Custom Home - March & April 2011-TV

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Inside:
Custom Home
Outdoors
—see page 51
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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 qualified readers
involved in the custom home building and design industries. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualification. Nonqualified 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 offices. 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 Page
6 Custom Market Watch
9 Master Class / Joseph Kais
14 Custom Builder 2.0 / Niche Building
36 Kitchen Products
42 Bath Products
46 Last Detail
61 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
IIIInnnnssssiiddddeee:::
ome Custom Ho
rs Outdoor
1 —s —s —see ee ee ppag age e 55
than ever.
©

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www.customhomeonline.com March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 5
S. Claire Conroy
[email protected]
Editor’s Page
Every week seems to bring new, conicting 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
difflcult 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 flre
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 confldence is confldence—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 ?
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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR / S. Claire Conroy
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During economic downturns remodel-
ing can be the custom home builder’s
best 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 home
building and helped many custom firms stay afloat. With the next decade expected
to yield solid growth and many new opportunities for remodeling, it could remain an
indispensable 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 more
closely 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 progress
appears to be taking the two-steps-forward/one-step-back approach with broad swings
between increasing and declining activity. This ongoing instability in new residential
construction reects month-by-month changes in home buyer confldence, 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 to
562,000. Permits for multifamily buildings (flve or more units) followed the same pattern, fall-
ing 22.4 percent in January from the previous month. Single-family permits experienced two
months 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 below
the 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 below
the rate of January 2010. After in-
creasing in November and declining
in December, multifamily comple-
tions fell again by nearly 20 percent
in January—62 percent below the
previous 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 to
a score of 50. The AIA notes this
merely reects relatively stable de-
mand for design services, although
market 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
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
efficiency upgrades and enhancements will increase. These projects saw gains from 2009 to 2010 despite overall remodeling declines.
March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 7
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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 difficult to pin down.
Custom home clients are undergoing a significant—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 ’s
2011 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 the
suburban mansion as a marker of success and wealth has evaporated. — Keith Waters , president, Keith
Waters & Associates , Eden Prairie, Minn.
A financial 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 beneficiaries of these funds. Those who inherit wealth tend to spend it much more freely than
those 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 influx 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 financial 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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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 office
in Fairfield 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 first
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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Joseph Kais
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Remodeling involves a lot of
decisions for your customers.
Help them understand how quality
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Remodeling often
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THERE’ S GOOD ENOUGH.
AND THEN THERE’ S MARVI N.
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®Registered trademark of Marvin Windows and Doors.
1-800-241-9450
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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
firm 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 firm 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 flow 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
Fairfield, 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.
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©201 1 Marvin Windows and Doors. All rights reserved.
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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’ first 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.
www.customhomeonline.com 14 / Custom Home / March/April 2011
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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 flrst. Once he did that flrst 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., flrm, 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-offlce 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.
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16 / Custom Home / March/April 2011
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 dene 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).
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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
www.customhomeonline.com 22 / 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-influenced kitchen, which includes a breakfast area, a
small ofce, 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 floor. “That lets you see the floor
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
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 flngerprints.
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 influence 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).
www.customhomeonline.com 24 / 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 soft 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
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 fixtures: Cooper Lighting; Oven: Thermador; Paint: Benjamin Moore & Co.; Plumbing fittings: Grohe; Plumbing fixtures: Franke;
Range: Wolfe; Refrigerator: Sub-Zero.
With its L-shaped floor 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).
www.customhomeonline.com 26 / 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 soft 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
unies 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
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.
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.
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
www.customhomeonline.com 30 / 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 inuenced 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
A generous bay window makes using the bath
seem like more of an outdoor experience.
Shades of white reflect and amplify the site’s
always-changing natural light, and furniture-
style pieces anchor minimalist fixtures.
www.customhomeonline.com 32 / 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 soft 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 dening 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, flooring, and plumbing fittings: Waterworks; Plumbing fixtures: Kohler, TOTO USA.
