Tag Archives: Outdoor Living

Fresh Escape- Pool by Design in Charlotte,NC (Feb/Mar 2013)

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Written by Dana ToddGlen and Mary Stowe commemorated their wedding anniversary June 30 and they celebrated by jumping into their new backyard pool. The pool, constructed by Pool by Design, is part of a larger oasis that provides respite for the busy couple at the end of each day.

“The pool project took seven weeks to complete,” says Mary Stowe. “Completion was closer to the timeline than we’ve ever experienced during a construction project and Simon [Spiers, of Pool by Design] gave us excellent advice.”

The Stowes began by installing a six-foot brick fence around the entire backyard, a material in keeping with the modernized take on their Colonial Georgian house.

“The bricked-in backyard gave a different feeling than I expected,” says Stowe. “I expected the enclosed space to feel smaller, but it actually took away the view of neighbors’ houses. I was worried the fence would destroy the park-like feeling, but instead it provided an oasis.”

Working in tandem with landscaper The Whole Blooming Landscape, and outdoor lighting vendor S&H Sprinklers & Landscape Lighting, Pool by Design’s team designed and installed a free-form freshwater pool that resembles a pond. A filter and ultraviolet light keep the water clean and fresh for swimming.

“Simon suggested we move the pool closer to our house than originally planned,” Stowe says. “He leveled the ground so we could walk right off the portico to the pool concrete and over to the water. He suggested we situate the shallow end near the door so it would feel more like a social outdoor room.”

These changes created more of a true outdoor living ambiance and paved the way for natural plants to complement the hardscaping. Stowe is a gardener, so she had garden beds installed where she could transplant seedlings. “I used native plants and those I already knew how to grow,” Stowe says about the garden beds that interrupt the surrounding hardscape of French gray tiles capped with bluestone. “We incorporated unexpected tropicals like palm trees, a banana tree and a windmill palm at the pinch point in the middle of the pool.”

An installed pool waterfall replicates Mother Nature’s white noise and allows the family to enjoy it from inside when the doors are open during warmer weather. The pool blends with the home’s architecture and another outdoor living area that contains a two-sided chimney with an English flue, kitchen, grill, smoker and showerheads.

“It’s like a British Colonial,” says Stowe, about the house’s traditional architecture mixed with the tropical yard plantings. “I underestimated the positive effect the redesign would have. Just looking at it and hearing the fountain is instant tranquility.”

Now is the time of year to begin designing your own personal oasis. Contact Pool by Design at 704-333-7446 or find inspiration at www. poolbydesign.com.


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Dare to Tango – San Antonio/Austin, TX Summer 2012 Issue

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Dare to Tango- The Year’s Top Color is Easy to Incorporate into Decor
Written by Dana Todd

Feeling brave? High energy? Daring? Playful? You might think these are the traits of a homeowner who would go so far as to include the vibrant orangey hue of Pantone’s color of the year, Tangerine Tango, in a home design project.

Surprisingly, some of Austin’s interior designers have discovered ways to incorporate the tangerine colourway in rooms that express modern sophistication, where energy and subtleness co-exist.

Heed the Siren Call of Subtlety Muted, subtle design may not be the first thought that comes to mind when you think about adding orange to your décor. The color, however, can be surprisingly subdued when used in conjunction with the appropriate accent colors.

“Tangerine is a great accent color, especially for contemporary design,” says Stephanie Villavicencio, RI D, ASI D, of Bella Villa Design Studio, who has assimilated the color into a few homes she recently designed. She used Sherwin Williams 6601, “Tanager,” for adding lush color in a dining room and living room for an added hint of a red undertone. “It’s not used as an accent in this instance, but it is a more toned down application,” she says.

When Villavicencio designed the living room of the Symphony Showhouse 2010 at The Austonian, she relied on a slightly brighter shade of tangerine on throw pillows and an accent chair to enliven the space. “Tangerine has been used throughout the years but is not like the avocado green of the ‘70s that obviously went out of style,” Villavicencio says.

“It is good for people who like bright colors because it is a lasting color. Still, when a color is this bright, use it in smaller portions through accessories. Then you can change it when you grow tired of it.”

