to main kitchen level, via existing lift. The project was budget-driven so it was critical to utilize practical cost-effective materials, while transforming home’s overall dated-look. My House Design/Build Team Ltd. successfully opened-up the space, increased use-ability for whole family, and provided the ‘wow-factor’. The renewed kitchen is much more efficient providing a practical solution for family.

This home is unique for a builder home. The client was wanting to build a home with more useable finished space for the buyers, instead of having a unfinished basement that needs plenty of work. We took the basement out of the design and instead built up three storeys compared to the standard two storeys. The large home was designed for a separate kids space and adult space. Adding the loft on the third floor is intended for a rec room and/or living space for the kids to get away and keep the main living space on the adults and family time. Not to mention it will help de-clutter the main floor of all kids toys and equipment, so when hosting family and friends there's less maintenance to do. The loft also has an option to add a 5th bedroom and 3rd full bath if desired

A transformation inspired by the owner’s love of modern architecture, art and color (and the adjacent sand, rock, water, and the northwest landscape), the Indianola House sought to bring the soul of a home to a colorless muted box. The original house was a drab 1990’s-era box with no personality or presence sited on a beautiful secluded bay, facing water and island views, northwest of the City of Seattle. The existing mono-colored stucco-clad exterior and pyramidal glass-block openings had led the neighborhood to dub the structure, unflatteringly, “The Miami Vice House”. Rhodes Architecture’s Residential Architects careful use of natural light, rich, collaged finishes and ability to open the house to gardens, beach, and outdoor gathering was critical to the design. The house soon became “The Gallery”. The original home’s grey stucco exterior made the house seem both large and featureless; the introduction of no-maintenance exterior materials that collage and complement each other was a goal of the homeowner and the Seattle Architects who teamed up for this residential design. The bloated scale of the house cried out for the establishment and definition of the parts of the structure, a breaking down of the home’s form and its apparent bland size. Living, sleeping, and bathing areas that started as staid spaces were in need of opening to the natural environment with additions of large doors, folding glass walls and useable balconies were crucial to each space having a dialogue with the outdoors. The owner’s extensive art collection was highlighted and became the focus of interior places, well-lit naturally and through a new lighting system. Energy use and sustainable systems were a key component of the design which used high-efficacy lighting, better cladding on a rain-screen system, high-efficiency doors and windows, new insulation and weather barriers, and which added a photovoltaic-generated electrical system. The contemporary design sought to integrate all of these systems, materials, and finishes into a seamless whole that lent interest and drama to a residence which was previously lusterless. How radically this house was transformed is evident in the exteriors, gardens and the natural spaces the house now opens to, as well as the gallery-like interiors. This home is a stunning testament to what is possible “before-and-after” when remade by Rhodes Architecture + Light. The clients are an older couple with long professional and political careers, a love of art and a clear desire to connect with the Northwest environment and enliven their daily lives with spaces full of color and natural light. Rhodes Architecture + Light was hired in 2019 to add new exteriors and interiors, natural light, larger openings to beach and bay, seismic and foundation upgrades to the home, and to infuse life into the house through the re-use of existing space and varied materials, color, textures, and lighting. The only actual change to the exterior “shell” of the house was the introduction of a low “gull-wing” roof with wood soffits above the central atrium space, to add drama and bring natural light into the entry gallery space. Interior spaces, including bedrooms and bathrooms, were re-planned and opened to each other, to greater natural light, to roof decks, and to the incredible views and sea-side environment. The Builder, Fairbank Construction Company of Bainbridge Island, Washington, met the challenge of the design, first completely deconstructing the finishes inside and out, then precisely interlocking new claddings, windows and doors, cabinetry, finishes and a new gull-wing central roof in a beautiful transformation. The construction was total, thorough, and very detailed, resulting a house that, far from seeming a “remodeling”, is far more present and fitting to the owner’s lives and the natural environment than the house we started with.

Small side yard patio photo in Austin

This modern home, near Cedar Lake, built in 1900, was originally a corner store. A massive conversion transformed the home into a spacious, multi-level residence in the 1990’s. However, the home’s lot was unusually steep and overgrown with vegetation. In addition, there were concerns about soil erosion and water intrusion to the house. The homeowners wanted to resolve these issues and create a much more useable outdoor area for family and pets. Castle, in conjunction with Field Outdoor Spaces, designed and built a large deck area in the back yard of the home, which includes a detached screen porch and a bar & grill area under a cedar pergola. The previous, small deck was demolished and the sliding door replaced with a window. A new glass sliding door was inserted along a perpendicular wall to connect the home’s interior kitchen to the backyard oasis. The screen house doors are made from six custom screen panels, attached to a top mount, soft-close track. Inside the screen porch, a patio heater allows the family to enjoy this space much of the year. Concrete was the material chosen for the outdoor countertops, to ensure it lasts several years in Minnesota’s always-changing climate. Trex decking was used throughout, along with red cedar porch, pergola and privacy lattice detailing. The front entry of the home was also updated to include a large, open porch with access to the newly landscaped yard. Cable railings from Loftus Iron add to the contemporary style of the home, including a gate feature at the top of the front steps to contain the family pets when they’re let out into the yard. Tour this project in person, September 28 – 29, during the 2019 Castle Home Tour!