Category: Coastal Style

Greg and Holly Homer had a vision for their loved ones home. “Because we both work from home and homeschool our three children part time we needed a home that will allow for play, work, friends, family and meet all our everyday needs,” Holly says. This included a home theatre, a fire rod for the kids plus a Lego playroom with a slide.

After purchasing a heavily wooded 2-acre whole lot near the Dallas airport, the Homers tapped architect Bill Brown and Noble Classic Homes to create their dream home a reality. They tested prospective contractors by sharing their own design ideas with them if the contractors balked, the couple moved on to another corporation. “We don’t have any design history, but we knew what we wanted,” Holly says. “I’m so happy we stuck to our guns and didn’t let anyone talk us out of it. We love it.”

at a Glance
Who lives here: Greg and Holly Homer and their children, Ryan (age 12), Reid (10) and Rhett (7)
Location: Flower Mound, Texas
Size: 7,200 square feet; 5 bedrooms; 7 bathrooms

Sarah Greenman

A massive living room exudes warmth with exposed wood beams, a central stone hearth and pumpkin-hued walls. “Orange and red are neutrals for me,” says Holly.

An elevated computer channel at the front end of the living room is a workspace where Holly cranks out copy for both sites, Kids Activities Blog and Business two Blogger. “I know the house is big, but we utilize each corner of it every day,” she states.

Slipper seats: Sam’s Club

Sarah Greenman

A stair comprising colorful Mexican tile to the risers welcomes people when they first enter the home. Holly enjoys the appearance of repeating square patterns, a motif found throughout the home.

Sarah Greenman

The architect created a courtyard in the foyer by using substances usually reserved for exteriors, such as concrete, brick, outdoor lighting fittings and dividers which framework a stained glass window. “We really wanted the foyer to have the feeling of being outdoors,” Holly says.

The entry gives way into a formal dining room that Holly made to feel like an outdoor gazebo. A circular space, vaulted ceilings and oversize windows encircle the 7-foot dining table, especially ordered from IBB Designs.

Sarah Greenman

A spiral staircase leads to a backyard bar in the family room. Two stained glass windows showcase more coloured square patterns.

Sarah Greenman

Bold red cabinetry and butter-yellow trim wrap the kitchen. Holly needed a large multiuse kitchen to accommodate family dishes, art projects and a host of other home tasks. “We are extremely casual, so most of our entertaining and living happen in the kitchen,” she states.

Sarah Greenman

The kitchen opens into a dining area with ample seating. Black frames exhibit black and white family photographs. The painted turquoise seat is all that’s left of a family piano Holly played when she was young.

Sarah Greenman

Greg is the chef in the family and enjoys making family dishes at this industrial double stove. An oversize checkerboard tile hood hovers above a beveled subway tile backsplash. “I am notoriously bad in the kitchen,” Holly says. “Greg does the majority of the cooking. He got the stove, and I got a bathtub.”

Subway tile: Ann Sacks

Sarah Greenman

Even a butler’s pantry functions as a hallway to the formal dining room and provides quick access for serving dishes and entertaining.

When the Homers made their house, a wine rack and glass cabinets to get dish storage were must-haves. “I really wanted to be able to maintain the flat surfaces clean throughout the home with a place for all,” says Holly.

Sarah Greenman

A multiuse pantry lies just off the kitchen and also functions as the laundry room, another prep kitchen and storage for homeschooling materials. “Because we entertain in the kitchen, I desired another place to stash things and also have extra prep room,” Holly says. “When the party is going, we can close the mess away.”

Holly’s children each have a designated shelf in the pantry, where they shop what they need for school — they move into a private academy two days a week and are homeschooled another days. “It makes packing backpacks or preparing for a homeschool day something they could tackle independently,” she states.

Washer, dryer: Samsung

Sarah Greenman

Ceilings soar in the main bedroom. Large French doors open into the yard. Holly’s favourite feature is a pair of stained glass doors she purchased at auction in Sanger, Texas. They came out of an older church and are currently installed between the bedroom and a antechamber. The little room used to function as a nursery into the couple’s youngest kid but now houses personal exercise equipment.

Stained glass doorways: Carraway Auction House; bedding: The Business Store; cushions: Saks Fifth Avenue

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman

An infinity bathtub is the most important bathroom’s centerpiece. Water falls from a fixture in the ceiling to the basin. “Our plumber hadn’t ever been requested to make water come out of the ceiling, however he did it,” Holly says.

Sage walls, rattan Roman shades and dark wood cabinetry lend a tropical vibe. “I take a bath in this bathtub each night,” she states. “It is such a treat”

Bathtub: Kohler; fittings: Moore Supply

Sarah Greenman

The house’s upper level is dedicated to children’s drama and family life. A pool table, handed down from Greg’s parents, and an adjoining poker table command the spacious game room. Greg’s Monopoly board set is mounted and framed on blocks painted in primary colours.

“I love having the kids up here, in which there is enough space for a critical game of group laser label or a struggle with Nerf swords,” says Holly.

Sarah Greenman

The game room leads. It has a functional mini kitchen for food prep and entertaining.

“My husband and I love to play, and our idea for the upstairs was something we had thought about before we had kids,” says Holly.

Sarah Greenman

Sarah Greenman

The soda fountain is the launch of an upstairs hallway Holly made to look like a road scene. Outdoor trappings like shingled walls and brick flooring create the effect.

Each doorway has a themed entry. The city library is the playroom, the nautical shop is a bedroom, the Laundromat is a laundry room, the automotive shop is a bedroom, and also the movie theater at the end of the hall is a media space.

Sarah Greenman

The Homers made a faux theatre marquee at the entry of the media space, which is outfitted with leather recliners, crimson velvet curtains and a popcorn machine.

“When I purchased the flooring for this room, I told the man I desired the gaudiest casino-like rug he could locate. It is perfect movie theater rug,” Holly says.

Sarah Greenman

The boys’ Lego playroom was motivated by their beloved illustrated children’s literature. Holly hired art students from the University of North Texas to paint the murals. ” Alice in Wonderland has ever been in the back of my mind with the playroom,” Holly says.

