Author: admintabassociates

Elements of Architecture: the Tudor Style Home

It’s been a long time, but the Tudor dynasty is still going strong and can be seen in neighborhoods across America. Originating in the 1600’s, the architectural styles of the Tudor home still exude a sense of elegant refinement.

tudor home style
Source: Tab Associates’ Website
  • The Tudor home stands out with its exposed beams, white stucco walls, and either stone or brick facades supporting the structure. Steep rooflines and dormer windows highlight the outside appearance to create a genuinely classy home.
  • Tudor homes are also well known for their incorporation of casement windows and elegant chimneys that provide unique accents and decoration to the home. However, it is the entryway that is the most often noticed feature as it is often arched and embellished with medieval-appearing hardware and hinges that make you feel as if you are entering a castle.
  • Finishing the look is of course the landscaping that often incorporates simple brick or stone patios beneath tall trees that provide a perfect place for relaxation and entertaining guests on a lazy afternoon.

For more information about the latest architectural styles and how to incorporate them into your structure, contact us at TAB Associates, Inc today.

Distinguishing Modern and Contemporary Architecture

Architectural styles are constantly changing and evolving. Many times, it can be difficult to determine whether a style is modern or contemporary because they are so similar in their appearance. In fact, their differences really come down to semantics.

Contemporary

Contemporary architecture is essentially architecture that is being produced right now. Its lines and features are typically common and can trace their roots all the way back to the Industrial Revolution when the American home began to change and evolve. Contemporary homes are often simple designs with square lines, white stucco walls, and few adornments.

Contemporary Style
Source: TAB Associates

Modern

Comparatively, modern homes may feature these elements, but they’re also not afraid to break from tradition. Hence, they will often feature more glass and more open space. They may or may not be whitewashed, and are designed to challenge the traditional notions of design. Most importantly, modern homes take great care to incorporate the very latest advances in engineering and material design within the structure.

Modern Design
Source: TAB Associates

For more information about the latest architectural styles and how you can incorporate them into your designs, contact us at TAB Associates and we will be happy to go over some ideas with you.

How to Properly Utilize Scale and Proportion

With the mountains in the background and the wide open sky above our heads here in Colorado, finding the right scale and proportion for your new home can be a bit tricky. Getting both right will not only help your home blend into the landscape, but it will make it a much more comfortable place to live.

golden rule in architecture
Source: TAB Associates Portfolio

As architects, we use the golden ratio when designing a home. This system is applied to everything from the rafters to the light switches and makes it possible for all the pieces of the home to fit together in an aesthetically pleasing and functional manner.

To establish the right dimensions for a home, we use everything from different finishes to trim, moldings, stone, and brick to provide depth where it is needed, and to scale areas to create proportions that are spacious and comfortable, yet not overwhelming. The end result is a home that is built around a “human” scale that will leave everyone who enters your home content and thrilled.

When you are ready to begin designing a home here in the Rocky Mountains, be sure to contact TAB Associates, Inc. by sending us a message.

How to Work With a High Ceiling

As the ceiling in your home reaches for the sky it can be difficult to determine the proper way to decorate it, and make all the pieces in the room fit together to create a comfortable ambiance. When working with high ceilings, you should consider the following tips:

Working with high ceilings
Source: TAB Associates
  • To make the room feel cozier, bring elements down from up high. Long curtains, chandeliers and hanging lights should be used to fill the space so that it doesn’t feel empty.
  • Splurge on carpentry and decorative features. These provide texture and a sense of balance to the room. They also help to break up the space and make it more inviting. Integrating exposed beams, arches, trusses and other elements into the home design is a fantastic way to accentuate your personal style and complete the space.  These also bring the virtual ceiling down to a more intimate level.
  • Use colors carefully. Darker colors nearer the ceiling will provide a sense of depth to the room, while floor to ceiling coloring can be used to create a contrast that gives the room definition.

For the finest home design services in Colorado, be sure to contact us at TAB Associates, Inc. today.

Three Tips for a Successful Basement Renovation

Renovating a basement is an exciting project that can transform the space into a comfortable retreat from the world outside. Here are three tips that will help make the process easier and will all but guarantee the basement of your dreams:

tips for basement design
Source: TAB Associate’s Portofilio
  • Give the basement some height. By making sure you have enough headroom in your basement, you’ll help open the space up and keep it from feeling like a cave. If this isn’t structurally possible, then use tricks such as lighting and exposed beams to create an artificial sense of height.  If you can, add high windows or transoms to the exterior to get deep penetrating light into the space.
  • Style and Features. Choose a style and features that fit into your lifestyle and will accentuate the space. Basements are fabulous places to install everything from spare bedrooms to pool rooms and home theaters. Decide which elements you would like to add and plan accordingly.
  • Get creative. Pipes, columns, ductwork, and other structural elements are both unsightly and take up space that can close your basement in. Don’t be afraid to rework these elements and hide them so that they don’t detract from the appearance of the basement.

For more basement renovation tips and suggestions, contact us at TAB Associates, Inc. and we will be happy to answer your questions.

