How Wood Characteristics Can Bring Balance to Interior Spaces

Interior photo of a wood characteristics

Wood is one of the planet’s most natural elements, and it is commonly used by our Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, North Carolina, and South Carolina architects today. Not only are wood materials beautiful and sustainable, but utilizing them strategically can promote a greater sense of architectural balance amid interior spaces.

Don’t Hesitate to Mix and Match Woods

While monochromatic wood interiors will always be balanced, they could result in a dull room where nothing stands out. That being said, using a mixture of wood finishes and implementing such layering successfully can be tricky, and many choose to consult with our nationally certified architects for guidance in the design process.

Balancing With Light or Dark?

Homeowners who appreciate high visibility in wood grain patterns will likely be more attracted to lighter grained woods. Going with light wood is also an exceptional choice in situations where natural light is scarce as it will open up the area aesthetically. Dark accents can balance light schemes. Dark wood works best in rooms with ample natural lighting and is commonly paired with lighter hues in the form of cabinets, focal walls, flooring, and trim accents.

Bringing Wood-Heavy Rooms Together

If it seems that mixing and matching wood materials has caused a sense of disharmony in a space, it can be tied together easily using a few accent pieces and colors. Lamps, curtains, pillows and carefully picked pieces of furniture can bring confluence to the room. Most importantly, be sure to consider the characteristics of the wood and how to work with them when selecting accent pieces. If you feel unsure, an architect at our firm can help you choose wisely!

Consult an Experienced Architectural Firm 

Our Vail Valley and North Carolina architects know every trick of the trade concerning the use of wood and aesthetic balance. Contact us today at 970-766-1470 for a consultation with one of our professionals to develop the design of your dreams!

Tips to Design a Room With a View

Interior bedroom photo

When you work with our Vail Valley architects or Western North Carolina architects to develop your dream home, you may find that the architectural design offers a beautiful view from the living room or from your bedroom. The challenge is matching your decor to fit with the view. By focusing on a few key strategies, you can select decor that enhances and improves your space.

Minimize Your Furniture

When you are decorating a room that has a stunning view, you want to limit your furniture. The focal point of your design is the view from your window, so emphasize the outdoor area by minimizing the furniture in your space. If the room with a view is your bedroom, then avoid heavy dressers. Make sure to leave a large open space around the bed. For living rooms, arrange a couch and a few chairs, but avoid cluttering the space with furniture or items you do not need.

Avoid Heavy Curtains

Heavy curtains distract from the view by drawing the eyes away from the outdoor space. If you want to put curtains on the windows, then opt for light and semi-sheer curtains. Alternatively, do not put curtains in your windows. Avoid heavy curtains or curtains with colors that do not fit well with the view. You also want to make sure any curtains you select do not have complicated designs that may distract from your view. The composition of the view does not start at the window, it starts from the interior.

Focus on Neutral Colors

Since the view is the focal point of your space, you want to focus on neutral décor that allows the view to shine. Select neutral, light-hued colors so that any colors outside your window attract the eyes. For example, opt for a basic white, cream or light brown couch.

Designing your space with beautiful architectural balance in Vail Valley or Western North Carolina is a process. For more details about architectural features on a home or to set up an appointment with an interior design professional, contact us today! We are nationally certified architects currently registered in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We can be registered in any state, and are willing to work where ever you are located!

Interior Features to Add Architectural Flair to a Rustic Home

Interior features that add architectural flair to a rustic home

When working with Vail Valley and Smoky Mountain architects to design your dream home, picking out the interior elements that will eventually make your home stand out is part of the fun. If you’re going with a rustic-style home, the interior features you should consider may be a little more traditional, but they are sure to give your home-in-progress true personality.

Architectural Features to Consider for Your Rustic Home

Designing a rustic home is a lot of fun. You want the modern functionality and conveniences of a home built today — as well as the comforting attitude of a more “crudely” designed space from the past. Take a look at some interior design features that will add architectural flair to your rustic home design.

