An emerging trend in the custom build market, raised swimming pools are having a significant impact on the aesthetic of Perth backyards.

Speaking to New Homes, Humphrey Homes Owner and Director Dean Humphrey said one of the main benefits of raised pools was the clean look they provided.

They are seamless and different, and for sophisticated buyers in the custom home market, this is an appealing inclusion, he said.

It also means no glass pool fence to clean or obstruct the views.

One raised pools created by Humphrey Homes in a recent build in Mosman Park had a structure made from concrete, with recycled bricks from the original home as a feature cladding blending the old with the new.

The bricks feature heavily in the home and in particular the outdoor area. Using them in the pool was not only practical but offered some great aesthetic benefits too, he said.

We worked with the natural slope of the block and the pool design naturally fell with that gradient. It was a great result because the finished level was high enough to meet the necessary pool approval guidelines without a fence.

Mr Humphrey said long rectangular or square styles worked best for raised pools.

They should also be designed to speak to the rest of the home, so the design intent is seamless, he said.

They can be designed with a waterfall edge for the water to naturally spill over. In this case the pools have a trough at the base of one end which catches and recycles the water.

Mr Humphrey said to work out if your backyard would suit and cater for a raised pool, you should consider the design of the home and the outdoor area holistically.

Not all homes will work with this design because each home is different, blocks are different, and orientations are different, he said.

Raised pools have the best effect on a sloping block where part of the pool structure can be below the surface and part above.

CONTACT

Humphrey Homes, 9284 5444

http://www.humphreyhomes.com.au

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Raise it up for a wealth of benefits - The West Australian

Native to southeastern Australia, the powerful owl (Ninox strenua) is threatened and facing the prospect of homelessness.

These birds dont make nests they use large hollows in old, tall trees. But humans have been removing such trees in the bush and in cities, despite their ecological value.

Read more: To save these threatened seahorses, we built them 5-star underwater hotels

Owls are lured into cities by abundant prey, with each bird capturing hundreds of possums per year. But with nowhere to nest, they struggle to breed and their population is at risk of declining even further.

Conservationists tried to solve this problem by installing nesting boxes, but to no avail. A 2011 study in Victoria showed a pair of owls once used such a box, but only one of their two chicks survived. This is the only recorded instance of powerful-owl breeding in an artificial structure.

So as a team of designers and ecologists were finding a way to make artificial nests in urban areas more appealing to powerful owls. Surprisingly, the answer lies in termite mounds, augmented reality and 3D printing.

Nesting boxes arent very successful for many species. For example, many boxes installed along expanded highways fail to attract animals such as the squirrel glider, the superb parrot and the brown treecreeper. They also tend to disintegrate and become unusable after only a few years.

Read more: The plan to protect wildlife displaced by the Hume Highway has failed

Whats more, flaws in their design can lead to overheating, death from toxic fumes such as marine-plywood vapours, or babies unable to grow.

Designers and architects often use computer modelling to mimic nature in building designs, such as Beijings birds nest stadium.

But to use these skills to help wildlife, we need to understand what they want in a home. And for powerful owls, this means thinking outside the box.

At a minimum, owl nests must provide enough space to support a mother and two chicks, shelter the inhabitants from rain and heat, and have rough internal surfaces for scratching and climbing.

Traditionally, owls would find all such comforts in large, old, hollow-bearing trees, such as swamp or manna gums at least 150 years old. But a picture from Sydney photographer Ofer Levy, which showed an owl nesting in a tree-bound termite mound, made us realise there was another way.

Termite mounds in trees are oddly shaped, but they meet all necessary characteristics for successful breeding. This precedent suggests younger, healthier and more common trees can become potential nesting sites.

To design and create each termite-inspired nest, we first use lasers to model the shape of the target tree. A computer algorithm generates the structure fitting the owls requirements. Then, we divide the structure into interlocking blocks that can be conveniently manufactured.

To assemble the nests, we use augmented-reality headsets, overlaying images of digital models onto physical objects. It sounds like science-fiction, but holographic construction with augmented reality has become an efficient way to create new structures.

So far, weve used 3D-printed wood to build one nest at the University of Melbournes System Garden. Two more nests made from hemp concrete are on the trees in the city of Knox, near the Dandenong Ranges. And were exploring other materials such as earth or fungus.

