Photographer Justin Alexander 0414 365 243

The exterior of this home was not only dated, but showcasing the architecture of two competing decades (the 50’s and 70’s). Our clients wanted a modern update to the exterior and a practical front entry. The flat roof on their living room was also leaking and needed to be addressed. We said goodbye to the brick and aluminum siding and replaced it with stone and cement fibre. An eyebrow roof delineates the stone and siding and we extended the roof of the main home for weather protection and aesthetic improvement. Wrought iron railings and stone steps fit in nicely with their natural surroundings and invite visitors to the front door. A foyer addition allowed the creation of a covered porch area on the outside and an open coatroom and home office extension on the inside. Round windows were added to the front and side of the home which add style and bring in much needed natural light. The existing family room with the leaking roof was legally non-conforming and required a minor variance. Existing defined parking areas further complicated this issue, but we were able to compromise by not extending the front porch across the full width of the addition. A new sloped roof, with interior vaulted ceilings enhances the visual indoor-outdoor integration of the home. This renovated home’s new exterior fits in perfectly with the neighboring homes and provides the owner’s with two covered entries to protect them from our Ottawa climate.

Hall Place Residence

KUBE architecture

The Owners of this Georgetown rowhouse desired more space, and after some study the decision was to add a third floor master suite, as well as a breakfast room on the rear of the house. The goal was to use the modern addition to open up the existing masonry structure with light and air, leaving the front facade in keeping with the existing context of the block, a row of historic homes. This addition addresses both the rear and side of the house, operating as another "front" facade that faces the side street. The third floor master suite features a large square bay which extends down to the second floor, with full walls of glass that bring southern light and view into these rooms. This bay also rises above the third floor ceiling adding a feeling of spaciousness and connection to the sky. The entire rear wall of the house on all three floors was opened up with large glass windows and doors. The small breakfast room added to the first floor is clad with viroc concrete board inside and out, a "green" sustainable material, and on the second floor bamboo was installed to replace old wood flooring. The windows are commercial aluminum, which can span large single glass openings with very thin frames. On the interior, a steel screen wall clad with recycled plastic runs along the new stair from second to third floors. It brings a feeling of lightness to the interior of the house, glowing internally and echoing the glow of the glass facades at night.

Find the right local pro for your project

Find top design and renovation professionals on Houzz

Spring

ATeam Realty

Santa Barbara Downtown, New, Spanish Colonial Revival, Victoria Garden Mews

Dennis Thompson Architect

Allen Construction - Contractor Meghan Beierle-O'Brien Photography

Oak Plywood Spiral Staircase

Eldridge London

Oak veneered plywood spiral staircase cantilevered from central column. Photography: James Brittain

Removable handrail

Portland Stair Company

Final installation. This system takes about 2 minutes to remove or install. It was design with this in mind. It has three points of attachment, lower section at bottom of post and two against the upper section on the wall. Portland Stair Company

Stairs with glass risers

Railinglondon ltd

Wooden stairs with glass risers for more information visit www.railinglondon.com

Washington D.C. Earth Home

Sustainable Design Group

This typical 1950’s colonial home in Washington DC was expanded with a dramatic modern addition to the South. The addition houses an expanded master bedroom suite, kitchen, dining room, living room and lower level recreation room. With the addition of an artist’s studio in the newly landscaped back yard, this cedar and copper addition opened a small dark house and created a modern open airy home for the homeowners. The exterior walls are constructed of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) which creates a very tight energy efficient envelope, with 6 kW solar electric array, radiant floors, energy recovery ventilation and passive solar design, and upgraded insulation in the existing house; the increased floor space increases the energy efficiency of the home.

Pictures of the Month

Southern Staircase

Flared Stair, Custom Iron Rails, Wooden Curved Handrail.

