Contractor: Prestige Residential Construction; Interior Design: NB Design Group; Photo: Benjamin Benschneider

photo credit: David Gilbert

Architect: Rick Shean & Christopher Simmonds, Christopher Simmonds Architect Inc. Photography By: Peter Fritz “Feels very confident and fluent. Love the contrast between first and second floor, both in material and volume. Excellent modern composition.” This Gatineau Hills home creates a beautiful balance between modern and natural. The natural house design embraces its earthy surroundings, while opening the door to a contemporary aesthetic. The open ground floor, with its interconnected spaces and floor-to-ceiling windows, allows sunlight to flow through uninterrupted, showcasing the beauty of the natural light as it varies throughout the day and by season. The façade of reclaimed wood on the upper level, white cement board lining the lower, and large expanses of floor-to-ceiling windows throughout are the perfect package for this chic forest home. A warm wood ceiling overhead and rustic hand-scraped wood floor underfoot wrap you in nature’s best. Marvin’s floor-to-ceiling windows invite in the ever-changing landscape of trees and mountains indoors. From the exterior, the vertical windows lead the eye upward, loosely echoing the vertical lines of the surrounding trees. The large windows and minimal frames effectively framed unique views of the beautiful Gatineau Hills without distracting from them. Further, the windows on the second floor, where the bedrooms are located, are tinted for added privacy. Marvin’s selection of window frame colors further defined this home’s contrasting exterior palette. White window frames were used for the ground floor and black for the second floor. MARVIN PRODUCTS USED: Marvin Bi-Fold Door Marvin Sliding Patio Door Marvin Tilt Turn and Hopper Window Marvin Ultimate Awning Window Marvin Ultimate Swinging French Door

Borano Stockholm double mahogany modern door with aluminum sidelites and matching wood flooring and stairs.

The goal of this project was to build a house that would be energy efficient using materials that were both economical and environmentally conscious. Due to the extremely cold winter weather conditions in the Catskills, insulating the house was a primary concern. The main structure of the house is a timber frame from an nineteenth century barn that has been restored and raised on this new site. The entirety of this frame has then been wrapped in SIPs (structural insulated panels), both walls and the roof. The house is slab on grade, insulated from below. The concrete slab was poured with a radiant heating system inside and the top of the slab was polished and left exposed as the flooring surface. Fiberglass windows with an extremely high R-value were chosen for their green properties. Care was also taken during construction to make all of the joints between the SIPs panels and around window and door openings as airtight as possible. The fact that the house is so airtight along with the high overall insulatory value achieved from the insulated slab, SIPs panels, and windows make the house very energy efficient. The house utilizes an air exchanger, a device that brings fresh air in from outside without loosing heat and circulates the air within the house to move warmer air down from the second floor. Other green materials in the home include reclaimed barn wood used for the floor and ceiling of the second floor, reclaimed wood stairs and bathroom vanity, and an on-demand hot water/boiler system. The exterior of the house is clad in black corrugated aluminum with an aluminum standing seam roof. Because of the extremely cold winter temperatures windows are used discerningly, the three largest windows are on the first floor providing the main living areas with a majestic view of the Catskill mountains.

Second floor porch like bedroom. Cathy Schwabe Architecture. Photograph by David Wakely. Contractor: Young & Burton, Inc.

Clopay Gallery Collection faux wood carriage house garage doors on a custom home with Craftsman details. The insulated steel garage doors have a woodgrain print that coordinates beautifully with the stained wood beams and shake shingle siding. The doors are offered in three stain colors, with or without windows and decorative hardware.

We began with a structurally sound 1950’s home. The owners sought to capture views of mountains and lake with a new second story, along with a complete rethinking of the plan. Basement walls and three fireplaces were saved, along with the main floor deck. The new second story provides a master suite, and professional home office for him. A small office for her is on the main floor, near three children’s bedrooms. The oldest daughter is in college; her room also functions as a guest bedroom. A second guest room, plus another bath, is in the lower level, along with a media/playroom and an exercise room. The original carport is down there, too, and just inside there is room for the family to remove shoes, hang up coats, and drop their stuff. The focal point of the home is the flowing living/dining/family/kitchen/terrace area. The living room may be separated via a large rolling door. Pocketing, sliding glass doors open the family and dining area to the terrace, with the original outdoor fireplace/barbeque. When slid into adjacent wall pockets, the combined opening is 28 feet wide.

