Recession leads remodelers to new ways of using a design staff, such as sharing designer subcontractors with other remodleing companies.
Warner McConaughey’s drive and strong design/build program serve Atlanta’s upper-end remodeling market well.
Perched on a high hill in Greenwich, Conn., this beautiful property finally has a house worthy of its location.The original house was large but lacked presence. Though the architect's first thought at seeing the 1958 house was that it should be torn down, the owner liked the U-shaped floor plan that embraces an entry courtyard, and wanted to upgrade the original French style.
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What do we mean by the landscape of home? It's not only the gardens, but also the views and vistas, and the walkways and thresholds that let you feel at home on your land. Of course, your house is part of this landscape, too. How do you decide when to use these elements? You begin by realizing that designing your landscape is not so different from designing your house.
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The front porch is an enduring icon of the American Craftsman style, but the porch on this 1920s bungalow was buried by a dark mass of shingles encasing a sculpture gallery when its owners bought it in 1994.
Have you ever noticed that most houses are situated on their lots rather like vehicles that have landed from outer space? Even if there's landscaping surrounding the house, there's often little or no consideration given to whether any of it can be seen from the interior. Windows are generally located in the middle of the wall of each room, with little thought given to the quality of the view from within the space.
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When Doug Walter says, “I channel dead architects to try to figure out their original intent,” it gives the listener a clear picture of how the former restoration architect might approach the design of an addition. On the other hand, architect Mark McInturff says his additions fit “by contrast rather than by a literal copying or cloning.” As different as these approaches may be, both architects must satisfy the needs of clients and be sensitive to neighboring structures.
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There is nothing like a screened porch for enjoying a bug-free summer evening or watching a rainstorm in dry comfort. These three porches solve homeowner needs and enhance their surroundings.
Although the two-story volume-ceiling family room in this 16-year-old home with 9-foot first-floor ceilings was attractive, remodeler Wayne Booze says, the acoustics were bad, with sound traveling throughout the house. But more than that, he adds, the clients wanted an additional bedroom with a full bath.
For the first week of October, I found myself working shoulder to shoulder with nine of my competitors and hundreds of trade contractors I'd never met. The job? Tear down a house and build a new one in less than five days. It was simultaneously an act of insanity and one of the greatest experiences of my life.