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www.customhomeonline.com Custom Home March/April 2011 2011 Kitchen & Bath Design Guide Inside: Custom Home Outdoors —see page 51

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Page 1: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Inside:Custom Home

Outdoors—see page 51

Page 2: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 3: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 4: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 5: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

PHO

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Volume 21, Number 2. CUSTOM HOME (ISSN: 1055-3479; USPS: 010-543) is published six times a year (Jan./Feb., March/April, May/June, July/Aug., Sept./Oct., Nov./Dec.) by Hanley Wood, LLC, One Thomas Circle,N.W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Copyright 2011 by Hanley Wood, LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without written authorization. CUSTOM HOME is sent free of charge to qualifi ed readersinvolved in the custom home building and design industries. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualifi cation. Nonqualifi ed annual subscription rates: U.S. and possessions and Canada, $36; all other countries,$192. Single-copy price: $10. For subscription information, write: Circulation, CUSTOM HOME, Hanley Wood, LLC, One Thomas Circle, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005. Periodicals postage paid at Washington, DC, and at additional mailing offi ces. Postmaster: Send address changes to CUSTOM HOME, P.O. Box 3494, Northbrook, IL 60065-9831. Printed in the USA.

On the cover: A Boston home gets a Danish modern kitchen (see page 22). Photo by Richard Mandelkorn. March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 3

Departments

5 Editor’s Page6 Custom Market Watch9 Master Class / Joseph Kais

14 Custom Builder 2.0 / Niche Building36 Kitchen Products42 Bath Products46 Last Detail61 Ad Index

Features

21 2011 Kitchen & Bath Design Guide Our annual portfolio of kitchens and baths (and the products that appoint them) highlights calm, Zen-like spaces. Quiet hues, enduring natural materials, and classic lines offer timeless and universal appeal—both critical qualities in uncertain times.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrcccccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh///////////////AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAApppppppppppppprrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiill 222222222222222222222222000000000000000000000011111111111111111111111111

A butcher block slab intersects a granite-topped island and serves as a counter-height table in this kitchen remodel in San Francisco.

24

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Page 6: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 7: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 5

S. Claire Conroy [email protected]

Editor’s Page

Every week seems to bring new, con� icting information about the health of the housing market. Among some cheerful news about job growth and sales of ex-isting houses are damaging suggestions that home prices may suffer another 25 percent drop. Such dire predictions can only make things worse for potential buyers out there ready to pull the trigger on an existing home or a new home. Not only does such talk instill fear in their hearts about the safety of their investment, it may make it even more diffl cult for them to secure a loan from ever-skittish mortgage lenders. Appraisals, ap-praisal reviews, and second appraisals are not uncommon these days—even within a short escrow period. No one seems to knows what anything is worth month to month or where the bottom of the market really lies. With so few sales, even one rotten comp can skew critical numbers. Maybe a crystal ball would yield more reliable results.

So, while mortgage interest rates are still at historic lows, very few people can actually take advantage of the opportunity. This is especially acute at the middle and lower ends of the market, but the paralysis spilled into your market as well. For years now, the upper end simply has lingered on the sidelines, prudently waiting for signs of the upswing in housing and for a stock market rebound.

Dire predictions notwithstanding, some of those signs are already in place. We have seen a steady increase in sales of existing houses, and the greatest bump has been at the higher end of the market. And what’s often not reported is that an unusually high proportion of those sales have come from cash buyers or buyers with very large down payments. That’s evidence of discretionary wealth returning to the game.

Certainly much of this activity is powered by endowed buyers looking for fl re sale prices. They’re starting to see real value in houses on the market now—good buildings selling below replacement cost in areas with long-term intrinsic appeal. And they’re right about that. But confl dence is confl dence—and it’s a leading in-dicator for your business that better times may be approaching. Don’t just wait for them to show up at your door, however. Move ahead to greet to them at the earliest opportunity. Have you taken a Realtor to lunch lately? How about a cup of coffee with the top architect in town?

Signs of Life ?

PHO

TO: M

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BERT

HA

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR / S. Claire ConroyMANAGING EDITOR / Jennifer LashSENIOR EDITORS / Meghan Drueding, Bruce D. SniderASSISTANT EDITOR / Evelyn RoyerCONTRIBUTING EDITOR / Cheryl Weber, LEED APSENIOR WEB EDITOR / Kyle GustafsonASSOCIATE WEB EDITOR / Stephani L. Miller

ART DIRECTOR / Brian Walker

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES / Cathy UnderwoodPRODUCTION MANAGER / Johanna DaprozaINSIDE SALES AD TRAFFIC MANAGER / Annie ClarkPREPRESS MANAGER / Fred WeisskopfPREPRESS COORDINATOR / Betty Kerwin

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR / Chris LustanREADER SERVICE MANAGER / Ann RussellMARKETING MANAGER / Michelle RideoutCREATIVE SERVICES ART DIRECTOR / Megan McCloud

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION GROUP / Warren NesbittPUBLISHER, RESIDENTIAL NEW CONSTRUCTION GROUP / Jeff Calore, [email protected] PUBLISHING SUPPORT MANAGER / Joanna Mott, [email protected] DIRECTOR E-MEDIA / Jeff Rule

HANLEY WOOD BUSINESS MEDIA

PRESIDENT, MARKET INTELLIGENCE/E-MEDIA / Andy ReidPRESIDENT, EXHIBITIONS / Rick McConnellVICE PRESIDENT, FINANCIAL PLANNING AND ANALYSIS / Ron KraftVICE PRESIDENT, CIRCULATION AND DATABASE DEVELOPMENT / Nick CavnarVICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCTION / Nick ElsenerVICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING / Sheila Harris EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, E-MEDIA / Andreas Schmidt

PUBLISHED BY HANLEY WOOD, LLC

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EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES One Thomas Circle NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005 202.452.0800 / FAX: 202.785.1974 www.customhomeonline.com

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES AND BACK ISSUE ORDERS 888.269.8410 / FAX: 847.291.4816

CUSTOM HOME will occasionally write about companies in which its parent organization, Hanley Wood, LLC, has an investment interest. When it does, the magazine will fully disclose that relationship.

Privacy of mailing list: We rent our subscriber list to reputable companies. If you do not wish to receive promotional material from other companies, please call 888.269.8410.

Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written authorization. Opinions expressed are those of the authors or persons quoted and not necessarily those of CUSTOM HOME.