At the top of the slide is a little playhouse, which Holly designed. It leads to kid-size tunnels that constitute a small third floor; they lead back into the boys’ bedrooms on the second floor.

Twist: Home Depot

Sarah Greenman

The first bedroom has a wooden yacht bed with actual canvas sails attached to the wall. “I enjoy designing spaces for children, because it is completely okay to be exuberant,” Holly says. “As a mom, I attempt to create the room for kids practical and durable.”

Sails: eBay

Sarah Greenman

Holly made the second bedroom using industrial materials and fittings usually reserved for garages and storage components. Steel bunk beds, galvanized buckets for locker and storage room–style flooring create this boys’ room practically indestructible.

“They should not be afraid to play in their own area. It should be the place in the home where kids can be messy provided that there’s a place for everything to go when cleanup moment starts,” says Holly.

Sarah Greenman

A play structure built into the wall connects through a series of passageways into the next floor and lets out in the playroom with all the blue slide. The boys may either climb down from the play construction or have a shortcut with the fire rod.

Sarah Greenman

The second bedroom has a complete bath equipped with garage-style fixtures. Holly used a Craftsman tool drawer as the foundation for the dressing table, black tile in the shower and locker room–style flooring.

Vanity: Craftsman

Sarah Greenman

Holly sits on a sunny window ledge.

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If you build it, they will come. “It” in this situation is a scenic beachfront home; “that they” are all of your friends and family jockeying for a place to stay while conveniently vacationing close to you. That is what retired psychologist and holiday rental business owner Brenda McIntyre experienced when she designed and constructed a 435-square-foot hilltop home, dubbed The Crow’s Nest, which overlooks the gorgeous bay and beachfront town of Trinity in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Dwelling in such a gorgeous place soon led to friends and family flocking to see, and McIntyre was abandoned scrounging for more space. So she constructed an extra 465-square-foot residence, known as The Boathouse, a brief walk down the hill from her main property. But that was not enough additional space. So she constructed a streamlined shack, known as Bunkie, large enough for a more single bed.

Here’s a peek at all three spaces.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Brenda McIntyre
Location: Port Rexton, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Size: The Crow’s Nest is 435 square feet; The Boathouse is 465 square feet; Bunkie is 120 square feet.

Becki Peckham

The Crow’s Nest

The desire to have as many windows as possible inspired McIntyre’s most important property. “By echoing the design of the ancient schoolhouses in Newfoundland outports, I really could capture maximum light from oversized windows but also in a fashion that didn’t depart from community tradition.” She states. “My neighborhood, a Newfoundland outport, has a silent, slower pace with an emphasis on community and creativity.”

Exterior paint Timothy Straw, Benjamin Moore; trimming and deck paint: Polar Jade, Benjamin Moore

Becki Peckham

McIntyre matched marine blues with creams and used artist’s canvas as sofa slipcovers and drapes for the large windows. “My favourite part of my residence is everywhere I can look out over the harbor, across in the city of Trinity, the lighthouse and the ocean beyond,” she states. “Fortunately, this opinion is observable everywhere except from the restroom.”

Becki Peckham

One of her biggest challenges was matching a living space, a dining area, a kitchen, a bedroom and an office to 435 square feet. McIntyre designed Murphy beds to allow for a multifunctional space and a focus for artwork. “Given my love of art, I need as much wall space as possible,” she states.

To achieve an aged look on the plank flooring, McIntyre had a mill remove ⅜ inch 2-by-6 spruce boards that she then lightly sanded and painted a deep sea blue.

Flooring paint: Marine Blue, Benjamin Moore

Becki Peckham

Becki Peckham

When the mattress is flipped down to sleeping, McIntyre wakes up to a panoramic view of the ocean. “I experience sheer delight each day looking out in the magnificent view I have,” she states.

Becki Peckham

Her home office is tucked in a corner nook in the kitchen, and that, although small, has a gorgeous view of the water.

Becki Peckham

The Boathouse

McIntyre constructed this when she wanted more space for guests. The exterior is based on old structures in the region where top stories were used as lofts and the lower for fishing and boat equipment.

Trim paint: Polar Jade, Benjamin Moore; doorway paint: Cottage Red, Benjamin Moore

Becki Peckham

In a funny twist, McIntyre sold her ship ahead of the distance was complete. She now employs the ship distance — with its 12-foot ceilings — as a workshop.

Becki Peckham

A large Louis Vuitton poster McIntyre located in New York, which she shows on the closed Murphy bed, inspired the interior.

Becki Peckham

Becki Peckham

To create the space feel bigger, McIntyre capitalized on the glorious vista that draws your eye out over the water. The elevated kitchen, with its checkerboard flooring, feels just like a room. “Obviously defining all the living regions of the homes enables one to see each area as different and tricks the mind to create the illusion of a bigger space,” she states.

Becki Peckham

The kitchen cabinets were custom built. McIntyre subsequently had the doorways sprayed and given a very clear coat at an autobody shop.

Cabinet paint: Asphalt, Benjamin Moore

Becki Peckham

She capitalized on the perspective in the kitchen using a very long horizontal window framed with classic white subway tiles.

Becki Peckham

Creating a living area, dining area and kitchen in this space was a challenge due to its narrowness. A lengthy sofa along one wall allows for ample seating but retains the space open.

Becki Peckham

Because the colors of these posters and furniture are so intense, she painted the ceiling and walls a neutral shade.

Paint: Muslin, Benjamin Moore; living room furniture: Art Shoppe, Toronto

Becki Peckham

A little corner dining room overlooks Trinity Bay. The floors throughout, made for garage flooring, is durable and easy to wash.

Becki Peckham

The bathroom’s shower floor is tiled in a darkened pebble tile. A narrow vanity and white wall tiles create the space feel bigger.

Becki Peckham

The porthole mirror is a creative touch in a place without much space for artwork or storage.

Becki Peckham

Bunkie

McIntyre built this third 10- by 12-foot structure close to The Boathouse. It is large enough for a bed and some storage. It’s its own small patio that appears to the water but does not have a kitchen or bathroom.

