Dinner and Entertaining on 13 Porches

Table Set for Twenty I've been dreaming of spring lately, and nothing heralds the arrival of spring like dinner on the porch.   At our home, as soon as it is warm enough, the porch becomes the center of outdoor entertaining.  We often install radiant heaters for our clients, which allow an early start and an extended season.  Our clients use their porches for relaxing, dining, and entertaining.  The good news is that there are so many ways to design a porch [...]

By |2023-02-26T12:37:11-05:00February 26th, 2015|Categories: Additions, Construction, Miscellaneous, Porches|0 Comments

Historic Expansion (Featured Project)

View of Old and New The original house had been added to over time, but at its core was a beautiful old home with wide pine floors and plaster walls. A critical requirement of the project was to preserve the integrity of the historic structure while giving the new owners additional space for their growing family and friends. With some careful design and care during construction, we were even able to save two venerable old trees which have [...]

By |2023-02-26T12:45:24-05:00January 9th, 2015|Categories: Additions, Bedrooms, Fireplaces, Kitchen, Miscellaneous, Renovations|5 Comments

6 Ways to Side Your Home

Clapboard Siding When we begin to design a home, we generally have an idea of what the exterior material will be.  Often we will try alternate materials either to change the aesthetics, to adjust the budget, or simply at the request of our clients. Many of our projects combine two or more materials. If you are designing a modern home, the exterior material palate is almost limitless as long as it keeps the weather out and doesn’t fall [...]

5 Additions That Especially Add Value to a Home(Revisited)

In a completely unscientific review of past and current projects, I find that five types of additions are requested more than all the others combined.  The reason may be that homeowners value these five additions the most or it could be that most homes lack or only have poor examples of these spaces. While I never try to predict real estate trends or future markets, it stands to reason that a home, which includes fine examples one or more of [...]

By |2023-02-26T13:22:34-05:00May 8th, 2014|Categories: Additions, Kitchen, Porches, Renovations|Tags: , , , , |2 Comments

Stone Barn Addition-Featured Recent Project

We always love it when our former clients call us back for additional work on their homes. In this case the owners wanted an open room which would be a place to play pool, entertain, and gather with family and friends. They wanted the addition to feel like a stone barn to which the main house was added, and we all agree, it really does feel like the stone addition has always been there. [...]

6 Outdoor Fireplaces

Cool evenings in October draw me out onto my porch.  We have an area heater which extends the season both in the Spring and the Fall.  Many of our clients who want to enjoy those edge of season days and nights outdoors ask us to design an outdoor fireplace. Once they start using it, they find that the ambiance of an outdoor wood burning fireplace can be a lot of fun year around.  We have heard of great [...]

3 Breakfast Bays

I have always loved sitting in a bright alcove eating breakfast and reading the paper.  These days the object in front of me is often an ipad or other electronics, but the wonderful feeling of a breakfast nook is always the same.  Of course bays which have windows on three sides are going to be the brightest.  Depending on the orientation of the house, the sunlight streaming in can be dramatic. If there are some interesting views, that [...]

Fine Home Source 2013, Sept. 28th

I will be the first to admit, everyone doesn't need a bowling alley.  But if you would like to see the latest in home bowling, come on out to Fine Home Source on September 28th and take a look.  This year we have some of the most broad ranging and professional vendors ever.  You can speak to the experts from Orvis Sandanona about learning how to fly fish or shoot sporting clays then talk to the folks at Dutchess Overhead [...]

Fine Home Source 2013

We are now a little over a month away from our 6th and largest Fine Home Source Home show.  We have enlarged the tent and added vendors and have reached a milestone of 6 years keeping craftmanship and quality design alive.  Join us in the celebration of quality services,craftsmanship, and design on September 28th in Millbrook, New York.  Here are a few of the vendors who will be there: [...]

Adding On (Revisited)

About half of the work in our office is new construction and half renovations and additions. When designing a home from scratch some of the most important elements to study(besides the clients wishes) are views, site features, sun and wind direction, and the approach to the site. The most important single element in an addition/renovation is the existing building. Sometimes the portion you save and restore is key to the rest of the project. Although it is almost [...]

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