Postmaster: Send address changes to CUSTOM HOME, P.O. Box 3494, Northbrook, IL 60065-9831. Canada Post Registration #40612608/G.S.T. number: R-120931738. Canadian return address: Pitney Bowes Inc., PO Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2

For reprints, call 717.399.1900.For a media kit, contact Janet Allen, [email protected].

Page 8: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com

During economic downturns remodel-ing can be the custom home builder’sbest security against ebbing new con-

struction. Remodeling tends to lag behind home building declines and to recover ear-lier. Although it suffered during the recession, remodeling fared better than new homebuilding and helped many custom fi rms stay afl oat. With the next decade expectedto yield solid growth and many new opportunities for remodeling, it could remain anindispensable component of the custom builder’s tool box.

A recent report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies ’ (JCHS) Remodeling Fu-tures Program at Harvard University forecasts a new remodeling era that will moreclosely resemble the moderate late 1990s than the past decade of highs and lows.

6 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

S igns of strengthening conditions in the housing industry are emerging, although progressappears to be taking the two-steps-forward/one-step-back approach with broad swingsbetween increasing and declining activity. This ongoing instability in new residentialconstruction re� ects month-by-month changes in home buyer confl dence, according to

David Crowe , NAHB ’s chief economist. Housing’s recovery will continue to be a bit bumpy. Overall residential construction permits declined in November to a seasonally adjusted an-

nual rate of 544,000, increased 13 percent in December, and slid 10.4 percent in January to562,000. Permits for multifamily buildings (fl ve or more units) followed the same pattern, fall-ing 22.4 percent in January from the previous month. Single-family permits experienced twomonths of small increases, but then declined 4.8 percent in January to a rate of 421,000, about 17 percent below the previous year.

After a moderate gain in November and a slightly less moderate loss in December, single-family housing starts slipped by 1 percent in January to a rate of 413,000—19.2 percent belowthe rate of January 2010. Multifamily starts leaped 80 percent ahead in January after a solid in-crease in December to a rate of 171,000, which put overall starts in January up to 14.6 percent.

Single-family completions de-clined by 7 percent in January after a slight increase in December. How-ever, this was just 2.7 percent belowthe rate of January 2010. After in-creasing in November and decliningin December, multifamily comple-tions fell again by nearly 20 percent in January—62 percent below theprevious year’s rate.

The American Institute of Ar-chitects ’ (AIA) Architectural Bill-ings Index , which tracks ahead of commercial real estate investment ,scored lower in January than in De-cember, slipping nearly 4 points toa score of 50. The AIA notes thismerely re� ects relatively stable de-mand for design services, althoughmarket conditions are still weak.

Tell us how your business fared during the recession and what the future looks like—take the CUSTOM HOME 2011 State of Your

Business Survey online: http://go.hw.net/ch-buildersurvey

New Priorities

Starts and Stops

Custom Market Watch By Stephani L. Miller

Page 9: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com

Home improvement spending will surge to around 12 percent through the second quarter of 2011, and then it will slow to a respect-able annual growth rate of 6.5 percent in the third quarter, the JCHS predicts.

Motivations for remodeling have changed during the recession. After skyrocketing by 110 percent during the boom years, spend-ing on upper-end discretionary projects, such as kitchen and bath remodels or room additions, dropped nearly 23 percent from 2007 through 2009. The JCHS predicts that remodeling’s growth through 2020 will be driven more by necessary improvements, upgrades, and replacements rather than upper-end discretionary projects. Much of the growth in remodeling spending through 2015 will be driven by an increase in per-household spending.

The JCHS projects a strong market for remodeling services geared to helping homeowners in the 55-plus age group to better their homes’ accessibility through aging-in-place measures. Improvements and repairs to newly sold distressed properties that have suffered from neglect or damage also will spur remodeling activity. Consumers will remain concerned about energy costs, and the JCHS predicts spending on energy effi ciency upgrades and enhancements will increase. These projects saw gains from 2009 to 2010 despite overall remodeling declines.

March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 7

PORT

RAIT

S: B

RIAN

WAL

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One of the primary certainties in life and busi-ness is that change is inevitable. But of what kind and how much can be diffi cult to pin down.

Custom home clients are undergoing a signifi cant—though not radical—evolution that likely will have a lasting impact. Here, a few observations and predictions from a survey of distinguished custom builders:

Clients have become less focused on ostentation and have shifted emphasis to slightly smaller houses, quality construction and detailing, outdoor living, and sustainability. They also have become far more cost-conscious and prudent; they want to be assured they’re spending their money wisely and getting high value for every dollar. — Jim Murphy , president of Jim Murphy & Associates , Santa Rosa, Calif. , and CUSTOM HOME ’s2011 Custom Builder of the Year

They’re more analytical and pragmatic, but the biggest change is the higher value they now place on design. Clients have a better ap-preciation for quality, detail, and innovative design over vast square footages, and the concept of thesuburban mansion as a marker of success and wealth has evaporated. — Keith Waters , president, Keith Waters & Associates , Eden Prairie, Minn.

A fi nancial phenomenon is taking place that promises to impact future projects: the current genera-tional transfer of wealth, said to be the largest in history. “Easy come, easy go,” is the expression that ap-plies to the benefi ciaries of these funds. Those who inherit wealth tend to spend it much more freely thanthose who built it through hard work. — Matt Oliver , co-owner, Oliver Custom Homes , Austin, Texas

Some markets, particularly second- and vacation–home destinations, have seen an infl ux of young-er and international clients. What could become a critical element of the custom building process is the increasing role of technology in builder/client communications. High-powered and remotely located professionals no lon-ger have the patience for uncommunicative, though highly skilled, builders. Technologies such as video and online conferencing services will help main-

tain relationships and ensure clear communications. — Peter Polhemus , president and CEO, Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders , Chatham, Mass.

The wealthy are exhibiting greater fi nancial caution and far less extravagance, but greater attention to detail. Rising energy prices are encouraging some clients to go green. Rising generations are generally more environmentally conscious than their predecessors, and those who become custom clients will prioritize sus-tainability. — Frank Dalene , president, Telemark Inc. , Bridgehampton, N.Y.

Perspective Shift

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Dalene

phyMurp

Waters

Page 10: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 11: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

In business, one never knows where a fork in the road will

lead. Ask Joseph Kais . In 1996, Kais signed on as a project

manager with a high-end New York builder with an offi ce

in Fairfi eld County, Conn. Less than a year later, he remem-

bers, “They went out of business, like, overnight.” But if

Kais was shocked by that development, he seems to have recovered quickly.

