Mountain Home Material Trends: Natural Wood & Stone

Mountain Home Material Trends: Natural Wood & Stone
Natural wood adds texture and a roughen appeal that exemplifies a mountain home.

Incorporating mountain home trends involves the use of natural wood and stone. Both materials are available in a wide range of styles, textures and colors and add the perfect touch in creating an atmosphere to reflect a client’s individual taste and vision for a mountain home.

Exterior: Natural materials make up the list of options for exteriors and include wood, stone, concrete, stucco, metal panels, timber and recycled wood. A modern upgrade is the use of glass sliding doors versus the traditional rustic style wood doors. Another option that focuses on melding the indoors with the outdoors is creating a design with more glass areas throughout the home.

Interior: Wood and stone are equally important in the interior where colors, hues and textures are blended using a variety of materials. From antique wood, quarried stone or polished concrete for floors to concrete slab kitchen countertops and hand textured walls, the possibilities in design are nearly endless. The combination of the outside materials incorporated into the interior design orchestrates a smooth and natural blending of the two.

As an authority on custom mountain and log home design, TAB Associates, Inc. can turn your vision into reality. For more information about our services, please call (970) 766-1470.

Modern Trends: Creating Flex Space in Mountain Homes

One of the important aspects of architectural design is paying attention to mountain home trends (especially since we consider that one of our specialties). We’ve noticed that there is an increasing trend toward ‘flex space’ in mountain homes, and there are plenty of good reasons for this trend to keep on going.

Modern Trends: Creating Flex Space in Mountain Homes
Following the principals of flex space can help you flip that living room into a home theater.

By using a single space for multiple purposes, flex space emphasizes quality of space over quantity of space. There are almost limitless examples of flex space. From the home office that doubles as a guest room to a living-dining area, flex space can open a house and give plenty of breathing room without being a sprawling waste of under-utilized space.

With drop down screens and a projector, as well as the help of an automated window covering, a family room is instantly transformed into a media room.  This is another great example of flex space.

To get the most out of flex space, it’s vital for thorough planning during the design process, with architects working with clients to determine their lifestyle needs, listen closely, and design accordingly.

At TAB Associates, our philosophy is to keep those mountain home trends in mind, but to work with our clients to fulfill their every need. If you’d like to learn more about how our philosophy can work for you, please take a moment to contact us.

Modern Trends: Open Floor Plans in Mountain Home Design

Chen 3 Timber Springs Bunk House will utilize a variety of styles on the way to becoming a dream log house.
Chen 3 Timber Springs Bunk House will utilize a variety of styles on the way to becoming a dream log house.

One of the best recent trends for building mountain homes is going with the homeowners’ likes and dislikes and individual preferences. Of course, with all the choices one has with architectural design, it can get overwhelming on just what to choose for dream log homes. Though, one steadfast trend we’ve noticed in log homes that should likely never get old is the use of wide open space.

Maximizing sun exposure with seamless transitions from outdoors to indoors leaves residents with a feeling of elegance and serenity all rolled into one simple and beautiful home project. If the space is used correctly, through consultation with your architect, the square footage doesn’t have to be enormous in order to get the open space look and feel.

Quality of space is often more preferable to quantity of space. The elegance provided lacks the stuffiness of formal dining and living areas, but still retains its grand stature and openness.

Our current project, Chen 3 Timber Springs, utilizes this philosophy of open spaces that are efficiently used, with quality outweighing quantity. If you are interested in learning more about how TAB Associates can make your dream mountain home become a reality, call us at 970.766.1470.

Image via Flickr

What Are the Latest Trends In Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures?

At TAB Associates, part of our philosophy is to bring the very best to our clients, and that includes presenting the very latest innovative bathroom plumbing fixtures.

What Are the Latest Trends In Bathroom Plumbing Fixtures?
Form and function are married in 2013’s latest bathroom plumbing fixtures.

When it comes to bathroom plumbing, function is extremely important, but that doesn’t mean that form has to be sacrificed. To this end, we’ve noted the latest trends which are about a successful marriage of the two key aspects of plumbing fixtures — form and function. Here are the top three trends we’ve seen developing this year:

  • Freestanding bathtubs. Not only is this a triumph of design for spatial use, it’s sheer practical elegance.
  • High-functioning showerheads. This trend poses that the more a showerhead can do, the better. Intense massage, rain shower drenches, and pulses are just the beginning for a pleasant shower experience.
  • Touch-sensitive faucets. You no longer have to worry about shutting off the faucet with wet hands; simply touch the faucet anywhere on the Delta Touch20®, and you can keep your faucet clean while shutting off the water.

We believe that the most innovative bathroom plumbing fixtures, however, are what our clients want to see in their own custom designed buildings, and we assist based not only upon what’s trendy or popular, but what works best for the individual’s needs.

To learn more about how TAB Associates can help meet your architecture and planning needs, call us at 970.766.1470.

Image courtesy of Wikicommons 

Major Architectural Trends for 2013

Architectural trends are a helpful tool for getting the lay of the land in your industry. Because, what could be as helpful as the creative point of view of others who share your passion? And in 2013, there are many architectural trends that will be prominent in this new year.

Major Architectural Trends for 2013
2013 is a new year for innovative architectural designs.

One area busy homeowners and business owners share is the need for quality construction with low maintenance materials. Durability in the materials used is a vital element in low maintenance architecture as it decreases the frequency of replacing, repairing, and upgrading the structure.

With the housing market the way it is, not many people are looking to sell their homes and buy new ones in 2013. This is where home extensions come into play. Extensions and conversions can not only add versatility to homes and accommodate growing families, but they also increase the home’s value.

Vintage architecture has its place in the modern world. It is a link to the past, a part of history, and adds an element of continuity to a neighborhood.  Preserving these structures will be a positive issue going forward in 2013.

In Colorado, TAB Associates, Inc. stays current on what’s new in styles, design,  and durable materials to provide a plan of action that reflects a client’s individual vision.