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Telling a Story That Preserves the Past

Custom builder and historic restoration and preservation expert Brent Hull walks us through the careful details of his Pennsylvania Farmhouse project




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Color Blox

Color Blox, Corssville's next generation of color tile is a porcelain stone tile that saturated through with a choice of 20 colors. Color-infused neutrals and darks, such as silvery Slinky, ivory Sand Box and bluish-black Night can be combined in a multitude of combinations with Yellow Brick Road, Limeade and Caboose red.

Building Materials

Used Textures

Appearing to be recycled from a building long exposed to the elements, Stone Mountain Brick Co. introduces four new veneer styles for its brick and stone. "Used textures" have a slightly worn face with a few random indentations in each brick surface. In sharp contrast, the fresh-looking wirecut style has blunt, uneven grooves that stretch vertically across the surface of each piece.

Building Materials

Custom Murals

Tile has long been the selected material of designers, architects and home owners to provide a rich, luxurious look. How about adding personalized images or photos to create custom tiles? Imagine adding a family portrait to the tiles located in the foyer. What about adding the beautiful sunset captured on film while on vacation to a tiled bathroom wall? Coastal Murals, LLC specializes in transf...

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Piazza Personality

An extraordinary open-air courtyard inspired by the charm and character of an old world village square defines this Mediterranean-style luxury residence in Naples, Fla. With a magnificent two-tier swimming pool as its focal point, flanked by an intimate outdoor kitchen that resembles a quaint street-side café, the home's outdoor entertaining space is as functional as it is beautiful.

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Sound Success

From its postcard-perfect vantage point overlooking Puget Sound, this striking custom home in Blaine, Wash. is a dream fulfilled for its active retiree owners who plan to enjoy their dramatic surroundings and ultra-accessible floor plan with family and friends for years to come. Designed by Seattle-based architect, Nils Finne, the home is remarkable not only for the extraordinary team work that...

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Lab Living

Some people can't help but take their work home with them. Take, for instance, Charles Page, who trades in his house every five years for a new one. For this Chicago architect and builder who has been creating dream homes in Chicago's North Shore suburbs for more than 40 years, the thrill isn't just that of reinventing himself twice a decade; it's business as usual.

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A House Without Right Angles

Architect Matt Schlueb, principal of Schlueb Architecture, recently designed his own home in Pittsburgh, Pa., with virtually no right angles. Villa Vuoto features 2,600 square feet of living space, three levels, and simple and compounded curves, sloping walls and circular rooms. Designed to provide a stimulating environment for the architect's young son, the project was a prototype for explorin...

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Creating a Community Theme

A sense of place matters just as much to luxury home buyers as the details of the floorplan and the quality of the finishes. To deliver on this desire, custom builders can borrow a page from their production builder counterparts. Here Terry Smith of architecture firm Bloodgood Sharp Buster gives a quick tutorial in creating a community theme.

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Insurance Woes Top Concern List

The price of general liability insurance and the ongoing shortage of carriers willing to write such policies for builders pushed these issue to the top of NAHB's annual critical issues surveys. On a scale of one to five, where one equals not at all critical and five equals very critical, general liability insurance cost scored 4.

Building Materials

Toilet Technology Saves Money for Homeowners

To save the customer the cost and time of excavating the floor, installing underground piping or creating a raised floor, consider a macerating toilet.

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