Vaulted Ceilings

Ceilings, as we know them (made mostly of drywall), were not common in older homes. Instead, you would oftentimes only see the unfinished underside of the roof. Vaulted ceilings open up a room and give it that country-style feel. You can go with drywall vaulted ceilings, of course, but it is more rustic to cover the vaulted ceiling with wood planks or board-and-batten siding.

Exposed Wood Beams

Exposed wood beams are something even modern and contemporary spaces have, which add a touch of overhead style. In a rustic home, these beams fit in so flawlessly, but they also bring rustic style into any space. Whether you are adding the beams to a vaulted or flat ceiling, this architectural feature adds a touch of rustic charm to any room. Plus, it is a great way to draw the eyes up from the floor and walls.

Stone Build-Ins

Imagine the pop of personality that comes with a built-in breakfast bar made with old weathered bricks or a stone fireplace that creates a focal point in your family room. Combining stone and wood is something that has been done in homes for centuries, and implementing stone in a built-in fashion is a surefire way to make your wooden features really stand out.

With a little creative thinking and a good architect on your team, your dream of a rustic-style home will come to life! Reach out to us at TAB Associates for help designing that very home of your dreams!

Top Reasons to Hire An Architect For Your Next Project

Since a home is more than the sum of its parts, an architect is needed to make sure that structural choices will not cause harm elsewhere in the home.
Since a home is more than the sum of its parts, an architect is needed to make sure that structural choices will not cause harm elsewhere in the home.

Construction is a complicated and time-consuming endeavor, meaning that both skill and experience are needed to keep mistakes to a minimum. Since even small mistakes in either building or renovating a home can result in significant expenses, the services of an architect are more necessities than luxuries.

Consider these reasons to hire an architect:

  • Architects possess a more comprehensive set of skills than designers. This makes them particularly well-suited to both more unusual and more challenging tasks.
  • A home is more than the sum of its parts. This is problematic because a change in one part can cause further changes in other parts of the home. An architect is needed to make sure that structural choices will not cause harm elsewhere in the home.
  • The neglect of even seemingly unimportant details can lead to serious problems down the road. Hire an architect if you want attention to the details.
  • Over time, architects accrue both connections and experience working with other experts in the construction industry. These connections ensure that the construction process will flow that much more smoothly for their clients.

To learn more about finding the best Vail Valley architect for your dream home, please contact The Architectural Balance.

Advice On Hiring an Architect to Make Your Dream Home Come True

If you are thinking of remodeling your home, there’s one step you simply cannot skip — hiring an architect. Those who hire architects to design their homes or help design their remodels are consistently pleased with their results. Here’s why:

architects in vail CO
Source: TAB Associates
  • Someone will need to coordinate the various construction professionals who come together to work on your home. Who better than an architect, who thoroughly understands the ins and outs of your home design?
  • There’s a lot of paperwork  associated with building or remodeling a home. Satisfying building codes and meeting structural demands are not tasks to be undertaken by a novice. Your architect can ensure that these needs are met, and that the resulting structure is also attractive.
  • Architects are trained to see the big picture. You might think that brass doorknobs look good with anything, but your architect will be able to point out potential flaws in ideas like this before you waste your money on designs that don’t turn out to be as amazing as you’d hoped.

Whether you’re building a new home or remodeling and existing one, the architects at TAB Associates would love to help. Contact us to discuss your needs today.

Aligning a Custom Home With the View Outside

If your home is on a beautiful piece of property, or if you can see lovely scenery of the mountains from your plot, it’s essential that this view can be enjoyed from the inside of the home. Our architects are experts are designing homes to capitalize on the view of the outdoors. There are many different ways to do this, and a good way to decide which styles you prefer is to look at examples:

A home that we designed in Avon, Colorado offers a beautiful view of Beaver Creek and Game Creek. Set in the mountains, its master bedroom faces the Gorge Range for a spectacular view.

This duplex in Wildridge offers a design that showcases the elevation. The duplex is built in contour with the slope of the land, and large windows make it easy to look out into the mountains.