Private Residence

Sticks + Stones Design Group Inc.

http://www.lipsettphotographygroup.com/

Contemporary Colonial

Cross Tie Construction LLC

Rick O'Brien

Evergreen

Magnolia Custom Homes

Park Slope Triplex

nC2 architecture llc

Conversion of a 4-family brownstone to a 3-family. The focus of the project was the renovation of the owner's apartment, including an expansion from a duplex to a triplex. The design centers around a dramatic two-story space which integrates the entry hall and stair with a library, a small desk space on the lower level and a full office on the upper level. The office is used as a primary work space by one of the owners - a writer, whose ideal working environment is one where he is connected with the rest of the family. This central section of the house, including the writer's office, was designed to maximize sight lines and provide as much connection through the spaces as possible. This openness was also intended to bring as much natural light as possible into this center portion of the house; typically the darkest part of a rowhouse building. Project Team: Richard Goodstein, Angie Hunsaker, Michael Hanson Structural Engineer: Yoshinori Nito Engineering and Design PC Photos: Tom Sibley

The owners of this project wanted additional living + play space for their two children. The solution was to add a second story and make the transition between the spaces a key design feature. Inside the tower is a light-filled lounge + library for the children and their friends. The stair becomes a sculptural piece able to be viewed from all areas of the home. From the exterior, the wood-clad tower creates a pleasing composition that brings together the existing house and addition seamlessly. The kitchen was fully renovated to integrate this theme of an open, bright, family-friendly space. Throughout the existing house and addition, the clean, light-filled space allows the beautiful material palette + finishes to come to the forefront.

Country French Estate

JKA Design LLC

Ron Ruscio Photography A massive country french estate overlooking the Ranch Reserve Ridge golf course in Westminster Colorado. This view is through the Dining Room arch and shows the creative double landing of the curved stair tower with it's bow window and seat, and overlooking the open stair to the lower levels. The curved wrought iron stair rail combining wood and iron is custom designed and crafted.

Georgetown addition and renovation

Christian Zapatka Architect, PLLC

Small Staircase Designs & Ideas

Staircases can take a home to greater heights; literally. Stairs are much more than a link between two levels or spaces at home, they are the focal point that makes an ordinary home look spectacular. With a wide variety of staircase designs and styles, you can use a gamut of material like wood, glass, metal among many others. The staircase can be gradual or steep, wide or narrow, purely functional or showy and grand. By adding a unique staircase design with interesting railings and materials, or updating an existing structure with a bit of decor or a new finish, you can change their overall look. Look through some fantastic ideas of spiral staircases, floating staircases, and clever loft stairs and read on to understand how to choose a perfect staircase design for your home.

What stair design will work best for me?

Given the variety of staircase designs available, there is a lot to take into consideration before picking the most suitable one for your home. The first consideration when planning any staircase is space, followed by the ease of use and feel of your home. Depending on the space and the purpose you can pick the design of the staircase. Like a double-sided staircase only works in a large entrance and U- or L-shaped staircases are recommended for smaller entrances. If you’re set on achieving the look of a grand entrance, try to work with a curved design that will really showcase the railings and any other unique features. Also, spiral staircases are the most efficient option for smaller homes, though they may not be the easiest to climb, they do give a quirky and fun feel to the home.

What type of material should I use for staircase?

The look of your stairs should coordinate with the rest of your house, so try to pick a material and design that suits the style of your home. If you want the staircase to stand out and be the focal point think about mixing styles but remember to pick styles that are not too dramatic like modern and traditional. For example, if you have a traditional Indian home, you can opt for a wooden staircase and add a few tiles on the steps to give it a Mediterranean look. Remember to think about the functionality while thinking of the material. Some of the other popular options are metal and glass. A combination of metal and glass will open by a variety of designs.

How do I decorate my staircase?

Given how functional the staircase is, most people forget there to add a few extra decor elements. Your staircase can be an opportunity to inject some colour or personality into your overall design scheme. An update can be as simple as a coat of paint or adding a properly fitted stair runner. Don’t forget to look through the never-ending choices of handrails and balustrade, these help in adding character to the stairs. To give your staircase railings a new look, you can jazz them up by painting them in a multi-tonal palette of complementary colours or graduating between dark and light. A chandelier over a staircase can add a final, dramatic touch; if you prefer a more subtle way to illuminate your stairs, consider recessed floor-level lighting for an atmospheric. You can find more home designs, rooms and decor ideas on Houzz.

Potter Valley Contemporary

WillowRidge Construction