Style and Function designed for Luxury Homes

Style and Function designed for Luxury Homes

by | Jan 23, 2024 | architecture, Indoor Air Quality

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:

living room with two chairs and a sofa looking out to the views through large windows on three sides.

  1. 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.
  2. Enhanced comfort and livability
  3. 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.
  4. 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.outdoor seating area, sun setting over mountain view
  5. 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.
  6. Personalization
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.Kitchen.

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.”

 

Cold weather Cold house No More

Cold weather Cold house No More

by | Jan 21, 2024 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, green term defined, Indoor Air Quality

Do you have a cold house? This cold snap has been a great reminder of all the things you can do to your home to stay warm and comfortable. From air leaks to missing insulation to old windows, there are many things that can be improved in most homes.

Even if you are not ready to call in the contractors, there are simple things that you can fix on your own to make your home more resilient.

Stop the air leaks around every electrical outlet and light switch.

 

thermal image of outlet.

 

That’s right, air leaks exist around every electrical outlet and light switch in your home! Yes, your windows are also a source of air leakage, but first you need to stop these points. You probably have a lot more linear leak potential around outlets than you have window problems.

 

Seal around light fixtures and window trim.

 

 

Sealing around your light fixtures and window trim is also an easy way to help your home, and you can do this yourself. Caulk those joints where two materials come together. Here is more on how to pick the right caulk.

 

Think through other air leak areas.

 

 

Basically, you’re doing it right now because you’re reading this blog. Think about where the air leaks could occur – think about all the places drywall was cut to install a vent, outlet, access panel, window, or light.

 

Good insulation is key!

 

 

  1. Adding the right insulation in the right place is critical. Start in the attic, that “extra blanket you put over the house to keep the warm air inside“.
  2. Add insulating curtains and open them when the sun is warm and close them when you want to trap the warm air in your home.Utilizing natural light is a great way to save you money.
  3. Once the attic insulation is right, you should have someone conduct an energy audit to determine where else you need insulation corrections.

What is an energy audit?

 

Indoor Air Quality

 

ductwork, foam, and beams

 

Thinking about your indoor air quality will help you stay well during these cold months when you’re spending more time indoors.

 

More Winter Considerations

Other winter considerations to cut your electric bill while staying warm are your fireplace, outside mechanical systems, windows, and duct leakage. All of these things impact your comfort and energy usage. If you have single pane windows you can add plexi inside of them or cover them in plastic for now – replacement is a longer term solution. If you have air leaks and missing weatherstripping, replace it. If you have insulation falling down in your crawl space put it back into place until you can encapsulate your crawl. If you have pipes coming through walls with air space around them, seal it up.

On cold days like this, I am very happy that we choose to focus on building science solutions that are proven and tested for our client’s custom homes. I know that they are comfortable in their dream homes.

 

 

 

Ready Your Home for Winter Weather

Ready Your Home for Winter Weather

by | Nov 16, 2023 | architecture, Indoor Air Quality

These cold mornings have me thinking about how much I appreciate the work done to make my old house more comfortable. The best investment we made when purchasing an existing home was to get a home inspection. That way we had a solid list of how the home was working. After all, a home is the most complicated machine you will ever own.

There are many items in an existing home that I wanted evaluated by my home inspector, including the roof shingles, heating and cooling system, and electrical service. While home inspectors are not experts in all products, picking one that has the right experience and depth of knowledge will produce a comprehensive report and how-to manual for your new home.

From that report, I was able to learn more about and prioritize where to invest my maintenance budget to keep my new home as efficient as possible and keep me as comfortable as possible on these cold winter nights. We immediately replaced our heating and cooling system (below) which was 15 years old – which is the average lifespan of a heat pump. We also decided to add a ducted mini-split to maximize efficiency.

Along with efficiency, we focused on indoor air quality by picking a charcoal filter and UV light (right) to kill viruses in the air. This was before the pandemic, so I have been very thankful for this investment over the last few years.

 

APCO Whole-House Air Purifier.
Old attic insulation

Old attic insulation (above) and new insulation (below).

New Insulation.
Old HVAC.

Old HVAC (above) and new HVAC (right).

New HVAC.

When we moved into the house, I also utilized thermal imaging (right) to determine where we needed to add or change our insulation to keep comfortable. Our attic insulation was well below the minimum required by today’s standards, which would lead to high energy bills if we wanted to keep comfortable in cold weather. We insulated our attic (above) and added insulation in the basement to reduce air infiltration and plug up holes used by mice to get into our warm space.

thermal image of outlet.
Outlets.

Some other tips that are easy to implement is weather stripping around doors and windows, caulking any holes in exterior walls, sealing around electrical outlets, adding outlet plugs, and using insulating curtains.

Air Quality in the Home: VOCs and Envelopes

Air Quality in the Home: VOCs and Envelopes

by | Jul 31, 2023 | aging in place, Building Science, Green Building, Indoor Air Quality

Recently, Charles spoke at “Living Well in Your Lifetime Home,” a workshop featuring three certified aging-in-place specialists and industry experts: Charles; Amy Homan Depoy, OT/L, founder and owner of Cardinal Care, LLC; and Gabby Koontz, principal of Rendered Homes. This event was sponsored by VPAS in partnership with Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation. What a wonderful opportunity to share with the community. 