Becki Peckham

Bunkie feels like another bedroom to the other homes, but also like a detached hideaway.

More: Saltbox Charm in a Heritage Fishing Community

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Artist Winnie Pelz wanted her home about the South Australian coast to maximize views of the ocean and meld together with the colors and textures of the coastline. The property needed to accommodate space for entertaining along with a workspace, yet offer a cozy retreat that would defy the rocky coastal elements. “The layout is quite simple, depending on the conventional gable-roofed cabin of Australian pioneer housing, and also the materials of earth and Colorbond iron link back to that ancient vernacular structure,” says Pelz.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Winnie Pelz along with her Labrador-mastiff Bristle
Location: Cape Jervis, South Australia
Size: 96 square meters (about 1,033 square feet); 1 bedroom, 1 bath
Price: $200,000 Australian (about U.S.$184,920)

Jeni Lee

Pelz worked with David Roberts of Stabilised Earth. The home is built primarily out of rammed earth and walnut. The ground came from the Rapid Bay quarry, about 20 kilometers away. “I decided not to use the ground from my own land, since it’s fairly dark reddish in color and could have been overly visually hefty,” says Pelz. The area has harsh weather conditions, therefore Pelz wanted to remove the need to paint external surfaces. The veranda articles are untreated aluminium.

Pelz prioritized environmentally sustainable components to maintain maintenance and utility costs as low as possible. Her home has no air conditioning and is warmed obviously using locally sourced timber.

Jeni Lee

Pelz states that seeing birds dab in the pond, or using a gin and tonic or two while watching the sunlight is her favorite thing to do on the front veranda.

A rammed-earth wall here meets one made of walnut. The deck is constructed of plantation pine.

Jeni Lee

The kitchen is light filled and comfy; it’s rammed-earth walls and corrugated Lysaght Mini Orb ceiling panels. The floor is concrete. Storage is provided by a salvaged country kitchen cupboard, topped with a selection of celebrity sculptures, among the many around the home.

Pelz states,”The one thing I’d change if I built : I’d make the kitchen bigger. I amuse quite a lot, and it’s somewhat squeezy when I’ve more than six people for dinner or lunch.”

Sink: Villeroy & Boch; reddish celebrity: Industria

Jeni Lee

The home design is basically one open-plan kitchen, living area and dining area with a bedroom and bath attached. Pelz states,”Spatially the open living area works well for me. I love the simplicity of the room — the high textured walls and the windows open into the sea views offer a sense of inside-outside. When the weather permits, I have the windows open.”

Timber in the home is mainly plantation pine. The wooden horse sculpture is by Jason Monet.

Jeni Lee

One of Pelz’s favorite places to be is sitting in the front of the fire reading and listening to audio. Bristle the puppy likes it here too. “The home has a feeling of serenity,” she states,”but one of coziness when the open fire is burning along with the storms of winter are howling outside.”

The low jarrah table by the couch, custom Douglas fir shelves in the end of the area, geometric seat and tripod stool are by South Australia furniture designer Justin Hermes.

Jeni Lee

Pelz has been collecting art for at least 40 years, and the collection is quite eclectic. She states,”Selecting artworks is a really personal thing. I normally start looking for a feeling of soul… something that speaks to mepersonally, strikes a chord. I really like paintings that have a strong painterly textural quality. I also like humor and quirkiness in art –particularly in graffiti.”

She discovered an old pallet that had an intriguing texture and wrapped fish gathered from her travels through recent years. You will find fish from the Aolian Islands, the Aegean Islands, Spain, Norway and Australia’s own Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island.

Jeni Lee

The bedroom also includes Brick Lysaght Mini Orb ceiling panels, exposed beams, rammed-earth walls along with some superbly textured secondhand furniture finds. An old wooden printer drawer is used to exhibit a collection, and two little landscape paintings by artist Morgan Allender. The painting above the couch is by Pelz. She states,”The bedroom has an extremely calm, serene feeling and catches the rising sun in the evenings — a wonderful way to wake up”

Couch: Freedom Furniture; gallery wall art: Rita Hall, Stephanie Crase, Sue Michael, Seth Barker and a Picasso print

Jeni Lee

The back of the home overlooks a deep valley, relatively protected from the weather and populated with all the local river redgum trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). Pictured here Morag ab Cruachan MacLadanae, among a group of drifting Highland cows. Pelz also has two llamas.

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Oren Pollack moved from the United States to Nicaragua two years ago to join his parents from finding methods to make the planet a better place. He quickly founded a nonprofit agency named Sports Donations for Impact, which joins Panama with baseball equipment, Brazil with football equipment, South Africa with basketball gear and Nicaragua with boxing equipment.

The house where Pollack currently lives also has the prospect of an equivalent number of positive social effect. Pollack’s parents, Ben Sandzer-Bell and Peta Kaplan, pictured The Bambu House as a prototype product for a sustainable bamboo design and production firm in Granada called CO2 Bambu, which offers affordable, ecofriendly housing solutions in the region. The Bambu house has been a springboard for their efforts, and also is a life-size laboratory that tests as many different uses for bamboo design as possible.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Oren Pollack and his 5 cats
Location: Granada, Nicaragua
Size: 800 square feet; 1 bedroom, 1 bath
Price: $40 per square foot

Louise Lakier

Virtually everything in the house is native Guadua bamboo, even the furniture, developing a fashion that Pollack describes as ecochic.

Louise Lakier

“The largest splurge item was the hands construction of this bamboo screen-like doors made from rings of bamboo,” Pollack says. “Each piece was connected with little internal bamboo pins to another to create the ultimate functional art piece.”

Louise Lakier

The kitchen is Nispero wood.

Louise Lakier

Original decorative cement block partitions display the kitchen in the garden. The kitchen sink is concrete, while the countertop is inserted with sandstone.

Louise Lakier

The house was a concrete shell having a broken metal roof when Pollack’s parents discovered it. They built the two-story loft on bamboo stilts inside the cement casing.

Louise Lakier

A spiral staircase leads from the backyard upstairs to the bedroom attic space. A lush garden includes mature mango, almond and bitter orange trees.

