2018 Master Design Awards: Residential Specialty

The 40th annual Qualified Remodeler Master Design Awards showcase creative solutions in the construction of extraordinary projects.

authors Kyle Clapham Kacey Larsen | September 14, 2018

GOLD

Handcrafted Homes, Inc.
Roswell, Ga.
handcraftedhomes-inc.com

Project name: The Carving Studio: A Woodworker’s Paradise
Project location: Atlanta
Square footage: 169
Project cost: $72,819

 

A homeowner had been using a small corner in his overcrowded, unfinished basement to practice his passion: woodcarving. The 10-foot, 6-inch-wide garage, which he used for storage, presented an opportunity to create a calm, private area that he could call his own space. Built with a permit separate from the main house, the studio boasts an air compressor and a sawdust vacuum system.

The air compressor pipe travels into the studio from the basement within a coal chute through the garage slab, which also includes the vacuum ductwork. An advanced HVAC system, high-speed internet, TV, tankless water heater and a remote-controlled insect screen complete the new space. Carriage doors permit easy transportation of tools and large pieces of wood into/out of the studio.

Products

Faucet: Kohler
Sink: Blanco
Countertop: Craft Art
Cabinets: Miller Custom Services
Lighting: Design Lighting
Carriage door: Real Carriage Doors
Screen: Screens of Georgia
Insulated glass: Drexler Shower Door & Glass
Operable windows: AVI; Marvin
Hardwood flooring: MODA Floors and Interiors

Photos: Willett Photography

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SILVER

Timber Innovations LLC
Kimberly, Wis.
timberinnovations.com

Project name: Home Office/Guest Bedroom and Bathroom
Project location: Sheboygan, Wis.
Square footage: 440
Project cost: $138,747

 

The clients own a mid-century modern home designed by Russell Barr Williamson, a one-time protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright. When their grown son moved away, they wanted to repurpose his bedroom with en suite bathroom into an executive office/guest bedroom and bathroom.

Maintaining an executive feel to the office while including a guest sleeping area was challenging. The solution was Murphy bunk beds that when closed, disappear, and the bottom of the beds become a series of panels on the wall.

To keep with the style of the rest of the house, the company incorporated natural limestone, wood paneling, Japanese rice paper, concrete and hand crafted, live-edge wood furniture in the room. There are a few unique design elements, but the most breathtaking is the one-of-a-kind live-edge walnut slab desk that waterfalls to the floor, accented with wenge bowtie dovetails.

Products

Windows: Marvin
Paint/stain: Sherwin-Williams
Lighting control: Lutron
Sink faucet: Kohler
Toilet: Kohler
Shower faucet: Kohler
Tile: Ann Sacks
Murphy beds: Wilding Wall Beds

Photos: Jordan Driessen

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BRONZE

Knutson Residential Design
Saint Paul, Minn.
knutsonresidentialdesign.com

Project name: Mill City Fireplace
Project location: Minneapolis
Square footage: 40
Project cost: $30,000

 

Taking cues from the Mill City ruins in Minneapolis—visible from the condominium—as well as the client’s collection of “steampunk” sculpture and furniture, Knutson Residential Design created an imaginative fireplace/television area as a centerpiece in the home. There were no accessible gas lines inside the unit, and the condo association would not allow for a vent to be ran outside. The solution arrived in the form of a Dimplex Opti-Myst insert, which combines a series of halogen lights and water mist to create what appears to be real flame.

Imagined as a machine uncovered in Mill City, the fireplace/television area is oriented to allow visual access to those in the kitchen and living areas. At night its right-hand crank mechanism is visible from the street where it appears as a backlit sculpture. The cranks allow the TV to be tilted and rotated as needed.

Products

Brick/stone/stucco: Concrete mix by Cemstone
Fireplace insert: Dimplex 48-in. Opti-Myst
Home theater: Vizio 65-in. television

Photos: Ken Friberg