Bridge Building Redefines a D.C. Row House

“Serial renovators,” the label Marcia Silcox puts on her and her husband, Clark, couldn’t be more precise. The couple has lived in their Capitol Hill row house in Washington, D.C., for 3 decades and during this time have updated several times: a basement reno from the late ’80s, a kitchen remodel at the mid-’90s and a living room makeover in 2007 that comprised their assortment of Japanese art (18th- and 19th-century prints) and antique Japanese chests.

Most recently, when the couple’s two kids moved out they completed perhaps their most crowning achievement: a vibrant and contemporary rooftop deck addition over their garage, with a trendy elevated walkway that connects to an overhauled kitchen inclusion. The latter inclusion was previously a DIY breakfast room which was withdrawing in the support wall and leaking water.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Marcia Silcox, a public health consultant, and her husband, Clark, a lawyer
Location: Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Size: 2,200 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, house office
That is intriguing: In this area lots of the row homes have basement apartments, as the Silcox house did before they incorporated it into a single-family house.

CM Glover

The clean lines and the willingness of the couple’s rear addition contrast the standard facades seen up and down the street.

CM Glover

Living is narrow in a row house. “We have 18 feet across in the house,” says Marcia. So that the couple strives to maintain the chambers feeling open and airy, with a few key furniture pieces and a feeling of flow from 1 room to another.

Designer Barbara Franceski worked with Marcia and Clark to create their vision of blank lines with an Asian influence. The soft furniture contrasts to the line and color of the prints and the decorative accents of the tansu.

The two armchairs, Madison Occasional Chairs from Donghia (no longer in production) are upholstered in Priamo woven-texture fabric (color: Ice Blue) by Brunschwig & Fils. Each chair is entirely upholstered, including the legs.

CM Glover

Large bay windows bring light to the living room, where a shopkeeper’s tansu in the late 19th century with paper on glass sliding panels sits beneath modern Japanese calligraphy. their tansu bits were found by the couple .

Sofa: Baker couch reupholstered in Wicker Basket (color: 04) by Fabricut; pendants: Shiitake, designed by Douglas Varey to get Resolute

CM Glover

Inspirational books on Japanese art are throughout the house. When Marcia was working with Franceski to incorporate their collection with fresh, simple lines, she nicknamed their style “federal Zen.”

Marcia’s interest in Western art began with a school history course if she was 19. Clark, meanwhile, climbed up on the West Coast with powerful Asian design influences. Together they found “a patient dealer,” as they put it, to nurture their interest. “We browsed for hours at a Georgetown store, starting our collection,” says Marcia.

Naples ottomans by Mark Newman offer flexibility when the couple entertains guests.

CM Glover

Throughout the mid-1980s throughout the mid-1990s, artist Masami Teraoka worked on modern interpretations of standard ukiyo-e print content and technique. Two of his large scale wood and screen prints from his “Hawaii Snorkel Series” flank the fireplace. The Catharine Clark Gallery in San Francisco represents the performer.

CM Glover

To provide more flexibility into the area and create privacy in the dining room area, the couple installed shoji screens in 1993.

Shoji screens: installed by Oriental Living, Bethesda, Maryland; dining table, chairs: Henredon (circa 1990s); light fixtures: Chapeau 29, Resolute Lighting

CM Glover

Architect Richard Loosle suggested a sensible solution to get a row of prints which used to hang unevenly on the exposed brick wall: a little floating shelf. The framed artwork bits are Japanese woodblock prints by Hiroshige in the “Hundred Famous Views of Edo.”

White bowls: Verona, CB2

CM Glover

As windows are scare on row homes — located on just the front and back facades — the couple added larger windows in the breakfast area to make much-needed light.

Table (Pratt), chairs: Room & Board

CM Glover

Marcia’s favorite room in the house is the kitchen. “We both love to cook and bake and entertain,” she says. “Next are the dining area, where publication bands, men’s gourmet classes, fiber-art groups and buddies frequently collect.”

Throughout the renovation the contractors had to block off the whole area past the brick wall to keep the elements out while completing their job. When the job was finished, they eliminated the temporary wall.

New maple floors in the inclusion contrasts with the present walnut cabinets. Complementary dark ash stained cabinets were added.

Millwork: Potomac Millwork

CM Glover

Marcia requested for the turquoise Le Creuset pot on the stove for her birthday, because she knew it would go well with the blue accent wall.

Blue color: Open Seas, Sherwin Williams

CM Glover

A set of shunga (erotic) prints in the early 19th century hang over the couple’s bed.

