Our Apologies for the Hiatus

After (almost) completing an exhausting renovation of our own home, we're back online -- and we have so many incredible projects and professionals to bring you.  Some of our upcoming features include:

• An in-depth look at the Brent Hull Companies;
• Fabulous new home plans by Bruce Eason, Principal of New South Classics;
• Historical Concepts' beautiful new book, Coming Home: The Southern Vernacular House (part of our Essential Reading List);
• and plenty of new talent from Williams-Sonoma's recently launched Cultivate.com.

 Stay tuned!

Kitchen Inspiration & Design Advice at CULTIVATE.COM

CULTIVATE.COM featured this beautifully renovated kitchen designed by Christopher Architects of Birmingham, Alabama. | Source: Christopher Architects | www.christopherarchitects.com

Williams Sonoma recently launched CULTIVATE.COM, a fabulous new online destination for kitchen inspiration and design advice.  Contributors include some of the industry's top professionals, like Susan Serra, founder of Bornholm Kitchen and author of one of my favorite blogs, The Kitchen Designer; Jennifer Gilmer, winner of the 2008-09 Sub-Zero/Wolf Kitchen Design Contest; interior designer and retailer-extraordinaire Phoebe Howard; and Heidi, Michele and Jill, principals of Bonesteel Trout Hall.

CULTIVATE.COM also serves as a wonderful platform for designers to showcase their work.  It's where I came across this gorgeous kitchen renovation by Christopher Architects of Birmingham, Alabama.

Visit CULTIVATE.COM to explore this fantastic new website today...

The Perfect Bath

The exquisite Henry Gooseneck Lavatory Faucet (shown in unlacquered brass) from Waterworks. | Source: Waterworks Facebook Page

For thirty-plus years, Barbara Sallick has served as the creative force behind Waterworks, a company she co-founded with her husband, Robert.  Ms. Sallick's hard work helped turn the start-up into a luxury brand synomymous with classic style and exceptional quality in bath design.  This successful entrepreneur, twice-published author, and board member of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Classical America, undoubtedly juggles a demanding schedule; yet, she still finds time to write a weekly column in her recently redesigned blog, The Perfect Bath.  Ms. Sallick generously shares the ideas and inspiration that help shape her creative vision, which makes The Perfect Bath a must-read for any design enthusiast!

To learn more, please follow the links below:

• The Perfect Bath (www.theperfectbath.com), Barbara Sallick's online design journal
• Waterworks
• Shop online at store.waterworks.com
• Browse Waterworks catalogs online
• Find a Waterworks location near you
• Waterworks: Inventing Bath Style (2001), by Barbara Sallick and Lisa Light
• The Definitive Guide to Designing the Perfect Bath (2006), by Barbara Sallick

A Cozy Cottage by Ron Brenner Architects

A classic Dutch Colonial designed by Ron Brenner Architects of Stillwater, MN. | Source: www.houzz.com

Many thanks to Rosemary Beck of Content in a Cottage, who posted an entry about this cozy Dutch Colonial home designed by Ron Brenner Architects of Stillwater, MN.  I've posted a few screenshots; however, I recommend following the links at the end of this entry to learn more about this lovely cottage and the talented professionals who designed it.

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The Latest Addition to Our Design Directory!

A classic white kitchen designed by Martha O'Hara Interiors. | Source: Screenshot via www.houzz.com | Photographer: Troy Thies | Photo Stylist: Shannon Gale

Clean, classic, functional and comfortable.  That's how I would describe each of these beautiful rooms designed by Martha O'Hara Interiors of Minneapolis, MN.  Ms. O'Hara is the latest addition to the IH&D Design Directory.  Take a look at a few examples of the firm's beautiful work, and you'll quickly see why we're impressed...

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Mirror Lake Dream Home

A white picket fence surrounds this charming cottage in Mirror Lake, NH, designed by TMS Architects. Although the home features more than 10,000 square feet of living space, it appears cozy and inviting, rather than imposing. | Source: TMS Architects - Facebook

TMS Architects designed this stunning new home overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee and New Hampshire's scenic White Mountains. The architects, who specialize in green design, were faced with the challenge of making a "substantial house of approximately 10,000 square feet with a five car attached garage seem like a small New England cottage."  Take a look at these photos to see how beautifully TMS Architects achieved this goal and surely exceeded their clients' expectations.

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Getting Your Work Featured...

Sometimes we come across professionals who fit the criteria for inclusion in our Design Directory -- their work exhibits exceptional style, quality and craftsmanship -- however, their portfolio presentation is subpar. Unfortunately, this prevents us from featuring these firms. Here are some tips to avoid this pitfall...