Uplifting yet relaxing is how designer Sharon Radovich, Principal of Panache Interiors, describes the effect of an Austin home she designed for a couple who explicitly requested orange throughout the house. “It’s an uncommon color request,” says Radovich, who managed to work in tangerine in most rooms and the outdoor living space. Using hints of Sherwin Williams 6887, “Navel,” Radovich highlighted the recessed dining room wall, producing a modern, artistic backdrop for cobalt dining chairs and ultramodern pendant lights.

Working her way through the house with associate Julie Francis, the Panache team continued to accent inthe tangerine colourway, sometimes using quite a bit of it without jarring the subtle aesthetic. Even in large doses, such as in the upstairs entertainment room, they managed to keep the tone restrained, yet stimulating. A custom built pool table with orange cloth and “Fire Swamp” Maniscalco Aussie Dream glass tile on the legs, echoing tile on the fireplace surround, and racing stripes on the wall in Sherwin Williams 6886 “Invigorate” showcase color but still appear restful to the eye.

Splashes of tangerine introduce excitement into rooms without overcommittment. In the Austin home’s office, Radovich worked a tangerine compact sleeper sofa into the
corner with a matching bolster pillow, unifying it with lime green chairs snuggled up to a tangerine color-topped tripod table. A kicky tangerine and aqua rug completes the trifecta.

A kitchenette on the other side of the room showcases Anthropologie coral cabinet knobs and a recycled glass backsplash from EnviroGLAS.

Use Color Outdoors
Tangerine is easy to incorporate into outdoor settings, where it is naturally effervescent mingling with flowers and other natural elements. In the Austin home, Radovich used tangerine throw pillows and ceramic side tables as accents on the outdoor deck to provide continuity.

In a San Diego design project, she boldly hung tangerine curtains ready-made from Sunbrella fabric and coordinated with off-the-shelf seat cushions from HomeGoods to bring an exotic air to an outdoor patio. A dark rug and neutral walls, echoed in similarly colored furniture, help tone down the space to make it feel relaxed and not over-invigorating.

Neutral is often tangerine’s best friend, balancing the room and grounding it. Neutrals can enliven an Old World palette.

“Taupes and browns work best with a bright tangerine,” says Villavicencio, “as well as muted lime green.” Go Full-Color If a homeowner is reaching for the “wow” factor, tangerine can sizzle when paired with the right brights. Radovich uses this technique in entryways, where knockout designs are noticed.

In a sassy home renovation project, she painted an entry wall in a mango hue (Benjamin Moore “Mango Punch” 154) punctuated with equally vibrant colors on an Oggetti mosaic tile drum pendant light and tabletop accessories grounded with neutral floors and furniture.

Radovich has been using orange tones regularly in her work since 2008 and believes pops of bright colors, such as aqua, lime green and hot pink work particularly well with tangerine.

“These color combinations evoke tropical, spirited and slightly feminine feelings,” she says. With all these different ways to use and accessorize with Tangerine Tango, how did Pantone decide 2012 would be focused on this colourway? According to Pantone Institute’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman, the road to an annual color choice is based on her travels worldwide.

She says in the colourlovers.com community blog, “If I see a color that I think is ascending in importance, I make special note of it and then look for evidence in it gaining momentum…

There are so many creative design areas that must be considered including graphics, the world of art, product design, home furnishings and so on.”  With the recent recession fading into the past, she goes on to say in her online interview that tangerine is nearly the opposite of the “downer” gray of the economy, and its choice as color of the year is an opportunity to encourage hope.

Whether it’s a spicy and energizing mood you’re after, or you prefer warm and inviting tones, mixing in tangerine has the ability to transform the climate of your design.

Bella Villa Design Studio
512.443.3200 www.Bellavillads.com

Panache Interiors
512.452.7773 www.Panacheinteriors.com

Pantone Institute
1.866.PANTONE www.Pantone.com

To view more articles from San Antonio/Austin, TX, please visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com or click here.

 

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A (Fourth) Life In Living Color- (San Antonio/Austin Summer Issue)

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Circa 1950, a cinder block, bare bones, weekend fishing shack was erected, presumably to facilitate the shelter necessary between lengthy fishing excursions on Lake Austin. In the mid-1990’s, a young couple seeking year-round residence, and seeing an amazing setting around which to build their lives, commissioned Peter Pfeiffer, FAIA, of Barley & Pfeiffer Architects, to remodel and update the cabin, “making it a wonderful setting to enjoy lake living and entertaining.” Pfeiffer did this job so well that the home was even
featured on a popular TV show at the time called “Street Appeal.”

