On December 10th last year we opened the doors of the 2011 Black Tusk Design Home. Completed that fall we were ready to share the space, which the Homeowners have appropriately named the Bay House. It is all in the details and the final reveal demonstrates that beautifully. Even when you have designed the space, selected all the materials, colours and determined placement – that moment when it all comes together is wonderful. Lori’s sense style is throughout the home from thoughtfully placed décor items, family mementos & photos to creative and fun artwork and all the cozy things that make it Home.
Although the event was not heavily advertised, we were thrilled to greet just over 100 guests and well-wishers, from curious neighbours to others who had travelled from other parts of Ontario to spend a sunny fall afternoon at the Bay House.
The open house was a huge hit with our guests and we are still receiving wonderful comments on this lovely Home. We at Black Tusk want to extend a big thank you to Dave and Lori Bennett for sharing their new Home with everyone, as well as all those involved with Black Tusk to complete this vision.
The pictures will tell the story (click on the thumbnails to enlarge).
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To create the Bay House, numerous people and ideas came together at the right time and in the right place. Central to this process are the suppliers, who often contribute their own creativity in ways that might not be obvious at first glance.
Jason Holman of Clarksburg’s JTI Design supplied a material central to the Bay House’s interior design motif of “bringing the outside, in.” Holman’s choice of kiln-roasted maple, a relatively new product, gives the interior a refined burnish. “Bill and Barbara tend to get clients that will take chances and like to see something new,” Holman says. “So I pulled out a sample of the roasted maple and said, ‘What do you think of this?’ They liked it.” Along with apprentice A.J. Carter, Holman built the doors, panels, trim, cabinets, vanities and other interior detail of roasted maple. Apart from its beauty, this wood’s key feature is it needs only a clear-coat finish.
 Tom Macdonald of Macdonald’s Countrywide in Meaford was able to supply appliances for the Bay House that bucked the current trend toward stainless. “Bill and Barb came to us and said they were doing a concept house, really unique,” says Macdonald. “For the kitchen appliances they wanted something different from stainless and we had this line, Oiled Bronze from Jenn-Air.” Barbara realized the Oiled Bronze was a perfect match with the roasted maple cabinetry. “From there we just sharpened the pencil on price,” says Tom, “and made sure the specs worked.”
“I don’t know whether it’s karma or luck,” Tom Macdonald continues, “but Bill and Barb always seem to get such nice people to work with. We did the built-in Napoleon BBQ which was a nice surprise for the Bennetts. We deal with Napoleon because they’re made in Barrie and they have a lifetime warranty on their burners. Almost everyone here at Macdonalds Countrywide owns a Napoleon, so we know the performance.”
 Lighting and fixtures were another key component in the Bay House. Sarah Osburn of Collingwood’s Georgian Design Centre knew the house was anything but ordinary, and offered some appropriate choices. In the master bathroom, for example: “The freestanding bathtub,” she says, “is made of a rare volcanic limestone mixed with resin, making it a lightweight, highly insulated alternative to cast iron. The bathtub is not only a truly unique piece, but extremely comfortable as well – we made Barbara sit in it in our showroom to prove it – which isn’t always the case with luxury tubs.”
Sarah’s mother Helen Labelle, also at Georgian Design Centre, gave assistance with lighting. “Barb and Bill understand their clients,” says Labelle, “and always incorporate the homeowners’ ideas and visions.” Labelle describes some of the notable light features as “two dramatic clusters of pendants hanging over the kitchen island at various heights which set the mood and enhance the decor” and a “large fixture in the entrance which mixes texture and detail providing classic detail with a modern touch.”
Stay tuned for a longer article on the Design Home in the Fall/Holiday issue of Our Homes Southern Georgian Bay.
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As the Design Home nears completion, clients Lori and David Bennett sit down with Barbara and Bill for a discussion of the build. The four get on like old friends, laughing and reminiscing with wonder and satisfaction at the house they’ve created. It is a truly remarkable home in a truly remarkable place.
 The Bay House takes brilliant advantage of a smaller, densely treed lot. When you’re in the house looking out to the yard, you can see that the house is well situated to maximize the solar angles and provide brightness later in the day; it is also designed to give a feeling of spaciousness without overpowering the lot with a large structure.