CM Glover

Marcia admits she and Clark have not spent as much effort on the sleeping areas, because they have focused most of their design efforts on the lower level. However, Marcia’s love of organic fibers and fabrics comes through at the yarns draped on the chair and a few pure hemp linen, from Hemptraders, on the mattress.

CM Glover

Loosle utilized a piece of steel for a frame to specify the new rear facade. The plan element also enables Marcia to hang a canopy to offer shade on the balcony away from her house office.

Painting the frame glowing blue described the component as separate from the steel railings. The color lets the steel blend with the skies on clear days. For those railings and stairs, Marcia specifically requested a “Frank Lloyd Wright red,” she says.

CM Glover

Prior to the renovation, if the couple wanted to carry food in the kitchen to their old wooden roof deck, they would need to walk stairs, across the courtyard and up a little spiral staircase. With the newest elevated walkway, their deck is significantly more user friendly.

The new roof deck sits over the garage. The couple utilized premium and durable materials on this renovation, such as ipe wood decking and fencing.

CM Glover

Marcia requested an irrigation system be installed to simplify watering plants. Additionally to help simplify the watering, the planters have been created with false-bottom inserts, so that they require less soil than it appears from the outside.

CM Glover

Lighting from Artemide and Flos (the blue lights are Flos) improve the ambiance of the deck, as do different icy blue acrylic and resin panels.

CM Glover

Empty nesters Marcia and Clark Silcox enjoy the tranquility of their new outdoor haven from the sound of town street. With the smart bridge design, the area is currently an extension of their kitchen.

CM Glover

The long-time homeowners are here in order to stay, appreciating both the neighborhood and convenience of their Capitol Hill area. “We know someone on virtually every block and understand all the shopkeepers. We seldom want our automobiles, taking Metro, biking and walking,” Marcia says.

Aside from the nearby restaurants and civic associations, Marcia can also be pleased to live close to what she calls “the crown jewel of town,” that the Eastern Market, with its farmer’s market, flea market and frequent live music.

See additional photos of the house | Share your remodeled house with us

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Grow With Intention: Can a Mission Statement Assist Your House?

You’ve definitely heard of the benefits of creating mission statements for businesses, or even for yourself but what about writing a mission statement for your home? Part style, part private worth, this short and sweet statement could help you make stronger decisions about decorating and more. We will walk through eight self-exploratory steps, building up to writing a home mission statement that’s uniquely yours. So the next time that you are waffling about a purchase, searching for a new home or even altering a paint color, you will let your mission statement remind one of your priorities and vision for your home and life. Let us begin.

Jill Litner Kaplan Interiors

1. Explore your own style. A house mission statement is about more than style, but frequently what you’re attracted to visually will lead you to deeper realizations about everything you crave in home. Start with creating an ideabook or cracking open a fresh file folder to hold your tear sheets and thoughts, and begin collecting.

To perform: Write down what drew you to every image you save it could be anything from “love the farmhouse table” into “bright, open floor plan” or something as subjective as “romantic/artsy.” Look for themes that could become part of your mission statement.

Skyring Architects

2. Tap into your worth. What’s important to you? What takes priority in your life? Anything that you hold dear should get a welcome place in your home. As an example, if you value your extended family, it may be especially meaningful for you to make space for large family gatherings.

To perform: Take a few minutes to list your top priorities and the way you can welcome them in your home. For example, if caring for the planet is essential for you, consider ways to become more ecofriendly in your home.

Integrated

3. Describe how you want your home to feel. This is a bit different from the design question, and possibly more important. If you walk through the front doorway, what three words do you really want to spring into mind? “Uncluttered,” “clean” and “serene”? “Welcoming,” “comfy” and “fresh”?

To perform: Consider how you want your home to feel, openly jotting down some descriptive words that spring to mind. When you have a fantastic set, narrow it down to a top few words.

Terracotta Design Build

4. Explain the purpose of your home. What role does your home play in your life? Could it be where you decompress after working hours? The location where you’re raising your children? Obviously our houses serve many functions, but try to zero in on exactly what your house’s primary purpose is (besides shelter).

To perform: Write down the primary aim of your home, beyond offering you basic shelter. If you like, add a couple of additional functions that support the most important intent.

Kate Maloney Interior Design

5. Refine your replies. Look over whatever you have accumulated up to now, from design folders to brainstorms, and start looking for themes and key points that you may prefer to utilize in your mission statement.

