Video case study: Hudson Harbor Brownstones is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

You’ve never seen a houseboat like this before.

Little and Little Construction of Port Townsend, Wash. is nearing completion of a 2,000-square foot house that’s set atop a six-foot tall concrete foundation and nine 500-pound blocks of Styrofoam. According to the Seattle Times, the two-story home features several bedrooms and baths along with a cinder-block fireplace in a large living room, an upstairs family room, office space and master bedroom bath with breathtaking views.

The houseboat also features Ultimate Push Out Casement windows from Marvin.

Bob Little, president of Little & Little Construction, told the Seattle Times, “In essence, we’re just building a home on a slab. It’s been great fun, and what a fun learning experience.”

Once completed, the houseboat will be towed from the Port of Port Townsend northward to the Boat Haven marina where it will be moored temporarily until it can be safely towed to Seattle.

To see how this amazing houseboat was created, check out the timeline of photos at Little & Little’s website.

[Photo courtesy Little & Little Construction]

Incredible houseboat featuring Marvin windows nears completion in Port Townsend, Wash. is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

A plan to preserve the original structure as well as harvest as many reusable materials as possible, resulted in the creation of a comfortable, modern, green design while maintaining the simplicity and charm of the home’s history.

Of particular note, restoration of the original post and beam framing allowed for installation of an open wall of glass featuring Marvin Wood Ultimate Sliding French Doors to showcase a stunning mountain view on one of Duchess County’s most scenic country roads.

Marvin products used in the project included in sash wood polygons, Ultimate Casement windows, the Ultimate Sliding French Door, Ultimate Double Hung windows and Tilt Turn windows.

Learn more about the project on Marvin.com.

myMarvin Architect’s Challenge winner: Countryside Retreat is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

When homeowner Todd Noteboom began his recent remodeling project, architect Tom Ellison and his colleagues at TEA2 Architects saw an opportunity to add character and traditional detail to a home that had previously been steered a bit off the course of its classic Mediterranean style. According to Ellison:

The house had never been an especially good example of the genre, and what it did have had been downgraded over the years. At some time in the 1970s, a glass and aluminum-framed solarium had been added to the front, which was completely out of character. We could also see that many of the details traditionally found in such houses were not present, but the potential was there to re-create a more authentic design.

By reworking the front of the house, the finished home now presents a more attractive, stylish face to the neighborhood and passers-by, and the view from inside the home is dramatically improved as well. Part of the approach to staying true to the style of the home was accomplished with Marvin double-hung wood windows, replicating the look of the home’s original windows while providing the high level of performance the homeowner and architect demand.

Learn more about the project and see more photos at TrendsIdeas.com.

Photo by Brian Droege courtesy of TrendsIdeas.com

Facelift brings out the Mediterranean character of Minneapolis home is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

Because the project called for custom windows and doors that would match the home’s original elegant character, architect Katherine Cartrett selected Marvin. Eight Marvin sliding French doors were used to create an over-sized wall opening. The home’s 46 aging windows were restored with a combination of new windows and replacement sash that look identical to the originals.

Marvin designers were there every step of the way to ensure that the windows and doors were created exactly to the homeowner’s specifications.

The Philhofer hunting lodge: Recapturing 1930s-era rustic charm with made-to-order Marvin Windows is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

The owner loves spending time in the kitchen. She is an adventurous cook of different cuisines and wanted a large, homey, yet practical working kitchen that would give her plenty of scope to pursue her culinary aspirations.

That’s how architect Neil Peoples explained his client’s needs in a recent piece on TrendsIdeas.com. The kitchen has been divided into distinct work stations, which lets more than one person comfortably and conveniently work at the same time while also allowing for guests to be a part of the action without being in the way.

There’s also a designated clean-up zone in the part of the kitchen nearest the dining room, a space that’s more easily and more quickly accessible than the rest of the kitchen.

Architect Peoples put his chosen Marvin windows to good use in the remodeled kitchen:

The kitchen is on the upper, entry level of the house, and has a commanding view of the surrounding vineyards. Ample windows provide abundant natural light and also place this view front and center. The rustic, Tuscan feel of the interior design lends itself perfectly to the bucolic character of the view.

Read the full feature at TrendsIdeas.com.

Photo via TrendsIdeas.com

Building blocks: Kitchen remodel creates more usable space with purposeful zones is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

When done just right, a backsplash can serve as the centerpiece of a kitchen.

In a recent project by Lenore Baigelman of Full Circle Architects (Northbrook, Ill.), the architect created a spacious country kitchen that’s primarily white with dark woods and tile, so when the red backsplash with a herringbone tile pattern appears from one of many sight lines, it really pops. That’s no mistake, either.

Baigelman tells TrendsIdeas.com, “I limited the use of this rich color to heighten its impact, only introducing it behind the cooktop. On the other walls, the backsplash is in a white tile to match the cabinets.”

Baigelman’s design includes arched doorways that lead to the living room and formal dining room, each of which provide a view of the red backsplash, which beams with warmth and vitality. The project also includes Marvin windows and doors. For those building or remodeling, this is a great example of how a little color in the right area can take a kitchen from bland to bold. When possible, accentuate an area that’s visible from multiple rooms. The effect is immediate, making family and guests feel drawn to what many consider the heart of any residence.