This home in Red Sky Ranch is another one of our masterpieces, offering beautiful views of the Gore Mountain Range from the dining room and living room. The design of the living space perfectly frames the mountain views as the deck reaches out into the landscape seamlessly bringing the outside in.

Contact TAB Associates to discuss your custom home design, including a the importance of a view, with our qualified architects.  We study your site with the views in the forefront of importance.  We use a topographical program to verify views surveyed on site and study them in both plan and section.  In this way, the windows of the home frame the views and do not cut off the tops of the mountains from anywhere in the home.

For more information on the art and science of capturing dynamite views, click here.

Tips for Working With Your Architect to Achieve Your Dream Home

Your home reflects your lifestyle, interests, and personal taste. Building your residence with an architect ensures that your home will meet all of your needs. Working with an architect requires thought and planning. Here are a few tips for working with an architect.

Working with an Architect
Source: TAB Associates Inc.
  • Conduct an interview. A good architect will take time to discuss their process with you prior to working with you. Look for an architect that matches your philosophy and style of design with experience designing homes in the size and scope of your ideal residence.
  • Decide on a budget. Prior to meeting with an architect and beginning work, do research on your own and develop a budget. Develop a budget ahead of time so that the architect’s design and scope are within budget.
  • Develop a lookbook. Have a good idea of the features you’d like in your home prior to meeting with an architect. Collect pictures of homes, rooms, and structures in your target style to show your architect.

Our experienced architectural team at TAB Associates can answer all of your questions about building a residence in the Vail, CO area and working with an architect. Contact us at TAB Associates to discuss building your dream home.

Ideas for Building Your Outdoor Room for Future Summers

An outdoor room gives you a place to enjoy your natural surroundings while sitting in comfort. It can be so much more than a simple set of patio chairs and a table. When designing your outdoor room, don’t be afraid to get creative.

Creating an Outdoor Room
Source: TAB Associates

Use the following outdoor room design ideas to help you come up with the perfect setup for yours:

  • Focus on fun. Give your outdoor room a truly natural feel by using grass as the floor instead of wood or stone. Set out some rocking chairs and consider including a swing or two for a whimsical touch that kids and adults alike can enjoy.
  • Make it multifunctional. Instead of just focusing on seating, get more use out of your outdoor room by including a fireplace, big-screen TV, kitchen area, a dining table and chairs, and a counter with a row of bar stools. This makes the room a great spot for relaxing or entertaining.
  • Create an outdoor sleeping area. Turn your outdoor room into a place where you can enjoy sleeping under the stars in comfort on a suspended bed.

Ready to discuss your outdoor room project? Contact TAB Associates, and follow us on Facebook.

Call on TAB Associates, Inc. for Your Architectural Needs

When it comes to Colorado architecture firms that can efficiently handle new residential and commercial structures, renovations, additions, and interior design by offering the utmost in attention to detail, style and vision,  the professionals at TAB Associates, Inc.can turn your dreams into reality.

Call on TAB Associates, Inc.for Your Architectural Needs
TAB Associates should be your first stop for residential and commercial architectural needs.

With more than 30 years experience, the architects at TAB Associates understand the importance of maintaining a positive balance for each client in terms of budget, requirements, and the initial vision the client wants reflected in the project. At TAB, the goal isn’t to create what the architect wants but ideally to design and implement the original concept of the client.

TAB architects undertake many types of projects from master planning, from the mid-rise complex of villas at The Ocean Club in Flamingo Bay, Costa Rica, to the addition of a 2-bay garage for Eagle-Vail Metro District Pumphouse which is used for storage and equipment.

Staff also provide interior services providing a wealth of expertise in interior remodeling and renovation options such as those used in the Marcus townhome project, where two townhomes were combined into one dwelling.

TAB Associates, Inc. is located at 0056 Edwards Village Boulevard, Suite 210 in Edwards, approximately a two-hour drive west of Denver.

Image via TAB Associates