To perform: Make a list of important phrases and words from the brainstorming and style folders. For example: “kid friendly,” “fun,” “modern,” “laid back yet glistening.”

Sarah Greenman

6. Imagine your perfect day in your home. This exercise is a superb way to synthesize all you have been studying about yourself. Whenever you have a minute alone at home, close your eyes and envision your perfect day in your house, from waking in the morning to climbing into bed at night.

To perform: While imagining your perfect day in your home, be sure to investigate with every one your senses — what do you see, hear, smell, taste and touch throughout the day? Who else is there? What do you do?

Laura Collins Design

7. Write your mission statement. Pulling from the key points and themes you identified in your notes, start writing your home mission statement. If you need just a little nudge to get started, start with “My home is a place where … ” and complete the statement. If you believe you have to add, just add another “My home is a place where … ” and keep going!

Kate Maloney Interior Design

8. Set your mission statement to get the job done. Once you have your mission statement composed, how you decide to use it’s all up to you: incorporate it, compose it in your calendar, have it turned in an art print, stencil it on your stair risers or discuss it with your family. The most essential thing is to keep it close enough to guide your choices about your home from here on out.

Tell us Besides shield, what’s your house’s primary purpose?

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See a Forward Thinking Family Sophisticated

When two parents together with nine kids needed a home base in Austin, Texas, they decided to create their very own. They scooped up a double lot in up-and-coming East Austin and hired architect and builder Finn Sigurdsson, an undercover transplant and owner of the design-build firm ísARK Studio. Working collectively, Sigurdsson as well as the clients created a master plan full with different units that the children could potentially rent from them since their lifestyles changed along with their families grew. The plans also look to the long run, maintaining appeal for nonfamily tenants and prospective resale in your mind.

The master program is for a small development that will include two duplexes, a single-family residence and a small cabin. “With the people of Austin expanding, it is logical to create more compact home,” says project manager Taryn Hall. “Though the family tends toward more conventional style, we designed a style we like to predict urban ranch. We believe it fits in with the diverse and edgy neighborhood, and concentrated on a design for those units that might be easily leased and/or sold later on.”

in a Glance
Who lives here: One of those grown sons, his wife and four children lease 1 duplex; one of those daughters, a nursing school student, and a number of her friends rent the other.
Location: Central East Austin, Texas
Size:Unit A:1,875 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths; unit B:1,650 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 baths; about 1,050 square feet of constructed outdoor spaces. Other units are still in the planning stages.

ísARK Studio

Saving existing trees on the lot was a priority. “We assembled the units on piers instead of a poured slab from sensitivity toward the environment,” project manager Hall states. The units adopt the trees as part of the plan, which provides them a tree house feel.

ísARK Studio

Sigurdsson’s Icelandic upbringing influenced his approach to the design. “Trees are extremely scarce in Iceland, so wood is something that’s often used sparingly,” he states.

Slats of natural cedar round a terrace and cedar overhangs deliver much-needed shade from the hot Texas sun. “I pushed for a modern element with all the raw stucco but utilized the cedar to stitch together the modern elements with the more conventional Craftsman features,” he states. “I really enjoy the warmth it brings to the duplex contrary to the cool stucco.”

ísARK Studio

Elements were prioritized by Sigurdsson. Saving the trees left a natural canopy that shades the home. Each of the windows are designed to let in the best amount of natural lighting without letting the sun overheat the rooms. The windows have dual panes and are filled with argon gas, which helps to keep the indoors cool. The siding is high heeled insulated stucco. The insulating material is spray-foam Icynene that also can help maintain the cool atmosphere.

ísARK Studio

A system that contains rain chains and French drains catches the water, which is then distributed underground to the trees and also designated garden areas. “We xeriscaped as much as you can, then directed the water we can gather to designated spots,” Hall says.

ísARK Studio

By way of example, this concrete planter receives runoff water through the underground system.

ísARK Studio

Decks and balconies provide outdoor spaces.

Siding: smooth Hardie board and batten in Boothbay Blue and Smooth Hardie board lap siding in Heathered Moss

ísARK Studio

On the terrace, the cedar slats let in the breeze along with a few sunlight while providing privacy from the shared outdoor spaces.

ísARK Studio

The residents share a central lawn planted with zoysia grass. “This grass can tolerate wide variations in temperature, sun and moisture,” Hall says.

ísARK Studio

We’ll have a peek inside unit A, where the family of six lives. An open plan makes the living spaces feel larger. “We tried to design an area that has been as flexible as you can, so it would interest a wide range of people later on for renting or resale,” Hall says.

