As architects sometimes we take for granted our ability to visualize the design solution before it is drawn. It is a skill that we develop over the years in our profession, and it allows us to quickly find solutions for our clients. We wave our hands, point to non-existent walls, and verbalize the design as if it is there – but sometimes (usually) our clients cannot visualize the design in the same way. So we convey our thoughts through sketches, line drawings, and more line drawings. However, for some details, that is not enough. Sometimes we need to also provide renderings that have people, light fixtures, windows, and daylight shown so our clients can understand what the space will feel like before it is built.
We don’t get the chance to do renderings for every project, but we use it as a tool in specific cases to help our clients make decisions. Here are some projects that we have renderings we have produced recently.
We are hearing from a lot of people that want to stay in their current home but need to make a few changes to get it just right. It’s a great time to start planning your renovation as builders are planning for the remainder of their year. So I thought I would share some upgrades you might want to consider for your home.
Home upgrades to consider
1. Kitchens are a common place to start working on your home. You can improve the function of your space while upgrading your aesthetics. As the kitchen has become the heart of many homes, this can also have a great impact on daily family gatherings. This historic home needed an addition to get their light and open kitchen to work while maintaining the historic character of their home.
2. While doing a renovation, it is always a good idea to look at energy upgrades to improve comfort and lower your energy bills.
3. Create an accessible home so that life’s changes will not prevent you from staying in the home you love. Door widths, kitchen function, first-floor bedrooms, and roll-in showersare just some of the aging-in-place ideas you could focus on during a renovation.
4. Getting organized in your mudroom is often another added change when we have the opportunity to renovate lifetime homes.
5. Adding a “game” room for this home was an important part of the project as our client needed a place to display their trophies.
6. As we start to think about spring weather, I know a lot of people will start dreaming of new decks and patios.
We have designed solutions for new home office space, storage closets, first-floor bedrooms, basement family rooms, and more. The first step of the design process for a renovation is to record what you like, don’t like, and what challenges you have with your existing home. Then give us a call and we can help balance your dreams with your budget with what your home can offer.
If you could have one special thing in your new custom home, what would it be?
We have awesome opportunities to help people create their dream homes. The first meeting we have with custom home clients is an interview where we talk about everything that they want in a home to achieve the life they want to live in a particular place. This process is how we design dream homes.
I have talked in the past about the difference between a new home and a custom home. Our custom home design process allows us to walk with our clients through their Wishlist to find the special strategies that make their home just right. It is a process where we get to know our clients and use empathy as a design tool. This emotional investment into each project takes energy, time, listening, and experience to get it just right. It is the why in why we do custom home design.
Over the years we have had some really special, unique things in the dream homes we have designed, like the ones featured below – and more. Check out the special features below to inspire your own dream design features of your custom home.
As a small architectural firm, we have to stay flexible and have a wide understanding of building types. We work with lots of clients with the common characteristic between them is that everything we do is custom. How we approach the project, what we design, how we deliver information is all custom to what our client needs and wants. That has led to some wonderful opportunities in many places across our area.
We are so fortunate to have a wide range of locations for our projects and a wide range of project types. This past year we have worked in:
Davis, West Virginia
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
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Albemarle County, Virginia
Bergton, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Chesterfield, Virginia
Christiansburg, Virginia
Earlysville, Virginia
Elkton, Virginia
Farmville, Virginia
Floyd, Virginia
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Hinton, Virginia
Howardsville, Virginia
Lake Anna, Virginia
Lake Monticello, Virginia
Linville, Virginia
Massanutten, Virginia
Maurertown, Virginia
McGaheysville, Virginia
Midlothian, Virginia
Mt. Crawford, Virginia
Nelson Country, Virginia
New Market, Virginia
Orange, Virginia
Orkney Springs, Virginia
Palmyra, Virginia
Penn Laird, Virginia
Quicksburg, Virginia
Rockingham County, Virginia
Scottsville, Virginia
Singers Glen, Virginia
Sperryville, Virginia
Timberville, Virginia
Verona, Virginia
Waynesboro, Virginia
Weyers Cave, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Wintergreen, Virginia
Our project types varied, spanning from apartments, custom homes, kitchen renovation, deck addition, Golf Center, Christian Church School, Lumber Company, Furniture Store, Therapist office space, Gymnastics Studio, Affordable housing, pavilion, corn crib, fraternity, historic porch renovation, law office, food bank, industrial office renovation, community center, dental office, warehouse, manufacturing space, home addition, medical office, historic farmhouse renovation, townhouses, bathroom renovation, Barndominium, pool house, and a basement renovation. As a (relatively) small architectural firm, we love the opportunities to meet each client where they’re at for each design dream they have.