Louise Lakier

Bamboo mats to the ceiling assist absorb heat and cool the space.

Louise Lakier

“I felt the house was my own the very first time that I climbed the stairs down to meet with an entire bucket using ripe mangos. In mango year this daily collection has become a ritual,” says Pollack.

The bamboo is grown in the municipality of Rosita, Region Autonoma del Atlantico Norte (RAAN), at the northeast region of Nicaragua. CO2 Bambu has built a massive bamboo processing facility there and has trained local community members to harvest the bamboo.

The house columns were harvested out of five-year-old bamboo.

Louise Lakier

Each of the plants in the backyard were purchased in neighboring Catarina, a village that boasts Nicaragua’s largest collection of nurseries. The backyard includes creepers hanging bamboo, avocado and pomegranate trees. Within this lush tropical climate, the backyard reached fruition in only two years.

Louise Lakier

A local wood called cedro macho constitutes the stair treads.

Louise Lakier

The little stone sink on a bamboo cabinet off the main bedroom was carved in a nearby village for $25.

Louise Lakier

Keeping with the eco friendly building doctrine, the deck was built around a massive coconut tree rather than the tree being chopped down. “Today I can walk from my bedroom, reach for my machete and cut myself a new coconut for breakfast,” says Pollack.

Louise Lakier

Bamboo attic doors open to a deck overlooking the backyard and the nearby Mombacho volcano.

Louise Lakier

“During the rainy season, I’m convinced there is nowhere better to be at the upstairs bamboo attic, with all the rain pounding down on the roof; it is truly an indescribable experience,” Pollack says.

Louise Lakier

The bathtub is made from stones that Pollack’s parents gathered during multiple trips to their favorite beaches in Nicaragua.

Louise Lakier

“My favorite place is upstairs in the bedroom with the windows open to the lake and bamboo doors open to the volcano, undergoing forceful breeze blowing throughout the attic. The elevation of this bamboo attic and its proximity to the fruit trees make it feel like being in a tree house,” Pollack says.

Louise Lakier

The mattress frame and the armoire were built onsite. All of the furniture has been designed and built by CO2 Bambu. Bamboo trusses raise the roof above the walls for extra airflow.

Louise Lakier

“Extremely friendly neighbors” encircle Pollack’s home, he says. “They also made me feel part of the neighborhood instantly and are some of the sweetest ladies in Nicaragua.”

Together with his five cats, he also enjoys hanging out with a range of creatures that inhabit the region.

Louise Lakier

“When I’m in this house, I really feel at one with nature. The bamboo and the light possess a magical quality. For me, this house is truly unique and quite special — my home is my refuge,” Pollack says.

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An ocean view dominates the design of the modern bachelor pad. Set right on a beach, close to a nature reserve out Tel Aviv, Israel, this remodeled duplex was designed to make the most of its place.

Architect Lihi Gerstner and brother Din Gerstner remodeled this home as a soothing space for the busy owner to come home to and as a spacious venue for entertaining, indoors and out.

at a Glance
Who lives here: A businessman Who’s unmarried
Location: Tel Aviv, Israel
Size: 1,700 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, independent workplace

Photography by Amit Geron

Gerstner

The Gerstners added more square footage into the backyard patio and outfitted the room with multiple seating areas and a full outdoor kitchen. At night a projector — hung in the base of a balcony on the second floor — displays movies on the stone wall of the neighboring apartment complex.

Sofa, dining table, seats: Artan; projector: Viabizzuno

Gerstner

Some of the duplex has been turned into a separate office in which the homeowner receives clients. The office is set at the back of the deck, behind the kitchen, and can be obtained through the patio.

Even though the office feels very separate from the rest of the house, it shares the same ocean view and patio.

Gerstner

Having grown up in a big Argentinian household, the owner enjoys to cook and interact. The kitchen is the center of the house to him, therefore the Gerstners designed it to open until the principal living area.

Flooring: Jerusalem stone; cabinetry: Boffi; countertop: Corian; faucet: Boffi

Gerstner

Even though the white color palette is a tribute to the proprietor’s style, it was selected to permit the view to eventually become the house’s focus. “The inspiration was serenity and stillness,” states Lihi. With a hectic lifestyle — he travels often for work — that the homeowner wanted a calm and soothing area to come home to.

Sofa: B&B; coffee table: Habitat; TV suspension: Future Automation

Gerstner

The owner’s love of fun too contributed to the open layout — here he can cook and clean while still being part of the celebration.

Stove: Wolf; refrigerator: Sub-Zero; bar stools: Habitat

Gerstner

Each one the kitchen small appliances sit in the white built-in cupboard beside the refrigerator. The seamless cabinetry layout reduces the pragmatic look of the area, making it feel as a natural expansion of the primary living room.

Gerstner

Though he favors a clean and modern design, the homeowner wanted to bring warmth and wood to his residence. This habit Belgian pine cabinet — which retains cookbooks and glassware — adds a pure element to the starker environment.

Shelving unit: Custom, from old Belgian oak

Gerstner

This entry door opens to the home’s entry hall in the apartment building’s hall. The doorway has the same length (2 meters, or about 6 1/2 ft ) as the window right facing it.

Gerstner

These unique triangular stairs turned into a new venture for the group, and the outcome is stunning. Wood treads in a triangular form allow for optimum strength in a slender shape.

Gerstner

Lihi saw the stairs as the house’s main sculptural element, linking all three degrees. Visually, the stairs seem to hang out of the glass handrails. “The thought was to blur the gravity forces to raise the weight of the stairs into nothingness,” she states.

On the second story, a plasma screen has remote-controlled transparency, either opening or blocking the view to the master bedroom.

Gerstner

The master bath was developed to be an open portion of the bedroom. “The thought was to enjoy a bath with the view of the water before you,” states Lihi. Each area in the house presents a different view of the sea. Whenever someone is lying down in the bed, the property outside is barely visible — the view is ocean and skies.

