This will be one of the most interesting “before and after” comparisons we have ever done. Using arrangements of Marvin fixed windows, awning windows and casement windows, we converted a typical traditional elevation of the rear of a master bedroom into an eye-popping view.

Standing in the home looking out makes me feel like I am in a museum. The results are strikingly beautiful and effective. The before and after photos say more than I could possibly put to words. Stay tuned and I’ll be sure to show you the finished product.

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Traditional or what some might call contemporary? Exiting from traditional bay window and round-top window configurations and moving to designs that maximize views from the interior is not typical of the Washington D.C. metropolitan market. I have to admit that the views to the outside through these new Marvin windows and doors are exceptional.

This project caught my eye and the views from the two story family room and the new kitchen bay window are as unique as I have ever seen. The two acre wooded lot in Potomac lends itself to these new Marvin replacement windows.

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Everyone loves a bay window for the obvious reasons. It punctuates the room and brings the outside in, but what a difference this bay window renovation will make.

From an ordinary bay window above that we have seen in thousands of homes, to the inspiring full height, floor to ceiling, Marvin window in this breakfast room to the right. I’ll show a photo of the finshed exterior in a couple of weeks.

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A new custom home built by Natelli Homes for the Darvish / Fallahi family was recently featured in Bethesda Magazine. The details and character of the home fit the client perfectly. Take note of the spectacular iron railings, the tile-work in the bathroom and the enormous kitchen with stone and marble countertops and WoodMode cabinets.

www.bethesdamagazine.com/Bethesda-Magazine/September-October-2011/Dar-House/

Fee free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com

Natelli Homes is pleased to display one of its newest product lines in Arlington this weekend.  The Ashley model is designed and developed for narrow lots in areas such as Arlington and Bethesda.

The original home was demolished in the latter part of 2010 and we are already getting prepared for the Owners to move in their new home.  This hand-crafted home was constructed to the same standards as the ultra-custom homes that Natelli Homes builds throughout the Washington metropoliotan area.  With four finished levels, five full bedrooms and an expansive recreation room and den in the basement, there is a surprising amount of room for families.

Please join us this Sunday, May 15th between 1:00 – 3:00 p.m at 1909 N Quebec St in Arlington, VA.  This will be a one- time opportunity to see the most current new home design and quality from Natelli Homes.

Feel free to contact me with any questions at  Bob@Natellihomes.com

Having handmade, custom cherry bookshelves in your home would tend to draw someone to the home office just for the ambiance they create.  Design elements of bookshelves can be beautiful, functional and intriguing.  With a little creativity and some master carpentry, we found a way to have a secret passage in our homes.  Bookshelves can be placed anywhere; in an office, a hallway, or outside a bedroom perhaps.  The fun part is making a functional door through the cabinets that is not apparent but can provide some utility and mystery in the home. 

In this case, the cabinets are installed at the top of a cantilevered, custom, handmade walnut staircase, but are also accessible to another room through a hidden doorway designed into the bookshelves.  The bookshelf design features floor to ceiling columns,  full caps and bases with adjustable shelves that are certain to be filled. 

On one side of the hidden door you see the bookshelves.  On the other side, the door face will match the design of the solid core doors used throughout the home. 

Feel free to e-mail me with your questions and comments.  I can be reached at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website www.natellihomes.com.

The weather this January and February has been unique to say the least.  We have had the predictable snow and windy cold days, but to have near 70 degrees this past Friday makes me think of summer.  For those who planned ahead, they will be enjoying a new pool and pool house this summer to combat the intense heat of August in metro DC. 

This project in Bethesda, MD, was planned last summer so we could coordinate the permits and begin construction in the fall.  Overall winter temperatures were pretty forgiving for construction so we made good progress.  The lot has some intense topography so retaining walls anchor the ends of the pool terrace.   At one end, the pool house masks the fact that the project is cut into an 8′ tall slope.  We used full masonry walls for the pool house to make it easy to clean and practically a maintenance-free structure.  The walls will have a stucco finish with tile and stone accents.   