“On the inside I did away with ornamentation and tried to keep it compact,” Sigurdsson states. “Craftsman homes traditionally have a lot of trimming; we opted to remove all the trimming, but the wood seats, shelves and Shaker-style cabinets help make the house a available and flexible palette to your future.”

Paint: Repose Gray, Sherwin-Williams

ísARK Studio

“We had a great deal of voices throwing out thoughts, which was intriguing and challenging,” Hall says. For instance, the family of six desired an eat-in kitchen where they might gather for meals, therefore Sigurdsson created this high-top table/kitchen island. “This is a huge family centre point which truly functions as the heart of the house,” he states.

A clever alder footrest detail on the island offers extra storage space in the column and a favorite resting place for your cat.

Chandelier, pendants, Alexandra brushed nickel, Thomas Lighting

ísARK Studio

ísARK Studio

Everything in the kitchen has been customized to satisfy with the family’s requirements while retaining prospective tenants and owners in mind. “The adult son lived in Japan while operating the military for many decades, also had a great deal of china he’d brought back and wished to exhibit, so we integrated glass cupboard doors,” Hall says.

In addition they took up the cabinets to the 10-foot-high ceilings for maximum storage.

Cabinets: custom designed by ísARK Studio, constructed by Dovetail Woodworking

ísARK Studio

Windows looking out into the tree decoration give the house a tree home feel.

Tile: Anatolia glass tile, Bliss Linear Mosaic 5/8 inch, Iceland AC35-016

ísARK Studio

The owner also has a ranch in Bellville, Texas. When some trees there needed to return, Sigurdsson reclaimed the wood for shelves at the Austin units. He cut, planed and installed the bits on custom brackets. This is only one of numerous advantages of hiring an architect who’s also a builder and proficient carpenter.

ísARK Studio

In the living area, Sigurdsson mounted a long live-edge press shelf.

ísARK Studio

ísARK Studio

“We kept the baths small in order to maximize the living spaces and bedrooms,” Hall says. Sigurdsson designed this customized sink unit to make the most of the small space and include architectural interest. It’s a waterfall faucet.

Faucet: Pfister Kenzo

ísARK Studio

The group picked a waterfall faucet to the master bathroom as well. The countertops and sink are travertine.

The clients scored the tile, countertop and sink auction, which reduce some prices. The custom vanity is alder wood with a dark walnut stain, and also the doorway to the bathroom is a barn doorway.

ísARK Studio

The master bath comprises everything the couple wanted, including a soaking tub. A high, broad window lets in the natural light.

Here’s the first-floor plan with this unit.

And here is your second-floor plan.

Whether family members occupy the units, rent them out or wind up selling them off in the years ahead, they’re incorporating smart home alternatives and fostering a sense of community in East Austin.

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A Washington Farmstead Celebrates Its Site

This family has been farming the fertile land of Washington state’s Skagit Valley for 3 centuries. When they chose to renovate a dilapidated farmhouse in their property, they called Realtor Dan Nelson, who called in a colleague, landscape architect Scott Lankford. The farmhouse turned out to be beyond repair, so that they started using a mostly blank slate. The customers, Nelson and Lankford worked together on a website plan, house and sequence of outdoor spaces. Priorities included creating a comfortable and functional home, incorporating some existing garden elements, manipulating sight lines to take full advantage of the huge views and linking the interior spaces to the outdoors.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Here is a few working farm, and a lot of their relatives, including children and grandchildren, live on adjacent properties. This residence is where they gather.
Location: Skagit Valley, Washington
Size: Around 2,600 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathroms
Year constructed: 2007

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

The home has sweeping views of the fields in the valley and Mount Baker, part of the Cascades mountain range. Nelson, of Design Northwest Architects, and Lankford, of Lankford Associates Landscape Architects, worked together from the beginning of the job, and a huge part of the cooperation was creating sight lines to other areas of the homestead gardens as well as toward agricultural structures like windmills and grain silos from the greater landscape. This includes views from doorways and windows within the house as well as views that direct the eye during trellises and down pathways.

The new house sits about where the old farmhouse failed; the milk barn to the left was existing; the owners converted it into a playhouse for their own grandchildren. The customers attended Washington State University and picked red and gray to match their alma mater’s colors; should you look carefully, you can observe the college’s cougar mascot painted on the face of the milk barn.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

There are two main methods to enter the home from the road: upward the utilitarian working farm driveway and through the proper U-shaped driveway for guests. “The driveway to the left is a portion of this farm, and also the owners use it to access the garage as well as for big bits of farming equipment,” Nelson says. The plan team strategically sited the garage and driveway to keep these parked vehicles from view in the house and outdoor rooms.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

A huge part of the cooperation between architect and landscape architect was coordinating the indoor and outdoor spaces concerning substances and sensibility — for example, that this public-entry courtyard that guides guests inside via a formal axial plan that connects the parking court to the house. Once inside, guests enter the formal and public regions of the house.