Bathtub, fixture: Boffi; flooring: sandblasted oak parquet; bed frame: custom, from old Belgian oak

Gerstner

The group purposefully kept the upstairs sparse and tidy. While this contributes to the house’s serene feel, it also creates a blank slate that the client can increase and accent however he wants.

Gerstner

While the tub and sink are in the primary bedroom, the Gerstners place a shower and the toilet behind separate doors for privacy.

Sink: Boffi

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Artist and furniture designer Luc Sergerie purchased this small and narrow 1930s building to host his workshop and storefront. Ten years and many changes later, he has transformed his apartment into a bright and airy home filled with custom wood furnishings and purposeful details. Together with his workshop and shop, L’Arbre Ébénisterie, on the first floor, this space fits in with Montreal’s innovative and varied Boulevard Saint-Laurent.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Luc Sergerie
Location: Mile End at Montreal, Quebec
Size: 2,000 square feet, with a 500-square-foot terrace; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; the workshop can also be 2,000 square feet.
That’s interesting: A skylight built into the deck lights the bottom-floor workshop.

Esther Hershcovich

Sergerie made many of the items here, including the table and the chairs made from butcher’s block. Overhead, three red pendant lights out of CB2 add an industrial touch. The other furnishings in the area are gathered antiques.

Esther Hershcovich

A replica of the 1917 Red and Blue Chair from Gerrit Rietveld sits on the opposite side of the open living room. Sergerie utilized a mix of cherry, oak and walnut to make this version of the chair. He uses the hammock for lounging and looking out at the terrace.

Esther Hershcovich

Sergerie utilized primarily timber and stainless steel to your kitchen finishes. The large island has plenty of open drawers and shelves for storage. He constructed the brightly wall shelving to conceal a chimney and produce the wall flush with the refrigerator. The blackboard adds a fun touch to the already lively space.

Esther Hershcovich

An impressive collection of fruit stickers lines the bottom cabinet shelf.

Esther Hershcovich

Sergerie constructed these big sliding glass doors to deliver a flood of light into the first narrow stairs — typical in homes in this field. A buddy gave him these classic theater chairs, making a great area for putting on shoes before going out or perhaps just reading. He constructed the perpendicular bookshelves with a number of woods.

Esther Hershcovich

A large custom wooden storage unit at the foyer is filled with inspirational knickknacks and mementos.

Esther Hershcovich

Sergerie enjoys tucking surprises to his furnishings, like this very small drawer on the side of the table bench. The drawer can be opened only by gently knocking on the side of the bench. Sergerie says he intends to put a grain of rice with a poem written on it inside.

Esther Hershcovich

A local artist made this metal spiral stairs framework for the primary living room, and Sergerie added the wooden steps. On one of them he wrote the word “ciel,” which means “sky” in French.

Esther Hershcovich

The master bedroom features a custom art piece produced by Sergerie’s girlfriend.

Esther Hershcovich

A closer look at the wall art reveals 50 romantic messages written in French. The messages all begin with the term, “If you …” and finish with phrases like “… surprise me” and “… forgive me.”

Esther Hershcovich

In the master bath, Sergerie repurposed an antique window in an interior window to bring in additional light from the kitchen. A recessed wall unit holds additional bathroom requirements. The only yellowish bath tile is a tribute to the sun, and a 2nd single blue tile (not shown) honors the sea.

Esther Hershcovich

The third-floor living room features a framed poster initially utilized in an Aldo marketing effort. The poster, with lines from several French poems, was designed by one of Sergerie’s friends.

Esther Hershcovich

In the third-floor toilet, a tiled phrase adorns the wall of the walk-in shower, translated as: “Art is emotion with no desire,” out of L’élégance du hérisson by Muriel Barbery. A ladder functions as a towel holder.

Esther Hershcovich

This chamber on the top floor hosts match gear for Sergerie and his two daughters, who occasionally come to remain with him. He hopes to construct an office here in order to benefit from the view of downtown Montreal.

A large patio door substituted a small window to deliver in best light. Custom wood doors, made with bits of wood utilized in Sergerie’s office, conceal laundry appliances.

Esther Hershcovich

The game room leads onto a deck with a view of Mount Royal and the 500-square-foot terrace, which sits just beyond the kitchen. This can be Sergerie’s favorite spot in the summer. He also replaced a small kitchen window with big patio doors so he can quickly prep and measure outside to barbecue in warm weather. Finally, he hopes to expand his home’s living room out here.

Esther Hershcovich

Sergerie’s woodshop is located on the building’s first floor. He works with many local architects and designers, creating custom wood furniture.

Esther Hershcovich

Some of Sergerie’s custom work is on display in his storefront window. The bicycle holder is a great storage solution to bicyclists in downtown Montreal.

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Have you been dreaming about employing an interior designer? Wondering if hiring a designer is right for you, or just need to learn more about what the approach is really like? We requested two Best of interior designers, Kate O’Hara of Martha O’Hara Interiors and Andrea Schumacher of Andrea Schumacher Interiors, to share their insights.

What do interior designers do? The popular image of an interior designer toting around fabric swatches and paint samples covers just a small portion of what these experts do. Like decorators, interior designers can help you choose fabrics, furnishings and paint colours. In most U.S. states, interior designers have design degrees and therefore are also certified to provide additional experience in building codes, building standards, project coordination and much more.

Here’s more they’d like you to understand about what they’re doing.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

1. We might have the ability to work with you even if you are in another city. “A great deal of ers email us to state that they wished we were situated in their city or state. What they do not see is that we work across the United States,” O’Hara says. Sure, we are headquartered in Minneapolis, but we’ve got an office opening in Austin, Texas, this fall, and we’ve worked on homes in almost every state. The process for working with individuals out of state is surprisingly like how we use our local customers.”

So if you spy a designer whose work you love here on and see that he or she’s located in a town far from where you live, do not immediately assume you can not work together. Some firms have offices in other places, some artists are eager to travel to work on a project, and some are eager to work entirely long distance. If you are dying to work with a particular designer, it is always worth inquiring.