Double Time
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.
When building a home, homebuyers tend to ask
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www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com 36 / 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.plainfancy
cabinetry.com .
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Kitchen
Cosmetics
Kitchen Products
Vroom quick clean accessories
hide in walls, cabinets and
under counters so they’re out
of sight but always close at
hand. These built-in tools
harness the power of a central
vacuum to deliver powerful,
convenient, on-the-spot
cleaning…so new houses look
new even longer! Consumers
love the convenience. You’ll love
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Spot stores up to 10’
of hose in the wall for
everyday messes.
Hide-A-Hose stores
up to 50’ of hose in
the wall for whole-
house cleaning.
Vroom in the
garage combines
the convenience
of a carwash with
the power of a
central vacuum!
Vroom fits neatly
inside a standard
cabinet, turns on
automatically and
reaches out 24’ to
make dirt disappear.
CustomHome2011.indd 1 1/5/11 10:59 AM
www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com 38 / Custom Home / March/April 2011
Witch Way
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chrome-plate t d d d dd d dd d d ddd me m tal reect
incandescent nt lig ig iggggggg iggght hhhhhhhh within the
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contributi ti ting ngg aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa modern
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7
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inches high, hhh hhhhas aaaaas as as aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa a diameter
of 17
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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 In
Poggenpohl engineered its
drawer system to activate
LED lights when opened
and glide easier on thin
runners. The drawers and
pull-outs include two
options 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
Fine Quality Custom Cabinetry
Handcrafted For Your Entire Home
800-999-4994 • www.crown-point.com
Working direct with your own personal custom cabinet shop.
Without the headaches. Without the overhead.
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Interested?
Give us a call today at 800-999-4994
Let Crown Point provide:
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Client-specific cabinet samples.
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All at no cost to you or your clients.
Imagine...
www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com 40 / 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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Kitchen Products
Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com 42 / 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 .
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWaaaaaaaallllllll
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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 design
and 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
Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
www.ebuild.com / www.customhomeonline.com 44 / Custom Home / March/April 2011
Bamboozled
Fastidious
Fillers
Two oor legs and
bridge-mounted hard-
ware give the Canter-
bury tub ller a Victo-
rian are. One of seven
new oor-mounted
styles 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 prole.
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
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
602 . 296.1050
www.ciwood.com old world Craftsmanship
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www.customhomeonline.com 46 / Custom Home / March/April 2011
P
H
O
T
O
:

B
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I
A
N

V
A
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D
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N

B
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I
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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 prole, 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
S
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AWN I N G S - U MB R E L L A S - I N D OOR F U R N I T U R E - OU T D OOR F U R N I T U R E - WI N D OW T R E AT ME N T S
An awning made with Sunbrella
®
fabric does far more than simply enhance the beauty of your customer’s
home. It also offers protection from the elements, expands their living space and reduces interior
heat gain. And with hundreds of textures, colors and stripes, there are sure to be several to fit any style.
For more information, call Glen Raven Customer Service
at 336.221.2211 or visit www.sunbrella.com/builder.
S H A D E H A S N E V E R L O O K E D S O B R I L L I A N T.
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code reader to learn more.
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ebuild is the destination for
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© 2011 Boise Cascade Wood Products. BOISE CASCADE, BCI and Great products are only the beginning are
trademarks of Boise Cascade, L.L.C. or its affiliates
B
O
ISE C
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SC
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ESS PR
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TIC
ES
TO
EN
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ILD
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GREAT PRODUCTS ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING.™
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ETTER
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O
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ES A
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E
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NAHB Research Center toolbase.org reports homebuyers in
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system enables HVAC holes in 2nd floor BCI
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Outdoor Products
Breeze Catcher
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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 indenitely, 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
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, relax
and 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.
©
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Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
54 / Custom Home Outdoors / Spring 2011
Outdoor Products
This 22-inch high-denition LCD television weath-
ers Mother Nature with a powder-coated aluminum
exterior and multifan airow system. The anti-reec-
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 rell 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, including
potting sinks, can be custom made. Stone
Forest . 888.682.2987. www.stoneforest.com.