Considerations When Designing a New Home

Planning a new home is a task that may seem daunting, but is worth your time. One of the most important things to remember, especially if it will be completed in stages, is that all the construction needs to be cohesive. You don’t want to ruin a good home design by not having everything fit together.

tips to improve home design
Source: TAB Associate’s Portfolio

Always use a master plan. This helps save a lot of time and ensure better results, because you’ll be dealing with your home as a whole. You won’t need to worry about whether the master bedroom blends with the loft, or whether the staircase will look good in the entry area.

Make sure you keep the entire home site in mind during the planning phase. Issues such as whether you intend to add a pool or guesthouse at a later date need to be considered to avoid further troubles.

Know which parts of planning a new home need to come first in your case. Handling the most pressing parts of the construction first will make the rest of it go more smoothly.

TAB offers the planning services you need for a great home, contact us to learn more.

Keys to Designing a Small Bathroom

A small bathroom space can be challenging. There are a variety of ways to make your small space seem bigger.

designing around a small bathroom

When it comes to small bathroom designs windows are an option, if your willing to use heavily frosted glass. However, if your bathroom is located on the top floor, you should look into having a skylight installed. The skylight provides you with natural light and creates the illusion of space.  If the skylight is operable, even better.  This is the best way to get rid of shower mist.  If it faces south it is a great way to  get some free heat from direct solar gain.  This is especially beneficial during the winter months; otherwise, it may need a shade on it.

If a skylight isn’t an option, you should consider the possibility of having a coffered/tray ceiling placed over the space. This type of ceiling makes the room feel bigger and helps with air flow, if the tray is vented to the attic.

When working with small bathroom designs, resist the impulse to place the bathroom sink right in the middle of your counter space. By utilizing a corner sink, the bathroom will feel less cramped and more counter space will be created. The best sinks will be ones that have deep basin and plenty of under cabinet storage.

When it comes to tiling the tub/shower space, glass tile is your best choice. These tiles make the space look bigger and brighter than it actually is.

Contact us for information and ideas about how to design a small bathroom for your living quarters.

Bring Beauty Into the Home with Stone

There is no denying the beauty of stacked stone walls. Used for both the interior and exterior, the subtle colors and expressive texture of the stone create a visual and expressive design.

Stacked stone is unique in its 3-dimensional composition. Expressive stones of various colors and textures are created as modules, attached to backing and can be installed much like tiles. There is no need to grout dry stacked stones which results in smooth, uninterrupted lines.

building with stone

The uses and locations for stacked stone is limitless when creating or redesigning a specific area. The modules make a dramatic backdrop to focal points in the home such as a fireplace or a kitchen stove surround. The stones also serve as a stand alone accent wall to enhance the texture of decorative accessories emphasizing wood, glass or metal fixtures.

Used to create a wall in a luxury bath, stacked stones add an element of relaxation and serenity when coupled with soothing hues from the palette.

From bold stone columns to colored stones that reflect the golden glints from the sunlight, stacked stones add the finishing touch to any design.

Clients can rely on the more than 30 years of experience at TAB Associates, Inc to design and construct projects on time and on budget.

The Philosophy Behind TAB Associates

When the services of an experienced Vail Valley architect are needed to bring a vision to life, the designers at TAB Associates, Inc. have the insight, energy, one-on-one understanding of a client’s desires and an extensive creative palette to do a thorough job.

vail valley builders

TAB Associates goes above and beyond the norm to provide their clients with every possible need involved in planning, designing and building what the client wants, not what the architect wants. There’s no room for egos at TAB as the responsibility of the architect is blending the client’s desires with a doses of artistic expression brought to the table by the designer.  There is also the scientific side of the equation, the technology that TAB brings to the table.  These include building skin, insulation systems, glazing options, daylighting, solar, geo-thermal, HVAC systems, A/V systems, building automation, etc.

By listening to each client and keeping them involved in the project, every step of the way, TAB architects are able to balance the design with the program and construction ultimately finalizing the project by balancing the cost and budget.

TAB Associates is responsible for developing multiple properties including single homes, multi-family residences, resorts, and spiritual, medical, institutional and commercial architecture that met the needs of their clients.

With more than 30 years of experience, the architects at TAB Associates, Inc. have the know-how to turn a client’s dream into an innovative and realistic design.

Tips to Winterizing Your Home Before the Winter Cold Arrives

The seasons are slowly changing and that means it is time to start getting ready for much cooler temperatures as winter begins to arrive.  While we think about reorganizing our wardrobes and having our vehicles inspected in anticipation for the colder season, we shouldn’t forget about our homes in the midst of our annual preparations.

prepare your house for winter

Here are tips for winterizing a home that will help you get your house ready to face the snow, freezing rain, and plummeting temperatures:

  • Keep your gutters clean to prevent snow from accumulating where it can thaw and re-freeze. This allows it to seep into your roof.
  • Check doors, windows, ventilation ducts, electrical outlets, and other spaces for air leaks. Then seal them properly.
  • Have your furnace cleaned and inspected to ensure that it is working properly.
  • Make sure your plumbing is well-insulated to prevent freezing pipes when the temperature drops.
  • Take your hoses off the outside faucets (or sill cocks) so the water can drain from them and not freeze back in the wall.  This will burst the pipe in the wall and when you turn the outside faucet on next spring, you will have a very wet inside wall.

If you wish to learn more about winterizing a home, our consultants at TAB Associates are available to answer your questions and offer suggestions.  Contact us today and let us work with you to meet all of your architectural needs.