In an earlier post, I talked about my interview with a client about why old homes are worth saving, and he took me on a tour to share the history while pointing out details. In our interview, our client highlighted the importance of restoring old buildings because “[they] are tangible elements of history,” and emphasized that seeing history in the physical and visual is much more enjoyable than reading it on paper.
He was absolutely right. During the tour, I found myself getting more and more excited about history, especially of historic buildings. Seeing history in-person instead of just reading text connected me to the stories much more than I had before.
All that said, it is ironic that I’m writing about how seeing history in physical form connected me to it much more than reading about the history. To combat the irony just a bit, below are photos with tidbits from our interview and tour.
Photo details of our client’s house
After the Revolutionary War, some Hessian mercenaries (recruited from Germany to fill the British ranks) were left on the continent. They brought some German design elements/heritage with them which blended over time with emerging American preferences. You can see this in the hand carvings and style of the mantles (6 were fireplaces in the house, some restored now).
Downstairs by the kitchen there’s a china cabinet that the current owners painted dark green in keeping with the old color scheme. But if you look inside, you can see the old paint which is a brighter green – more of a lime green. This color was popular among German settlers, including Mennonites, Lutherans, and others who included that color as they moved down into the Shenandoah area from Central Pennsylvania.
Remnants of the lime-green paint are also on this door.
Round brick columns, typical to the time period.
Throughout the years, larger rooms were sectioned off into smaller ones, like the Great Room. They can tell where the Great Room was because the boards are perfectly aligned between a couple existing rooms. Uniform board lengths with no cuts was a symbol of status, which would have been put in the Great Room.
The milk paint on the detailing in this room is mulberry colored. This seems to be a popular color of milk paint for the time.
There isn’t written history of this, but it’s been passed down orally that a cannonball broke this upstairs window.
Builders numbered the attic timber beams with carved roman numerals so they would know the order to put them in when they hauled them to the house.
Wooden pegs in the attic to secure the beams together.
A hanging stepped flue in the attic – a very unique element.
Just for fun. As a photographer, I always love when furry friends come to say hello in my shoots.
Finally, here are a few more pictures from my photoshoot of our client’s porch after the historical porch renovation.
We have had the opportunity to design beautiful luxury homes for a variety of clients with a variety of goals. The design of a luxury home always goes beyond aesthetics – we focus on creating a unique, functional, comfortable home that facilitates the life our clients want to live in this new place. Some of the considerations we make include the following:
Individual Style
Luxury homes are a reflection of our client’s individual styles, tastes, personality, and experiences. This new home will be an expression of our clients through unique features, details, finishes, and spaces.
Enhanced comfort and livability
We focus on a deep understanding of building science and aging-in-place design strategies to best address comfort and livability in every luxury home we design. Thoughtful space planning, quality materials, and attention to detail are just part of the process as we overlay moisture movement, humidity control, indoor air quality standards, and accessibility standards.
Low maintenance
Using the right materials in the right place that have been time-tested provides durability for years in a luxury home. You don’t want to have to worry about fixing your home, you deserve to enjoy your home.
Seamless indoor-outdoor connections
The integration of indoor to outdoor spaces through large windows and doors is a key to the luxurious feeling we want for each of our custom homes. We have also seen a surge of outdoor living spaces from decks to patios to pools.
Smart Home Technology
There are luxury home enhancements that allow for control of lighting, climate, security, and entertainment through smart technology that we often integrate seamlessly into each design. You can manage your home easily and even predict issues before they become issues.
Personalization
A knitting room, office, gym, basketball court, wine cellar, spa bathroom, hidden pantry, or even a home theater are some examples of how luxury homes are now being personalized. We work hard to figure out what the dream requires in spaces and we incorporate that into the new home.
Detail
While the overall design and spaces are very important, so is the attention to detail. From cabinetry to trim we set the standards and team up with the experts that can deliver the quality that is deserved in each design.
Exclusivity
A luxury home is designed in a way that creates an ambiance of exclusivity, style, and function. This is not to exclude anyone, rather it is to invite in the life you want to live in this new place.
Investment Value
We work hard to understand the real estate market so that our clients can maximize their investment in their luxury home. While there are some things that you will want to do regardless of resale value – there are others we can guide you through so that you maximize your home’s value, should you take it to market. We don’t fall for the fads, we incorporate timeless high-quality design options in every project.
Innovation
Our luxury homes are unique in their shape, forms, mechanical systems, and structural elements – but not just for the sake of being different. We work hard to understand the construction materials and systems available and to know how to build a luxury home to match your dreams most economically.
In summary, an architect is required to achieve a true luxury home that is personalized to your style and functional needs. An architect takes your home beyond the superficial aesthetics and delivers something specific to your dreams. The attention to detail starts in the mechanical system and extends to the cabinetry and trim. I have heard years after someone has enjoyed their luxury home how our design has made their dream life more possible.
“I don’t know how you knew we would need that in our home, but it works, and we love it.”