Custom Home Design
Can you count the code violations in this shot? Twelve tips for designing safe, functional, and beautiful stairs.
Not wanting to obscure any of the view with vertical balusters, Rych used ½-inch tempered glass underneath the 1x6 deck railings. The view of the neighbor’s house, however, was purposely obscured to extend the illusion of a backyard oasis. The 4-by-7-foot cultured stone wall, angled at 45 degrees on the northeast corner of the deck, gives the chef and his guests their desired privacy.
A chicagoland remodeler turns his bland backyard into an outdoor oasis
A radiant barrier, such as that on foil-faced rigid insulation, can reduce heat transfer across the airspace between the strapping and metal roofing and siding. Image courtesy Matt Risinger
Foil blocks heat transfer best if it stays clean, is adjacent to an airspace, and the delta is large enough.
This homeowner incorporated exercse into her room, with the exposed concrete sealed to prevent off-gasing.
How to create a dedicated healthy space in the home
Five examples for creating storage when you’re short on space (or just trying to save it)
2017's No. 1 feature was No. 4 in 2016
A computer lighting model converts input (such as ceiling and counter height, fixture and lamp type, surface color and reflectance, etc.) into both 2D output showing projected fc levels at every point on a 2x2 grid (above right), and a 3D model of the room showing the effects of the lighting plan (above). Current light levels at the island (right) are more than three times the 15 fc readings taken before the kitchen remodel.
Real-world footcandle readings shine a light on the importance of recessed fixture size, lamp type, and fixture location
The second part of our two-part story focuses on the project’s finishes and strategic solutions to real-world construction challenges
A pair of salvaged corbels inspires the trim design for a replacement entry door
An energy-minded carpenter’s take on when it makes sense to use less wood in a wall—and when it doesn’t
Photo: Malcom Duffin Design
Don’t judge a building by its exterior, especially this Victorian building situated in Edinburgh, Scotland’s West End neighborhood.