Much of this success is due to the execution of Lori Bennett’s early idea to bring the outside, in. “It was evident early on that the trees were going to wrap around the house,” says Lori, “so I thought it would be complimentary to work in as many natural elements as possible.” David: “At 2884 sq. ft., it is not a huge house, but by bringing the outdoors in, it seemed to create a larger space. So our space seems bigger than the actual footprint.”
Lori and David began looking into buying a house in the region in 2008. When they couldn’t find the right one, they decided to build. Then they noticed a for-sale sign on a vacant lot in Thornbury.
“To find a lot in town that still looked like it was sitting out in the forest was pretty unique,” says Lori. “It was the location that sold us.” The lot was near the Bay, on a quiet street, but still walking or cycling distance from downtown.
Not long after buying the lot, David read about a Black Tusk build in a local magazine. “The article was about getting a high quality home into a smaller area,” he says. Lori adds: “We wanted to build something that would be manageable for us and not seem like a hotel with nobody in it.”
 Enter Black Tusk. Soon after the first meeting in December 2009, Bill sketched up a house plan. In fall 2010, construction began. The Bennetts had overseen house renovations before, but never a new build from the ground up. “We didn’t know what to expect,” says David. “But we didn’t have any stressful moments with Barb and Bill. They pieced it out nicely – they only gave us things that needed to be dealt with at that point in time, so we weren’t overwhelmed.” Lori adds: “They did all the legwork picking out materials, lights, carpet or paint and made it easy for us to say, ‘That’s the one.’”
Barbara: “It always started with an idea or a theme: a look, a picture. I’d ask, ‘What do you like about it? Is it the colour, the texture?’ And Lori would give me feedback. It’s worked very well.”
David adds that they placed a lot of trust in Black Tusk, and this was rewarded. “When ideas came up that might have sounded a little out there, we said, ‘OK: Let’s see where this takes us.’”
For example, Bill floated the idea of an interior wood wall to echo the wood of the kitchen cabinets. It wasn’t just any wood. It was roasted maple, a specialty of principal cabinetmaker Jason Holman of JTI Design, Clarksburg.
“We were having a hard time visualizing it,” says Lori. Dave, too, was initially a bit skeptical. “It’s going to be toasted, or roasted?,” he remembers wondering. “We couldn’t quite get our head around it, maybe because it was a new product. But Bill said, ‘Trust me on this one.’ And it all came together. It is a beautiful element.”
 Bill explains the importance of mutual trust. “If a client asks, ‘What does it look like?’ and it’s something brand-new like the roasted maple, we might not have an image to show. So you need to have trust to move forward.”
As the house nears completion, Lori reflects on the process. “We’re the type of people who like different things. If something is suggested to us, we won’t say we’re afraid that it is too different or too out there.” David: “We’ve enjoyed this very much. We’ve had fun, and shared some laughs back and forth. Would I do it again? Absolutely, in a heartbeat.” |
Thu 14 Jul 2011 | The Design Home's Final Steps. Meet The People Who Are Bringing It All Together. |
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The Build
The plan goes from paper to reality. Meet some of the trades who are making it happen.
The Black Tusk Design Home is taking its final shape. The clients already own a cottage and will use this house mostly in winter but it is not, design-wise, a ski chalet. Acknowledging its proximity to Georgian Bay, they have dubbed it the Bay House.
Exterior
In keeping with its smaller-is-better philosophy, the house sits well in the narrow, tree-edged lot and nothing feels cramped. Bill Brown: “We sited the house to take advantage of all this mature vegetation. These cedars have been here quite a while and there’s a real cost to try to replace that. So we skewed the design to take advantage of this privacy. We’re in the middle of Thornbury but you look into the backyard and you feel like you’re in the woods.”
On this sunny day in late June, foreman Adam Burk puts the finishing touches on the sliding pocket door out to the covered porch while stonemason David Campbell completes the chimney of the porch’s outdoor fireplace.
 “One of the things the client said was that the house had to fit into the streetscape but be somewhat unique,” says Bill. The earthy tones of the cedar shakes and Cape Cod siding are complimented by bravura trim detail like the curved “eyebrow” on the front of the house. This is the handiwork of lead carpenter Hugh Grafton of Sibbett Contracting. “Curved stuff is my specialty,” he says. “It’s like building a boat, basically. We made a template with two-by-fours on sheets of plywood.” Grafton used a similar design for the front porch entryway where the tongue-and-groove barrel-vaulted ceiling replicates the curve motif. I ask Grafton how he figures out such details, which are so central to the exterior optics. “First you build it in your head,” he says. “Bill and I went back and forth with the details. The porch barrel vault wasn’t really in the plan but sometimes details happen on the fly. I’ve got a little catalog of details up here [indicates his head] and Bill has his own little catalog.”