A curvilinear concrete retaining wall with field-stone veneer levels the other end of the project and creates a lawn area adjacent to the pool for recreation and casual seating. You can see the stone masons taking advantage of the warm weather in the adjacent photo.  We will excavate the pool soon which fits between the pool house and the wall in the photo on the left.  The before and after images of this project will be dramatic so I’ll continue to share the progress as we get closer to completion.

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.NatelliHomes.com where you can find valuable coupons for the remainder of February.

Arguably the most important rooms in a home are the kitchen and family room.  Families tend to congregate, eat, play, laugh, argue, watch TV and use computers in these rooms.  Dining Rooms are used a couple of times a year and Living Rooms almost have no purpose at all.

For this property owner in Bethesda, like the vast majority in the Washington, D.C. metro area, they needed an affordable expansion of the kitchen, family room and breakfast room.  This project included a family room addition about 20 feet square that adjoined the kitchen and breakfast room.  The family room connects to the kitchen through an open counter-top and two cased openings as you can see in the adjacent photo.  The breakfast room is large enough to house a generous table and will include a wall-mounted TV and wireless computer connections.

This project is ready for the finishes.  The drywall has been installed and primed, the sub-floor has been screwed and prepped to receive the wood flooring and equally important, the home is clean and safe.  A clean project is a safe project.  The windows are ready to be trimmed with casing and stool – this project is ready to continue on its speedy schedule.  Check our posts in a week or two - I will be sure to include some photos of the completed cabinets and trim.

Feel free to e-mail me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.natellihomes.com.  We have valuable on-line coupons for kitchens, bathrooms and windows that will not be available for much longer.

Lots of people pause about renovating a home because they worry about how long it might take, interruptions to their family and perhaps the cost.  One of the easiest additions is over an existing garage.  If the existing home was constructed properly it should support the new living space.  There is a lot of foot-print to work with and the demolition is minimal.

In this project located in Potomac, MD, we removed the existing roof and had the new room built in a manner of a few weeks.  The Owners were concerned about disturbance during the forthcoming holidays, but good planning and project management got the job under roof well before the deadlines.

There is a lot of room over a garage.  A Master Suite with closets and a large bathroom will easily fit in the space.  Alternatively two bedrooms and a shared bath would work as well.  The living spaces can easily be enhanced with dormers and vaulted ceilings.  This is truly one of the most logical additions one can make if added bedroom space is a necessity.

The bottom line here is simple.  Don’t overlook the obvious.  There is easy inexpensive space over a garage.  I’ll talk about the inside improvements in a future post. 

Feel free to contact me at Bob@NatelliHomes.com or visit our website at www.NatelliHomes.com

Minimizing noise transmitted from various rooms is an often overlooked component of construction – whether a new home or a renovation.  Theaters, bathrooms, laundry rooms, family room and offices all emit a potentially significant amount of sound.  For the most part, home-owners hope to keep those sounds within each room and minimize the amount of sound that travels to other rooms.

The construction industry has a standard to measure the effectiveness of a wall partition or assembly in reducing sound transmission to an adjacent room.  The Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a numeric rating of the sound reduction for a given partition type.  In general, the higher the STC rating, the more noise or sound is eliminated from room to room.  For example a typical 2×4 wall with 1/2” drywall on both sides has an STC of approximately 25 – 30.  By simply adding batt insulation in the wall one can increase the STC rating of the wall by about 5 rating points to 30 – 35.

A 5 point change in an STC rating will be clearly noticeable. A 10 point change in an STC rating will drop the sound transmission through the wall by about one-half.

In sensitive areas, one should try to get an STC rating for a wall between 40 and 50.  An easy way to accomplish this uses a 2×6 wall plate and 2×4 wall studs staggered on each side of the wall. Fiberglass batt insulation is then woven through the staggered cavities of the wall studs.  This wall configuration, which is easy to construct with common framing materials and standard insulation, produces an STC rating close to 50.

Sound travels easily through the weaker structural elements like doors, windows and electrical outlets.  Builders should focus on ways to add additional insulation or separate the structural components wherever possible.

In one of my next posts, I’ll describe how to achieve a similar if not greater STC rating in a ceiling at very little cost.

I enjoy hearing from my readers.  Feel free to contact me at bob@natellihomes.com or visit our website at www.natellihomes.com