“I had been smart enough to get my contracting license, and I took over the job

I had been leading. That was the start of Kais Custom Builders .” It wasn’t the fi rst

time that preparedness, quick thinking, and a bit of nerve allowed Kais to turn

an event seemingly beyond his control into a lucky break, and it wasn’t the last.

A native of western Massachusetts, Kais, now 47, earned an undergraduate

degree in construction management with a minor in architecture, and started out

working for an architect in Nantucket, Mass. In 1990, he left for Seattle where

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PHO

TO: K

ATH

LEEN

O’R

OU

RKE

Joseph Kais matches good luck with keen instincts.

Quick Study

Master Class By Bruce D. Snider

Page 12: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 13: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Remodeling involves a lot of decisions for your customers.

Help them understand how quality products can be a better value.

Remodeling often involves trade-offs.

The windows shouldn’t be one of them.

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he found a job managing the construction of a 41-unit hous-

ing development—in Japan. A job with a Seattle design/build

fi rm followed, and Kais started his own company in 1993.

Kais moved back east for personal reasons, but his busi-

ness timing was impeccable. Unlike most of the country,

he says, “There really was no recession [in Seattle].” And the

East Coast market was just shifting into high gear.

It was only months after settling in Connecticut that Kais suddenly was

in business for himself. He acclimated quickly, summoning the nerve to call a

New York architecture fi rm for whom he had been preparing a bid and ask to

interview for the job himself. The architects politely declined but sent a small

project his way instead. Cementing the relationship with a quality job, Kais

jumped to the top of a ladder other builders spend years climbing. For the next

decade, his typical project size ranged from $1 million to $3 million. Kais had

plenty of competitors, he says, “but there was so much work at that price point.”

And, running three projects at a time, “I didn’t need that many of them.”

The Great Recession altered the equation,

reducing the fl ow of projects and increasing

competition. Kais knew there were $10 mil-

lion to $15 million projects out there, and

when he looked at who landed those jobs,

Kais Custom Builders Norwalk, Conn. www.kaiscustombuilders.com Type of business: Custom builder Years in business: 14 Employees: 16 2010 starts: 4

Like many Kais Custom Builders projects, this new Fairfi eld, Conn., resi-dence involved more than just a house. The 6-acre site also holds a separate garage structure, a pool, and a horse barn. Architect: Mark P. Finlay Architects, Southport, Conn.

Page 14: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 15: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Visit Marvin.com/10 to see10 things that make Marvina better value. Choose the

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“It was the same two or three guys. The challenge for me

was getting invited to bid and then selling my company,

convincing them we could do the job.”

Kais’ fi rst few large bids were, “an eye-opener,” he remem-

bers, “losing a couple of those jobs and learning why.” After

hearing about the personal attention he gives each project,

one client asked, “What happens if you get hit by a bus?”

Partly in response, Kais invested in the kind of accounting systems that

reassure his clients that he’s not running the business in his head.

The upmarket shift was successful. The company’s jobs have ranged from

$7 million to $18 million in the past

few years, Kais says, and projects begun

before the crash carried the company

through the worst of the recession. The

market remains tight, but major com-

missions are still out there, and Kais has

proved himself. Not so long ago, he says,

“I would hear, ‘You’ve never done one;

you’ve got to get one under your belt.’

Now we have a résumé of those.” ■

Completed in 2003, this New Canaan house represented something of a step up for Kais. At more than 17,000 square feet, it placed his company among the select few builders at the top of its market. Architect: Gullans & Brooks Associates , New Canaan, Conn.

Page 16: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com14 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

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ERS J ake Talbot got his big break when architect Donald Powers took a chance on

him. Powers needed a builder for a custom home he was designing in Westport, Mass., and though Talbot had never built a project of that scope, the architect knew he could handle it. “The clients perceived that he would be � exible and cheerful, and I think that matters a lot in a custom home,” Powers says. Several

years later, Little Compton, R.I.–based Jacob Talbot Fine Homebuilders has established a specialty in high-end, custom residential projects.

Talbot started out in the building business working for his father, designer/builder Dennis Talbot , at Talbot Construction in Little Compton. His father’s company some-

times builds for outside architects, and Jake Talbot found those were the projects he liked the most. “I enjoyed learning new details,” he recalls. He went out on his own in 1999, mostly doing smaller proj-ects at fl rst. Once he did that fl rst project with Powers, he realized that architecture-driven, highly demanding custom homes were what he really wanted to build.

Another formative event was a re-branding talk he attended in 2008 at the re-gional trade show Build Boston . One of the speakers was marketing expert Chris Joy , and a point she made particularly struck him. “She said you have to think about who your ideal client is,” he says. “It made us think. We realized we weren’t going to be everything to everyone.” Talbot started to go after plum jobs with architects he admired, like Estes/Twombly Architects. He’s now built two houses with the New-port, R.I., fl rm, both of which he regards with pride and admiration. “The way it’s put together is different from a lot of other residential construction,” he says of their clean-lined designs. “But you get a house that doesn’t look like anything else.”

In 2004, Talbot brought his wife, Victo-ria, on board to handle some of the compa-ny’s in-offl ce needs, including scheduling and communications. The couple chose a Web designer to create an attractive, easy-to-use website that appeals to architects and their clients. “The woman who did our website had worked with architects before,” Talbot notes. “She thought a lot about how you � ip through the projects. The website has been an advantage; in competitive bid-ding, if someone can look at your jobs online, it helps.” Victoria Talbot, who has a background in small-business manage-ment, posts monthly on the website’s blog about her husband’s latest projects. Hav-ing a regularly updated blog “makes your website look fresh and not like something you put up a couple years ago,” he says .

While he’s noticed a slowdown over the past few years, Talbot has still man-

Jacob Talbot Fine Homebuilders, Little Compton, R.I., www.jacobtalbot.com / Type of business: Custom builder / Years in business: 12 / Employees: 5 / Annual revenue: $2 million / Average number of projects per year: 3 to 4 / Project type breakdown—remodeling vs. new construction: 10 percent vs. 90 percent / Project type breakdown—residential vs. commercial: 100 percent vs. 0 percent

Custom Builder 2.0 By Meghan Drueding

Niche Building By focusing on the right market segment,

Jake Talbot steeled himself for the downturn.

Page 17: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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aged to stay fairly busy. On his own, he’s building two vacation homes, one by Dyer Brown SouthCoast Architects and one by Christopher Hall Architect . And he’s working on two more (one by Durkee Brown Viveiros & Werenfels Architects and the other by Dyer Brown SouthCoast)

in partnership with his father. He credits his decision to specialize in high-end, architect-led projects with helping to sus-tain the company. “We had good timing, because by the time the market turned, we had already established ourselves in that niche,” he says. “Here in Rhode Island,

there are still some architect-driven jobs. We were just lucky that we had geared ourselves that way.”