These materials can be moulded to a unique fit, and as theyre lightweight, we can easily fix them onto trees.

We are still collecting and analysing the data, but early results are promising. Our nests have important advantages over both traditional nesting boxes and carved logs.

This is, in part, because our artificial nests maintain more stable internal temperatures than nesting boxes and are considerably easier to make and install than carved logs. In other words, our designs already look like a good alternative.

Read more: B&Bs for birds and bees: transform your garden or balcony into a wildlife haven

And while its too early to say if theyll attract owls, our nests have already been visited or occupied by other animals, such as rainbow lorikeets.

Imagine an ecologist, a park manager or even a local resident who wants to boost local biodiversity. In the not-too-distant future, they might select a target species and a suitable tree from an online database. An algorithm could customise their choice of an artificial-nest design to fit the target tree. Remote machines would manufacture the parts and the end user would put the structure together.

Such workflows are already being used in a variety of fields, such as the custom jewellery production and the preparation of dental crowns. It allows informed and automated reuse of scientific and technical knowledge, making advanced designs significantly more accessible.

Our techniques could be used to ease the housing crisis for a wide range of other sites and species, from fire-affected animals to critically endangered wildlife such as the swift parrot or Leadbeaters possum.

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Urban owls are losing their homes. So we're 3D printing them new ones - The Conversation AU

In a community garden on the island of Poruma in the late 1980s, Lillah Pearson never stopped speaking Kulkalgau Ya to her grandson, Phillemon Mosby.

Kulkalgau Ya, spoken on the central islands of the Torres Strait, is one of the four dialects of the Kala Lagaw Ya language.

After the arrival of the London Missionary Society in 1871, islanders were discouraged from speaking traditional language, which led to the development of Torres Strait Creole. The forced removal of children from their homes, and other oppressive assimilation policies across Australia in the 1900s, threatened the survival of First Nations people, culture and language.

In the garden, Pearson, a child of the 1920s, taught her grandson language but also lore, practice and respect. She was one of the last remaining fluent speakers. Mosby remembers her being an entertainer, but says she was also strict and did everything for a reason.

We were told not to run through the gardens. We were told not to play around the gardens, he recalls.

Today, Mosby sits on First Languages Australias 11-person committee and has spent more than a decade working alongside community members and elders on Poruma to strengthen the sleeping Kulkalgau Ya language.

I understand now, Mosby says. She [Lillah] was just a repository of my language. She was just saying, Im going to plant this seed. I dont know when its going to harvest.

The islanders discovered church hymns that had been written down in Kala Lagaw Ya by a German priest. Mosby says that several elders on the island used to sing in those church choirs including Aunty Thelma Pearson, Aunty Eldridge Mosby, Aunty Mary Mosby and Aunty Viti Pearson which made it possible to begin the reawakening process.

My grandmother wanted us to learn English and to learn the white way, but she never stopped talking language to us

While they [missionaries] forbade the practice of certain rituals and ceremonies and initiations, they recorded the language in the language hymns we had elders who had knowledge, they were choir masters. We had women that knew word for word, even knowing the numbers of the songs. They could say 180, this is this song for this season, this is that song. They just knew if off by heart. And I said, were not doomed after all.

Mosby began to recognise more and more words and phrases he and his grandmother used in the garden.

She spoke language that required me to speak language back. She always wanted us to get a good education. She wanted us to learn English and to learn the white way, but she never stopped talking language to us.

Because of expanding infrastructure, housing and the shop set-up on the island in the 1980s, the garden on Poruma was lost, Mosby says.

Without it, other spaces are being created to share knowledge. Language is now a part of the curriculum for schoolchildren on Poruma.

Language is what carries our custom, its what carries our practices, language is what teaches us what to say, who to say it to and when to say it, he says.

One of the main catalysts for Mosbys involvement in the strengthening of language was the Urab Dancers, a group he has led for a decade.

Theyre a local dance team on Poruma, that promotes Porumagal culture and identity our stories through songs and dance.

Four elders dance alongside two dozen young islanders, who are usually in their 20s. Those young islanders were coming to Mosby and telling him, we want to write our story.

The millennials, that generation was our predominant target group and it was quite clear that they wanted to write their own song, their own dance, they wanted to connect our time with another time, our fathers time.

