Amy A. Alper, Architect Landscape Design by Merge Studio Photos by John Merkl

This front porch addition includes a custom-designed front door, custom stone pattern/design, and stained bead-board ceiling.

Use your porch year round by installing clear vinyl drop curtains. When the weather turns in-climate simply roll down the curtains and fasten the side fasteners. Block the wind and cold, not the view! Curtains roll up under a protective flap when not in use.

2016 Showcase of Homes Luxury Home Award Winning Home by La Femme Home Builders, LLC

Walls Could Talk

Atlantic Archives Inc, / Richard Leo Johnson

Covered porch with a wood accent wall and sliding doors that open all the way into the home.

Casey Dunn

Snap Chic Photography

Timber frame home wraparound porch with outdoor seating

Веранда

Back porch and herb garden. With a focus on their passions of beekeeping and herb gardening, this retired couple saw potential in this rural home they bought in 2013. They asked us for suggestions on how best to enclose and expand a breezeway from the home to the garage to include two stories, add a room over the garage, and nearly double the size of the kitchen. The lowered “biscuit counter” in the island is an ideal height for rolling out dough and getting help from the grandkids. Pantry access is through a screen door. Load-bearing walls were removed, the stairway was reconstructed, the previous breezeway was transformed into a small bathroom and a mud/laundry space. Above that was added another small bathroom, an herb prep room, complete with a stove, double sink and small fridge, plus another bedroom. Exterior drainage issues also needed attention, so we dug out along the back of the home, added French drains to evacuate the excess water, plus and a small, rock retaining wall.

Ryan and Michael, two software development engineers who commute from Hoboken to Manhattan, originally came to Decor Aid solely for a backyard redesign. The couple (and their dachshund, Frankie) envisioned their backyard area as a place where they could hangout after work, grow their own vegetables, and entertain on the weekends. A metal fire pit was added, to offset the wood floors and walls, and an outdoor canopy was brought in, for additional privacy. A wicker couch and a few copper elements pulled the space together, and turned their backyard into the perfect summer hangout spot. Another designer had already been hired to redo the interior, but once Ryan and Michael saw the finished backyard, they decided to hire Decor Aid to redesign the entire apartment, which included gut renovations of the kitchen and bathroom, a custom-made bar in the foyer, and a restyling of the bedroom and living room. The apartment already featured some wood and leather furniture pieces, and so the redesign had to incorporate these existing pieces, while balancing the couple’s neutral palette and welcoming personalities. Darker elements in the kitchen and bathroom were brought in to fit the couple’s modern, yet masculine style, and were contrasted with lighter, airy pieces, to keep smaller spaces from feeling claustrophobic. White marble and grey-washed wood tile was used to balance the matte black accents in the bathroom, while white cabinets and stainless steel appliances were used to balance the black tile backsplash and black countertops in the kitchen. To fit the hip industrial vibe of Hoboken, rustic wood details were incorporated to offset the sleek modern finish that is consistent throughout the apartment. A lighter wood flooring was used in the bathroom, to complement the other wood elements in the apartment. The living room and bedroom had already been repainted and refurnished, and so the restyling of each space had to feel cohesive with the existing elements. An organic cowhide rug offset the crisp lines in the bedroom, and dark linens were used to compliment the wood dresser and leather chair. The custom-built wood bar fit Ryan and Michael’s desire to transform their apartment into a space ready for entertaining, while tying together the apartment’s modern industrial look.

This peaceful place is one to appreciate. Our architects were able to incorporate an extensive modern addition to this home while preserving the irreplaceable history and old world charm that was built over the course of 100+ years. It is incredible how a fresh coat of paint and some cosmetic updates can completely transform and breathe new life into a space. • Addition + Renovation, 1852 Built Home Lincoln, MA

Back porch featuring an exposed timber truss, covered seating area and dogtrot to casita.

Timber frame home front porch