A decade later, Pfeiffer was called back to the home to remodel it again, this time to make it more family and kid-friendly as well as more energy efficient. Rooms were added, and the interior updated to reflect current style. Now, several years later, another family, this one with older children, has bought this home and brought it full circle, once again returning it to a weekend vacation home, albeit one with considerably more flare than the original.

When the new homeowners came to Sharon Radovich, Principal of Panache Interiors,
they had one very important goal in mind: a super FUN house “that reflected Austin’s cool vibe. The home’s layout with two separate living areas appealed to them so their kids could have their own space to hang.” The previous renovations had already transformed
this lakeside house into a mecca for entertaining, with its multiple living areas, large decks and beautiful views.

Radovich and her clients added loads of color, great art and sleeping for 15 (!) to
make this the ultimate destination for lake relaxation. The previous owners had some to do with charting the course for this newest remodel: the neutral tones they had chosen, the black stone countertops, taupe wood floors, gray cabinets, and beige and gray tiles, made a great backdrop for the vivid colors Radovich introduced into the home.

The new homeowners also bought the home semi-furnished, “with the big treasure being the 79” round glass dining table with ten green leather chairs. I needed to bring the green
and black into the great room to balance the kitchen and breakfast.” And thus began a beautiful friendship between bright greens and aqua blues and the neutral finishes that
already lived there. Radovich found a fun, floral fabric that integrated the black and green in a playful manner at Collectic Home, which she paired with a black linen fabric for the base of the sofa to add a classic look. She knew “a zebra rug would be a voguish addition,” and she had the Great Rug Company “funk it up with edge strips of green shag and black carpet.” She sourced the green glass coffee table at NEST Modern and the Collectic American Leather black recliners round out the seating. Radovich chose to paint the long wall into three colors, “visually breaking it up to bring balance to the space.” She carried the stripe theme onto the window panels, unifying and adding interest to the great room. The fabulous art in the space comes from local artists. Rebecca Bennett paints serene abstracts in vivid colors, and Radovich commissions work from her for many of her projects. The homeowner found the oversized dice painting by Carlos Ortiz at Collectic Home.

Each space in the home began to take shape following this same formula: what was great about the space already + fun additions from Radovich and the homeowners that fuse the space into a new creation. In the entry way, the front door was already orange, so Radovich “painted the towering staircase wall to match and stacked metal-rimmed mirrors on it for an inviting entrance to the home.”

At Exteriors Designer Showroom, she found a colorful Company C striped rug that she placed on the floor “to unify the orange entry and the aqua media room.” The pale aqua ottoman, tufted with orange patterned buttons, was crafted by locally-based Iron Thread Design, and the comical bulldog art was brought from the homeowner’s previous lake house.

Radovich says she “cannot help but smile the minute she walks through the orange
entry door — the space energizes me.” In the media room, the black leather sectional came with the house, and Radovich contrasted the black with bright aqua wall paint for a sense of fun.

She also added a red enamel table from 5 Elements for a pop of color in thecenter of the room. The homeowner, a realtor who according to Radovich “has a great sense of style, found the nostalgic photographic art in Houston, and the vivid daisy rug and pillows at Crate and Barrel.” In this space, they clearly created the perfect hangout for the homeowners’ college-aged children.

But at some point, everyone needs to sleep. And there is no shortage of places
to lay one’s head in this remodel. With a perfect green hue already painted on the
walls of one guest room, Radovich was able “to find a trundle, a triple bunk bed
and a chair/chaise/bed to sleep 6 in this room. The client had the quilts and polka
dot bedding to add whimsy and a bit of nostalgia.” The ‘bunk’ room is lined with
four beds draped in leopard comforters from the homeowner’s previous lake
house. Radovich added the lake home’s signature aqua tones and the homeowner
found the playful Lifesavers art.