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The Nathaniel Fowler House by Connor Homes

The Nathaniel Fowler House by Connor Homes. A classic American home superbly crafted in Connor's Vermont factory. | Source: www.connorbuilding.com - Connor Homes / Westphalen Photography

Connor Homes has completely changed my perception of factory-built houses and I'm apparently not alone. Check out this article by a Dallas builder who recently visited the company's headquarters in Middlebury, Vermont. (That's where I initially stumbled upon a beautiful photo of the Nathaniel Fowler House taken by the talented Jim Westphalen).

At Connor Homes we have a unique approach to building new homes. Our 38 years in the residential building business have enabled us to couple our wealth of experience in historic architectural design and construction with a state of the art manufacturing process so that we offer the exquisite detailing and building proportions of classic architecture at a cost that is affordable to the everyday home buyer.  We provide a complete, highly detailed, and historically accurate home in kit form, and the quality of our homes is unsurpassed, even by the highest level custom site builder.

The Nathaniel Fowler House by Connor Homes. A classic American home superbly crafted in Connor's Vermont factory. | Source: www.connorbuilding.com - Connor Homes / Westphalen Photography

Connor's talented design team carefully considers every detail of the home, both inside and out.

The mouldings, cabinetry, paneled walls, bookcases, mantles and stairways that we design for each of our homes is considered on a case by case basis to assure its compatibility with the style of home in which it will live. But just as important a consideration is the lifestyle of the people who will inhabit the home, and so interior design is a collaborative effort involving each client and our experienced design team.

The Nathaniel Fowler House by Connor Homes. A classic American home superbly crafted in Connor's Vermont factory. | Source: www.connorbuilding.com - Connor Homes / Westphalen Photography

You can see more of this fabulous "New Old House" by visiting Connor Homes' website at www.connorbuilding.com.  I also recommend reading "An Eye for Detail," by Dan Cooper (featured in the March 2009 issue of Clem Labine's Period Homes Magazine).

A Grand Estate in Lower Westchester County

A grand estate in lower Westchester County designed by Andrew Nuzzi Architects, LLC. | Photo courtesy of Andrew Nuzzi Architects, LLC

Greenwich, Connecticut-based architect Andrew Nuzzi, principal of Andrew Nuzzi Architects, LLC, has designed quite a few extraordinary houses in his twenty-nine years of experience. Take, for example, this grand estate, located on a magnificent parcel of land in Lower Westchester County.

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A Beautiful New Shingle-Style Home

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

Houzz is a seriously addictive resource for design enthusiasts, and it's where this exquisite shingle-style home by Smith & Vansant Architects caught my eye. The design and construction teams achieved perfection in their execution of this project, described by the architects as a "reinterpretation of the classic shingle-style houses of the late 19th century." 

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

The house blends beautifully into the natural environment with the help of extensive stonework by Shepard Butler Landscape Architecture.  Notice how the stone walls, terraces and steps, all framed by native vegetation, enhance the site.

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

Fine homebuilder Domus Inc. served as the project's general contractor.

It features high quality craftsmanship and materials throughout, with an emphasis on longevity of finishes, structure, and mechanical systems. This house adopts the inventive sculptural massing of its predecessors and offers traditionally detailed rooms, but places a greater emphasis on interior openness, daylight, and energy efficiency than did its Arts & Crafts forebears.

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

The spacious kitchen is a chef's dream; it features coffered ceilings, high-end appliances, custom cabinetry, granite countertops and a butcher-block-topped center island.

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

DPF Design worked with the homeowners to select just the right decor for the house.  The furnishings are stylish, but warm and comfortable at the same time.

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

At the request of their clients, Smith & Vansant focused on creating bright, open interior spaces that would be suitable for family living and entertaining.  Notice the intricate traditional detailing, built-in cabinetry and fabulous stone fireplace.

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

Smith & Vansant Architects designed this incredible shingle-style home in Hanover, NH. | Photo: Rob Karosis Photography | Screenshot: www.houzz.com

I'd highly recommend following the links at the end of this post to learn -- and see -- more of this extraordinary residence.

Project Credits

Architecture: Smith & Vansant Architects | Interior Design: DPF Design | General Contractor: Domus Inc. | Landscape Architecture: Shepard Butler Landscape Architecture, Inc.

Glamorous Rooms by Jan Showers

A comfortably elegant dining room by Houston interior designer Jan Showers, author of Glamorous Rooms. | Source: www.janshowers.com

Houston interior designer Jan Showers is the latest addition to our Design Directory, thanks to a recent feature in one of my favorite magazines, Traditional Home.  Ms. Showers is described as "the embodiment of Southern charm with an edge," and her personality is certainly evident in her fabulous work.

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