When designing and building a custom home, staircase structure and specifications are often a larger design decision than clients realize. Designs range from fully supported site-built stairs with wall mounted handrails to modern floating steel structures with open risers, and complex rail systems. Each option impacts aesthetics, complexity, and cost. Site Built Stairs The most…

Quality-over-quantity, one of my personal mantras, coupled with a tinge of minimalism has crept into the mainstream of custom home design. Single-use rooms and area-consuming specialty spaces are increasingly subject to the chopping block during plan design, as we progressively value space by the amount of time we spend occupying it, and the amount of…

As we approach a new decade, one which finally has a distinctive name (bring on the 20’s!), it is appropriate to look toward developing technologies promising major improvements in home construction. While some of these technologies have been buzzwords for several years, they have made great strides in recent months. Others within have resulted from…

Home ownership, the pinnacle of the American dream and personal investment, has changed. Due to societal, technological, and demographic shifts over the last couple decades, our time is now the most valuable and scarce resource we have, and maximizing it is a stressful challenge. With seemingly less free time than ever before, home and lawn…

Contemporary home design has navigated a gamut of on-trend color themes, patterns, materials, and textures throughout the twenty teens. We have experienced a renaissance of niche ideas fueled by chic urban revitalization and economic expansion coinciding with the proliferation of design media and inspiration from around the world. Although the trends that have emerged are…

As we head into Autumn and chilly breezes rustle colorful leaves loose from their branches, nothing conjures nostalgia quite like the smell and warmth of a burning fire. Fireplaces are a wonderful amenity for your home, offering warmth and comfort and serving as an eye-catching anchor to a room or outdoor space. Before choosing a…

Every day more than 10,000 Americans turn 65, and this statistic will hold true throughout the next decade. With this growth in the empty nester demographic comes demand for smaller residential footprints that require less maintenance, waste less space, and offer easier mobility. However, many discerning home buyers that have lived in custom homes in…