An outdoor kitchen can be elaborate or modest. The choice will depend on your needs and your budget for the project. Do you feel that you would enjoy grilling outside more if you have adequate work space around your grill? If yes, plan to build the barbeque into a workspace and cover the countertop in tile or granite. A note of caution; dark countertop colors are beautiful, but they also [...]

Indoor-outdoor living is becoming the biggest trend for home owners. As land cost and square footage restrictions become issues, creative ways to gain space have become the forefront of good design. In the interior of your home, using Great Rooms and kitchens that offer eating space incorporated into the kitchen plan is the way to achieve very stylish and expansive spaces. After achieving great interior design, the next logical step [...]

The long-treasured manicured lawn is slowly being displaced by thoughtfully designed landscapes and livable outdoor spaces. Daylight modeling and transitional spaces are becoming phrases of the urban homeowner. The goal is to reduce the contrast between out and in for as many months as possible. Overhead and underfoot heating may use energy, but are widely accepted as making an outdoor space livable not just May to September, but March through [...]

Are you planning your first outdoor living project? Think about the seasons you want to use it for. As an example, if you aren’t sure about cool weather use, don’t purchase all your heating appliances yet. Will the area need excavation? If so, I advise installing enough underground-rated electrical, audio/data and gas lines for future use. In coming seasons you may wish for better capability, or expansion. You won’t be [...]