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.

Take Care of the Environments by Building These Green Features Into Your Home

Building an environmentally-friendly home preserves nature, lowers your energy bills, and results in a happier, healthier home environment for you and your family. If you’re building a new home, it’s important to do your research about green building before you settle on plans. Follow these tips for a greener, more eco-friendly home.

Green Building in Colorado
Source: TAB Associates

 

  • Choose the right doors and windows. Those that allow warmth to escape are not very energy-efficient. Front doors without windows, especially when made with eco-friendly materials, are the most energy efficient choice. Also, make sure you choose Energy Star certified windows.
  • Pay close attention to your siding choices. Some siding materials like PVC vinyl release toxins and are not biodegradable. Stucco and wood are greener choices, and aluminum siding is also quite green.
  • Consider using renewable energy sources to heat and cool your home. This can include installing solar panels, which capture the sun’s energy and convert it to heat. If solar panels are not an option, heat with natural gas. It’s not renewable, but there are very efficient natural gas heaters available.

If you’re thinking of building a new home, contact TAB Associates to discuss your plans and find out how we make green home design easier.

How to Design Around the Natural Landscape

The ideal home appears to be integrated into the surrounding landscape, rather than disrupting it. To achieve this look, the architect and home owner must work together to choose the proper site for the home and to work the home around the landscape. There are a couple of different ways to achieve this:

Anchored Look

This look can be achieved by building the home on a slightly sloped surface rather than leveling out the ground before building. A stone foundation reinforces the appearance.

The Gliding Home

Some homes appear to sit lightly on the ground rather than delving into it. To achieve this look, plan on bringing the lawn right up to the edge of the building and avoiding the classic foundation plantings.

Platform Homes

This is probably the most creative way to integrate your home with nature. A dramatic platform allows you to live higher up in the trees and really feel connected with the landscape. A lower one may put you closer to a water source or other interesting natural feature.

For more custom home design tips, contact TAB Associates and discuss your building plans with one of our qualified staff members.

Don’t Neglect to Add These Luxury Home Features to Your Dream House

Are you interested in designing a home that offers all of the amenities of your favorite day spa or retreat? You can by incorporating luxury home features into your new residence. Check out the features below that you and your guests will enjoy:

design elements for entertaining
Source: TAB Associates Inc.
  • Floor to ceiling windows. Floor to ceiling windows are not only beautiful, they also offer a variety of benefits including natural sunlight. Because floor to ceiling windows let in natural light, they reduce the need to use electricity.
  • Roof deck. Beyond a patio and a balcony, luxury home features now extend to the top of a home. A roof deck is the perfect place to entertain your guests and enjoy a view of the mountains or skyline.
  • Wine Room. Create a room to store wine that you’ve collected from around the world. Develop a custom wine room suited to store wine in its ideal environment.
  • Terrace. Enjoy a place of solace all to yourself in the form of a terrace. Whether it’s a place to read, connect with nature through gardening, or work out and stretch, a terrace makes an ideal retreat.

If you would like to incorporate luxury home features into your home, contact us at TAB Associates.

Trending Home Styles: What Makes a Craftsman House?

Craftsman homes have risen in popularity due to their classic trending home styles, contemporary charm, and the overall warmth these homes exude. Whether you’d like to build a Craftsman house or include elements in your home design, check out our guide below on trending home styles characteristic of Craftsman homes.

craftsman style home
Source: TAB Associates Inc.
  • Hipped Roof. Hipped Roof Craftsman homes are a rare gem. Complement a hipped roof with a slightly arched porch entryway. You can also incorporate a hipped roof into the attic of a two-story home.
  • Eclectic blends. If you’re set on a Craftsman home, but also love elements of other styles, opt for an eclectic blend. Embellish key Craftsman features such as a prominent porch and rafter tails with characteristics of your other favorite styles.
  • Gabled homes. Gables are among the most prominent characteristics of Craftsman homes. Within the Craftsman design, Craftsman style homes use front, side or cross-gables.

For more inspiration, consider craftsman designs from our portfolio. Craftsman houses blend perfectly into the Colorado mountains.

Would you like to include trending home styles into the construction of your new home? Contact us at Tab Associates to discuss building the home of your dreams.

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.

Want to Build a Contemporary Home? Check Out These Features

One of the advantages of working with an architect is the ability to build a home perfectly suited to your needs. If you want contemporary home features in your new residence, consider the essential characteristics of the contemporary home below:

Want to Build a Contemporary_photo

  • Choose natural materials. Natural materials aren’t limited to interior features such as wood flooring or paneling in the living room. Adding natural materials to the exterior of your home serves to blend your home into its natural surroundings and also creates continuity between the indoors and outdoors.
  • Natural light. When designing your home, emphasize a floor plan and design that allows natural light to come in. Natural light can always be controlled with a variety of shades and window covers, however it’s primary benefit is providing healthy natural light during the day. Using natural light will require less resources in using artificial light and may reduce your electric bill.
  • Contemporary exterior finishes. Emphasize contemporary features on your home’s exterior such as a linear roof with an overhang or cantilever. Natural materials are also a nice contemporary touch for the home.

Are you building a contemporary home in Vail? To discuss contemporary home features for your residence, contact us at TAB Associates.

How to Build Your Home to Be Relaxing

A home should be your personal retreat. The greatest benefit of personalized home design and building a home that meets your needs is the ability to select features of the home that suit you. You won’t have to worry about redesigning the kitchen or creating a better closet. Start off on the right foot and create the perfect paradise to suit your needs.

landscape
Tab Associates

We’ve gathered the most common features in relaxing homes.

  • Spa-style facilities. You won’t have to escape to the spa after a long day of work. Instead, invest in key spa features such as natural materials, whirlpool bathtubs, and mood lighting in your bathroom.
  • Natural stimuli. Our tech-savvy world has many people reaching for their phones every few minutes. Create a place in your home to relax and escape with nature. Design windows that allow extra light or a small indoor garden.
  • Saunas and steam rooms. Give your home international appeal and cleanse the body with a sauna or steam room, a growing trend in Europe. A sauna or steam room adds a unique feature to your home that will greatly aid in daily relaxation efforts.

Are you consider custom home design? Contact our team at TAB Associates.