His local market has picked up a bit lately, according to Talbot, but “not hugely.” Like his peers across the country, he’s seen bidding grow much more competitive. “It can be a good experience—maybe you reach out to some new subs,” he says. “But we want to make sure that if you’re getting a better price, you’re still getting better quality.” The goal is to stay relatively small, so that he can keep a close watch on his projects. “The big thing in the custom market is that there’s so much more communication,” he says. “Making sure people’s ex-perience is a pleasant one, making sure they know what decisions are expected ahead of time. You can’t do that well when you’ve got too much work.”

Another change in the past few years has been the increase of new products in a custom home. Talbot spends a lot of time keeping up with new introductions to the market. “There are some great products, and you have to know how these systems interface with the rest of the house,” he says. He’s especially diligent about staying up on the latest green building-related items, such as geo-thermal systems and photovoltaics.

Having held his own through the tough-est housing market in many years, Talbot feels more certain than ever about the im-portance of knowing his goals and sticking to his principles. He notes: “What I’ve come to the last few years is that you really have

to de� ne what you want to be.” ■

Custom homes built by Jake Talbot and his crew include a shingle-and-stone residence in Bristol, R.I., by Estes/Twombly Architects (top), and a riverside house in Westport, Mass., by Donald Powers Architects (bottom).

Page 19: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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www.customhomeonline.com March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 21

O ne result of the challenging economy is a perspective shift in how we think about houses. They’re no longer immune from our bad decision making, destined to rise in value no matter what design whims we impose on them. So when building anew or remodeling, homeowners are scrutinizing every choice—they realize a miscalculation in

appeal could kick them in the bottom line when they need to sell. Many are plumbing the possibili-ties of traditional or “transitional” design with their custom builders and architects. They want to ensure they won’t soon tire of their choices, but that doesn’t mean a move toward bland spaces. Knowing they’re likely to stay put longer than ever before, clients want high-quality surround-ings, timeless design, and the delight that well-crafted construction brings to life every day. They don’t want builder grade, they want custom builder grade—and they understand the difference.

New Traditions

2011 Kitchen & Bath Design Guide / By Bruce D. Snider and Meghan Drueding

Page 24: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com22 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

T he family that cooks in this kitchen has roots in both New England and Den-mark, and its new suburban Boston house honors both. “[Architect] Sally Weston was responsible for all the architectural elements,” says cabinetmaker Alan Haigh , whose millwork set the tone from the walls in. Weston’s work

pays homage to the house’s New England setting, but Haigh’s takes a different tack en-tirely. “The interior spaces were really quite simple in detail, even spare,” he says, “but there was an emphasis on rich surfaces, on colors, on craft.” The theme � nds its fullest expression in the Danish modern-infl uenced kitchen, which includes a breakfast area, a small of� ce, and a compact sunroom.

“The owners wanted the cabinetry to feel more like furniture,” says Haigh, who composed a layout of built-ins that read as independent pieces casually pushed into position. Legs lift the cabinet boxes 8 inches off the fl oor. “That lets you see the fl oor run all the way to the wall, which imparts a certain lightness to the room,” Haigh notes. “We also used walnut, which is a traditional furniture-grade wood.” But instead of the even, matched grain of veneer, the owners opted for solid wood doors and drawer fronts.

Danish Delight

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www.customhomeonline.com March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 23

Project Credits: Builder: Corcoran Construction, Milton, Mass.; Architect: Sally Weston Associates, Hingham, Mass.; Cabinetmaker: Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers, Stoughton, Mass.; Living space (kitchen): 443 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Richard Mandelkorn. / Resources: Cooktop: Wolf; Dishwasher: Bosch; Oven: Miele; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero; Trash compactor: KitchenAid.

“It looks a little less organized, even a little unruly,” Haigh says. Crescent-shaped scoops at doors and drawers stand in for cabinet hardware. Open shelves further the casual theme. Their thickness gives them a substantial presence and allowed for the incorporation of task lighting.

Countertop materials correspond to function zones: pre-cast concrete at prep and cooking areas, stainless steel at wet areas, and walnut for serving areas and the desk. Concrete panels line the splash areas at the cooktop (whose 32-inch height eases the loading of tall pots). Stippled glass splash panels mounted on stand-off studs � ank the sink windows, and the same semi-transparent material hangs on wall cabinet and china cabinet doors. “You can light the cabinet from the inside, but you can hide the contents to some extent,” explains Haigh, who mounted the glass with its textured side out to cut down on fl ngerprints.

That attention to detail is evident throughout the room, but the cumulative effect is welcoming rather than stuffy. The cli-ents have three children, Haigh reports, “and they’re not a fussy family.” His design and his cabinet shop’s execution accounted for a lot of hard—and happy—use. With places for cooking, dining, entertaining, organizing, and lounging, he points out, “In this one room, they’ve got three-quarters of what you need in a home.”—B.D.S.

The infl uence of Danish modern design shows in this kitchen’s furniturelike walnut cabinets. Scooped cutouts at doors and drawer fronts take the place of traditional hardware (opposite page, bottom).

Page 26: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com24 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

T he owners of this new in-town San Francisco house “wanted an Edwardian that looked like it had always been there,” says architect Aleck Wilson . And the street façade he penned, with its rounded two-story bay and period-correct trim, gives every indication of having been part of the city’s reconstruction following the earthquake of 1906 . Perhaps the greater challenge was to

apply the same Edwardian visual vocabulary behind the façade, especially to a kitchen the likes of which simply did not exist in Edwardian times.

Wilson approached the problem as if he were designing an addition to an existing house. The kitchen occupies the full width of the building, with a dogleg toward the front of the house. Wilson used the L-shaped footprint to give the room a set of subtly overlapping multiple personalities. “There are three zones in there,” he points out, “from full private to full public and where they meet in the middle.” A framed opening and sof� t delineate a pantrylike storage zone with twin refrigerators, a wall oven, banks of wall cabinets, and a passage to the formal dining area. The crook of the L comprises a semi-public work zone, where the walls open up with windows, bright ceramic tile, and only a small bank of wall cabinets (“You have to have a place to put glasses,” Wilson allows). The public space stretches to the opposite side wall of the building, offering casual seating at a custom trestle table with a built-in banquette and opening into a family room.