Most of the documentation is done by Mosby in his spare time, but he is hoping that funding help will come via this years round of Australian government funding for Indigenous arts and language projects.

What I would like to see is funding for a full-time person to do it. To put the data into a language software program to produce material to give to parents, to the school, to work with other programs in community to get people to start speaking the language. I think thats one of the key things now, he says.

At the moment, Im just writing things down and store it in regular Excel spreadsheets.

One of his favourite phrases is Im going home tomorrow or Yngay lakidha kuniya lagaka bathaynga, a throwback to when he was a teenager at boarding school in Cairns in the 1990s.

Recalling the phrase brings up another memory for Mosby his grandmother never came to the airstrip to see him off when he flew south. For a while he thought she wanted to get rid of him.

I couldnt understand why, not until I graduated five years later, and I said, Aka, [grandmother], why do you never come to the airstrip? And she said, Your world starts when you step out of my front door. I dont need to go say goodbye to you on the airstrip.

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'Language carries our custom': the keepers of Torres Strait's traditional lingo - The Guardian

Manufactured homes offer two things buyers find very appealingthe ability to customize and a cost-per-square-foot that is much lower than other new construction.

Ordering a prefab home may seem leading-edge, but manufactured homes already make up 10 percent of new construction in the U.S. Buyers place orders at local retailers where they can tour model houses (often from several manufacturers), look at floor plans and pick out cabinets, trim, flooring and other options. And, if a homeowner wants to remove a wall from the floor plan, have nine-foot ceilings, or turn their bath into a spathey can.

Consumers want homes truly customized to their lifestyle and taste and builders have responded with new flexibility in design, said Joan Brown of the Northwest Housing Association.

More house for the money

Along with custom features, house buyers also want value. Factory construction means home builders dont have to wait on weather delays, overbooked subcontractors and lost materials. Streamlined manufacturing delivers significant savings, reducing the cost of constructing manufactured homes to $50 to $75 per-square-foot or half the cost of site-built homes. This is without land and site prep costs, which vary by location.

Money that might be lost to delays and waste can go to home upgrades or stay in the buyers pocket, Brown added, noting that factory construction also offers reliable project management, inspections and timely delivery.

Adding long-term value

Brown suggests that home buyers add custom features that increase their homes value in the long run. After all, for most people, their home is their largest investment. Adding a garage or upgrading your energy package will make your home more enjoyable, add resale value and save money over time, Brown said.

Comparison shopping helps buyers make smart choices. Different manufacturers and sales centers offer different home features and services. Buyers should plan on visiting several manufactured home retailers and asking about standard and custom features before making a decision.

By theNorthwest Housing Association

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Custom homes without the premium price | Sponsored - KHQ Right Now

(MENAFN - GetNews) Regency Custom Homes, a leading home builder in Arizona since 1999 has recently launched a new and revamped website that has been designed keeping their clients' convenience in mind. Modernism, relevant content, mobile compatibility, and impressive speed are just some of the features of the new website in which their new and existing clients will be able to inform themselves better regarding the services provided by their company.

Scottsdale, AZ - Regency Custom Homes, a leading home builder in Arizona since 1999 has recently launched a new and revamped website that has been designed keeping their clients' convenience in mind. Modernism, relevant content, mobile compatibility, and impressive speed are just some of the features of the new website in which their new and existing clients will be able to inform themselves better regarding the services provided by their company.

"At Regency Custom Homes, we sincerely believe our team is comprised of the finest craftsmen in Arizona. As a custom home builder, we are committed to delivering the highest quality custom designed homes on time and on budget. Our unique approach ensures that the entire process of building your luxury estate is not only streamlined but also enjoyable!" Said Steve Wiggins, the spokesperson for Regency Custom Homes, regarding the quality of their services.

Regency Custom Homes is owned and operated by Steve Wiggins, a prestigious engineer with vast experience in the construction industry, including dealing with projects of massive proportions. Mr. Wiggins' vision was to found a company that could offer unique designs, exceptional finish work, and true quality. Two decades after establishing Regency Custom Homes, Steve Wiggins, and his staff remain true to their founding principles by helping their clients to build unique and luxury customized residences in Phoenix and the neighboring areas.

