Architects Have Great Tools - Exterior Color Studies

At Ron Brenner Architects we have been working on a series of color studies for a client of ours.I have included a number of the studies below.  The client has selected a medium gray for the base body color; however I also did a couple of non-gray variations.  The black roof is a given on all schemes.  Which one would you choose?scheme 1 - all white horizontal clapboard sidingscheme 2 - gray board and batten siding, rusty corrugated...

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Pretty Christmas Rooms

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Warm Air Rises

I received a question the other day pertaining to the image below."How much does it cost to heat a space like this?"Great room view looking across dining, kitchen and living room.  The house plan can be purchased through Simply Elegant Home Designs at Hudson Simple Cottage House Plan   Unfortunately there is no good way to answer this question.  There are simply too many variables involved; however I can give you one big...

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Gobble!

"gobble"happy thanksgivingfrom simply elegant home desi...

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cape cod with diamond shingles

I had an inquiry yesterday about the pattern shown in the upper portion of the gables in this house.  This home is a cape cod inspired design by ron brenner architects.The entire house is clad in cedar shingles.  We used a semi-solid wood stain made by Cabot.  Sorry - I don't remember the specific color.  The grey shingles are contrasted with the linen colored trim and columns.The diamond pattern is also created from cedar...

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Houzz on Fire!

I was recently at the "Capture, Communicate, Create" event at the W Hotel in Minneapolis where Liza Hausman from Houzz was the featured guest.  If you have never heard of Houzz you should probably check it out. Houzz is quickly becoming a leading destination site for home design enthusiasts.  It features over 200,000 high quality interior and exterior photos that have been uploaded by the original designers.  This makes Houzz...

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Pretty Places to Sit

Loving all these spots to have a quick bite or to curl up with a good book...look around, there is always a spot for a small chair and table...

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traditional yet contemporary home design

Over at ron brenner architects I am doing some design work for new clients of mine.  They are looking for a home that blends the contemporary with the traditional; something that is both yesterday and today.  I presented the following three concepts.A double gable scheme.  This form being familiar without being common.  Shed on shed scheme.  Here I utilized a classic saltbox colonial roof form; blended with a more contemporary...

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