The strict, straight lines become less formal and twist curvy as they go farther out from the house and wrap round the personal locations, like the bedroom wing to the left and also the outdoor rooms round it.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

“The concept for the home’s design was to make it seem like the house had evolved through time,” Nelson says. “We used different materials to state different areas of the house.” The formal public spaces (green in the ground plan) seem like they’re the first house; they are coated in cedar shingles and topped by a metal roof with a cupola.

Nelson coated the personal bedroom wing (marked in blue) and the garage (pink) in grey board and batten siding and shingled roofs to allow them to appear as though they were later developments. Lankford advanced the notion using corresponding materials and styles in the backyard.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

The landscape palette also overlooks the exterior facade’s elements; medium grey gravel is hemmed in by lighter rock edges. Montana ledgestone column bases relate to the rock walls from the landscape; trellises, fences and screenwork are crafted of cedar.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Part of this cross axis in the entrance garden is the concrete fountain, which also ties from the house’s history. The fountain served as a bunny trough in its former life.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

The straight lines become curvy as they go out of the house.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Farther away in the house, wandering paths become much more casual, articulated with flagstone. The patio is accessible from the kitchen breakfast room, toward the left side of the picture.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

Lankford utilized a series of paths, rock walls and trellises to control sight lines across the backyard. For instance, this trellis brings the eye to another pair of gardens and also to the milk window outside.

Continuing toward the milk barn we all see how the siting of the garage, the route and the following trellis direct the eye to the milk barn’s big doors.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

“The wife is a great gardener, and saving a few of the trees out of the existing homestead website was very significant to the customers,” Lankford says. One of the trees that the group planned around is that this 60-year-old cherry tree, which functioned as a centerpiece to website the house and courtyard around. “It actually anchors the house,” Nelson says. Beyond it’s the largest outdoor room, a patio off the kitchen.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Another huge influence on the website planning was that the valley’s powerful southwestern winds. This breezeway not just connects the main house to the garage but also lovingly protects the outdoor room.

The breezeway has an 8-foot-long sliding door that opens up the view of endless fields on calm mornings, then shuts to shield the patio once the winds kick up in the day. The glass roof structure imitates the rhythm of the house’s metal roof but retains the opinion open to the sky.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

The breezeway’s form forges a solid architectural connection between the house and the garage, giving the garage the look of a wing that was added on to the home over time.

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

Lankford Associates Landscape Architects

“Family is very important to this couple, and they have a large extended family living nearby; this big outdoor room was very significant to them for family parties,” Nelson says. The patio was also put to great use during The Skagit Valley Symphony Garden Tour.

There is also a children’s play patio for the couples’ many toddlers to enjoy.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Just past the living room’s stone fireplace and French doors is another rock patio that captures exactly the exact same comfortable feeling outdoors as the room inside. The chimney’s Montana ledgestone relates to the rock used across the landscape.

Lankstone’s planting plan includes perennials, shrubs and trees that provide color and fragrance throughout all four seasons. He picked plants that won’t obstruct the sight lines as they mature.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

The upstairs attic gives access to the balcony seen in the previous picture. The attic is a play area for the kids and a decorative room for your wife.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Around the personal bedroom wing, a formal gravel pathway winds through the landscape.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

Nelson added a cupola on peak of the house. This vernacular agricultural element lets in loads of natural lighting.

Dan Nelson, Designs Northwest Architects

“This was a subtle, organic design. The house is livable and comfortable; it is not a ‘statement house,'” Nelson says.

“This was a backyard that was really inspired by the architecture; it was a really wonderful collaboration,” Lankford says.

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Contractor Tips: 10 Remodel Surprises to Watch Out For

There’s no crystal ball that could tell you what might fail on your house remodeling job, but you don’t need to have the ability to see in the future to be ready for an unwelcome surprise or two along the way. Including a contingency fund that’s 5 to 20% of your funding can go a long way toward averting financial reverses, as will knowing about some common discoveries which include unexpected costs to a job.

