Zen and the art of bathroom design
Focusing on the essentials can often inspire a design team to create an uncomplicated beauty. With functionality and simplicity as the driving force behind this master bathroom design for a…
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Cooking in a convection oven
The difference between a conventional and convection oven is the way heat is distributed. A conventional oven cooks food by surrounding it with hot air. A convection oven circulates the…
Luxury abounds in a landscape design
From the pool garden with its waterfalls and grotto to the koi pond and spa, La Hacienda del Cielo is a veritable “oasis” in a wilderness of hills and orange…
Tipping optional in home bars
How better to impress your family, friends and neighbors than to invite them out for a drink…at your privately owned casual bar or formal pub. They will enjoy your hospitality…
Tile floor patterns benefit from 3-D printing technology
Everyone loves the old-world feeling of travertine or the natural look of hand-scraped hardwood, but these eye-catching materials can be pricey and they aren’t free of maintenance. The tile manufacturing…
Deck design offers a sunset for two
Joni Charletta loves summers in Pittsburgh. And with the addition of an expansive raised deck design to their post-modern home, she and her husband John now have more reason to…
Landscaping rocks turn a back yard into resort living
Randy Beals’ business is seasonal. It keeps him busy seven days a week, ten hours a day from May through August. Randy appreciates the value of coming home to an…
Landscape design with a water view
Years ago Bob Chimka remarked to his wife, Marilyn, “We can’t afford a house on the water but maybe we can afford water for the house.” Bob’s comment started a…
Contemporary kitchen remodel with timeless grace
For more than a decade, Ellen and Jeff Grossman had a plain white no-frills kitchen in their Palm Harbor residence—an outdated eyesore in the middle of an otherwise promising open…
Colorful perennial flowers
Planting perennial flowers in your landscaping is the easiest way to add a pop of color. Jeff Blunkosky, owner of Pittsburgh Stone & Waterscapes, recommends the following perennials: Black-eyed Susan…
Glitter and shine in a pool design
With its shimmering azure surface that camouflages into the Intracoastal Waterway behind it, Greg and Traci Nelson’s pool design in Bellair is the height of cutting-edge glamour. At 28 feet…
Delicious details offered in custom home plans
One of the unique characteristics of the American culture is individualism. There do exist many upscale, gated developments wherein the architecture and exterior coloration of all homes are so close…