After their Niwot, Colorado, home was inundated with floodwater and mud in the historic 2013 flood, the owners brought their “glass is half full” zest for life to the process of restarting their lives in a modest budget-conscious home. It wouldn’t have been possible without the goodwill of neighbors, friends, strangers, donated services, and their own grit and full engagement in the building process. Water-shed Revival is a 2000 square foot home designed for social engagement, inside-outside living, the joy of cooking, and soaking in the sun and mountain views. The lofty space under the shed roof speaks of farm structures, but with a twist of the modern vis-à-vis clerestory windows and glass walls. Concrete floors act as a passive solar heat sink for a constant sense of thermal comfort, not to mention a relief for muddy pet paw cleanups. Cost-effective structure and material choices, such as corrugated metal and HardiePanel siding, point this home and this couple toward a renewed future.

Vance Fox
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional white tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile drop-in bathtub remodel in San Francisco with a trough sink, granite countertops, a one-piece toilet and beige walls

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary porcelain tile porcelain tile and gray floor corner shower remodel in Los Angeles with furniture-like cabinets, white cabinets, a wall-mount toilet, gray walls and a trough sink

This is a model home pool at the Toll Brothers Hidden Canyon Collection in Irvine, CA. This modern swimming pool is raised above deck level and includes a vanishing edge around the entire pool. The outdoor living area also has a water feature built into the granite dining area with a water trough in the middle that leads to a rock basin at the end of the table. The similar rock basin is used for the pool on the left for the overflow pool.

The owner had several requirements when we started the design of this pool, including: negative edge, Tuscan style to match the house, raised outdoor living area adjacent to pool and a large reef step. The Tuscan style was easy to match, by using the stone similar to the house on the decking, patio and wall; and similar flagstone on the tiered stone spillway. The stone wall on the raised patio also provides great privacy from neighbors. The negative edge and outdoor living area adjacent to the pool required more creativity and coordination to work. This lot was completely flat, making it difficult to give a negative edge look and the owner did not want a raised pool. We were able to achieve the negative edge look by lowering the soil level down behind the pool and only having a short drop from the negative edge to the water basin. We added the decorative concrete balls to give an artsy look to the pool. The outdoor living area is a unique raised deck to take advantage of the view and includes a freestanding-latticed patio. The patio footings were integrated into the pool, while leaving enough space for a water trough and plumbing for the tiered spillway that flows down from the raised patio. We incorporated the large reef step around the raised patio with the pool entrance at the far end. At just under 600 SF, this Tuscan-style pool provides a great view, lounging area and plenty of space for swimming! This is a Toll Brothers model home pool in the Marbella Collection, Avalon Model in Irvine. California.

This Spanish Revival-inspired home in La Quinta, CA lends itself to today’s upscale desert homes and lifestyles, according to architect Frank Stolz, of Southcoast Architects. “The Estancia” that he recently designed as a second home for his client, the Taylors, blends the beauty and elegance of Old European architecture with contemporary elements that create a welcoming and comfortable desert oasis for family and friends. The 8,000 square foot home is located in the prestigious golf community of PGA West, which offers stunning views of this world class golf course and the Santa Rosa Mountains beyond. The front façade features a turnabout motor court surrounded by a water trough, which creates a relaxing, cooling effect for visitors as they arrive. The entry foyer is a point of welcome that leads guests into a gallery complimented on one side by a verdant courtyard that helps transcend the indoor/outdoor feel of the home. An expansive floor plan gives the great room a wide open feeling with stunning views of the golf course through the use of large pocket doors that fold back and open the home completely to the outdoors. The great room is flanked not only by the kitchen nook, but a large bar lounge that is the focal point for entertaining. One of the most unique spaces in the home is the dining room. “Our client asked us to create a dining experience that made them feel as if they were entertaining in a wine cellar without sacrificing their stunning view. “To achieve that, we used materials reminiscent of being in a cellar, which immediately led us to the Eldorado Stone brick line. Its tumbled, weathered style combined with an overgrout technique used in the installation gives it such a realistic look that it’s hard to believe it’s not centuries old brick we shipped from Europe.” Stolz adds, “The dramatic application of brick is used extensively in the space, covering the walls and the entire ceiling, which was designed in a barrel shape to create an even stronger wine cellar ambience.” Soffits were installed near the ceiling with a series of interesting brick patterns and then back lit to highlight the deep, rich colors found in the brick. “For an added touch we created a wine cellar below the dining room that can be seen through a glass floor. By doing so, we were able to visually bring the wine and the cellar up to the dining experience.” “The Taylors love everything about their new home,” says Stolz. “We captured the look and feel of what they wanted by carefully blending the old with the new and using materials like Eldorado Brick to achieve our design goals.” Eldorado Brick Profile Featured: Cassis ModenaBrick with an overgrout technique Builder: Peter Jacobs Homes, La Quinta, CA Phone: 760-777-9921 Architect: Frank Stolz, Southcoast Architects, Newport Beach, CA Website: www.southcoastarchitects.com Interior Designer: Jeanette Kyser, Kyser Interiors, Inc., Irvine, CA Website: www.kyserinteriors.com

The owner had several requirements when we started the design of this pool, including: negative edge, Tuscan style to match the house, raised outdoor living area adjacent to pool and a large reef step. The Tuscan style was easy to match, by using the stone similar to the house on the decking, patio and wall; and similar flagstone on the tiered stone spillway. The stone wall on the raised patio also provides great privacy from neighbors. The negative edge and outdoor living area adjacent to the pool required more creativity and coordination to work. This lot was completely flat, making it difficult to give a negative edge look and the owner did not want a raised pool. We were able to achieve the negative edge look by lowering the soil level down behind the pool and only having a short drop from the negative edge to the water basin. We added the decorative concrete balls to give an artsy look to the pool. The outdoor living area is a unique raised deck to take advantage of the view and includes a freestanding-latticed patio. The patio footings were integrated into the pool, while leaving enough space for a water trough and plumbing for the tiered spillway that flows down from the raised patio. We incorporated the large reef step around the raised patio with the pool entrance at the far end. At just under 600 SF, this Tuscan-style pool provides a great view, lounging area and plenty of space for swimming! This is a Toll Brothers model home pool in the Marbella Collection, Avalon Model in Irvine. California.