 Another man who knows his details is Adam Burk of Due North Custom Carpentry. As Black Tusk’s representative on site, Burk’s role is invaluable; with his top-to-bottom knowledge of the construction that began with framing, he can tell plumbing, mechanical and anyone else where they can (or can’t) go. “The design of the house is artful,” he says. “You can see the creative thought that’s been put into the footprint and how it sits on this small lot. It’s not overbearing.” Once completed and landscaped, the home and property will look as though they’ve always been here.
 Another key member of the trades team is David Campbell, a stonemason trained in the ancient tradition by his Scottish father. This time he’s not working with quarried stone – it just looks that way. The Pennsylvania Weatherledge Dutch Quality – when placed by a trained hand – can fool the untrained eye. “The only giveaway is when you get to the bottom and you see it hanging there, whereas real solid four-inch masonry would sit right on top of the foundation,” he says. A big part of the appeal of the Bay House is how it sits comfortably in its surroundings. One of the reasons for this, Campbell explains, is that the colour and texture match native stone such as Owen Sound ledgerock.
Interior
Barbara Patton understands the importance of conversations with the client and asking the key questions. When Barbara asked the client how she envisioned the interior, the client said: “I want to bring the outside, in.”
This theme is apparent on many levels. The back of the chimney is exposed along the interior west wall. The kitchen cabinets and part of the nearby wall are fashioned with local roasted maple (the wood is slow-roasted in a kiln, chemical-free). A live-edge ash tabletop forms a transition piece between the dining room and the living room. Bill adds, “The live-edge is part of bringing the outdoors in – it is more than a piece of wood, it is a part of a tree.”
The outside-in theme continues into the master bathroom, where a “wave wall” has just been installed. Barbara: “I was looking for a texture reminiscent of the Bay and I found it in Seattle, of all places.” The gypsum formed tiles are manufactured by Modular Arts. “It’s called ‘Dune’ but it reminded me of waves,” says Barbara. “As far as we know, this is the first residential installation in Canada.”
And so the build continues. Stay tuned for interviews with the clients.
Tour the Design Home. Coming October 2011!
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Sat 01 Jan 2011 | The Approach - The Black Tusk Raison d'être |
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Welcome to the fourth installment of the Black Tusk Design Home. We now focus exploring the layout of the building and flow of the space.
The Street Elevation articulates our vision. A 2880 sq. ft. home: with a story and a half design (the upper floor roof comes down to the eaves of the main floor). This home combines amazing functionality, privacy, comfortable spaces and unique entertaining areas with 4 fireplaces throughout, a main floor master and ensuite, 3 bedrooms/2 baths on the second level with a separate family room.
Exterior detailing pays homage to the area, using a combination of wood siding, stone detailing and timber accents, offering more contemporary elements than traditional with cleaner, simpler lines and crisp connections / transitions from space to space and from the interior to exterior living areas. With the garage and arrival at the front of the home, space progresses from public and functional (entry porch and hall, gear room, garage) to the somewhat more private space of an open concept living space. A unique Covered Porch accessible from the main Dining Area, welcomes guests and owners alike, combining timber accents and stone detailing.
The Plan
Let’s “tour’ the floorplan and see how the space reveals itself.
 The Entry area is large enough to be inviting yet not overwhelming in size. This is the transition between outside and inside, a place to decompress before moving into the main house. The ceiling is single story and comfortable yet the space is large enough to greet guests, take care of coats and boots, and give a hint of things to come. The Gallery, which connects the Gear Room / Laundry to the Garage as well as the Entry to the main living area is articulated with interior stone detailing, and a metal stair railing to the upper level. The ideal powder room is tucked out of view, near the Entry.
Walking through the Gallery the view gradually expands to take in the long view to the Great Room and Dining area (with views to the outdoors beyond). Entering this space the viewer will see the fireplace anchoring the far end of the Great Room and gradually reveal the Kitchen with its spectacular “roasted” maple cabinets. Only when you get into this space do you realize that there is an incredible Covered Porch, complete with its own wood fireplace, just off the Dining Area.
