News — modern homes

A design team breaks with tradition to build a lakehouse thatshows cottage style in a whole new light. NOT LONG AGO, even newly built cottages favoured a more traditional style, with lashings of gingerbread trim and smaller windows. The results were charming and cosy, butthey also tended to be dark and disconnected from the landscape. So when a couple with grown children who had children oftheir own confessed to Margot Bell and Dasha Ricci of Peaks & Rafters thatthey were ready to replace their family cottage with a design that emphasized light as well as the rugged surroundings,the designers, who specialize...

LYNDA REEVES EXPLORES A RECIPE THAT MIXES IT UP. Kitchen design has a way of bringing out strong opinions in many of us. Everyone has their view on exactly what they don’t like, plus a list of things they’re considering but wonder about. The investment is always big and the results permanent, so deciding what materials to use is especially critical in a kitchen renovation. Inevitably, the kitchens I gravitate to are handsome, with some classic detailing, heavy polished hardware, some feature appliances like a great range, a mix of painted and natural wood cabinets and always counters and backsplashes...

A relaxed approach to contemporary coastal style brings a sense of ease to this Palm Beach estate. Cocktail dresses and formally arranged table settings are one way to throw a party, but sometimes entertaining is about inviting your guests to kick their feet up on the ottoman, throwing open the French doors to welcome in the breeze, and sharing wine and conversation while you chop vegetables at the kitchen island.That laidback—yet still elegant—approach to entertaining is exactly what interior designer Jennifer Knowles envisioned when she outfitted the interiors of this waterfront Florida home built by Malasky Homes. “Palm Beach has...

A relaxed approach to contemporary coastal style brings a sense of ease to this Palm Beach estate. Cocktail dresses and formally arranged table settings are one way to throw a party, but sometimes entertaining is about inviting your guests to kick their feet up on the ottoman, throwing open the French doors to welcome in the breeze, and sharing wine and conversation while you chop vegetables at the kitchen island.That laidback—yet still elegant—approach to entertaining is exactly what interior designer Jennifer Knowles envisioned when she outfitted the interiors of this waterfront Florida home built by Malasky Homes. “Palm Beach has...

A thoughtful renovation finds the sweet spot between architectural heritage and modern-day convenience. Ben and Jenna Sietsema’s newly purchased 1921 Dutch Colonial had a lot going for it— especially if you didn’t venture inside. Located on a channel between two lakes and backing up to 12 acres of wooded park, the house with its barnlike gambrel roof and flared eaves turned heads in an East Grand Rapids, Michigan, neighborhood of traditionalstyle homes. “The lines of the home were just terrific, so the goal was to keep the exterior as close to the original as possible while updating the interiors,” says...