Find a interior designer by area

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

2. We go through a rigorous education and coaching process, just as with other pros. Duties are one method to check that a interior designer is qualified to take on your project, says Schumacher. “Another method to qualify a interior designer would be to have a look at their schooling and be sure it matches up with everything they do for a living,” she adds. Take into account both a design-related education and professional certification to get the fullest picture of your inner designer’s qualifications. Schumacher, by Way of Example, includes a bachelor’s degree in interior design from Colorado State University, analyzed universal design at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and is an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers.

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

3. We can use the latest technology that will assist you picture a new area. “A designer should know AutoCad and other tools for space planning, codes and so on,” says Schumacher. These tools and specialized knowledge allow interior designers to have a look over your area in ways you might not have envisioned. They could work up an electronic rendering that is incredibly realistic, letting you picture changes before committing.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

4. We could pull together an entire house … or one room. “Our job would be to work with your budget! While it’s true we do work on large whole-home builds, we also work on smaller budgets and projects,” says O’Hara. “Homeowners should not hesitate to reach out to a interior designer just because they aren’t constructing a new home or refurnishing their entire home.”

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

5. We can assist your project conform to safety standards and building codes. Accredited interior designers are needed to know current building codes and other laws that might influence layout in the state where they practice, so that they could ensure the security of your undertaking.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

6. We can not always share product sources and pricing publicly. Wondering why your questions about product titles and prices featured in a designer’s photograph aren’t always answered? “We try to be as open as possible about our process, our design and our advice,” says O’Hara. However, “as much as we would love to give individuals information about all the furnishings in our photographs, there are a couple reasons why we do not list the data publicly.”

She says, “a great deal of our sellers won’t allow us to list any pricing online. Secondly, a great deal of these products change over time becoming discontinued or altered, changing prices, etc. — and it could be incredibly time consuming to upgrade each of 450-plus photographs anytime something changes. Finally, we have to respect the privacy of our customers, who usually don’t desire us declaring how much they spent on their furniture”

Martha O’Hara Interiors

7. We wish to work with your eyesight … and expand it. Do not anticipate a cookie-cutter approach from professional interior designers. They are there to listen to you, assess your needs and create an original design that meets your area perfectly. “We love it when people come to us looking for something different,” O’Hara says. “Our designers work upon the array of styles, and it is always a treat to try something new. We do not go into our work with preconceptions or a layout agenda. Rather, our intention is to assist our customers achieve their vision and to take this vision to its entire potential.”

Andrea Schumacher Interiors

8. We could see your project through from begin to finish. A qualified interior designer may oversee a group of employees, make decisions about moving interior walls, plan a kitchen or bathroom remodel, make a house wheelchair accessible and much more. “And,” says Schumacher, “a interior designer has got the skills to assist with fabrics and furniture — the ‘jewelry’ of the house.”

Inform us Still have burning questions about interior designers? Share them at the Comments!

More:
10 Matters Architects Want You to Know About What They Do
An Interior Design Match Made Right Here
The way to Use an Interior Designer

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Whether you are arranging a brand new Spanish-style kitchen or remodeling an older one, these 12 layout features will allow you to capture the rustic warmth and charm of the unique architectural style.

Most of these ideas — arches, stone and wood countertops, ornamental hoods, a kitchen fireplace and more — are best incorporated during the drawing phase to permit for good integration into the whole. Take a peek at these inspiration photos and tell us What is your favorite thing about a Spanish-style kitchen?

1. Warm, distressed cabinets. Following is a chance to gratify your rustic side. Distressed closets in warm tones look great in Spanish-style kitchens. Consider knotty alder or pine with a medium-tone stain. Notice the traces of those cupboard doors.

Godden Sudik Architects Inc

2. Wood and rock ceilings. Typical Spanish-style houses have neutral colour schemes. Because of this elaborately detailed ceilings, like this brick barrel-vaulted ceiling, seem great.

JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction

3. Copper sinks. I really like to utilize copper sinks in Spanish-style kitchens. This hammered island sink by Native Trails perfectly complements the oil-rubbed-bronze faucet.

GDC Construction

4. Stone siding. Don’t be scared to bring a bit of the outside into the kitchen. This rustic rock siding contrasts the contemporary countertops and stove, creating warmth and texture. Notice the two distinct but perfectly paired cupboard colours.

Charmean Neithart Interiors

5. A hood that is decorative. The stove or range hood is very frequently a kitchen focal point. Create interest with details like this piece that is carved. Timber and Mexican tiles are different materials that can showcase this area.

Hann Builders

6. Iron sconces. If there’s an chance for additional lighting, consider adding sconces as beams. Sconces are nice on dimmers throughout the evening hours, even when bright light isn’t necessary.

John Malick & Associates

7. Arches. In this generously sized kitchen, an arch separates the dining and cooking room and adds to the Mediterranean appearance. There’s another arch in the niche by the range.

Maraya Interior Design

8. A fireplace. If you’ve got the space in your kitchen, consider a cozy Spanish-style fireplace with banco chairs and space for wood storage.

Tucker & Marks

9. Soft white cupboards. I like this kitchen since it shows that white can be warm. With gentle white cabinets mixed with warm wood details, like beams and wood floors, this kitchen is cohesive and has a real Spanish aesthetic. Notice the Mexican tiles on the backsplash in silent colours.

Don Ziebell

10. Open cabinets and shelves. Open shelving is among those old-world details that look fresh for today. Spanish-style kitchens are simple and unfussy. I really like the casual feel of these open shelves and lower cupboards. Notice how the plaster rounds the edges of the couple door cabinets that are visible.

Casa Solterra

11. Saltillo floors. A hallmark of Spanish-style insides, Saltillo tiles offer you great patina and texture, and make great kitchen floors. They can be found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and can be sealed with a transparent or tinted sealer to provide the patina even more depth.

CLK Construction

12. A courtyard. If you are in the drawing phase, consider finding the kitchen adjacent to a courtyard. This is an ideal design for dining outside on warm, bright days or cool summer nights.

Tell us have you got a Spanish-style kitchen, or do you dream of a single? Tell us about it in the Comments section below!