Anchoring this three-part composition is an L-shaped island with subtle complexities of its own. The working part of the island, topped with honed granite, spans the storage and work zones of the kitchen. Flat-panel doors at its base yield to open bookshelves facing the public area, lightening the bulk of the island and signaling a shift away from cooking and toward more communal functions. An inter-

Edwardian Update

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www.customhomeonline.com March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 25

secting butcher block slab extends into the public area as a counter-height table. “It’s all about changing perceptions of what that island is,” Wilson observes. The trestle-leg table base and � at-panel cabinetry build on historic precedent, but the assembly, like the kitchen as a whole, is deceptively post-modern in function. “We’re playing with a more formal and traditional palette and a more open and casual lifestyle,” he says, “and having them support each other.”—B.D.S.

Project Credits: Builder: Ryan Associates, San Francisco; Architect: Aleck Wilson Architects, San Francisco; Living space (kitchen): 400 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Matthew Millman. / Resources: Dishwasher: Miele; Garbage disposer: InSinkErator; Lighting fi xtures: Cooper Lighting; Oven: Thermador; Paint: Benjamin Moore & Co.; Plumbing fi ttings: Grohe; Plumbing fi xtures: Franke; Range: Wolfe; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero.

With its L-shaped fl oor plan, this multifunction kitchen offers a set of subtly overlapping zones. Storage concentrated in a large alcove opens up wall space for windows else-where (this page).

Page 28: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com26 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

I ntegrating a kitchen into a great room is never a simple task. Too often, the kitchen space seems like a tacked-on afterthought—or, in the opposite scenario, it takes over the whole room. When designing this new vacation house on Lopez Island, Wash., Joe Greene of Greene Partners Architecture and Design felt determined to avoid either fate. “The kitchen is very carefully worked into the whole scheme, in terms of layout and details,” he says.

A substantial island separates the L-shaped kitchen from the rest of the great room, providing a buffer without blocking sightlines to the outdoors. The furniturelike piece holds storage that can be accessed from the dining area, as well as seating for more casual meals. Its two-level counter hides a prep sink and dishwashing area from the more public spaces. Additionally, a sof� t above the range

hood and main sink “helps the kitchen functions re-cede a little,” Greene says. Further softening the line between the kitchen and the living and dining zone is a boatlike, curved ceiling that uni� es the room.

In its materials and detailing, the kitchen, like the rest of the house, treads a clean-lined middle ground between classic and contem-porary. “The husband and wife had different stylistic preferences, so we were trying to strike a balance between traditional and modern,” Greene explains. The home’s exterior uses muted, nature-inspired colors to blend as much as possible with its rural setting, and the interiors do the same. Concrete � oors, painted wood cabinets, and engineered stone counters all require little maintenance. An adjoining pantry and mudroom take care of additional storage needs.—M.D.

Project Credits: Builder: Schuchart/Dow, Seattle; Architect: Greene Partners Architecture and Design, Lopez Island, Wash.; Living space (kitchen, not including pantry): 192 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: J K Lawrence Photography. / Resources: Countertops: CaesarStone, Cambria; Dish-washer: Bosch; Freezer, refrigerator: Sub-Zero; Paints/stains: Benjamin Moore & Co.; Range, trash compactor, microwave: GE; Range hood: Vent-A-Hood.

Balancing Act

Page 29: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

By moving much of the kitchen’s storage to a pantry and mud-room, the architects freed up over-counter space for windows. The island supplies both separation from and connection to the living and dining areas, creating an equilibrium within the space.

Page 30: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

Placing the shower tiles in a vertical pattern “adds a nice touch to the tile work and allowed me to give it a somewhat random feel,” says architect Nils C. Finne. The tub and vanities look out over the scenic Snoqualmie Valley.

Page 31: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 29

N ils C. Finne often designs reno-vations of older residences, such as this farmhouse in Fall City, Wash. When doing so, he

likes to bring in more modern elements to contrast with and complement the existing structure. “You get a conversation between the older home and the new spirit of the work,” he says. “I’m convinced that if you do it in a thoughtful and considered way, it sets up a new dimension for the house.”

In the case of the farmhouse’s master bath, he enlarged and reframed an exist-ing bump-out. The new piece is reinforced with steel, and cantilevers over the home’s east and north sides. A view of the Sno-qualmie Valley had been largely ignored by the old bath, but Finne remedied that by making the exterior walls almost entirely glass. A freestanding tub takes full advan-tage of the newly panoramic views. LED-lit mirrors are suspended above the vanities and in front of the windows “so you don’t lose the transparency,” Finne says. There are no sight lines from neighboring proper-ties into the bath, but a hidden shade pulls down anyway to provide extra privacy.

The room measures about 115 square feet, and to make it seem larger Finne made the shower � oor � ush with the rest of the � oor. “It’s a bit of a struggle—you have to create a cutout in your � oor frame,” he says. “But it makes the room feel big-ger.” Maple cabinetry and honed lime-stone counters and � oors give the bath a soothing, natural palette. And a sapele and blackened steel bench designed by Finne provides a convenient place for towels and clothing. “It’s like a little treehouse up there,” he says. “And not many treehouses have bathtubs!”—M.D.

Project Credits: Builder: Treebird Construction, Fall City, Wash.; Architect/interior designer: FINNE Architects, Seattle; Structural engineer: Swenson Say Fagét, Seattle; Living space (bath): 115 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld ; Photographer: Benjamin Benschneider. / Resources: Fittings: Duravit; Fixtures: California Faucets, Dornbracht; Lighting (recessed): Lightolier; Tile (shower): Ann Sacks; Windows: Loewen.

Up In the Air

Page 32: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com30 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

T he owners of this custom residence in Weston, Mass., aren’t exactly layabouts. They like to wake up early and exercise, and they count on their sunny master

bath to help them do so. “They’re very active peo-ple, and they wanted a nice, bright morning space to kick-start their day,” says principal-in-charge Mark Hutker of Hutker Architects .

Hutker and project architect Matthew Schiffer popped part of the bath out past the home’s east wall, creating a bay window that brings in extra natural light. Privacy wasn’t an issue, thanks to the lush grove of evergreens on that edge of the yard. “When you’re standing there at the vanity, you have the experience of being more outside than inside,” Hutker says. He and Schiffer distilled the interior architecture to its essence so as not to distract from this feeling, using the simplest trim and detailing possible. A suite of Waterworks � xtures matches the room’s clean lines and al-lows light and air to � ow under the sinks and tub surround. “We were trying to express everything as being furniture and movable,” Schiffer says. A built-in custom dressing table of stained, rift-sawn oak complements the � xtures while keeping to the minimal aesthetic.