Luxury Home Builders - Regency Custom Homes is considered synonymous with reliability, as their name has been featured in the summer 2016 edition of SuCasa magazine and in the 2019 RED Awards by Luxe Interiors + Design. For the last five years, they have been the proud recipient of 'The Best of Houzz awards including distinctions design & customer service, among other recognitions.

"Steve operates with a very high level of professionalism that reflects his education, his extensive experience, and his personal values. It is that combination that I would say makes Regency Custom Homes a truly exceptional builder. An added bonus that Steve brings is the ability to offer design ideas and alternatives throughout the construction process that really enhance the beauty and value of the project. Finally, expect the project to be completed on-time and on-budget. Highest recommendation!" Said a past client, regarding his experience hiring Regency Custom Homes to build his family's home.

Regency Custom Homes is located at 7377 E Doubletree Ranch Rd #170, Scottsdale, AZ 85258. For immediate assistance from the award-winning Luxury Home Builders , contact their team via phone at (480) 367-1959 or send online inquiries via email to . For additional information regarding their services or to request a free quote, visit their website.

Media Contact Company Name: Regency Custom Homes Contact Person: Steve Wiigins Email: Send Email Phone: (480) 367-1959 Address: 7377 E Doubletree Ranch Rd #170 City: Scottsdale State: AZ Country: United States Website: https://regencyhomes-az.com/

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Regency Custom Homes, the Top Luxury Home Builders in Scottsdale, AZ Announce New Website - MENAFN.COM

Corbett Canyon painter Mark Bryan is in therapy. Art therapy, that is. And he's been in session ever since the 2016 presidential election.

"I went to bed and Hillary Clinton was ahead," Bryan remembered of Election Day. "I woke up and Donald Trump was elected president."

Bryan's latest exhibit, Fake News, lets viewers into his artistic processing of the Trump era with a biting collection of 25 oil paintings. Fake News is on display at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art (SLOMA) through April 26.

"I go after people I don't like. They get the satirical treatment," Bryan explained with a laugh. "What is so disturbing to me is how many people are down with Trump. I was completely blown away that Trump won."

Art has turned Bryan, a self-described introvert, into an extrovert through the satirical oil paintings he creates. He expresses his emotions and opinions on canvas, whether it be politics, religion, or whatever is lurking in his subconscious mind.

Walking into SLOMA, I am immediately taken in by Bryan's 2017 painting, Feeding the Baby, which depicts Trump with his former strategist Steve Bannon. The painting shows a caricature of a smiling Bannon as he spoon-feeds Trump a bite of Bannon's Special KKK Cereal, with sugar-coated KKK hood-shaped marshmallows. The president, also a caricature, is sitting at a baby-sized desk, on top of a larger desk, in the Oval Office of the White House. On Trump's little desk, decorated with dollar signs and a 1950s Richie Rich comic emblem, sits a Hello Kitty drawing he is working on and an electronic tablet open to Twitter.

Bryan explained that the cat drawing is a reference to the president's famed recording in which he used vulgar terms to describe grabbing women.

Another of Bryan's attention-grabbing pieces is Foreverland, a 2019 religious commentary piece that's particularly intriguing. In the painting, Jesus is the featured amusement park ride, with angels circling above his head. Next to Jesus, there is a ticket booth for those who want to buy their way into heaven. If the Jesus ride isn't for them, there are other rides: an Islamic rollercoaster or a Buddhist Ferris wheel to take a spin on. For those who know they have been bad and are ready to feel the heat, the ride to hell is also offered.

"Pick a religion," Bryan said.

Bryan said he comes up with ideas for his paintings by thinking about the "big picture," not just one idea. Then he figures out how to make a visual story of what's on his mind. He calls the end result a "slice of time."

Growing up in LA in the 1950s, Bryan's mother introduced him to the arts through her own arts and crafts projects and by taking him to museums. He was shy and introverted, and drawing became a vehicle to create his own reality.

In 1968, Bryan attended Cal Poly to study architecture, but left two years later to attend Otis College of Art and Design, LA's first independent professional school of art.

After college, Bryan returned to SLO County and started work as a contractor, designing and building custom homes, while raising his two kids. In 1977, he built a custom home for his family in Corbett Canyon, where he still lives today. Three times a week, he surfs, usually in Pismo Beach or Morro Bay.