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Don Tripp and Denise Jarvis lived down the street from the 1853 Victorian in historic Lambertville, New Jersey, when they heard it was going to be put up for sale and was in danger of becoming a parking lot. They jumped on buying the house. Initially they had been unsure how you can update it, but two decades later they replaced the back of the house using a two-story, 1,200-square-foot modular inclusion. A five-year labour of love changed the house into a modern space that pays tribute to many of its original information.

at a Glance
Who lives here: Don Tripp and Denise Jarvis
Where: Lambertville, New Jersey
Size: 2,600 square feet with 6 rooms, 2.5 bathrooms
Architect: E.I. Mills and Associates

Audrey Kerchner

Audrey Kerchner: What motivates your interior layout?

DT: The layout was inspired with the help of our architect, E.I. Mills and Associates. We were interested in a more modern look and feel for the interior. The focal point in the living area is the fireplace using a rolled-steel facade, inspired by a similar work in a ski lodge in Big Sky, Montana.

Audrey Kerchner

AK: Inform me about the renovation process and what you did to make your house your own.

Don Tripp: The house was in need of major renovations, and we included antique barn beams in the living room space along with a fitting fireplace mantel. The cold rolled-steel fireplace is the focal point. The bedroom has architectural detail in the ceiling. A steel banister and balustrades replaced the wooden one. The peekaboo glass on both sides of the kitchen cabinets between the dining area and kitchen adds light and a modern appearance.

Audrey Kerchner

AK: Where do you feel most at home in your house now?

DT: We believe most at home in our living area, particularly on a cold night with a hot fire going and chestnuts roasting on the hearth. The lizard art is by a local craftsman from when we lived in northern Arizona.

Rolled-steel-facade fireplace: steel from Trenton, New Jersey; blue rock from a local quarry

Audrey Kerchner

AK: Tell me about your kitchen remodel.

DT: We wanted a functional kitchen with some flair, interest and lots of natural light. High on our want list were quiet appliances, especially a powerful yet quiet exhaust fan along with a superquiet dishwasher. The kitchen and main living area are adjacent, and it was important that we not hear the dishwasher or the enthusiast when in use. The oversize kitchen island provides more than ample room for food prep and also functions as a tropical area for serving appetizers and drinks when entertaining. We love the kitchen cabinets with glass on both sides that provide a view into the dining area. We also take pleasure in the appearance and performance of this stainless steel toaster.

Kitchen layout: Susanne Kaslavage Olsen from Hunterdon Kitchens

Audrey Kerchner

AK: What is your best advice to get a first-time remodeler?

DT: Go slow down and examine plans and make changes without being overly hasty to proceed forward. It’s simple to go a wall or alter a window or door place when it is on paper. Once it is built, you are in for the long haul.

Audrey Kerchner

Original dining room space.

DT: Downstairs we moved with a fish motif inspired by Lambertville’s annual Shad Festival. In the dining area, two lithographs of fish hang on the walls, and at the kitchen, hand-carved wooden fish sculptures purchased on Block Island hang over the windows. And Denise assembled a”Fish on Wheels” art piece.

Audrey Kerchner

The original living area from the 1800s is now used as a workplace and a library.

Audrey Kerchner

The flooring is a yellow pine wood original to the house. The steel railing and banister were made by local craftsman Bret Cavanaugh.

Audrey Kerchner

Original pumpkin walnut hardwood flooring runs throughout the guest bedroom.

Bedroom furniture: imported from Canada, purchased at White Linen Store at Princeton, New Jersey

Audrey Kerchner

AK: Who helped you the most? A designer, builder, builder, buddy, or…?

DT: We had worked together with our architect on a former house, so he understood our preferences for layout and fashion. Photos from magazines were clipped and used for thoughts also.

Audrey Kerchner

AK: How did you pick your colour palette?

DT: A friend was quite helpful with our colour selection process, which was quite time consuming. Some of the ceilings were painted darker colors than the walls to provide the house a cozy feel. The master bathroom with plain beige tile has been the most difficult; it had been painted three times. That did not go over well.

Audrey Kerchner

A fireplace in the master bedroom gives an alternate heating source for your space.

Audrey Kerchner

AK: Tell me about your collected artwork.

DT: the majority of the art has some connection to our past journeys and fun places we’ve visited. Upstairs the photos in the master bedroom are by famous photographer G. Steve Jordan, who captures special moments in the Shawangunk Mountains, a place we love. There is an easy nude pencil sketch purchased many years ago from Denise in New York City using the title Picasso, even though we can’t establish its validity. Both abstract watercolors were purchased from a local artist while visiting Olympia, Washington.

Audrey Kerchner

The master bathroom.

Audrey Kerchner

AK: What do you love most about your city?

DT: We adore Lambertville because of its urban look and feel, even though it’s a small town. The community is filled with open-minded, friendly neighbors. During the week it is quiet and peaceful, and on weekends we like the tourists as well as the buzz at the restaurants and stores.

Audrey Kerchner

AK: What was your main design issue? What do you want to do with your house next?

DT: Working in such a tight urban space proved challenging, as the street was fully constructed out with many houses constructed to the property lines. We are enjoying our house immensely and have plans to just make a couple minor interior decorating enhancements and to keep on optimizing the landscaping.

More:
Contemporary Colonial at New Jersey
Charming, Beautiful Renovated Victorian
Victorian Design, Built for Fun

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Channeling influences from classic Hamptons style together with touches of classic and French country charm, the home of Floris Zwolsman and his family awakens comfort and enduring style. When he found this ground-floor home in an up-and-coming area of The Hague, Netherlands, he and his wife purchased it on a whim a mere six months after finishing a four-month-long renovation in the prior residence. It’s come to be the ideal family home for the couple, who extended the home when they found another child was on the way.

in a Glance
Who lives here: Floris, Priscilla and their two sons Jasper and Merlijn Zwolsman
Location: Bezuidenhout,The Hague, Netherlands
Size: 110 square meters, three bedrooms, one and a half baths

Holly Marder

A neutral palette and a mixture of fresh with classic pieces create a warm, country decorative. “I wished to get a natural, natural feeling in this home, which explains the reason why I chose oak floorboards and natural tones,” Floris Zwolsman says.