[Photos from TrendIdeas.com]

Take your backsplash from functional to the focal point of your kitchen is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

As a brand-new residential construction on an existing footprint, The Overlook House achieves light environmental impact while producing visually rich and architecturally satisfying spaces.

With the goal of replacing a structurally compromised house that couldn’t be renovated, Marcus Gleysteen of Gleysteen Design took great care to design sensibly with sustainable materials. Using the best in effective building technology and energy use, both design and environmental sensibilities are apparent throughout all interior and exterior surfaces.

Clean, sharp lines and details set the stage for inviting light, spatial flow and family interaction. Individual living and working spaces are arranged around a central hall and stair, lighting and uniting the house. Rather than a series of formal rooms, the main level of the house characterizes a large loft, where the kitchen, dining and living areas are integrated. The more private sleeping areas are located in the upper level of the house. In a dramatic design move, the master bedroom cantilevers over the first floor, shading the terraces below and extending into the rich landscape.

Marvin products were essential to the design, allowing abundant natural light as the vision intended. While smaller windows face north and east towards the street and nearby homes, walls of glass overlook a private, natural landscape. The use of high-efficiency windows and solar shading allow for these expansive window walls.

Clerestory windows located in the main living loft and above the stairwell bring light into the center of the house throughout the day, animating the space. The interior to exterior transition is blurred by broad sliding doors that open to a patio, which further terraces down to a secluded garden overlooking marshland.

MARVIN PRODUCTS USED:

Picture Windows
Casement Windows
Awning Windows
Sliding Patio Doors
Electronically Operable Awning Windows

Images courtesy of Marcus Gleysteen

Modern look, sustainable materials help Overlook House win in myMarvin Architect’s Challenge is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

Take a stroll through Katie Couric’s Hamptons getaway on Cottages & Gardens and you’ll find a perfect example of a home that totally reflects its owner. Elegant, laid back and even playful, Couric’s sprawling beach house features a full tennis court, a pool, ornate landscaping (designed by her older sister) and plenty of space to relax and entertain. And that’s just the outside, but Couric admits entertaining is a top priority.

“I love doing all the typical things in the Hamptons, like making dinner with friends,” Couric says.

When Couric purchased the home, the interior required just a few minor tweaks and personal touches. The exterior, however, was a much larger undertaking:

At the rear of the house is a wonderful covered patio, perfect for outside dining, but the view from it was murky at best. A white picket fence and row of hydrangeas enclosed an adjacent small lawn, and a large shade tree loomed too close; these elements obscured the connection between the house and the pool and left the landscape hemmed-in and claustrophobic rather than inviting and airy. Batchelor [Couric's sister and landscape artist] removed the fence and hydrangeas and repositioned the shade tree, opening up the view of the pool and even the tennis court beyond.

As for the pool, it was saddled with unattractive brick coping and a lopsided deck; Batchelor added new bluestone coping and potted annuals that give vertical definition to the pool’s horizontal plane. Completing the setting are symmetrical pergolas covered in wisteria and perennial beds planted with peonies, phlox, coneflowers, daylilies and ornamental grasses.

We should all be so lucky to have a builder, remodeler or landscape artist in the family. Then again, make one mistake improving the fragile beauty of a home in the Hamptons and you won’t have to worry about having friends for dinner.

[Photos by Keith Scott Morton for Cottages & Gardens]

Celebrity home: Katie Couric’s getaway in the Hamptons is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style

Francis Daniel Trico of McLundie Architects in Sotogrande, Spain designed a majestic villa of 850 square meters built area, laid out over four floors on a steep sloping site in Sotogrande Alto. This coastal gem boasts magnificent views over La Reserva golf course and lake and the Mediterranean Sea. The villa’s design was influenced by the traditional Andalucian architecture of the area, including details like “Tosco” brick in roof eaves and columns, play of volumes in the roofscapes and water fountains.

See more photos and learn more about this project on Marvin.com.

Given its location in the Mediterranean, forming a seamless relationship between outdoor and indoor living spaces was essential to the overall design approach. To open up the façade and connect the external covered terrace to the main living room, a Marvin Bi-Fold door was the perfect fit. Another feature, the introduction of an internal courtyard, serves as the focal point of the main living areas.

To maximize the height of the openings on the main floor, elegant fixed transoms with lites were introduced to allow for natural light and splendid views of the nearby golf course and lake. Additionally, windows were treated internally with the same lime washing finish as the rest of the timber ceilings and internal doors around the house, which was key to the overall aesthetic.

The decision to use Marvin Windows and Doors was made late in the construction process (building fabric and fenestration openings were fully completed). This proved to be the right decision, as Marvin demonstrated flexibility and versatility in its products and solutions. Scale, proportion, frame profile, elegance and general beauty of the windows and doors were vastly superior to any other products available in Spain.

Attention to detail in every aspect of the design coupled with the selection Marvin Windows and Doors culminated in a standout luxurious home.

Marvin products used included:

• Clad Bi-Fold Door
• Clad Ultimate Swinging French Doors
• Clad Ultimate Sliding French Doors
• Clad Direct Glaze Rectangle Units
• Clad Fixed Transom Units
• Clad Sliding Patio Doors
• Clad Ultimate Arch Top Swinging French Doors
• Clad Ultimate Awning Windows
• Clad Ultimate Casements
• Clad Ultimate Casement Round Top Units

Architect’s Challenge winner: La Reserva Villa in Sotogrande, Spain is a post from: MLuxe - Distinctive Home Style