Since 2000, Bryan has worked solely as a professional artist. In addition to his political and religious art, Bryan also enjoys creating pop surrealism pieces because they come from his subconscious imagination. Painting the current president, which he's done six times in three years, is getting a bit old, he said.

"I don't want to paint Trump all the time," Bryan said.

Arts Writer Rebecca Howes is waiting in line for the Jesus ride. Send arts story tips to rhowes@newtimesslo.com.

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Artist Mark Bryans Fake News exhibit allows viewers into his subconscious mind and art therapy sessions - New Times SLO

Freshly painted & beautifully maintained home on 4.45 acre lot w/woods, sprinkler, FABULOUS L SHAPED SALT WATER POOL, pool house, hot tub, paver patio, screened in porch! Impeccably maintained 35'x35' detached garage,insulated,drywalled & painted w/12' & 10' doors, plus 3car side entry gar! Endless entertaining options, w/Amazing full bar in fin walk out lower lvl w/Fam Rm w/gas fplc, huge rec rm,2 addl rms/sleeping areas,huge full bath,exercise area,built in storage! Stunning, sweeping staircase in the 2 story entry foyer! Great Rm w/custom brick fplc, gorgeous new hardwoods in frml dining w/butler pantry, rich wood panels in den! Kitchen offers stainless appl,island w/brkfst bar,custom designer backsplash,plan desk,WI Pantry,brkfst area! Mn Flr Mstr suite w/lux bath/2 WIC! 3 lg bdrms up,1 w/en suite bath/others share J&J bath,all w/WICs! Fantastic MFL,newer roof,front/back stairs,Kubota Tractor Incl,Warranty! Private development w/many $1Million+ homes! 15 min to Chesterfield Valley!

View Listing

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Want an equestrian estate? See some of the most expensive homes that just hit the St. Louis market - STLtoday.com

Miami Beach, Fla. | $299,000A one-bedroom, one-bathroom condo on the first floor of a 1941 Art Deco building

This apartment is in an 18-unit, four-building Art Deco complex known as the Dixon, after its architect, Lawrence Murray Dixon, who designed several Miami Beach hotels, including the Marlin, Raleigh, Tudor, Tides and Tiffany. It is in the South Beach neighborhood, a third of a mile west of Ocean Drive and the beach. The shops along Lincoln Road are less than a mile north and those on Washington Avenue are several short blocks east. The 36-acre Flamingo Park, which has an aquatics center with an eight-lane lap pool, is a block north.

According to FloodIQ, an online research tool, the property is now at minimal risk of flooding in all but hurricane category 3 conditions; it will be much more vulnerable by 2033, if sea levels rise at their current rate.

Size: 685 square feet

Price per square foot: $436

Indoors: The owner, an architect, converted the two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit into one with a single bedroom and bathroom, adding luxurious finishes like limestone floors, soapstone countertops and custom doors encased in galvanized steel. Hurricane-impact windows were also installed.

The windowed kitchen was redone with quilted-stainless-steel wall surfaces, a cedar pantry lined with storage and top-grade appliances, including a Viking range. A closet in the entry hall has a hookup for a washer and dryer, if residents choose not to use the buildings no-cost laundry machines.

In the bedroom, floor-to-ceiling curtains wrap around a corner window and a custom-organized closet. The bathroom has a walk-in steam shower and a multitiered stone vanity with a basin sink.

Outdoor space: There is lush landscaping as you enter the building, and a shared green space out the back door, with tables, lounges, a hammock and an herb garden. No off-street parking is available, but there is zoned street parking for residents.

Taxes: $2,724, plus a $558 monthly homeowner fee that includes flood insurance

Contact: Rene M. Grossman, Compass, 305-804-4302; compass.com

This house is in a town of about 3,700 people, in mid-coast Maine, about an hour north of Portland and 100 yards south of Route 1, also known as Main Street. It is within walking distance of antiques shops and lobster restaurants, including Reds Eats, around the corner. The nearby Sheepscot River is tidal and about 15 miles from open ocean. It is visible from the property in winter and can be seen in glimpses in summer.

Size: 2,500 square feet

Price per square foot: $124

Indoors: For the last 20 years, an out-of-state couple have used the house as a seasonal second home, although it is built for year-round occupancy. After buying it, they stripped every trace of lead paint, updated some wiring and plumbing, and put in a new kitchen and bathrooms. (The several fireplaces are operable, but the chimneys are unlined.)

