With the intention of creating a ‘dark jewel’ to give space for work, children’s play and practising yoga. Neil Dusheiko used clear burnt cedar – Dento Yakisugi in a ‘hit one miss one’ system creating natural yet mysterious vibes in the garden area. Using traditional Japanese techniques Shou Sugi Ban makes the cladding resistant to rot and fire. The finish on the cladding can only be controlled so much; this allows the texture, colour and grain to show their true character. The carbon finish can’t be affected by sunlight as it is a colourless element. Inside the studio they have used a light in colour birch plywood. This gives a brilliant contrast to the exterior. Especially at night when the black dissipates and the 2 large windows let a warm glow filter over the garden. www.shousugiban.co.uk venetia@exteriorsolutionsltd.co.uk 01494 291 033 Photographer - Agnese Sanvito

Featured Studio Shed: • 12x16 Signature Series • Cobblestone lap siding • Naval doors • Natural eaves (no paint/stain) • Lifestyle Interior Package • Natural Hickory flooring

Shots of our iconic shed "Hanssel or Gretel". A play on words from the famous story, due to the families last name and this being a his or hers (#heshed #sheshed or #theyshed), but not a play on function. This dynamic homeowner crew uses the shed for their private offices, alongside e-learning, meeting, relaxing and to unwind. This 10'x10' are requires no permit and can be completed in less that 3 days (interior excluded). The exterior space is approximately 40'x40', still required no permitting and was done in conjunction with a landscape designer. Bringing the indoor to the outdoor for all to enjoy, or close the french doors and escape to zen! To see the video, go to: https://youtu.be/zMo01-SpaTs

Our client, with whom we had worked on a number of projects over the years, enlisted our help in transforming her family’s beloved but deteriorating rustic summer retreat, built by her grandparents in the mid-1920’s, into a house that would be livable year-‘round. It had served the family well but needed to be renewed for the decades to come without losing the flavor and patina they were attached to. The house was designed by Ruth Adams, a rare female architect of the day, who also designed in a similar vein a nearby summer colony of Vassar faculty and alumnae. To make Treetop habitable throughout the year, the whole house had to be gutted and insulated. The raw homosote interior wall finishes were replaced with plaster, but all the wood trim was retained and reused, as were all old doors and hardware. The old single-glazed casement windows were restored, and removable storm panels fitted into the existing in-swinging screen frames. New windows were made to match the old ones where new windows were added. This approach was inherently sustainable, making the house energy-efficient while preserving most of the original fabric. Changes to the original design were as seamless as possible, compatible with and enhancing the old character. Some plan modifications were made, and some windows moved around. The existing cave-like recessed entry porch was enclosed as a new book-lined entry hall and a new entry porch added, using posts made from an oak tree on the site. The kitchen and bathrooms are entirely new but in the spirit of the place. All the bookshelves are new. A thoroughly ramshackle garage couldn’t be saved, and we replaced it with a new one built in a compatible style, with a studio above for our client, who is a writer.

Oh hi there, care to admire my classy paint job? That's a nice, gray Benjamin-Moore paint over Hardie lap-siding. To compliment? A beautiful dark trim.

photography by Rob Karosis

Detached garage and loft

Combination Pool House/Garage

Angle Eye Photography

Eric Roth

Our Extraroom upgrade adds a mid section above the garage doors that provides the height needed to incorporate a juliet balcony on either side of the oak garage.