Across from the vanities, a frameless glass-en-closed shower borrows light from the bay window. Hutker Architects is known for including outdoor showers in the beach houses it often designs, and this shower takes a cue from them. In fact, the entire space has the quality of an outdoor bath that is constantly in� uenced by weather and other changeable environmental factors. “A white like this moves seasonally with the light characteristics outside,” Hutker says. “Nature is constantly tuning this room.”—M.D.

Project Credits: Builder: ECO Structures, Norfolk, Mass.; Architect: Hutker Architects, Vineyard Haven, Mass.; Living space (bath): 300 square feet; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Eric Roth Photography. / Resources: Door hardware: Rocky Mountain Hardware ; Doors: TruStile; Fittings: Dornbracht; Fixtures: Dornbracht, Waterworks; Lighting: Iris.

Outside Advantage

Page 33: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

A generous bay window makes using the bath seem like more of an outdoor experience. Shades of white refl ect and amplify the site’s always-changing natural light, and furniture-style pieces anchor minimalist fi xtures.

Page 34: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com32 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

R enovating a great old house can be like remixing a classic hit record. The goal is to say something of contemporary relevance while paying due respect to one’s inspiration—and never upstaging the original music. This master bath, in a century-old San Francisco Shingle style house does all that and more, artfully appropriating the visual vocabulary of the house to foster an atmosphere not of its original era or the current day, but of both at once.

Part of a master suite that combines two original bedrooms, the new bath occupies a neat rectangle of � oor plan. Architect Aleck Wilson subdivided the space into separate function zones—one for washing and bathing, another for showering and drying—delineated by a sof� t that drops over the shower area and a crown molding that wraps the washing and bathing area. With the excep-tion of a separate toilet compartment, which closes with a door, “I’m de� ning spaces in the ceiling plane,” Wilson explains, “not in the plan.” Having established this separation of spaces, however, he ties them back together with a band of marble that begins as the sink counter and circles the room at counter height, topping a tiled wainscot. “It’s kind of a nice horizontal datum,” he notes.

For privacy, Wilson placed the sills of the windows above waist height. But rather than frame them like pictures � oat-ing on the wall, he located their heads at the ceiling trim and � lled the spaces below them with shelf niches that rest on

the wainscot. The aesthetic strategy starts by adopting bits and pieces of the house’s existing visual lexicon, but continues by “extend-ing, extruding and lining them up with different things,” Wilson explains, “which is probably a modernist approach.”

The materials used—marble, painted wood, and white ceramic tile with a limestone mosaic � oor and polished nickel � ttings and hardware—further the then-is-now sensibility, with a palette that is clean without being cold. The glass shower enclosure and a � oor deck and bench of ipe slats at the drying-off area (a mirror-image bench hides behind the shower’s pony wall) are the only exceptions to the theme. Otherwise, Wilson says, the vocabulary is traditional, “but the spatial arrangement is contemporary.”—B.D.S.

Project Credits: Builder: Redhorse Constructors, San Rafael, Calif.; Architect: Aleck Wilson Architects, San Francisco; Living space (bath): 170 square feet; Construc-tion cost: Withheld; Photographer: Mark Darley. / Resources: Ceramic tile, fl ooring, and plumbing fi ttings: Waterworks; Plumbing fi xtures: Kohler, TOTO USA.

Double Time

Page 35: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

A marble band establishes a water table for this new bath in an old house. Begin-ning as a lavatory counter, it circles the room as a shelf, window sill, and wall cap.

Page 36: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 38: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com36 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

Command Central

The SieMatic S2 integrates mul-timedia, Internet, and appliance monitoring into a hardware-free kitchen system design. The cabin-etry is available in a variety of colors and � nishes, and users can control the multimedia via remote or the SieMaticGrid interface panel. SieMatic . 215.604.1350. www.siematic.com .

New Tradition This modern Chinoiserie style of custom cabinetry combines Chinese Chippendale design with a new technique, the “Silver Veil,” which antiques the � nish. Eight-sided mullions, undercabinet light-ing, and German hardware keep the design contemporary, says the manufacturer. Plain & Fancy . 800.447.9006. www.plainfancycabinetry.com .

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Kitchen Products

Page 39: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

Vroom quick clean accessories

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Page 40: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com38 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

Witch Way

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Limey Stone Cambria creates onyx, marble, and granite looks with the 21 colors added to its quartz countertop selection. Each new style is named after a location in England: New Brigh-ton (shown) blends golds, Bristol is a mix of blues, and Canterbury is � ecked with copper. Cambria . 866.226.2742. www.cambriausa.com .

Boxed InPoggenpohl engineered its drawer system to activateLED lights when opened and glide easier on thin runners. The drawers andpull-outs include twooptions for adjustable or-ganization: a box system, which includes walnut or maple inserts, cutlery trays and spice, knife, and plate holders; and a system with aluminum or walnut cross bars. Poggenpohl . 404.816.7275. www.poggenpohl.com .

The shallow box of the 300 Series Gas Cooktop creates space for other appliances beneath the 36-inch-wide range. The Italian Wing design feature integrates the controls with the range rim, which comes in black, white, or stain-less steel. The cooktop also is available in a 30-inch model and is backed by a two-year warranty on parts and labor, says the manufacturer. Fulgor Milano . 800.926.2032. www.fulgor-milano.com .

Slim Pick

Kitchen Products

Page 41: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

Fine Quality Custom Cabinetry

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Page 42: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com40 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

Second Life

Cast from real rocks, the Ridgestone collection of lightweight stone veneer brings the outdoors into the house. Available in � ve color blends, the rippled edges of the stacked-stone veneer are made to suggest water-worn rock. Ply Gem Stone . 877.804.1670. www.plygemstone.com .

Wall of the Wild

The DCS 36-inch side-by-side, Energy Star–rated refrigerator sports a tri-sensor control thermostat that regu-lates temperature and humidity be-tween the fresh food and freezer draw-ers. Fisher & Paykel . 888.936.7872. www.dcsappliances.com .

Cold Steel

Molded from 100 percent recycled glass, ThinkGlass countertops are as durable as stone, according to the manufacturer. The thickness, edge treatment, texture, and color can all be made to order. Constructed to withstand heat, the countertops resist stains, scratches, and mildew. ThinkGlass . 877.410.4527. www.thinkglass.com .

Searing, grilling, and warming can be done at once with the dual heat zone capability of the CombiSet barbecue grill—and they can be done indoors. A cast-iron grate sits over lava rocks, which evenly distribute the heat to food, says the company. The indoor electric grill comes in 12- and 15-inch widths. Miele . 800.843.7231. www.mieleusa.com .