The Great Room has a soft vault to the ceiling and the floor drops down two steps. Both elements add volume to this space. Glass in this room is expansive and sliding terrace doors connects the space to the outdoors.
Special attention has been given to the main floor Master, which is slightly separated from the Gallery area. The Master Bath and Dressing Room help separate the bedroom further from the remaining house. The Master also has its own fireplace and gorgeous ensuite.
The functional Gear Room and laundry provide space for all the stuff an active family needs. Floors are heated for comfort and to dry melted snow. Natural light is plentiful. The adjoining oversized garage is insulated and heated.
The Upper Floor
 The three remaining bedrooms for children and guests are on the upper floor. The Guest Bedroom has partial views of Georgian Bay its own bathroom and is separated from the remaining bedrooms by the shared Family Room. This “hang-out” space has its own fireplace and is a wonderful and private alternative to the main Great Room downstairs. The children’s bedrooms are large enough to accommodate various bed configurations with excellent storage and a shared bath.
As the area has a high water table due to its proximity to Georgian Bay, no space was developed in the basement. This also allowed for better connection to the site as we could place floor heights exactly where needed without concern for light into the lower level.
All interior walls and floors have acoustic insulation to help deaden sound transfer. With a number of spaces to socialize or be private, this home will be equally inviting for a couple, a family, or a party!
The interior finishes will push the envelope again … more news to come soon! |
This is the third article in the series showcasing the design and construction process of creating the Black Tusk Design Home. It is a spectacular fall day as I write this, unseasonably warm, the anticipation and excitement of the change of seasons in the air and I am inspired.
Despite the uncertainty of the global economic upheavals, which have been moderated but not forgotten or necessarily behind us we find ourselves with a very busy design and construction schedule. Canadians, in general, have faired better then many and there seems to be a collective ‘let’s get on with it” approach to life.
For our clients this means getting back on track with plans for a new home in the Southern Georgian Bay area, and perhaps re-thinking its requirements: reevaluating what is important in life which aligns nicely with the values of the Smaller Better Built Home. Quality takes precedence over quantity. The importance of design that contributes to the enjoyment of our daily lives becomes more important. Details that simplify processes and reduce clutter (both physically and emotionally) have credibility. The added bonuses are that “smaller” equals less energy and maintenance costs over time, lower property taxes, and a lighter footprint on the planet.
The most common question is, “How small is smaller”? The difference is in the “er”. An active family of six that entertains each weekend simply requires more house then the couple looking for a private retreat. However both projects can embrace a Smaller Better Built ideal. The final size is a direct result of the individual needs and wishes of the owner combined with thoughtful design, and not just “we need X square feet.”
The Design Home
The Design Home project follows the real-time design and construction process of a home currently being built for one of our clients in Southern Georgian Bay. Project needs, goals, and budgets are realistic and not the result of a design or editorial team. The final look and feel will actually be a result of collaborating with the home owners to create the perfect home for their family.
The Brief
The design brief was straightforward. The home is a weekend getaway for a family of four. Overnight guests and entertaining would be a common occurrence. All members of the family are active and come with various gear and timetables. Each room (or area) was to include a creative feature or visual element that would align seamlessly with other rooms/spaces to form the overall design of the home.
The narrow building lot included a deep, heavily vegetated, south facing back yard. A connection to this space was critical. The overall appearance had to be somewhat unique, yet fit into the existing streetscape. The client’s intent is to keep the home for the foreseeable future so finishes, fixtures and fit out have to be of excellent quality, utilizing local artisans, trades and suppliers. While the owners will be actively participating in the creation of their new home as they have a wonderful sense of design, I can easily work within these parameters, giving me a lot of design freedom and flexibility, and a near perfect brief.
The Approach
In our next article, we will delve into dissecting the design brief, creating the overall approach in how to design a home for this active family of four. We look into specific site conditions, the use and flow of space, including our vision of what the layout of the home should be - including a few fabulous entertaining areas. The result is well, we shall see.
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Tue 01 Jun 2010 | The Art of Site Selection |
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It’s time to look at the physical site, one of the largest factors in determining the design of a home. In an of itself, it becomes one of the most important decisions when thinking about building or buying a home. Generally I look to explore 4 main areas when looking at a property: view, sun & overall orientation, slope and connection.
