A stunning restoration and renovation of a historic plantation home on the Eastern Shore of Virginia by Stephen Muse and William Kiwan of Muse Architects, this project was awarded because of its meticulous attention to detail, authenticity and preservation.

Originally constructed in 1784 and expanded in 1829, the brick-ended clapboard structure with twin Georgian entry porches follows a one bay deep linear plan typical of Tidewater homes.

Along with complete renovation and restoration of the original house, the scope of work included removal of recent out-of-character additions and construction of additional living space capturing the view of nearby Hungar’s Creek.

To accomplish this, the twin porches from the drive side of the house were replicated on the waterfront side and a new kitchen with breakfast bay was connected to the existing structure by a one-story hyphen.

Additional work included the restoration of all outbuildings, construction of a new garage and the restoration of all driveways, walkways and gardens.

Marvin products used in the project included Ultimate Double Hung Windows, French Casement Windows, Ultimate Casement Windows, Stationary Windows and Transom Windows.

To see more winners and learn more about the Architect’s Challenge, please visit Marvin.

Here’s another example of a tiny house that is built imaginatively and attractively. It comes from Japan, a place where space is at a premium, but has a long history of beautiful architecture. We found this house while perusing  Design Milk; you can check out the rest of the Mizuishi Architect Atelier-designed house here. It may be only 312 square feet, but it houses three people comfortably. We’ll let the pictures do the talking…

Images courtesy of Design Milk

You’ve probably heard of retractable roofs on stadiums, but what about a totally retractable house? We found this very unusal housing idea from our friends at Design Milk.

Basically, you have a flexible material on hinges that can be changed about to suit your needs. Design Milk very aptly compares it to a transformer. Maybe you only need a home office some of the time. Or maybe what you need is a sunroom. No problem! M-House by Michael Jantzen delivers.

What do you think of this adaptable house?

Image courtesy of Design Milk.

Secret places in a home are the sort of things you see in movies, like a bookshelf that turns into a door to a hidden room when a book is pulled out. But these rooms do exist in real-life houses, as this slideshow from MSN Real Estate proves. Why would you want a secret room? Well, for security, for a bit of extra room squeezed in and of course, just for fun! Here are a few of our favorites. Let us know what you think, and check out the rest here.

It’s the classic pull-out-a-book-and-a-secret-room-is-revealed move!

This Arizona home has a secret room hidden by a staircase. To move the staircase, the homeowners use a remote control to lift it.

To get to this child’s secret room through a crawlspace hidden by a dresser, one of the clock’s hands is turned to 12:00.

Images courtesy of MSN Real Estate

The “man cave” has become the commonly accepted term for a living space reserved for all things masculine. There’s no fighting it — boys love their toys. But a man cave can be about more than massive high-definition televisions, plush leather furniture and pool tables.

Check out this wooden crate inspired staircase from Funky Junk Interiors. It features several classic logos painted on and made to look distressed, blending the world of antiques with the old body shop vibe. The staircase provides an excellent transition to a man cave tucked away in the basement (as they so often are).

This design doesn’t require hunting down actual vintage stamped crates and signboards. Rather, one can use stencils and latex paint, then finish with a stain and varnish to give the logos some character.  Even better, a design like this looks even more authentic after some general wear.

[Images courtesy of Funky Junk Interiors]

Starting in 1912, Marvin Windows and Doors has committed to providing the best made-to-order wood windows and doors in the industry. But the commitment doesn’t start and stop with the construction. Marvin staff work on architectural support, customer service, product support, research and development, sustainability and more.

Taking a closer look at the dedication given to each and every Marvin window, we’ve created the video series: Inside every Marvin window.

This is the third of four videos: Inside every Marvin window: Architectural support

Meet Dan Rood, III. He manages the architectural department at Marvin Windows and Doors, a team of 17 experts. Each of the experts ensures that the Marvin Windows and Doors’ catalog is just the starting point for the window or door each homeowner wants. From a custom design to a unique size, the team provides support throughout the entire window and door-making process to ensure that each product is “Built around you®.”