Entry to home.

Photo: Brian Barkley © 2015 Houzz

The Large Flush Wood Hybrid-Fyre™ Insert from FireplaceX is the cleanest burning, most efficient, large wood insert in the world! This insert burns so clean that it produces only 0.58 grams of emissions per hour and tests at over 80% efficiency. Its revolutionary Hybrid-Fyre™ technology is what makes for an incredibly clean burn that emits virtually no smoke or carbon monoxide, all while saving you money and trips to the wood pile. The Large Flush Wood Hybrid-Fyre™ Insert is approved to fit large zero clearance and masonry fireplaces with its 19 inch depth and 3 cubic foot firebox. It features a huge fire viewing area that comes available with decorative rectangular and arched door options. It also includes concealed twin 90 CFM convection fans that powerfully heat up to 2,500 square feet, while producing burn times of up to 12 hours. Photo by Travis Industries.

Architect: Ted Schultz, Schultz Architecture ( http://www.schultzarchitecture.com/) Contractor: Casey Eskra, Pacific Coast Construction ( http://pcc-sd.com/), Christian Naylor Photography: Chipper Hatter Photography ( http://www.chipperhatter.com/)

Existing carport was partially enclosed by Eric Harrison Builders in Austin to provide increased privacy, security, and to improved curb appeal. Spanish cedar garage doors feature flush horizontal T&G with flush joint and "dime gap" design which is carried through in the the siding. Doors include high lift and follow the roof pitch track and are operated by LiftMaster model 8500 jackshaft operators to keep the interior space open and airy even when the doors are raised.

Detail of new Entry with Antique French Marquis and Custom Painted Door dressed in imported French Hardware

Scott Amundson Photography

..... First impressions count! ..... Glass Doors and Entries that Make a Statement. Whether it's glass front entry doors, or interior glass doors the first focal point of an entry into a home, business or office are the doors, and frosted art glass doors by Sans Soucie add a unique element and a level of luxury while providing privacy AND light! From a little to a lot, the privacy you need is created for your glass front entry doors without sacrificing sunlight. Available any size, all glass doors are custom made to order and ship worldwide. Door glass will be tempered, exterior doors will be dual pane (or a single 1/2" thick pane for fiberglass doors) and come in various thicknesses and types depending on door location (interior or exterior) and the sandblast etched effect selected. Selling both the glass inserts for doors as well as doors with glass, Sans Soucie doors are available as an interior or front entry door in 8 woods and 2 fiberglass, as a slab door or prehung in the jamb - any size. From simple frosted glass effects to our more extravagant 3D sculpture carving, painted and stained glass .. and everything in between, Sans Soucie designs are sandblasted different ways which create not only different effects but different levels in price. The "same design, done different" - with no limit to design, there's something for every decor, regardless of style. Price will vary by design complexity and type of effect: Specialty Glass and Frosted Glass. Inside our fun, easy to use online Glass and Door Designer, you'll get instant pricing on everything as YOU customize your door and glass! When you're all finished designing, you can place your order online! We're here to answer any questions you have so please call (877) 331-339 to speak to a knowledgeable representative! Doors ship worldwide at reasonable prices from Palm Desert, California with delivery time ranges between 3-8 weeks depending on door material and glass effect selected. (Doug Fir or Fiberglass in Frosted Effects allow 3 weeks, Specialty Woods and Glass [2D, 3D, Leaded] will require approx. 8 weeks).

With a complete gut and remodel, this home was taken from a dated, traditional style to a contemporary home with a lighter and fresher aesthetic. The interior space was organized to take better advantage of the sweeping views of Lake Michigan. Existing exterior elements were mixed with newer materials to create the unique design of the façade. Photos done by Brian Fussell at Rangeline Real Estate Photography

The new floors are local Oregon white oak, and the dining table was made from locally salvaged walnut. The range is a vintage Craigslist find, and a wood-burning stove easily and efficiently heats the small house. Photo by Lincoln Barbour.