While Charles discussed a wide range of designs and considerations, he highlighted indoor air quality as a very important design consideration for everyone. This is especially true as you age because you can become even more sensitive to poor air quality. 

 

Charles speaks in front of people sitting at tables about Aging-In-Place design.

VOCs

There are many considerations when it comes to indoor air quality, and one is VOCs, which are present in all of our homes and potentially hazardous to our health.

VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compound. Many products used in home construction have these chemicals that are released into the air post-installation, called off-gassing. You might be surprised to know that VOCs are in every house and can be found in many common products including paints, lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, printers, correction fluid, and glues. This is something to be taken seriously. VOCs can trigger asthma, eye irritation, cough, dizziness, and other adverse long-term health effects, and they are known to cause certain cancers. 

 

Envelopes and Energy-Efficiency

Concentrations of VOCs are often found to be higher indoors than outdoors (an obvious conclusion looking at air circulation and volume of space). To compound the problem, the level of these chemicals could even be higher in an ‘energy-efficient’ home that does not have a dedicated fresh air system. 

This is because the more air-tight a building envelope is, the more likely it is energy-efficient. (A building envelope refers to the walls and other materials separating the indoor air from the outdoor air). Creating an airtight home reduces energy leaks at all the gaps and cracks in your home’s walls (around windows and doors, where materials meet, plumbing penetrations, and more). This traps the air inside the home and doesn’t allow in outdoor air. While this prevents energy loss (or gain depending on the season) it also prevents the house from “airing out.” Air pressure around the home and in the home also plays a part in that, but that is for another blog on another day.

 

What should you do?

So what should you do if you want to save money with an energy-efficient home and you want to decrease VOCs and their harmful effects? Is this a catch-22? As scary as this may sound, it is not all doom and gloom, and there are ways to mitigate the amount of VOCs you will come into contact with in your home.

  1. In the construction stage, carefully select products. VOCs can be found in many products including paints, lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, and glues. We typically select products that have low to No VOCs in them for our clients when possible.
  2. Include a dedicated fresh air system integrated with the heating and cooling system. This will draw in conditioned and filtered air into your home rather than relying on leaks in your home for “fresh” air.
  3. Open your windows occasionally (if your allergies are not too triggered by the pollen levels).

Until products are no longer made with VOCs, these strategies will not eliminate 100% of VOCs, but they will diminish a known health risk to your family. 

#wedesignthattoo Kitchen Edition

#wedesignthattoo Kitchen Edition

by | Jan 11, 2023 | architecture, Indoor Air Quality, project update

We get to design a lot of cool spaces for our clients and kitchen design may be one of my favorites. As a former cook at The Virginian restaurant I learned the value of an efficient kitchen with all the right tools. It is so much easier to make delicious food if you have a kitchen that is easy to cook in that does not tire you out walking too much and has the right amount of counter space to prep and serve. We have designed a lot of different kitchens over the years and I went looking for photos this morning of some of my favorites. Some are renovations and some are all new spaces, but all have a special quality to them.

Kitchen

They all are highly functional spaces as well as aesthetically beautiful.

Kitchen

Some are all new spaces.

Kitchen, Hillcrest Cottage
Kitchen, Hillcrest Cottage
Kitchen, Hillcrest Cottage
Kitchen

They all are special to the home design and to us.

 
Kitchen, Crossroads Farm House
Kitchen, Crossroads Farm House
Kitchen, Crossroads Farm House
Kitchen, Crossroads Farm House
Kitchen, Crossroads Farm House
Kitchen, Crossroads Farm House

So yes, we design kitchens too, as well as additions, renovation, new construction……

Energy Efficiency is Key for a Comfortable Home

Energy Efficiency is Key for a Comfortable Home

by | Oct 28, 2022 | Building Science, Green Building, Indoor Air Quality, resources

Fall weather and the smell of pumpkin spice have us thinking about insulation and air sealing. We know the cold weather will soon be setting in and now is the time to ensure energy efficiency in your home and prepare for the colder temperatures ahead. No one wants to suffer through an uncomfortable home nor be wasteful, especially as energy prices continue to increase. Below you will find some ideas of how to achieve a more energy-efficient, comfortable home.

 

Identify air leaks and protect your home for the colder temperatures.

 

  1. Caulk can be your best friend when it comes to air sealing, but which one should you use? Read up on the blog here. 
  2. Find the air leaks by scheduling a free energy audit, which we can do for you! Learn more here.
  3. Did you know that your attic door needs to be insulated? Learn why here.
  4. While you are checking out your attic door, take a look at the insulation while you are there. Learn more here.
  5. Is your heating system working properly? Here are some resources to help you out.
  6. Conserving energy is key, see the impact (below) on the roof of our design project here.

 

Notice the difference between the two roofs? Energy efficiency is visible on roofs after a snowfall.

 

We want to see more families saving energy and money. Feel free to give us a call or reach out with any questions regarding the comfort of your home.

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