In the entrance hall, the walls display an antique layer of milk paint that was discovered after other layers were removed. To the left is a living room with antique pumpkin-pine floors, a wood-burning fireplace and French doors opening to the backyard. Another set of French doors leads to a study that is next to a full bathroom and could easily serve a main-floor bedroom. A nearby exterior door offers additional possibilities for a self-contained guest suite.

Turning right from the front door takes you into a combined dining room and kitchen with a fireplace, faux-finished walls, pumpkin-pine floors and wood cabinetry with granite countertops. Sliding doors open to the back.

One upstairs bedroom is painted robins-egg blue and has an en suite bathroom with a painted porcelain sink embedded in a vintage wood cabinet. Both rooms have fireplaces. The two additional bedrooms share a bathroom with a custom vanity.

Outdoor space: The rocky, sloped property in back has been landscaped with nine distinct zones based on feng shui principles. The area contains rock walls, plantings, statuary, small bridges and a pair of ponds with a waterfall. (A pump controls the water flow.) Parking is in an attached one-car garage.

Taxes: $5,357

Contact: Kathy Wyman, William Raveis Real Estate, 207-522-1275; raveis.com

The listing agent recently gut-renovated this property with her husband, a contractor, who is one of three owners. (Another owner is a carpenter who worked on the project.) It is in a commercial neighborhood about a mile east of Charlottesvilles downtown mall and three miles east of the University of Virginia. The house is within walking distance of restaurants and an elementary school, and about a block from the Route 250 bypass, which connects major roads in the area. It has two-family zoning should a new owner choose to convert it into a duplex.

Size: 1,125 square feet

Price per square foot: $276

Indoors: The front door opens into a living room with the original oak floors, solid wood wall paneling and a refinished wood-burning fireplace. To the right is the kitchen, which has tiled surfaces, stainless steel appliances, new windows and a slim breakfast bar built along one wall. A pantry closet was added next to the back door for more storage.

Two bedrooms are on the first floor. They share a bathroom faced in ceramic and decorative glass tile, which has a combined tub and shower. The second floor is taken up by a master suite consisting of a bedroom with hardwood floors, a study and a bathroom with a walk-in shower and a stacked washer and dryer.

Outdoor space: The property includes a private driveway and a fenced backyard.

Taxes: $2,172 (2019)

Contact: Mary Jane Check, Roy Wheeler Realty Company, 434-265-0684; roywheeler.com

For weekly email updates on residential real estate news, sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @nytrealestate.

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$300,000 Homes in Florida, Maine and Virginia - The New York Times

The Canadian Home Builders' Association of Northern B.C. came together to recognize and honour members of the local and regional residential contruction industry at the Northern B.C. Housing Awards of Excellence ceremony that was held at the Courtyard by Marriott on Saturday night.

There were twenty-one awards up for grabs in five different categories. Big winners on the night were Copper Falls Custom Homes who picked up five awards, including Custom Home Bulder of the Year. Bragg Construction won four awards with Belledune Homes Ltd., Lithium One Homes picking up three awards on the evening.

A full list of categories and winners is below.

New Home: Production or Custom Home

Best Single Family Detached Home under $350k - KG Homes, Prince George

Best Single Family Detached Home $350k-$500k - Lithium One Homes, Prince George

Best Custom Home under $500k - Icon Homes, Quesnel

Best Custom Home $500k-$750k - Angles Drafting & Design, Fort St. John

Best Custom Home $750k-$1,000,000 - Copper Falls Custom Homes, Prince George

Best Custom Home over $1,000,000 - Copper Falls Custom Homes, Prince George

Best Multi-Family Development - Bragg Construction, Prince George

Best Residential Urban Infill - Bragg Construction, Prince George

Renovation Categories

Best Residential Renovation under $50k - Bragg Construction, Prince George

Best Residential Renovation $50k-$100k - Copper Falls Custom Homes, Prince George

Best Residential Renovation over $100k - Belledune Homes, Prince George

Design Categories

Best Kitchen Design: New Home under $50k - Belledune Homes, Prince George

Best KitchenDesign: New Home over $50k - North Nechako Homes, Prince George

Best Master Suite Design: New Home - Lithium One Homes, Prince George

Best Any Room: New Home or Renovation - Lithium One Homes, Prince George

Best Innovative or Special Feature: New Home or Renovation - Copper Falls Custom Homes, Prince George