In the master bedroom, Radovich wanted to give the homeowners a restful
place to retreat. That first meant extending the wall between the sofa in the great
room and the master bedroom, which originally did not go all the way to the
ceiling. Rob Mall Construction raised this wall to the ceiling, eliminating the issue of
sound transfer from the great room. Then Radovich set about making the space
a haven for tranquility. She “specified a tall Nathan Anthony headboard and
upholstered it in textured linen with sketchy gray circles. The organic cotton
duvet from Restoration Hardware is accented with a rectangular Ankasa Ikat
linen pillow from Wildflower.” She used “the cobalt blue in the accent pillow to
anchor the bed, and finished the room with a neutral chair and window panels,
whitewashed end tables and a grey rug for a relaxed atmosphere. The crystals on the
lamps add a romantic tone.” The deeper hues evoke a sense of calm, successfully
giving the parents the respite they will most likely need from all of the young
people visiting each weekend.

The art in each space is certainly conversation-worthy, none more so than the absolutely fabulous longhorn painting in the hallway off of the great room. Radovich spotted the longhorn at Art City Austin for a Wimberley ranch project, and at the same event selected a colorful cow for this lake house. But when she showed the cow to the homeowner,
she “wasn’t enthusiastic, and said ‘if it were only a Longhorn, I might be interested.’” So Radovich showed her the image of the longhorn painting she had placed in the ranch project and the homeowner “was immediately enamored by it.” They commissioned the Atlanta artist, who uses a technique of applying paint and wax over photographs to give it a unique depth, to paint a slightly different longhorn for the lake house. And now said longhorn holds court amongst a bevy of beautifully-unique pieces of pop art in the home.
When asked what factors are key when designing a lake house vacation home, Radovich replies that one should always “keep it simple. Make it uncluttered and restful. Have amenities that make you feel pampered…whether that is luxury linens, the New York Times, or simply a cold beer.” She also adds that materials should be durable and easy to maintain, after all, a vacation home should be all about the vacation!

Barley & Pfeiffer Architects
512.476.8580 Barleypfeiffer.com

Panache Interiors
512.452.7773 Panacheinteriors.com

Rob Mall Construction/Mall Custom Cabinets
512.970.1054 Robmallconstruction.com

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Casa De Corazon- Austin/San Antonio (Summer 2012 Issue)

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Written by Sharla Bell
Photography by Coles Hairston

With two unique directives, a retired chemical engineer and his wife, a high school teacher, challenged Winn Wittman, of Winn Wittman Architecture, to design their dream retirement home: “I want the house to look like the bones of the earth,” and “I want curves — I don’t want to live in a box — I’m going to be buried in one.” The finished creation, built on the couple’s 85-acre ranch in Lampasas, Texas, an Casa de Corazon hour northwest of Austin, more than meets these expectations with a beautiful, functional and totally original, master-planned space. That it manages to look organic and modern whilst bearing an uncanny resemblance to the rib cage of some prehistoric creature speaks to the vision of the clients and the talent of the architect.

Wittman believes in a thoroughly collaborative process when designing a home; he truly wants the homeowner to be involved every step of the way. When this couple met with Wittman, they brought a small tinfoil model with a swooping roof and explained their desire
for the house to look like ‘the bones of the earth.’ According to Wittman, “This was a very powerful metaphor for me as an architect, and we had lots of fun with it. In the end, that’s where the curved beams which start at the wall and form the roof structure came from.”

These curved beams, which were fabricated off site and erected in one day, not only give the house great character, but they are also energy efficient. When the curved beams go inside the home they transition from steel to a laminated wood beam, achieving a ‘thermal break’ so the heat of the exterior is not transmitted to the interior through the steel beam.

Although the beams are the dominant stylistic feature of the home and give it a rather modern look, the home also pays homage to the Texas ranch house. “We wanted the home to relate to the landscape, the context and the architectural vernacular style of the area. We wanted to re-interpret the Texas ranch house in a 21st century form.” To that end, the home is low flung with a simple dog run design, and the team selected chopped limestone and stucco for the façade, and zinc-coated sheet metal for the roof. The couple’s grown children come to visit often, so they needed a two-bedroom guest house, slightly removed from the main structure, connected by the covered breezeway.

Wittman and his clients also considered how the house would work with the expansive landscape. Located on 85 acres and essentially “off the grid, we had to be really sensitive to orientation and we wanted to take advantage of views. The location of the house was carefully selected to do both.” The main windows face north, which is best for sun and for views of the beautifully-rugged terrain. And because of its remote location, rainwater collection is also necessary.

The large butterfly roof slopes toward a central gutter, which directs rainwater to an underground cistern. The roof structure is also filled with six inches of soy-based foam which provides great insulation from the Texas sun. Between the thermal break in the beams, the insulation and the orientation, this house was built smart, with electric bills averaging about $80 per month.

