Build something different.
In our previous installment I wrote about the advantages of a Control 4 system for a new construction. This time ADT (yes the same guys that install security systems) have launched a new product offering with an integrated home control features called ADT Pulse.
read more
Remember from science class that three elements must be present to start a fire: fuel, oxygen, and spark? If one of these elements is missing, nothing will happen. Similarly, three things must happen in order to build your new home: finances must be made available, land must be purchased, and a house design must be finalized. The graph below illustrates how the maximum budget is broken down into...
read more
Sound control is often overlooked in new home design. Why? Few architects and builders understand it and even fewer of them can explain its importance. You can’t see sound control. It doesn’t make your house more beautiful. It just is—tucked away inside of walls, ceilings, floors and other components of your home. But if you forget it, lack of it will slowly eat away at your sanity
read more
If you enjoy wine and you love to entertain, if you have always dreamed of your very own modern cellar & wine sampling space, this post is for you. But before you start planning your future home cellar we will look for inspiration from around the world to help you visualize this space.
read more
Growing up, I heard promises of a great “Jetsonian” future: lives would be simplified by the use of automation. Devices in homes would work in harmony, performing mundane tasks so that people could have more time to enjoy life. Alas, the year 2000 came and left. Promises of flying cars were broken. Simple-to-use home automation was nowhere to be found, until now.
read more
I read an article on CNN about how badly Americans need a vacation. The author mentioned the option of a “staycation,” taking time off and relaxing at home. It reminded me of the growing trend of increasingly beautiful, luxurious bathrooms. Could it be that people long for these luxurious master baths because of their desperate need to relax?
read more
7 high impact elements that make or break your home’s style and ideas on how to use them: 1. Staircases 2. Fireplaces 3. Cabinets 4. Chandeliers 5. Doors 6. Windows 7. Trim
read more
Low-profile “horizontal” fireplaces have the sleek, sophisticated look that frequently catch the eyes of my clients. Why are these horizontal fireplaces so attractive? Besides the refreshing shape, the design is as much about what you don’t see as what you do. Here’s how this fireplace style keeps the focus on the flames and where to find them...
read more
It’s not every day you’ll come across a movie review on this blog, but then again, I don’t often browse through Netflix and find a great film on design…It’s not just a discussion of how things are made; the true focus is on the philosophy of good design, the impact design has on our everyday lives, and the responsibility designers have in protecting the environment.
read more
Okay, so maybe your partner’s ideas aren’t ridiculous, but in the heat of a disagreement about your new home’s design, you may feel that way. A lot is at stake, after all. Even couples who have lived peacefully together for years can be irked by their significant other under these changing circumstances.
read more
Think less is always more? That modern is minimalist? Or that modern is cold and sterile? Think you always get what you pay for and that designers are unusually creative? You might want to think again... Myths are started by some exaggeration of the facts. Make sure you're on the right track by discerning between myth and fact.
read more
