Outdoor Living Spaces

With summer rapidly approaching (at least according to the calendar) it may be time to spruce up your outdoor entertaining spaces to prepare for guests. From the warm summer nights to the scorching hot sunny days, outdoor living can be designed to accommodate both. Outdoor living spaces can be designed to have multi functions making them the perfect addition to any home.  

If you do not already have an outdoor living space these projects by Visbeen Architects may be enough inspiration to help you start the design process. 

1. An outdoor kitchen or bar allows you to enjoy the outdoors while preparing dinner and serving and keeps the mess out of the house. 

2. Designed to take advantage of cross breezes these outdoor living spaces provide a comfortable shaded space for the hot summer days.

3. This large outdoor space can serve as both a private and family living for entertaining or something a little more private.

Via. Wayne C. Moore  

4. A screened in porch can be used as a three season porch for an indoor and outdoor feel. 

Versace Mansion

If you have been to Miami it is very likely that you have seen the Versace Mansion. Former home to fashion designer Gianni Versace, this mansion sold for $41.5 million. Located in South Beach Miami, this iconic home now serves as a boutique hotel for Miami visitors that are willing to spend a pretty penny. 

Originally known as Casa Casuarina, this Miami mansion was designed by architect, philosopher and designer, Alden Freeman and was built in 1930. He modeled the home where Christopher Columbus's family lived, "Alcazar de Colon". This home is not only known for its historical roots, prime location and famous murder, but it is also known around the world for its elegance, style and attention to detail that can be seen in every room. 

We were fortunate enough to be able to step inside and see for ourselves this beautiful historical mansion for ourselves. 

Did you know:  The pool in the Versace Mansion is decorated with mosaic tiling and lined with 24 karat gold. 

Grand Rapids Lake Home & Cottage Show

We exhibited at the Grand Rapids Lake Home & Cottage Show at the end of March. In addition  to our booth we ran a fundraiser for the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. We had coloring pages of our home designs created for children to color while their parents were visiting our booth. We had a great turn out and a lot of creative kids visited the booth, we may have a few young architects and designers in the making!

The money raised went to provide lodging and gas reimbursement for a family while their child was a patient at the Children's Hospital. Thank you all for supporting kids!

To make things a little more exciting we had a competition for the homes colored by the kids. The best home coloring pages were selected to win a puzzle created with a Visbeen Architects home design. You can see the winners and some of the kids in action!

 

And our design contact winners of the 4 different age groups.

We hope you stop by our booth next year!

Fairytale Cottages

When I think about a fairytale cottage the first thing that comes to mind is Hansel & Gretel and the candy cottage that belongs to the witch. Or I imagine Snow White & the seven dwarves living in their humble 2 room abode. Who wouldn't want to see these fairytale homes come to life? Lucky enough they have! 

The fairytale homes have come to life in these miniature modern day designs. From a picturesque garden design to a pint sized victorian these cottages are all unique in their own way. Many of these designs feature stone facades and thatched roofs giving them all of the charm of the fairytale homes we know and love.
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in a Hobbit hole, a multilevel tree house or in a seashell you could simply ask the owners of these unique homes from around the world. Dream

These whimsical cottages designed by Visbeen Architects may not be in the shape of a seashell but they do not lack for charm.

 

Thermador - BHS Experience

A couple weeks ago we had an opportunity to experience Thermador, a leading provider of high-end kitchen appliances, which is a featured supplier in The New American Home of the International Builders Show.

"The BSH Experience & Design Center in Irvine, California is designed to: INSPIRE homemakers, designers, builders and home chefs on options for beautiful new kitchen designs; EDUCATE them on the quality & performance that makes Bosch, Thermador and Gaggenau among the most prestigious portfolio of appliances in the industry: TEMPT through culinary creativity; and ultimately, and ENRICH the total cooking & kitchen experience. Our luxury facility has an equivalent of 18+ kitchen vignettes – many of which are “live” for demonstration purposes that will turn kitchen aspirations into reality. Although clients are welcome to walk-in during business hours, it’s always recommended that visitors call ahead for an appointment to ensure we can provide the most valuable experience possible."

The showroom featured many innovative appliances that can be found in a "chefs kitchen". Knowing what new, high-end, appliances are on the market is helpful when designing custom kitchens for clients. 

After touring the show room everyone came together in the kitchen to prepare appetizers for the group. This was a great opportunity to get a feel for the product and see first hand the quality you can expect with these Thermador appliances. 

The Cable House

While working out of the Chicago office last week we came across a bit of history while walking around downtown. The Cable House has been preserved and is an architectural landmark in downtown Chicago. Built for Ransom R. Cable, president of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway Company, "this is one of the few remaining structures that illustrate the original elite residential character or the area. The home was designed by architects, Cobb & Frost, reflecting the Richardsonian Romanesque style in 1886. Common features of this style are heavy, rough-cut stone, round arches & squat columns, deeply recessed windows and pressed metal bays and turrets. This architectural design trend lasted until the late 1890's. 

Spring Break: Palmetto Bluff

It is that time of year when everyone seems to be traveling to a warmer location. Where will you be traveling to? 

Seeking a relaxing vacation away from the never ending winter in the midwest, Ted and Kathy Linn chose South Carolina as their spring break destination. Staying in the beautiful waterfront community in Palmetto Bluff South Carolina, they came across some of our projects in all of their southern charm and snapped a few photos. 

The Laurel, winner of Best in the South Atlantic Region, is one many of you may be familiar with now if you have been following our blog. 

 Along with the familiar face of the Laurel, they found a couple other projects that have been in the works and are set to be ready for their glamour shots this summer to capture the beauty of Palmetto Bluff.

Some finishing electrical touches are going into our Williamsburg design.

A few finishing touches in the interior and our Georgetown design will be completed as well

 

Durring their stay they had lunch at a local favorite, Buffalo's. "If you ever travel to South Carolina eat at Buffalo's, the sweet potato fries are amazing" 

Detroit Home Design Awards

The winners of the Detroit Home Design Awards were announced and we are proud to say that we brought home 3 of those awards!

The Hasserton won third in the Contemporary Architecture over 4,000 square feet category. This design is a sleek take on the waterfront home. This multi-level design exudes modern chic as well as the comfort of a family cottage.

The Laurel brought home first place for the Traditional Architecture Under 4,000 square feet category. This award winning design required a rigorous lesson in southern architectural vernacular. To take advantage of cross breezes, the home was designed with 3 covered porches. one partially covered courtyard, and one screened porch, all accessed by way of French doors and extra tall double-hung windows. 

The Heartsworth placed third in the Traditional Architecture over 4,000 square feet category. With a unique combination of stone, siding, and custom windows, this Craftsman-inspired design as plenty of charm.