Rich in History

Jacklyn Hall in Somerset Virginia is a very original and rare example of a well documented pre-civil war home with amazing views of the Blue Ridge mountains and over 300 acres of rolling fields stretching in all directions. Many features remain untouched from its original construction in the early 1800’s. These classic homes offer a great opportunity to restore and expand to include all the features of the newer home while retaining the charm and romance of nearly 200 years of history. For this home, currently offered for sale by Gayle Harvey, a real estate professional in Charlottesville, we prepared measured drawings and researched the documents and archives to fully understand its potential. Whether a blended addition, new home design or historic home such as Jacklyn Hall, our goal is to create the feeling of timeless style that endures trends.

Jacklyn Hall as it exists today

Current foyer

Original foyer

Computer Showroom

Kitchen showrooms are going the way of pagers and video stores as the new trend in cabinet design is relying more on computer imaging.  This recent project in Madison Virginia demonstrates how closely our models reflect the finished space and why the limited showroom displays cannot keep pace with the endless and evolving trends in kitchen design.

Computer image:

Completed kitchen photo:

Store Restoration

We want to congratulate John and Melissa on the Grand Opening of the Maple Shop after an extensive restoration. Both the interior and exterior were designed to optimize their products and services. The finished store you see below is a great example of how architecture can strategically support, echo and elevate a business’s advertising. If you’re looking to remodel or customize your space, come to Main Street in Chester!

Gas Lanterns

Gas lighting is a subtle way to add romance to your home and is complimentary to a wide variety of architectural styles. The copper fixtures shown here have been hand made by Bevelo Lighting in New Orleans, LA, who offer both gas and electric versions of most designs. The gas fixtures provide a lower light level perfect for evening ambiance, but in situations where more light is needed, the electric fixtures can be the ideal balance. These details can be a surprisingly affordable way to make your home an even more special place.

Lake House Addition

The wrap-around porch & outdoor shower were added to this lake front home in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey, just in time for the warm weather.  

A Little Extra Craftsmanship Goes A Long Way

Ceiling medallions make a great accent for light fixtures of all styles. Hollow plastic designs are seen at every home center these days, but real plaster designs offer so much more style and selection, plus they are surprisingly affordable. This piece below was sourced from Lorna Kollmeyer Ornamental Plaster in San Francisco, where the crafting of authentic horse-hair plaster trims is still an art and clearly a passion. Check out other styles on her website: http://www.lornakollmeyer.com

Maximizing Space via Mudroom

Mudrooms are becoming popular spaces for many homes these days and built-in cabinetry can take them so much farther than a simple closet.  Rods behind closed doors and extra drawers create more function and organization in less space.

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Project Update: Roxbury Smiles

Local approvals were granted this past January to begin dramatic exterior renovations on the building formally occupied by Morris County Pet Supply (Route 10 & Hillside Avenue, Roxbury, NJ).  The building is being converted into orthodontic offices with future tenant space, and interior renovations are nearing completion. The offices should be open for business in mid-February, and once the weather warms, the transformation of the building exterior and site should begin.  Check out the new website for more information: RoxburySmiles.com

Happy New Year!

Meet the Byrne Design Associates team! From left to right:
William Byrne, Margaret Byrne, Jaime Byrne, Michael Byrne, Deborah Heffter, and Robert Purner

Painted Floors

Design Tip: Painted pine floors are a great way to add a vintage touch to kitchens and bathrooms.  It's a nice opportunity to insert color into a room and this technique works well with both stained or painted cabinetry.

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Designing Kosher Kitchens

Below are two kosher kitchen designs utilizing Plain & Fancy custom cabinetry to accommodate religious traditions. Both include 2 sink areas with dishwashers for meat and dairy needs. Special attention was given to storage for the respective dishes, pots and pans, cooking tools and silverware that are meant to be separate. In Design #1 kitchen space for dedicated Passover use was created in the walk-in pantry. Design #2 has 2 separate pantry areas for meat and dairy.

Kitchen Design #1

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Kitchen Design #2

Cast Concrete: A Cost-Effective Solution

Good design hinges on blending traditional details with cost effectiveness. When designing projects, the selection of the materials is key to meeting clients' aesthetic tastes and budgets. Take this Mansion Reconstruction in Mendham, New Jersey: stone exterior columns were costly, and wood exterior columns presented issues such as high maintenance and shorter life span. We therefore elected a modern material - cast concrete - manufactured by Concrete Designs, Inc. The cast concrete provides all the benefits of stone columns at a much more reasonable cost, and its look matched the mansion's original structures (top). Cast concrete via Concrete Designs, Inc. was also used for the mantle in the music room (bottom). You can see how expertly it blends with the period pieces and original structures. 

Black River Veterinary Hospital Open House

Today, I had the pleasure of attending the grand opening of Dr. Doug Tack's Black River Veterinary Hospital in Chester, NJ. Last November, Doug & I began designing his new clinic, and today's open house was the perfect celebration of his hard work, patience, and vision. Thank you to BRVH for inviting Byrne Design Associates into your space to showcase our architectural design project. At our table, we displayed the concept drawing, preliminary sketch, and color rendering, along with a slideshow that documented the 10 months of construction. It was great to meet your wonderful clients, staff, and vendors! Well done & thank you!

Byrne Design Associates' display table at the BRVH Open House

Dr. Doug Tack, Sue Tack, and Bill Byrne

Jamie Bryne, registering at one of the many exciting vendor raffles

Blended Addition

This homeowner contacted us to add a garage and breezeway that leads to the family area. To do so, we copied the pitches of the front gables, and blended the material of the siding and roofing to match the original structure. After modeling a two-car garage, it became clear that a one-car garage would both keep in scale with the home and the surrounding neighborhood. 

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ReSalvaged Materials

Green building is on everyone's list today, but efficiency in a home's performance is not the only way to build green. Enduring styles and elements taken from the past can really play a part in new homes and renovations, as they have in this New Old House in Central Virginia. The newel post were removed from an original farmhouse and as is so often the case, the heights did not allow for railings which met today's building codes. To remedy this problem, the base of the posts were removed and replaced with matching profiles that were extended to allow for the new application.  They were also stripped of years of paint and varnish at a furniture refinisher prior to installation, which will hold up for the next 100 years of their life. 

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Before

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After

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After