Through his company he runs with his brother, Zwolsman has access to wholesale furniture outlets, in which the coffee table and many different furnishings came out of. The fireplace was rebuilt during the renovation, including a touch of cozy to the room in a straightforward and contemporary way.

The classic flag above the sofa is a 48-star U.S. flag used during World War II. Floris has a profound interest in anything related to World War II and the Vietnam War. He also enjoys collecting classic pennant flags, framing them and promoting them onto a secondhand website named Marktplaats.

Living room wall paint: Cat’s Paw by Farrow & Ball

Holly Marder

Over the classic dresser hangs a 1966 first print of Zwolsman’s father, a piece he found in his parents’ attic. Straightforward framed photos, candles and a fresh white orchid maintain the vignette uncluttered and classic.

Holly Marder

Holly Marder

The couple produced a play area for the kids along one wall in the kitchen, which also features an oversized painting by local artist Vittorio Roerade. The bright, daring and fascinating art was purchased by Zwolsman in 2003, and it has gone from home to home ever since. “I love the colours. It’s young and stylish and looks great against the wall shade too,” he says. “Art makes a home a home.”

The renovation completely transformed the outdated 1960s home. The couple kept many of the house’s first details while injecting a modern aesthetic through contemporary fittings and fixtures. When designing the inside, the couple wanted each room to have its own colour palette.

Paint: Parma Gray by Farrow & Ball

Holly Marder

Holly Marder

The renovation of the home surrounded an extension in the kitchen to include a little dining nook, with double French doors leading out onto the rear lawn.

The Belgian stone countertops, SMEG appliances and custom door handles provide the Ikea kitchen a refined feel and look. Modern appliances blend well with country touches.

The dining area includes a French country style dining set and a baroque style chandelier. The art on the far wall is a painting of the Samburu tribe, among the last surviving African American tribes, purchased at Clic Gallery in New York.

Holly Marder

Holly Marder

A classic side table from the dining area is accessorized with family images and table lamps with linen lampshades.

Zwolsman, a property manager, is one of four sons that inherited his mother’s passion for interior design and insatiable desire for change. His mother was constantly busy with the home, possibly painting, decorating or both. “She has always been an artistic, creative and perverted person,” he says. This creativity flowed onto Zwolsman and among the brothers, who have a joint company renovating and selling properties.

Holly Marder

Jasper’s area is soothing and soft, with boyish touches. Wicker storage baskets maintain toys and diapers within reach while shifting wriggly bottoms.

“What we wanted to do in this area would be to have a mature area which was still soft and suitable for a boy, using masculine touches,” Zwolsman says. They chose to create a room in the same country style as the rest of the home, adding classic touches through accessories such as these pennant flags.

Art: Ikea
Paint colour: Green Blue by Farrow & Ball

Holly Marder

What small baby would not have amazing dreams with the words”I love you bigger than the heavens” above his head? Jasper’s father created this wall art using chalk to create a fluffly cloud round the words.

Chair: Ikea

Holly Marder

A locally purchased antique whitewashed cupboard is your announcement piece in Jasper’s nursery.

Holly Marder

In the guest toilet, a Moroccan lamp casts interesting patterns of light onto the wall.

Hallway paint: String by Farrow & Ball

Holly Marder

In the master bedroom, black-framed family portraits function as a headboard. The bedroom windows add much-needed views and light to the backyard.

Paint colour: Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball

Holly Marder

When adding the extensions to the rear of the home, the couple chose to maintain a walkway between the two extended chambers to permit light to the bedroom. Looking from the bedroom windows to the best is your elongated dining area. To the left is Merlijn’s bedroom.

Holly Marder

Off the master bedroom is your bedroom of 5-month-old Merlijn. When they realized they had been going to welcome another member to the family, they expanded the rear of the home to create his room as an exact mirror of the dining room space. The space is a perfect match for a tiny tot, with simple access to Mother and Dad. Floor-to-ceiling wardrobes give ample storage.

Holly Marder

Holly Marder

The house’s ever-present classic rolls continue to Merlijn’s bedroom, using a dresser turned changing table. The delicate yellow wall colour (String from Farrow & Ball) supplies a gorgeous comparison to blue-and-white gingham patterns and crisp white furniture.

The windows along the side of the room bring light to the space, while the vertical window onto the rear wall allows a view to the backyard.

The sharp white shape of a giraffe makes for a very original characteristic wall in Merlijn’s bedroom. The gingham-patterned upholstered seat adds a French nation touch.

Crib and shelving: Ikea

Holly Marder

The ensuite bathroom off the master bedroom is clean, crisp and uncluttered. Even though small, the bathroom has a large tub, shower and vanity. Zwolsman says,”We made our own little wellness space, using a bubble bath and dimmable lights to create a space that we could really relax in.

“We wanted to maintain the bathroom light. We used big tiles on the floors and walls to create the appearance of more space and prevent unnecessary clutter,” Zwolsman says. “We worked with the size we had, using every last centimeter of space. Because of the strange shape of the tub, there was room to get a heater, as well as a two-person vanity and rain shower.” The big horizontal mirror also will help create more space.

Baskets: Ikea

Holly Marder

The home is in the up-and-coming community of Bezuidenhout in South Holland’s city of The Hague. It was built in Haagse School style, a style of architecture popularized between the1920s and 1950s. When Zwolsman found the property was for sale, he negotiated an appealing price with the real estate agent and purchased it on a whim without consulting his wife. It was a daring move, but after he promised Priscilla they would stay put for at least five years into their new home, they put their first-floor apartment on the market and it offered in six days. The home was in its first 1960s condition when the Zwolsmans transferred in and was in desperate need of Floris Zwolsman’s interior design and renovation skills.

Holly Marder

Despite this moist and windswept scene, the couple’s backyard can be utilized frequently during warmer months for outdoor get-togethers.

More Inspiring Tours:
Contemporary Character in a Dutch Suburb
Canadian Cottage in the Netherlands
Eclectic Coastal Home in Holland

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