Special Achievement Awards

Environmental Initiative Award: Residential or Commercial - BC Housing, Project in Fort St. John

Innovative Construction, Architecture or Design Award: Residential or Commercial - Lambert Built, Prince George

Superior Customer Service: Supplier or Sub-Trade - Marathon Eavestroughing, Decks & Rails,& Rails, Prince George

Grand Housing of Excellence Awards

Residential Renovator of the Year - Belledune Homes, Prince George

Single Family Production Home Builder of the Year - Bragg Construction, Prince George

Custom Home Builder of the Year - Copper Falls Custom Homes, Prince George

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Residential construction industry recognized at Northern B.C. Housing Awards of Excellence - Prince George Citizen

Q: Ive been saving for years to remodel my home, and Im ready to take the leap. What trends are other homeowners considering for their remodels or custom homes in 2020?

A: Based on conversations with homeowners, industry research and social media activity, were predicting some key trends in Seattle for both home renovations and new homes in 2020. Here are 10 trends that will keep you ahead of the curve.

Built-in home offices.Working from home is a lot more common now than it once was. Whether youre working from home every day, once a week or occasionally, having a built-in home office can help you stay focused. Home office essentials include good lighting, filing cabinets and plenty of workspace for your computer, devices and paperwork.

Custom closets.Gone are the days of sharing a single dresser. Remodeling or building your custom home is the perfect opportunity to create a walk-in closet. You may also consider positioning closets on opposite ends of the bedroom to give you and your partner some space in the morning.

Reading nooks.Bibliophiles are going crazy for cozy reading nooks! Take an unused corner or window and turn it into a relaxing space where you can sit for hours. Its becoming more popular for reading nooks to include a small bookshelf or bench storage, optimizing the utility of these tiny spaces.

Home libraries.Speaking of books, floor-to-ceiling libraries are making a comeback. With plenty of options for styling bookshelves popping up on Pinterest, you dont have to worry about not having enough books to fill the space. Use the extra shelving to display trinkets, pottery, travel souvenirs and other knick-knacks alongside your book collection.

Wine storage.Washington is known for its acclaimed wine regions, so its no wonder locals are opting for specialty wine storage in their homes. Pair a wine fridge with a larger wine closet, create a wine wall or install a full wine cellar. Regardless of your choice, wine on display is both functional and elegant.

Kids playrooms.Give your kids an indoor space all to themselves this year. Our long rainy season makes designated playrooms an enticing option. There are plenty of ways to keep your children engaged and occupied, including climbing walls, toy storage, indoor slides, stage curtains and movie rooms. Plus, designating a kids space keeps the rest of your home a little more organized.

Custom upcycling.We love how homeowners are incorporating vintage finds and family heirlooms into their home. Blending an older piece into modern decor gives your home character and guests something fun to point out. Whether its repurposing a historic door or using reclaimed wood for shelving, upcycled items are only going to become more popular as homeowners look to reduce their environmental impact.

Built-in shoe racks.It may seem like a small detail, but built-in shoe racks are both useful and improve the health of your home. Taking shoes off when you enter a home can prevent harmful dirt and bacteria from spreading indoors. Instead of placing a generic shoe rack near the door, homeowners are opting for a more custom look. Shoe cubbies, shelving under the stairs and even outdoor shoe storage are rising in popularity.

Statement stairs.The right designer will approach stairs as a space of its own. There are plenty of ways your stairs can make a statement by employing glass walls, accent lighting, distinctive railings, floating designs, colorful risers, under-stair storage and unique materials. Any combination of these options is sure to create a transitional space that wows.

Covered deck.An outdoor space is perfect for summer entertaining, but what about spring and fall? Covered, or partially covered, decks are perfect for year-round grilling, gardening and entertaining. Homeowners enjoy covered spaces that protect their outdoor furniture from the elements and allow year-round outdoor cooking.

Cat Schmidt is the lead designer at Model Remodel and a member of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). If you have a home improvement, remodeling or residential homebuilding question youd like answered by one of MBAKSs nearly 2,800 members, write to homework@mbaks.com.

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These are the top custom-home trends for 2020 - Seattle Times