1. Asbestos. Get asbestos properly and professionally remediated. This isn’t a place for DIY or to look another way. You will require an abatement contractor to remove the material and give you a report on an aviation that demonstrates there are no fibers from the air. If that is not in the budget, then cut the budget somewhere else. It is that important.

2. Structural flaws.
These often can not be seen until demolition is finished, but you may start looking for hints: cracks, settling floors, crooked door jambs etc.. If you see these, fix your contingency fund so

3. Unreliable contractors. Check references and do your own homework before you give anyone a deposit. If that deposit walks away or you need to walk away from a contractor, you have either got a visit to court ahead of you or a decreased job budget — possibly both. See 10 contractor scam warning signals

4. Neglect on allows.
Permits do cost money, and they are no guarantee that the work will be nicely done — which depends on the individual contractor. However, if you are caught working without a permit, you can anticipate the building inspector will be less inclined to use you and your plan, any you might have to pay fines. Building codes aren’t black and white, especially when it comes to remodeling. You would like a construction inspector involved who will be on your side.

5. Water damage. What looks like just a brown spot on the ceiling may turn out to become rotted rafters and a moldy roof and wall sheathing. Suddenly, what you believed was a ceiling fix job turns in an environmental hazard (mould, like asbestos, should be remediated by a contractor trained in this job ) that necessitates fresh sheathing, a new roof and possibly new siding.

6. Termites.
Where there is water, especially when it’s near the ground, termites are soon to follow. If you reside in a place with termites, the water which infiltrates your walls attracts termites into the walls and floor joists. Correcting this problem in a finished space may mean completely remodeling which portion of the home. The termite inspection which was done when you bought your home should not be the final. Obtaining a problem early may mean the difference between hundreds and tens of thousands of dollars.

7. Property disputes. Before you add on to your house, even when you’re just adding a fence, be certain that you have the property you are building on and that you are adhering to any setback laws or stipulations from the zoning code. If not, this mistake could be costly to reverse once it is discovered. Build your new kitchen 6 inches on the incorrect side of the house line, and you might have to rip that new kitchen down if your neighbor finds out. These disputes may get ugly. Avoid them by having professionals review the actions and submit site programs to a local zoning board for review.

8. Bank issues.
If you’re planning to fund your project with a loan from the bank, be certain loan is set up before you start work. It may be tempting to give your contractor a deposit to get started as you wait on the loan paperwork to be processed. However, if that loan doesn’t go through, you might have just paid for demolition only to find out that’s the only part of the job you can afford.

Bud Dietrich, AIA

9. An unfinished plan. I have said it before, but it bears repeating: Work with a designer and a contractor to think of a plan that’s thorough, affordable and buildable. If you plan to fill in the blanks as soon as you start work, you could realize that some of those blanks end up being much more costly than you predicted.

10. A portfolio program. Sometimes a set of blueprints comes across my desk that’s down to every last detail, and each of these details will be costly. These jobs are exciting once the homeowner has set a realistic budget for your work. Ideally, a contractor is consulted early in the process of developing the plan, advising on ballpark costs and the feasibility of the suggested ideas so that a realistic scope and funding emerge. If this doesn’t happen, you may get a portfolio plan: a design full of the latest, hippest, priciest particulars.

More Contractor’s Tips

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Along with the Community Award Goes to … a 'Zen Barn'

The professional couple who lives in this Ottawa, Ontario, house calls their house a “Zen barn” for the rustic reclaimed hardwood exterior and chic design. Rich textures inside and outside warm up the modern appearance, and natural light flows into the home from all directions. “The stairwell, courtyard and second-floor deck over the dining area all let the interior space sense interconnected to the outdoors,” says designer Rick Shean, of the Ottawa company Christopher Simmonds Architect. Although this is an unabashedly contemporary design, neighbors adopted it, helping to win an award for the best new construct in the area in October 2012.

at a Glance
Location: New Edinburgh, Ottawa, Ontario
Size: 3,100 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms

Christopher Simmonds Architect

Christopher Simmonds Architect

One of the reasons Shean thinks the home delighted so many of his clients’ neighbors is your structure’s size. “It’s not a monstrosity of a house. The size is pretty consistent with the rest of the area, and its outside is warm and inviting,” he says. Functional yet decorative red bell lights from Axo Light add to the home’s curb appeal.

Lights: Alteriors

Christopher Simmonds Architect

“This home is as much about organic light and artistic, functional light since it is about the home’s design,” Shean says. “Light moves through the construction and changes the distance in reaction to the textures across the interior and exterior.”