1) View
View is a big one and if you are fortunate enough to have a property with a “vista” then design elements will take their cue from the land. View corridors and building orientation are usually self-evident. Most urban lots however do not come with a view, but have other qualities that are important, such as location and proximity to amenities. But even sites without a view don’t have to be without a vision. “City gardens” can transform the most restrictive yards into an oasis. Consider all views, or creating one, when looking at your land.
Private spaces can be out in the open, taking full advantage of the views to the Bay.
Design by Jan Pratt – Landscape Architect
2) Sun & Overall Orientation
Sun and overall rientation affects all sites. Taking advantage of winter sun can warm our homes spiritually as well as physically. Summer sun angles can light different parts of the property then in winter. Day lighting (letting the sun into the home) becomes an important tool in the design process. Natural light warms interior colours & textures and reduces the use of electrical lighting. Thoughtful design of the home will restrict direct summer sun at the peak hours yet let in warming winter rays. Properly oriented windows can admit light and warmth (when wanted) as well as frame views and enable you to enjoy the sun rising or setting.
3) Slope
Slope determines many design elements from the dramatic (think of the Vandamme home in Hitchcock’s classic film North by Northwest) to the simple (how many steps to the front door). Sloped sites allow for more light and access into lower levels but usually cost a little more to develop. Flatter sites provide easy access to the land, but are visually less stimulating. Look for an area to create a private space to really feel like you are part of the landscape and experiencing all of the natural elements of the site.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the Seth Peterson Cottage in Wisconsin connects
seamlessly with the site.
4) Connection
Connection closely follows slope considerations. A steeply sloping yard allows for dramatic decks that could thrust out into the trees or view but would require stairs to connect to grade. The flatter version allows terraces that interweave with the landscape. Consider how you want to use the site and what relationship with it you wish to start. I love to wander through the garden with a glass of wine at the end of a work day, or sit and take in the view from the protection of a covered porch, both of which require an easy connection to the site.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s design of the Seth Peterson Cottage in
Wisconsin connects seamlessly with the site.
In Practice: The Idea Home Site
The site of the Black Tusk Design Home is in Thornbury ON, a small yet dynamic community on Georgian Bay and 25kms west of Collingwood. The property is “in town” and, although somewhat narrow, has substantial depth and existing mature vegetation. The rear yard faces south allowing for a private space with abundant sunlight. Views will be of the property itself so good landscaping design will be critical. The project will focus on creating a landscaped oasis for the homeowners. The property is quite flat so connection from decks to terraces will be excellent. A large covered porch (complete with fireplace) will overlook the rear gardens and terrace. The public face of the home fronts onto a beautiful quiet street, steps from Georgian Bay and a few blocks to the bustling downtown and it’s unique shops and restaurants. Adding vegetation to the front yard will help to create an arrival courtyard and somewhat screen the home from the street, increasing the sense of curiosity to what lies beyond.
In the first chapter of this series of articles we said “the focus of this project is Smaller Better Living and how thoughtful design, careful execution of construction, and attention to detail, can provide our homeowner with a beautiful home that, although smaller in size, provides all the amenities and qualities of the lifestyle they wish for”. For the Idea Home, we will take advantage of the existing vegetation on the property. Proper protection of these trees will help ensure they survive and contribute to the finished home. This vegetation will become a mature backdrop to the new landscaping to be completed. This gives us a kind of built in “savings” as a good portion of the property will require editing instead of planting from scratch. The remaining yards will focus on excellent design and use of quality materials, which will not only provide the homeowners with a beautiful view, but also years of service.
In upcoming articles we will follow the design and construction process at about 45 day intervals. We will next look at the design of the home, needs of the homeowner, community life, as well as construction challenges and techniques, sustainable building practices, interior décor and trends, and finally, reveal the finished home within the pages of Our Homes Magazine. So keep coming back to Our Homes to follow the Black Tusk Idea Home 2010/2011. Look for fresh ideas, inspiriing stories and great design tips. And, continue to look for additional features and resources to be added as the project comes to life. |
Sun 02 May 2010 | The Black Tusk Design Home 2010 / 2011 |
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Introducing the 2010/2011 Black Tusk Design Home in conjunction with Our Homes Magazine. Together we will explore the steps, theories, and realities of designing, building, and living in a new home to be built in the Southern Georgian Bay area. Through a series of articles posted on the Our Homes website we will look closely at the steps needed to turn a homeowner’s vision into reality.