Would you ever choose to live in a broom closet? MSN Real Estate has a story about someone who did — a college student, not wanting a roommate, creatively looked for some extra space around his dorm. Voila! A room with a broom.

We might all not want to live in a closet (although some do), but living in a small space can be rewarding. More applicable to a general audience, though, are these tips from MSN Real Estate on how to live with less clutter and maximize your useful space. Check out the article to read more!

• Edit: Yes, you have to pare down ruthlessly. There’s no room for clutter in a tiny space. On the bright side, this is a golden opportunity to decide what things you really need.
• Divide: You can still have different rooms in a small space; it will just take some ingenuity. Bookcases, screens and curtains will become your new best friends.
• Get out:  Sometimes you just need to escape. MSN Real Estate suggests an outdoor space like a patio or balcony, but there’s a whole world out there. Think of some fun places in your neighborhood like a coffee shop, park or library to be your “extended living room.”

What’s the smallest place you’ve ever lived in? Did you like it? What are your tips?

Image courtesy of nicolas.boullosa on Flickr

We love unusual homes, and MSN Real Estate has an awesome slideshow about unusual apartments all over the world. Here are a few of our favorites. Check out the rest here.

Ever wonder where old shipping containers go to die? Thanks to some creative ingenuity, Container City in London is making them into beautiful live-work spaces for artists. They even managed to use 80 percent recycled materials to build these apartments.

Philadelphia’s Packard Motor Car Building once manufactured cars in a slightly unusual way: instead of going through a large horizontal plant, they went from floor to floor in a space saving and beautiful building. It’s a gorgeous condo conversion, and the interior is beautiful with those large windows.

You don’t have to get arrested to live at The Police Building in New York…you’ll just need a couple million to move into this Beaux Arts beauty.

Who would have thought a water tower could be so lovely and livable? The Watertower of Living’s (Soest, Netherlands) circular beauty makes for interestingly curved rooms.

Images courtesy of MSN Real Estate

About a year ago, I saw an article in the New York Times about the latest in swimming crazes: Dumpster pools. Yes, Dumpster pools. No, this has nothing to do with swimming in liquefied garbage. It’s just a unique way to cool off on a hot summer day in urban spaces where space might be in short supply.

In the original New York Times article, the Dumpster pool was part of a secret “urban country club” in Brooklyn. An unused city space was suddenly outfitted with a pool, lined and filtered.

And now via Curbly, the Dumpster-as-pool trend is coming to the forefront again during these dog days of summer. Unlike last year’s hipster installation, these Dumpster pools have the backing of the establishment — Mayor Michael Bloomberg to be exact. They’ll be open on Park Ave. on the first three Saturdays of August, so if you live in New York, be sure to check them out.

What do you think? Is this an ingenious use of a necessary but maligned object? A perfect way to squeeze a pool into a tiny yard? Or does this idea of swimming in a Dumpster pool seem just a little bit gross?

Image courtesy of WBUR on Flickr

Perhaps you think your modern kitchen is sleek, stylish and minimalist. Well, chances are you have nothing on this kitchen when it comes to being sleek and minimal. Kitchen designer Susan Serra dissects the design of the space and offers a few thoughts on whether it would work for the typical homeowner or kitchen user.

Whether you’re looking for a bit of that modern style or just some more usable space, this ideabook from Houzz.com, also written by Serra, might be helpful. It will give you some ideas about incorporating an effective and useful islands or workstations into your kitchen, whatever your style or functional need.

If an ultra-modern kitchen isn’t your style and you’re not looking to take the big step of working an island into your kitchen, maybe these simpler kitchen remodeling ideas will give you something to work with. Relatively minor remodeling tasks like updating your lighting or refinishing your cabinetry will go a long way toward making you happier with the room in which you likely spend a good amount of your home time.

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