Christopher Simmonds Architect

Shean used century-old reclaimed white oak from southwestern Ontario, as well as prefinished aluminum in some areas. “Studies show that this wood will lose around a quarter of an inch in depth every 100 years, so even though it’s 100 years old now, it has quite a few years to go before it needs to be replaced,” he says. The oak came from a local store, The Wood Source.

Christopher Simmonds Architect

Floating cabinets store items and include geometric interest. Book spines, a floral floral arrangement and the bell pendant give this part of the home a couple of unexpected doses of colour.

Floating cabinets: custom by CSA; live-edge table: Urban Tree Salvage

Metal bracelets by Tom Dixon hanging over the kitchen island follow the duration of the courtyard. Double-glazed Marvin windows help keep the warmth indoors.

The floor is a lightweight concrete having an epoxy topping, an elegant low-maintenance choice that resists scuffs and shoe marks. This component of the home makes the most of the available all-natural light, even in the very long Canadian winters.

Christopher Simmonds Architect

Ash wood treads warm up the metal stairs. Radiant floor heating keeps feet toasty on all levels of the home.

A number of wood textures and tones provides the room a cozy character and contrasts nicely with the stark white of the walls, flooring and ceiling.

Christopher Simmonds Architect

“My client known as the home a work of art when he noticed that the reclaimed wood siding move up,” Shean says. “It’s probably one of the greatest compliments a designer can get from his client.”

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Postage Stamp Garden Delivers in Boston

In Boston, where legacy is king, landscape designer Matthew Cunningham strikes a balance between historic reverence and thoughtful ease using a revamped 415-square-foot entry courtyard.

“My aim was to unite the program prerequisites using a distance that felt firmly rooted in a palette of materials unique to New England,” says Cunningham. “The inside of the home is very modern, but the shell of the construction is conventional. Both elements are intentionally blended by the backyard. It is meant to feel present and stylish without even turning its back to the incredibly wealthy context of Boston’s South End.”

Privacy, intense microclimates and architectural continuity all play crucial roles when designing urban gardens, and unlike with conventional yards, there’s little room for excess. “Urban gardens may be tough to establish,” says Cunningham. “The secret is to keep things simple and intentional.”

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

For a small footprint, shoes are filled by the courtyard. More than a garden, it is an entry, dining area, land line along with physical projection of their customer’s aesthetic.

“The customer sought a backyard which was lasting and easy to maintain,” says Cunningham. The courtyard was created as an outdoor extension of the home as well as a welcoming invitation.

He immediately resolved privacy issues by surrounding the previously underutilized courtyard. Eight-foot fencing separates the intimate courtyard in your tropical alley.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

The garden draws the experience of the home outside — creating a feeling of seclusion in the middle of metropolitan Boston.

“it is a fairly quiet area,” says Cunningham. “You don’t really observe the bustle and hustle of the city because it is on the alley side of their property. You find the sky and some surrounding buildings.”

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Ambient locality light illuminates a lot of the backyard. Candles are its only additional light source.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Resilient Hardscape

Much of historic Boston is Made from brick. Cunningham utilized granite paving as an intentional diversion out of this tradition while staying true to regional aesthetics and clean design.

Dry-laid cobbles — many already on site — were closely tucked with sterile native moss, keeping permeability and allowing water percolation.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

All woodwork and fencing is whitewashed fir contrasted with corrugated galvanized steel.

While the site is somewhat protected, the climate of the American Northeast is ferocious, and all materials will need to withstand its inflictions — humidity, snow, rain — while weathering gracefully and naturally.

The hardscape colour suits the modern, industrial aesthetic of the space while still habituated to traditional New England gardens.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Shade-tolerant Planting

“Understanding the developing conditions is crucial,” says Cunningham. This site receives hardly three hours of direct sunlight every day, so selecting plants that would survive in shade and retain moisture was crucial.

Like the minimalist substance palette, the primary planting palette is limited to two shade-loving perennials. Hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’) and Heuchera (Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple’)are blended within the terraced beds that are raised. “They flourish in the area and also have excellent multi-seasonality. We utilize annuals from the containers in the backyard — and utilize palms in the containers which flank the entry of the home.”

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

While not all plants are evergreen, Cunningham says, the clients enjoy the backyard yearlong. The Hakone grass continues to flourish over the winter, blowing off in the frosty wind while cascading over terraced planters.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Space-saving Details

Every square foot of outside area is accounted for.

Cunningham avoided wasted space by selecting a sliding barn-style gate rather than a classic moving door. Built-in closets keep AC components, trash and recycling from view — removing clutter.