Good Fit
Weather
Watch
Flow Go
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 benefits 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.
Bel_CHO_FamRoom_2011.indd 1 1/5/11 10:08:00 PM
Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
Well-connected outdoor spaces keep the
conversation going at a Virginia home.
BBBBByyyyyyy CCCCCChheryylllll WWWWWWWWeeeeeebbbbbbbbeeeeeerrrrrrr,,,,, LLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDD AAAAAAAPPPPP
Social Graces
Spring 2011 / Custom Home Outdoors / 57
L
andscape architect Richard Arentz’s house and gardens reect 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 rooines 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
flowers 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
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
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.
Beautiful. Distinctive.
Homeowner Approved.
K
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aterials
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More than just a pretty face.
It’s true. It’s not just breathtaking natural beauty and elegance that make
a Keystone wall remarkable. It’s what you don’t see that makes a big
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easily create your very own backyard paradise.
To view Keystone’s complete line of innovative products and project ideas, visit us online at www.keystonewalls.com or call 1-800-747-8971.
Keystone is proud to be a subsidiary of CONTECH Construction Products Inc.
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Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 61
Advertising Sales
Offices
Advertising Index
Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more product information
Advertiser Page(s)
Warren Nesbitt, Executive Director,
Residential New Construction Group /
202.736.3328 / [email protected]
Jeff Calore, Publisher, Residential New
Construction Group / 202.380.3766 /
[email protected]
Jeff Rule, Product Director e-Media /
202.729.3539
Joanna Mott, Group Publishing Support
Manager / 773.824.2459 /
[email protected]
Midwest
Tim Ahlering, Regional Sales Manager
Mark Cullum, Regional Sales Manager
8725 W. Higgins Road, Suite 600,
Chicago, IL 60631
773.824.2400 / FAX: 773.824.2540
[email protected] /
[email protected]
Northeast
Paul Pettersen, Regional Sales Manager
112 Kingsbury Road, Garden City, NY 11530
516.536.9154 / [email protected]
Southeast/Mid-Atlantic
David Clark, Regional Sales Manager
8725 W. Higgins Road, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60631
773.824.2412 / [email protected]
West
Carol Weinman, Regional Sales Manager
395 Del Monte Center, Suite 317
Monterey, CA 93945
831.373.6125 / [email protected]
Canada
D. John Magner, York Media Services
500 Queens Quay West, Suite 101W
Toronto, Ontario M5V 3K8
416.598.0101, ext. 220 /
[email protected]
United Kingdom/Europe
Stuart Smith, SSM Global Media
First Floor, SSM House, 1 Cobden Court,
Wimpole Close, Bromley, Kent BR2 9JF
44.20.8464.5577 /
[email protected]
e-Media
Edwin Kraft, National Sales Manager
5908 Northern Court, Elkridge, MD 21075
443.445.3488 / [email protected]
Classified Advertising
Janet Allen, Executive Director,
Account Management Group
Stacy Okoro, Operations Coordinator,
Inside Sales
Erin Schneider, Account Executive
One Thomas Circle NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
202.452.0800 / FAX: 202.785.1974
For subscription inquiries and back issue orders,
call 888.269.8410.
For reprints, call 717.399.1900.
For a media kit, contact Janet Allen,
[email protected].