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Page 43: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 44: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com42 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

Glamm, a multifunctional shower panel, boasts an oversized shower head, a hand shower, and adjustable vertical hydro-massage jets. The panel—in white, white oak, and teak � nishes—uses a thermostat-ic mixer to control temperatures. Novel-lini . 877.273.8816. www.novellini.com .

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Rift-cut oak and crystal countertops detail the architecture of the INFRA line of bath furniture, part of the Solid Look collection. Italian designer hardware and auto-closing aluminum drawers in a walnut vanity add smooth functionality to its form. Firma . 905.851.5552. www.� rmabathfurniture.com .

Inspired by early 20th-century tubs, the Sirena free-standing soaking tub adds ergonomic designand heat-retaining science to its classic style. The oval tub is 72 inches long and 24 inches tall. Americh . 800.453.1463. www.americh.com.

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Gray Matters The Graphite � nish enhances industrial-style bath � xtures with its gunmetal tone, a bluish-gray tint that suits traditional and contemporary designs. The � nish is durable and tarnish-proof, says the company. California Faucets . 800.822.8855. www.calfaucets.com .

Bath Products

Page 45: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info

Page 46: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com44 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

Bamboozled

FastidiousFillersTwo � oor legs andbridge-mounted hard-ware give the Canter-bury tub � ller a Victo-rian � are. One of sevennew � oor-mountedstyles by the manufac-turer, the Canterbury comes in six � nishes, from olive bronze to antique brushed nickel, and the option of a ce-ramic handle insert for the hand shower. Graff . 800.954.4723. www.graff-faucets.com .

Cement This Easily customize the 32 colors of the Echo Collection’s handmade cement tiles with an online interactive tool that offers 140 designs options. The slip-resistant � oor and wall tiles range in size from 8 inches to 10 inches square as well as a 4-by-8-inch rectangular pro� le. Granada Tile . 213.482.8070. www.granadatile.com .

Capturing the coveted look of bamboo, the Bamboo Planks collection is actually craft-ed from 9-millimeter-thick glass. The tiles measure 2 inches by 12 inches and come in six color options: desert, mocha, snow, smoke, taupe, and midnight. Bellavita Tile . 469.877.1057. www.bellavitatile.com .

Organic geometry and a smooth � nish imitate rounded pebbles in the Pure Stone collection, which includes a toilet, bidet, and several washbasin and vanity styles. The porcelain pieces are available in white or gray; the vanity units are made of solid oak. Villeroy & Boch . 609.578.4300. www.villeroy-boch.com .

Smooth Stones

Bath Products

Page 47: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

D o o r s ◆ w i n D o w s ◆ H a r D w a r e ◆ C a b i n e t F r o n t s

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Page 48: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

www.customhomeonline.com46 / Custom Home / March/April 2011

PHO

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BRI

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Kochman Reidt + Haigh Cabinetmakers (KR+H) has teamed up with architect Doreve Nicholaeff on a number of projects over the years, so the millwork � rm has become adept at harmonizing its designs with the serpentine lines that are a frequent motif in Nicho-laeff’s plans. “It’s got us really good at doing curved work,” says KR+H partner Paul Reidt , who shows just how good with the three-sided banquette he produced for a new Shingle style house on Cape Cod, Mass.

Anchoring a room that contains a kitchen, breakfast area, and family sitting area, the upholstered cherry piece turns a different face to each function: a counter with a bar sink toward the kitchen, a semicircular seating booth at the breakfast area, and a lower, compound-curved built-in sofa facing the family room’s � replace. With its low pro� le, the assembly—fabricated of � gured cherry, with a wenge top at the breakfast table—organizes the multipurpose space without impeding the room’s expansive view of Nantucket Sound. —Bruce D. Snider

Last Detail

Wave Action

Page 49: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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A W N I N G S - U M B R E L L A S - I N D O O R F U R N I T U R E - O U T D O O R F U R N I T U R E - W I N D O W T R E AT M E N T S

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Page 50: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Page 51: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

#12 OF 21 WAYS:

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Page 52: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

Create the Ultimate Outdoor Space in Days Vs. Weeks...

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Page 53: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV
Page 54: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

52 / Custom Home Outdoors / Spring 2011

Outdoor Products Breeze Catcher

The Eddy GT vertical-axis turbine � ts on a pole

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Outdoor Gregg illuminates through a smooth polyethylene shell, asymmetri-cally molded to look like worn rock. The white lamps come in three sizes—the largest measures 59 centimeters long by 51 centimeters tall and takes a 25-watt � uorescent bulb; the smallest is 31 centimeters long by 27 centimeters high with a 12-watt bulb. Foscarini . +39.041.595.3811. www.foscarini.com .

Concrete Curves Contours in the Double Wave Soaking Tub keep bathers from slipping down and a heat system warms the water inde� nitely, says the manu-facturer. Cast from 64.5 percent recycled concrete in 24 colors, the tubs come plated with MetalCrete, in a copper, nickel, bronze, iron, or pewter � nish. Sonoma Cast Stone . 877.283.2400. www.sonomastone.com .

Beech planks are heated to 180 degrees Celsius while protected with steam to create a dark, durable product called Diamond Decking, which resists decay and changes in humidity, says the company. The thermally treated decking carries a 75-year war-ranty. UWP Corp. 704.507.7061.

Hot Deck

Glow Rock

Page 55: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

DuraLife™ Siesta™ Collection (formerly CorrectDeck CX® Premium Decking) by GAF is made with a unique co-extruded surface that fights the usual spoilers of wood and ordinary composite decking like wine, oils, leaves, ketchup, barbecue sauce, dirty paws, and muddy toes.

It also resists mold, mildew, and color fading. And it looks great, too! Install it in combination with DuraLife™ RailWays® Universal Railing Collection and you can get the highest safety rating possible under the International Building Code*.

One more reason to feel good, relaxand let the good times roll.For other decking solutions, including GAF’s DuraLife™ Natural Grain Collection, visit www.gaf.com

“ Made To Spoil Your Clients.

Not Their Deck.”

* RailWays® railing meets R1, R2 safety rating when installed with the RailWays® enhanced post mount. Must be installed to a code-approved structure. Check your local building codes.

NOTE: It is difficult to reproduce the color clarity and actual color variations within these products. Before selecting your color, please ask to see actual samples.

