Everything Custom Homes: Photos, Interviews, Tips, and Rankings
This week’s custom home spotlight looks at an eclectic contemporary home in Los Angeles’ Venice Beach. Designed by local award-winning Electric Bowery design and architecture studio, this inventive home emphasizes geometric shapes, indoor/outdoor living, and a warm, natural palette. The Amoroso Residence is a unique, modern home that playfully pays homage to the area’s predominantly Arts and Crafts buildings. Continue reading “Askew Roof & Outdoor Living in Venice Beach”
This edition of Custom Home Magazine’s ‘Home of the Week’ is another groundbreaking design by Chicago’s award-winning Searl Lamaster Howe Architects. Located in Venice, Florida, this LEED for Homes platinum level residence represents the epitome of practical green home design. Surrounded by nature, this modern, sculptural home is bright and full of light, with a comfortable floor plan and retreat-like atmosphere. Continue reading “Seneca Road House”
This edition of Custom Home of the Week showcases a one-of-a-kind masterpiece in Evanston, IL. A rare new build in a historic Chicago suburb, the home blends in despite its modern lines and Mediterranean influences. Designed for newlyweds by the renowned architect Greg Howe, of Chicago’s award-winning Searl Lamaster Howe Architects, this home is traditional in spirit but streamlined in design. The asymmetric home made from a mix of wood, stucco, and metal artfully incorporates treasures the owners have collected throughout the world, while remaining distinctly contemporary with a focus on light, shape, and form. It was recognized with an AIA Chicago Citation of Merit. Continue reading “Classic Home with a Modern Twist”
Building a custom home gives you complete control over every aspect of the design. There are dozens of architectural styles to base your custom home on, from historical approaches to modern interpretations. Look around the country and you will see nearly countless options. In the northeast, Colonial and Cape Cod style homes dominate neighborhoods, whereas you are more likely to see arts and craft cottages and ranches out west, and Greek revival homes down south. The beauty of creating your own custom home is that you can pick a style that matches your tastes and needs.
There are many considerations that go into what will work best for your home. Some climates are better suited for certain home designs, whether because the typical roof pitch is appropriate for a snowy winter or because the style’s quintessential courtyard offers those in sunny climates to enjoy indoor/outdoor living. You also want to consider the surrounding landscape and neighboring buildings when picking a dominant architectural style for your custom home. Work closely with your architect to find the perfect style for your custom home. A good architect can even mix and match aspects from styles that appeal to you.
Continue reading “10 Common Architectural Styles for Your Custom Home”
The tiny home movement has taken off significantly in the last decade. At 500 or less square feet, tiny home living allows individuals and families to save money, live more environmentally friendly, and simplify their life. With the rising popularity of tiny homes, including television shows and tiny home villages sprouting up around the country, it is no surprise that there are more incredibly tiny home builders around the country than ever before.
We researched extensively to create this list of the best tiny home builders in each state. Some states, like Oregon, Colorado, and Tennessee have significantly more options than others. This has to do with a combination of local laws embracing tiny home living, a landscape that lends itself to exploring the great outdoors, and a population eager to live with more freedom. But keep in mind that you don’t have to be limited by geography when choosing a tiny home builder – many of those on this list will ship anywhere in the US and even Canada.
The tiny home builders included in this list cover nearly anything you could be looking for. Although many builders offer pre-made models, just as many will personalize or completely custom design and build a home suited to your needs. The builders on this home create everything from mobile to stationary homes, those specialized in off-the-grid living and green building techniques, homes built specifically for the physically handicapped, to super luxurious homes, rustic hunting cabins, funky urban caravans, and more. Continue reading “The Best Tiny Home Builders in the US”
Building your own custom home gives you the rare opportunity to design a house that uniquely suits you. Unlike moving into a pre-designed finished home or renovating an existing structure, designing a custom home gives you control over every aspect of the home – from size to architectural style and finishes. But perhaps the most important decision you will make in your custom home journey is creating the layout of your home.
Your new home’s layout and floorplan will directly affect how you live in your home. You can choose to separate public and private areas or opt for an open layout that fosters interaction. The layout of a custom home can be specifically designed to take advantage of the landscape and site, whether that means granting stunning views from each room or building of maximum privacy on an urban site.
Your architect is the best source of knowledge when it comes to creating a home layout that meets your needs and suits the location. You should have an idea of what you are looking for when you meet with your architect. It may seem that there are too many options to know where to start. We have broken down nine common home layouts below. Each has benefits and drawbacks depending on what you are looking for.
Continue reading “9 Floor Plans and Home Layouts to Consider for Your Custom Home”
This edition of Custom Home Magazine’s Home of the Week travels to northern California. Set on a stunning mountainside surrounded by public forestlands filled with evergreens, this project by Walker Warner Architects feels almost a natural part of the powerful landscape. The modern 2,600 square foot compound, which includes a custom-built wood home, a garage, and sauna, pays tribute to life on the western frontier. The cozy mountain retreat is highly efficient, practical, and celebrates its client’s connection and love of nature. Continue reading “Remote Mountain House”
For this week’s custom home spotlight we head south to Marble Falls, Texas on the edge of Blue Lake. This stunning waterfront house in all about the great outdoors. Built into a cliff, the modern metal and glass residence was designed by renowned Lake|Flato Architects. Located in a small town about 50 miles northwest of Austin, it is the perfect vacation home for seclusion, relaxation, and living with nature. Continue reading “Lakeside Living in Texas”
It seems that tiny houses are becoming more and more popular these days. From tiny cottages on wheels, or mini brick and mortar homes – these homes come in all shapes and… well, not too many sizes. As well as an increase in tiny home architects and builders across the US and elsewhere, there are now festivals, national organizations, and even television shows dedicated to tiny living. Continue reading “The Tiny Home Movement”
This edition of our ‘Home of the Week’ showcases a modern barn-like home in the exclusive Hamptons town of Amagansett. Not only is this beautiful beach house set in an almost as beautiful location – it abuts a 216-acre nature reserve – but it also represents the peak of eco-luxury and integrated smart home technology. This magnificent home provides its owners with unrivaled privacy and all the comforts of 21st-century living. Continue reading “Home of the Week: Living Green in the Hamptons in a Modern Barn”