Published by Hanley Wood, LLC
AIA Contract Documents 17
Andersen Windows and Doors C4
AZEK Deck 43
Belgard Hardscapes 55
Biltmore For Your Home 18
Boise Cascade 49
CEDIA 19
Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau 35
Craftsmen in Wood 45
Crown Point Cabinetry 39
CUSTOM HOME’s Directions Virtual Conference* 34
Eldorado Outdoor 50
Excel Homes* 34
FireRock 48
GAF 8, 53
Glastender 48
Huber AdvanTech Flooring 15
IAMPO R&T 41
Advertiser Page(s)
Keystone Retaining Wall Systems 60
Lumber Liquidators 12
Marvin Windows and Doors 9,11,13
Milgard Windows and Doors 4
OTIS at Home C3
PERC 16a-d
Pine Hall Brick 49
RangeCraft 61
SoftPlan 18
StoneCraft by The Tapco Group 10
Sunbrella 47
Therma-Tru Doors 20
Tiger Deck 49
Trex C2-1
Trim-Tex Drywall Products 18
VELUX Skylights 2
Vroom 37
*Issue appears in regional editions.
Universal Inserts for Wood Hoods
Range Hoods MadeTo Order
Any Design • Any Finish
877- RCHOODS
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QUALITY CRAFTED IN THE USA
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S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
CUSTOM PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info 62 / Custom Home / March/April 2011
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FOR INFORMATION
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Water pr oof i ng Systems
800-882-1896 • www.eproserv.com
High Performance
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Gas Barrier Systems
Epro Design
• Composite Technology (laminated components)
• Field Installed
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• Flexible Component Selection
Purpose of Design
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• Multiple Waterproofing Barriers
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Application Systems
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• Blindside
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0 62_063_ch_0311.indd62 062_063_ch_0311.indd 62 3 /8/113:48:39 P M 3/8/11 3:48:39 PM
S P E C I A L A D V E R T I S I N G S E C T I O N
CUSTOM PRODUCT SHOWCASE
March/April 2011 / Custom Home / 63 Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
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Design Benefits
• Single slope allows for the use of larger tiles
for greater design flexibility
• Contemporary styling
- 6 drain lengths (from 24” - 60”)
- 4 brushed stainless steel
strainer styles
Installer Benefits
• Simple installation
- Fasten drain to the floor
- Tie in the plumbing
- Attach membrane to clamping mechanism
Owner Benefits
• Membrane clamping mechanism assures a
watertight seal with the waterproofing membrane
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manufactured seams ensures dependable
performance for the life of the original tile
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FreeStyle Linear Drain being
installed with NobleSeal
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waterproofing sheet membrane.
64 / Custom Home Outdoors / Spring 2011
Outdoor Indulgences
P
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On a motorbike trek through the Far East, Daryl Toby , founder of AguaFina, came across stone carvers in regions of Asia
known for generations of stone-working skill. By the journey’s end, Toby had shipped a 20-by-40-foot container of objects
back to the United States—the seeds of what is now an eclectic showroom of innovative flame stone sculptures, mirror
basalt fountains, eye-catching granite furniture, and salvaged artifacts.
In addition to its garden art business, AguaFina is a landscape design/build firm—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
find it for them. He often commissions carvers overseas to execute custom specifications 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.aguafina.com . —Evelyn Royer
Rocks of Asia
Otisathome.com or contact Bill Kempf at (888) 852-6847.
Go to http://chome.hotims.com for more info
ANDERSEN. MORE STYLES.
C
1
DYK TRIM
STYLE AD
M Y K
INITIALS DATE
JOB # AWC100090 DATE 11/15/10
CLIENT Andersen Corp.
HEADLINE Andersen. More styles.
LIVE 8" x 10"
TRIM 8.5" x 10.5"
BLEED 8.75" x 10.75"
FILE 100%
COLOR CMYK
CD Mark Haumersen
AD Doug Mickschl
CW Tom Witkowski
DS Doug Mickschl
AM Scott Elmgren
PM Ann Mansavage
CLIENT
More trim options. More color options. More styles.
Whether you’re aiming for classic or contemporary, there’s an Andersen
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exterior
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to match, accent or contrast the window’s color. Finish with a color-matched drip
cap. In the end, more styles give you more to offer. Visit us at andersendifferent.com.
“ENERGY STAR” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks
of Andersen Corporation. ©2010 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved.
AWC100090-TrimStyle_FPG-C 1 11/12/10 8:08 PM