With the curving beams and the swooping roof, Wittman clearly took to heart the edict that the couple ‘did not want to live in a box.’ But for all of the exterior’s curvaceous appeal,the interior is a study in clean lines and modern charm.

Simple, efficient and quite elegant, the main living space has an open design that belies the home’s relatively small size of 2,000-square-feet. Wittman called on Lytle Pressley of Lytle Pressley Contemporary to help furnish the home. According to Pressley, “The goal was to integrate the connected open areas into a seamless whole. Thereby, the kitchen, dining and seating areas flow harmoniously with one another. My job was simply to create a backdrop to the architecture that doesn’t compete with Winn’s vision.” To achieve this goal, they selected a neutral palette of grays, black and white.

Wittman then consulted with Emily Basham-Hoelscher of Urbanspace Interiors to help him bring some color, pattern and energy into the spaces; in Basham-Hoelsher’s words, the home “needed a little moxie. We wanted to infuse the space with just a bit of pattern and bright color, but in small bursts and spaced throughout so that it encourages your eyes to move around and take in the full space. This was accomplished with pillows and bedding from Missoni Home, along with a selection of different vases and sculptural pieces.”

Like Pressley, Basham-Hoelscher was concerned with giving the unique architecture its due. “The challenge was riding the line of enough color and pattern, and too much of it. In such a neutral space, and a space where the view to the outside and the architectural details are the major focal points, you have to have just enough accessories to add life but not too many to compete and feel out of place.”

While a neutral palette governs the main living space, the homeowners selected a riot of blue for the curvilinear bathroom that is tucked in the center of the home. When asked about the round motif in the room, Wittman explained, “The clients are very partial to curves, and in fact, selected our firm because we love curves, too. They would have had more curves, but the budget, structure and functionality didn’t really permit this, so we went all-out in the bathroom.” The round shower, spa tub, sinks, and even the accessories, attest to this fact.

That the homeowners love curves is also evident in the pool they designed with help from both Wittman and Ocean Quest Pools. Wittman explains, “The curved, negative edge is a big part of the drama of the pool when viewed from the home.” The pool is also a great place to take advantage of views. “Standing by the pool and looking out at the landscape, as framed by the steel arches, is a favorite spot of mine. There is something about the rhythm of the arches which is both contemporary and very classical,” adds Wittman.

An added bonus to the home is that it is incredibly fire resistant. “The home is primarily steel, with a steel covered roof, eaves and soffit, and the walls are glass and limestone
masonry—all very fire resistant as compared to conventional wood construction,” explains Wittman.

Locals driving by will often slow down to look at the home, which has earned a few nicknames, including ‘butterfly house’ and ‘casa de corazon’ (heart house). This writer prefers the latter. It seems only fitting that nestled inside the steel rib cage that was at the heart of this dream also lies the heart of the home.

Winn Wittman Architecture
512.630.2724 Winnwittman.com

Lights Fantastic
512.452.9511 Lightsfantastic.com

Lytle Pressley Contemporary
512.917.6369 Lytlepressley.com

Ocean Quest Pools by Lew Akins
254.933.8370 Lewakins.com

Rex Keele Construction, Inc.
512.556.6251

Urbanspace Interiors
512.476.0014 Urbanspaceinteriors.com

To view this article or more from Urban Home Austin/San Antonio please visit www.urbanhomemagazine.com or click here

 

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The Morgan Landscape Group- Charlotte, NC

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We at The Morgan Landscape Group, Inc. hope you are having a great summer!  Even though it’s hot we are thinking ahead to Fall and Winter and the seasonal color choices for your beds.  We wanted to be able to provide you with more choices this season.

Below you will find the colors of Pansies and Viola’s as well as other Fall and Winter Ornamentals. Fall is also the season for planting Spring blooming bulbs.  Create fantastic displays by combining annuals with tulips or naturalize daffodils by planting in natural areas and groundcovers. Please look over the options and let me know what you like and we will begin the selection and scheduling process so that we are prepared for Season to give your beds the splash of color you desire!

Morgan Landscape Group is located at 5127 Sandy Porter, Charlotte, NC  28273.  You can also visit their website at www.morganlandscapegroup.com or call them at 704-588-2292.

   

 

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