Features and Finishes

As the demand to maximize square footage has increased, pocket offices have become a big trend in new home design.

Pocket offices are compact spaces that are ideal for managing household affairs or for working from home, and they're great places for plugging in computers, iPads and cell phones.

Otherwise - unless a spare bedroom is available to convert to a home office - bills can pile up on the kitchen counter and all our electronics are plugged in wherever we can find a spot. Pocket offices are the solution for managing this "clutter" that we all have.

Cable rail is equally at home on at outdoor deck or on interior stairs where it creates a stunning design element. Posts and caps can vary to add additional interest.

In this example, our clients paired painted posts and cap, white walls, and lightly whitewashed white oak floors to achieve the light, airy look they wanted.

Especially in contemporary architecture - where clean, simple lines are fundamental - cable rail is a versatile alternative to wood.  And it never needs painting!

- Betsy de Parry, VP, Sales and Marketing,

It would be easy to think that large walls of folding glass doors would be limited to homes in year-round warm climates like California and Florida.  Not so fast!

As all of us who live in Michigan know, we really do enjoy the great outdoors for several months. And what better way to enjoy it than by uniting indoor and outdoor living spaces and by expanding our living space to a beautiful deck or patio?

Sounds are wonderful.  Think Beethoven or the Beatles. 

These days, without ever leaving home, we can hear them as well as we could at a live concert.  We can watch movies and hear the sound effects as if we're at a cinema. 

But that doesn’t mean we always want to hear them.  

Sound is produced by vibrations that travel through the air, and the best way to stop it is to block its path.

Custom homes are often thought to be large and elaborate, and while that may be the case, the fact is, they're simply homes that are one-of-a-kind designed for specific clients. And they aren't dependent on square footage, as this cozy Craftsman proves.

Working with an architect, our empty nester clients designed the plan to suit their daily lifestyle and frequent visits by grandchildren.