He adopted the firewood storage for a design feature by leaving the stack vulnerable. A granite pier forms the pedestal of the dining table.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Cunningham employed optical apparatus to add distance.

The horizontal slats of the fencing were intentionally utilized to elongate the distance, directing the visitor from the alley into the garden and home.

Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LLC

Landscape plan of South End Courtyard.

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City View: Miami Design Keeps an Open Mind

In terms of design, when you’re thinking “Miami,” don’t believe “vice.” “Cheesy black and white leather and chrome is a common misconception in regards to Miami design,” states North Miami interior designer Ivonne Ronderos of of DKOR Interiors. “Because so many of the homes here are second homes, the owners are way more open minded to style; they are lively rather than formal.” The rich mixture of history and cultures, the most recent style styles and colour inspired by the colorful surroundings all play a part in providing Miami its different style.

Despite the spectacle that Miami’s Art Basel exhibition is now, we’re presenting a virtual visit for those who can not make the series (December 6 to 9, 2012). Here is what’s happening from the Miami design scene today.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami

In lieu of the 1980s Crockett and Tubbs cheesy bachelor look, Ronderos took a sophisticated approach with this manly area, layering rich textures and warm neutrals.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

“In Miami individuals are open and keen for new ideas, not the typical interior,” states Ronderos. Case in point: this striking photograph that looks like a gorgeous slab in a powder room.

DKOR Interiors Inc.- Interior Designers Miami, FL

Ronderos also notes the way insides reflect the climate and the seaside environment. “The weather affects a lot how that people perceive their distance and how they want their distance to sense — it’s simple, free and brings the outside in.”

“Culture is also a large influence in creating a different Miami look,” states Ronderos. “You view it inside the regional vendors: Ornare, Adriana Hoyos, Artefacto … it affects the general design of furniture, accessories and finishes.”

Nicole White Designs Interiors LLC

“Color to me is synonymous with Miami design,” says interior designer Nicole White. “Our designs here are deeply influenced by many vivid things, including the ocean, plenty of foliage that never fades and, possibly most different, the selection of cultures we have to draw from here that invariably affect and influence our designs.”

Nicole White Designs Interiors LLC

“We are a diversely rich community, where in a couple of minutes, it is possible to take a drive down precisely the same road and listen to English, Creole, Spanish and Portuguese,” White says. “With that mixture of language comes a exceptional mixture of experiences, and therefore it’s hard not to have that mirrored when you style.”

Nicole White Designs Interiors LLC

“I believe more than anything, the bold splashes of colour I often use in my designs are a direct representation of the vibrancy transported from those civilizations,” White says. “This vibrancy can be often showcased in artwork via endeavors that directly reflect a customer’s history and private musings.” She’s excited about purchasing Art Basel this season with a customer who’s a first-time homeowner.

DawnElise Interiors

While Miami designers don’t shy away from color, they are also embracing neutrals. “A new fad juxtaposes natural colours and materials with items having a more mechanical sense,” says interior designer Dawn Elise.

Case in point: Leather, wood and cowhide mingle with classic Toledo stools, steel and glass.

DawnElise Interiors

Of course, it’s not all neutrals for Elise, who notes Miami designers also use pastels in a distinctive and forward-thinking way. “They can be done tastefully and look great,” she states.

CLAUDIA LUJAN

Interior designer Claudia Lujan notes that Miami homes incorporate clean lines that are clean.

CLAUDIA LUJAN

Lujan also notes that colour is a large factor and that she receives inspiration from the runways.

CLAUDIA LUJAN

“Miami is about fashion and who has the most recent things; the latest style trends inspire my designs,” Lujan states.

Complex Designs

“Over the past 100 or so decades, Miami has seen the tides of design ebb and flow together with all the cultural influences that have landed on our sunny beaches,” says Vic Lohmann, president of Complex Designs. “This wonderful melting pot of flavor makes the area strangely varied and gives a special backdrop of saying.”

Complex Designs

Lohmann points out the influence being a significant port has on design. “Geographically, we’re fortunate to have a global delivery hub in our backyard, so there’s never a shortage of new products like rock, tile, millwork in addition to a very well-heeled artwork marketplace and acquaintances,” he states. “By matching the ever-shifting demands of imagination together with the huge sources of product, you’ve got the perfect incubator for cutting edge design.”

Complex Designs

“No matter an individual’s taste in furnishings, finish and style, there’s a home for it and no shortage of local talent in executing a job from concept to delivery,” Lohmann says.

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