The focus of this project is Smaller Better Living and how thoughtful design, careful execution of construction, and attention to detail, can provide our homeowner with a beautiful home that although smaller in size, provides all the amenities and qualities of the lifestyle they look for.
 The concept is simple, reduce the overall square footage of the proposed building through thoughtful design and attention to detail, and then re-invest the budget savings from using less material goods, to improve the quality of finishes within the home. Through this process we can;
- Improve the quality of living for the homeowner
- Transfer the construction costs from quantity to quality
- Reduce the impact on the environment
- Deliver a viable housing model for the homeowner that can lower ongoing energy costs, property taxes, and improve maintenance schedules
American author and Architect, Sarah Susanka captured these concepts in her ground breaking book The Not So Big House (Tauntan Press, 1998). Her writing, which has since gone on to become a mini publishing empire, re-ignited interest in building smaller better homes. We combine these principles with current technologies and conditions unique to the Southern Georgian Bay area and our client base which is primarily from the Greater Toronto area. Although they are here mainly on the weekend, this is an important aspect of their lives - their primary-secondary home.
Smaller Better Living and the Homeowner.
In the design process we work closely with the homeowner to clearly identify the qualities of home life that are important to their well being. We wrestle with each square foot of the home plan to ensure the best use of space, while still maintaining the design ‘flow’. Expanding interior site lines and bringing in natural light and views of the outdoors contribute and visually enlarge the home.
Simplifying the design doesn’t mean “dumbing it down”, in fact it can improve the overall design. Complex roof lines can create unnecessary busyness. We are experiencing a revival of some of the design principals of the past (Craftsman & Mid-century Modern). Typically these design principals are genuine in nature. Roof lines are simple and reflect the function of the building. Detailing can be complex yet not “ornate”. Building materials tend to be natural (stone, timber, wood siding). Covered porches are sized to actually function as outdoor living space and connect to the site. All of these elements can harmonize together and build a look and feel that is appropriate to the scale of the building.
 In the Smaller Better Living home the continuity of the design streamlines costs and design decisions. Natural materials, which appeal to our senses, can be more expensive then manufactured facsimiles so limiting the overall amounts of these materials required through careful design means that better products can be used and not extend a construction budget. This design theory repeats through the building process. Well organized Gear Rooms can be slightly smaller and the structural cost saving re-invested into quality, functional cabinetry and storage solutions. Creating a slightly larger walk-in closet can transform the closet into a Dressing Room and means extra furniture can be removed from the Master Bedroom, freeing up space and reducing visual clutter. A window seat added to a stair landing can create an entirely new ‘room’ yet only add 20 square feet to the home. In our own home we added a Pocket Office that holds everything from keys and cell phones (along with plugs for recharging), to incoming mail and household files. We know where to find things because they rarely make it past this drop-off point. The Pocket Office is simply a door-less closet facing the hallway connecting to the Gear Room to the kitchen and is fitted out with functional cabinetry designed specifically for these tasks.
Smaller is a relative term that means different things to different people however the concepts can be applied to any new project. A client that might have thought they and their family needed 4500 sq. ft. could be perfectly comfortable in 3800 sq.ft. My brother who just saw his youngest graduate from college, has asked me to sketch up some concepts around a 1400 sq.ft. home. He is looking for a space that truly reflects his needs, yet he doesn’t want to give up the quality of life he has become accustomed to.
An additional benefit is that quality finishes and fixtures tend to perform better and last longer. This helps reduce the need to replace items due to premature wear or breakage. The weekend can be spent enjoying what the area has to offer and not trying to convince the plumber to give up their free time to come replace your kitchen tap.
If we all had limitless construction budgets every home would be fitted out with top quality finishes and fixtures. Through Smaller Better Living, we can improve the day to day home experience and still keep budgets in line, all the while helping contribute to sustainable building practices.
In upcoming articles we will follow the design and construction process at about 45 day intervals. We will look at; site selection and the parameters to be considered, design of the home, needs of the homeowner, community life as well as construction challenges and techniques, sustainable building practices, interior décor and trends, and of course reveal the finished home within the pages of Our Homes Magazine. So keep coming back to Our Homes to follow the Black Tusk Design Home 2010/2011, and look for additional features and resources to be added as the project unfolds. |
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