When designing your new home, your staircase railing design should reflect its architecture and overall style. Railings serve more than just to assist you when moving from one floor to another, they are often a focal point and can make a stylish statement in your home. As a custom home builder, we have seen a trend in more stylish and design driven stairwells. From wrought iron to painted wood, there are many styles and materials to choose from. Here are a few ideas for you to work from: Traditional: Wood railings and white balusters have an elegant, more traditional flair. White balusters keep the look bright and link well with woodwork in the same paint color. If you’re looking for drama,

For many of us, when we think of Thanksgiving thoughts of food, football, floats and family reunions come to mind, but have you ever thought about why we celebrate this holiday? In the beginning, and for the first settlers, Thanksgiving was not a holiday or a feast, but a simple gathering to give thanks for survival and a plentiful harvest. Today, that practice is as important as it ever was. For those of us that are blessed with food on our table, family and friends, and a roof over our heads, it should be a time to reflect on how fortunate we are. Simple practices of gratitude, either on a personal level or by giving back to those less fortunate, have been found as not only beneficial to t

Choosing cabinets for your new kitchen can be exciting and full of choices that need to be made. From cabinet style, hardware, and countertops, the selections are endless. When designing any kitchen whether it’s in a new custom home or renovating an existing space, one of the first decisions you’ll be faced with is choosing the way the cabinet is manufactured. Framed cabinets were once the most popular style but more recently we have seen a rise in frameless options. There’s a big difference in how the two styles are built. To start, framed cabinets are constructed with rails and stiles creating a 1 ½” frame at the front of the cabinet box where the doors and drawer fronts rest. Usually manu

Sophisticated neutrals have been the “go-to” for the last few years in most of our custom home designs, and it looks like the color may be here to stay for a little bit longer. Benjamin Moore® Paints recently announced its 2019 Color of the Year—Metropolitan, which is a stylish gray with cool undertones. This understated, yet glamorous gray creates a soothing, impactful common ground, which is a big contrast to last year’s fiery red tone. To complement the gray, a pallet of harmonious hues was also unveiled which includes a spray of neutrals, soft pinks, and rich blues and greens. The moods that can be created in your home design by combining the soft neutrals or pairing them with rich color

As a custom home builder in Maryland, we are often asked what one should be doing to prepare their new home for the colder months. In short, whether your home is new or old, the message is always the same. Getting into a routine of winterizing is an important and fairly inexpensive routine that will keep your home warm and comfortable, and save money on energy bills throughout the winter. Here’s a checklist to get you started. Protect your pipes. A burst pipe can be messy and costly to clean up and repair. Minimize the risk of frozen pipes by sealing cracks and openings in your walls, attic, basement, and crawlspace. Weatherstrip and caulk around crawlspace doors and basement windows. Check