©2011 GAF 2/11

S i e s t a

I n s p i r e d B y N a t u r e . B u i l t T o L a s tII nn ss pp ii rr ee dd BB yy NN aa tt uu rr ee BB uu ii ll tt TT oo LL aa ss tt

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Page 56: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

54 / Custom Home Outdoors / Spring 2011

Outdoor Products

This 22-inch high-de� nition LCD television weath-ers Mother Nature with a powder-coated aluminum exterior and multifan air� ow system. The anti-re� ec-tive screen also is impact and scratch resistant. Sun-BriteTV . 866.357.8688. www.sunbritetv.com .

A touchscreen system allows H2O Walls’ Computerized Cus-tom Water Features to � ow at a pre-programmed rate and time. The water elements can be set to drain daily and re� ll with fresh water. H2O Walls . 877.420.9255. www.h2owalls.com .

The PLI Distressed Wood Series looks like wood but acts like tile. Non-slip, low maintenance, and splinter free, the 6-inch-by-24-inch porce-lain tiles offer faux wood � nishes in white, black, and brown. The tiles are constructed from 40 percent pre-consumer recycled ceramic. Hast-ings Tile & Bath . 516.379.3500. www.hastingstilebath.com .

Knot Really

Carved from black granite, the Salus Outdoor Kitchen Sink has straight sides that are made to � t easily into cabinetry. All sinks, includingpotting sinks, can be custom made. Stone Forest . 888.682.2987. www.stoneforest.com.

Good Fit

Weather Watch

Flow Go

Page 57: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

The family room with a 20,000 ft. ceiling.

For outdoor living inspiration and ideas, go to gettag.mobi on your smartphone and

download the free Tag Reader app. Hold your phone

over this coded tag to snap it or visit www.belgard.biz.

www.belgard.biz

Ample space for relaxation is just one of many benefi ts your family will enjoy together in a

Belgard outdoor living space. For more outdoor living ideas and inspiration, visit www.belgard.biz

or to receive a complimentary catalog call 1-877-BELGARD.

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Page 58: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

Well-connected outdoor spaces keep the conversation going at a Virginia home.

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Social Graces

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Spring 2011 / Custom Home Outdoors / 57

L andscape architect Richard Arentz’s house and gardens re� ect rural Orlean, Va.’s vernacular simplicity, yet there’s something almost urban about them. On rolling, densely wooded terrain, Arentz carved out a podium for a house and a daisy-chain of out-door social spaces, each with a different energy and focus. It’s hard to think of a more gracious place to entertain friends, which Arentz does year-round.

The project, Running Cedar, ties the house’s � oor plan to the outdoors to create a sense of both spaciousness and intimacy. Arentz worked with architect Richard Williams to design the two stucco buildings—a main house and separate guest quarters above a two-car garage. They’re organized simply along a north-south axis with a tawny gravel courtyard between, and linked by a monolithic stone wall that acts as a spine. “The roo� ines are on the same plane, so the courtyard is simply a void between the two,” Williams says. “The gables have this dialogue between them, like a street with tall gables addressing one another.”

The buildings’ clean lines move into the landscape, overlapping with entertain-ing-scaled spaces that give the house context. A low stone wall overlooking an es-carpment and the Rappahannock River guides visitors to the front door. Once inside, the narrative continues. The � rst-� oor rooms are � uid, yet each has a curated view that sets the stage, even in winter. Straight ahead are striking views of a hawthorn allee, on axis with the entry walk, that leads to a sunken perennial border at the garden’s rear edge. To the left of the foyer, visitors step through a stone chimney wall to the pavilionlike living room—the closest spot to the river 100 feet below. “It feels like you’ve moved beyond the house to the river gorge when you move around the big chimney mass,” Williams says. Arentz adds that at large parties, guests often split off and sit on the adjacent informal patio, on the ravine’s wild edge.

The social hub, though, is the open kitchen/sitting room on the opposite side of the house. It spills out to the courtyard—a third room open to the sky that, at 40 feet long by 30 feet wide, comfortably seats 30 for dinner. The circular fountain there was inspired by the livestock troughs in local pastures. “I was going to do a seat height of 18 inches, but it would have blocked the view of the water from the kitchen,” Arentz says. “I lowered it to a 9-inch curb.”

The gravel courtyard, tucked into the void between the house and garage/guest quarters, is the social hub. A break in the stone wall (above and left) is on axis with steps to a sunken perennial garden—a destination when the fl owers are in bloom, but hidden from the house when it’s dormant. At left, the stone spine culminates in an outdoor shower by the pool deck.

Case Study

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58 / Custom Home Outdoors / Spring 2011

The courtyard also is part of the axial progres-sion, through a break in the wall, between the front and rear lawns and the lower � ower border. A pergola spans that gap to join the main house with the guest house, screened porch, and pool terrace. The porch, which pops out through the stone spine, is in constant use during summer.

“One of the highest compliments I’ve had was from someone who was here for a dinner party and later commented, ‘I loved being at your stone house,’” Arentz says. “The judicious use of stone is what people walk away with because you’re sitting next to it, walking by it, touching it.” Inside and out, a limited material palette—wood, metal, stucco, sandstone, and � agstone—adds up to a soft-spoken house that looks outside itself for ornament. ■

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Case Study Social Graces

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Spring 2011 / Custom Home Outdoors / 59

Project Credits: Landscape architect: Arentz Landscape Architects, Washington, D.C., and Warrenton, Va.; Architect: Richard Williams Architects, Washington, D.C.; Builder: Castlerock Enterprises, Hume, Va.; Interior designer: Solis Betancourt & Sherrill, Washington, D.C.; Landscape contractor: Ironwood, Washington, D.C., and Warrenton, Va.; Photographer: Roger Foley Photography; Site plan: Richard Williams Architects.

Boxwood hedges framing the east and west lawns lend tidy year-round structure. In plan, the lawns’ or-thogonal planes respond to the architecture, break-ing out of its narrow footprint. Pathways create a circuit enticing guests outside to experience nature. The rear garden’s hawthorn allee aligns with the front door and leads to the sunken perennial border, which is shown above in bloom.

Page 62: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 61

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64 / Custom Home Outdoors / Spring 2011

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In addition to its garden art business, AguaFina is a landscape design/build fi rm—which helps Toby think like his pro cus-tomers. “We can speak their language,” he says. “We understand not just from a supply standpoint, but from the installer’s point of view as well.” If clients don’t see something they want in the catalog, “we can make it for them,” Toby adds—or fi nd it for them. He often commissions carvers overseas to execute custom specifi cations and constantly is traveling him-self, always on the hunt for unique pieces for both his private and his professional clients. AguaFina Gardens International . 248.738.0500. www.aguafi na.com . —Evelyn Royer

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Page 67: Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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