The owner had several requirements when we started the design of this pool, including: negative edge, Tuscan style to match the house, raised outdoor living area adjacent to pool and a large reef step. The Tuscan style was easy to match, by using the stone similar to the house on the decking, patio and wall; and similar flagstone on the tiered stone spillway. The stone wall on the raised patio also provides great privacy from neighbors. The negative edge and outdoor living area adjacent to the pool required more creativity and coordination to work. This lot was completely flat, making it difficult to give a negative edge look and the owner did not want a raised pool. We were able to achieve the negative edge look by lowering the soil level down behind the pool and only having a short drop from the negative edge to the water basin. We added the decorative concrete balls to give an artsy look to the pool. The outdoor living area is a unique raised deck to take advantage of the view and includes a freestanding-latticed patio. The patio footings were integrated into the pool, while leaving enough space for a water trough and plumbing for the tiered spillway that flows down from the raised patio. We incorporated the large reef step around the raised patio with the pool entrance at the far end. At just under 600 SF, this Tuscan-style pool provides a great view, lounging area and plenty of space for swimming! This is a Toll Brothers model home pool in the Marbella Collection, Avalon Model in Irvine. California.

This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.

Same tiled wall detail follows through the water closet room. A 1-1/4" marble shelf is recessed into the wall above the one-piece toilet. Photo by Jerry Hankins

Stone trough as water source inspired by natural springs.
This is an example of a mid-sized eclectic backyard concrete paver formal garden in New York.

The home is situated on a hillside property that slopes about 25 from the back to the front, so we had a lot of grade to play with, in the design of the project. The majority of the slope of the backyard was handled by cutting into the slope and creating the 8-13 boulder cliffs across the back of the pool. Incorporated into these cliffs are such features as a grotto cave, with a waterfall over its entrance; an eight-foot tall slide, curving through its own cave; a seven-foot high diving precipice; and numerous waterfalls cascading down the face of the cliffs. Meandering pathways of Oklahoma flagstone lead the way, up the hillside, to a secluded 10 personspa, nestled in tropical vegetation, half way up the cliffs, and continue on to the top of the slope, to access the slide and diving platform. From the covered patios across the back of the home, one has an up close view of the pool overflowing large boulders into a lower trough, set at patio level. This trough then appears to feed the natural creek, running into the Koi pond, although this is only an illusion. Boulder slabs act as a bridge across this body of water, and mask the separation between the pool water and the Koi pond. This bridge leads the way, up to the pool elevation, 18 above the patio. A palm island sits in the middle of the pool as a play area or place to lounge in the sun. Additional boulder steps lead up to the pavilion area, raised four feet above the pool. One fun feature of the pavilion is discovered at the push of a button. We plumbed a ring of water at the peak of the corrugated steel roof, so that when the pump is turned on, water runs down the roof and falls over the edge, as though its raining. The rain water is captured in a dry creek bed that encircles the pavilion, and flows into the pool. Also from the raised platform of the pavilion, a handy rope swing allows an exciting entrance to the pool below. With areas for swimming laps, diving, sliding, swinging, water volleyball, relaxing, and so much more, this project came together as the Disneyland paradise that our clients were looking for, and their children have grown up with a vacation get-away right in their own backyard!

This garden was created for entertaining! Utilizing reclaimed bricks, painting a neighboring wall and providing clean lines and large spaces with the hardscaping this garden is modern and retains some of the old character.

This remodeled master bathroom was transformed utilizing organic materials and state of the art fixtures. The electric mirror is great lighting and eliminates having to add light fixtures. Bamboo counters, Native Trails cement trough sink - all very low maintenance materials.

Contemporary exterior home idea in Boston

Yoshikawa The granite slab is cantilevered which gives the heavy granite a weightless appearance. The water trough is carved into the granite to give the appearance of water emanating from a stone.

This garden was created for entertaining! Utilizing reclaimed bricks, painting a neighboring wall and providing clean lines and large spaces with the hardscaping this garden is modern and retains some of the old character.

Designed by: Alyssa Finley-Moore
Inspiration for a small contemporary full sun backyard concrete paver formal garden in San Diego for fall.

Cape Cod is a vacation hot spot due not only to its vicinity to amazing beaches and seafood, but also because of its historic seaside charm. The Winstead Inn & Beach Resort located in Harwich, MA, is the perfect place to enjoy everything Cape Cod has to offer. If you are lucky enough to stay in the "Commodore's Quarters" prepare to be greeted with the soothing sounds of moving water and the rich textures of historic natural stone. This charming getaway reminds you of years past with STONEYARD® Boston Blend™ Mosaic, a local natural stone that was used as cladding, on retaining walls, stair risers, and in a water feature. Corner stones were used around the top of the retaining walls and water feature to maintain the look and feel of full thickness stones. Visit www.stoneyard.com/winstead for more photos, info, and video!