Isn't it a shame?

These lovely clients had an unexpected relocation and had to discontinue their design process with Visbeen Associates. Isn't it a shame that this house wasn't completed? We could complete it for you, you know!

Lansing Tour

The homes pictured above are all built in Lansing, MI. The first one, Mayfield, was built by Key Builders. The second home, Avonlea, was built by Jeff Segard (Grand Concept Homes) and the third, Pemberton, was built by Doug Sumner.

American Residential Design Awards

PRESS RELEASE: The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) announced the winners of the second annual American Residential Design Awards (ARDA) in Portland, Oregon, during a banquet held in conjunction with the AIBD 59^th National Convention at the Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront hotel, Saturday, July 11, 2009. The winners were chosen from over 100 proposed and finished projects submitted by 31 designers located in 17 different states and the District of Columbia.

Wayne E. Visbeen of Visbeen Associates, Inc., Grand Rapids, Michigan, won the prestigious 2009 ARDA Best in Show award.

The projects entered were the work of Certified Professional and Professional Members of the AIBD. Categories included, Working Drawings, Un-Built Designs, Multi-Family, Community Design, Published Designs, Sustainability, Renovations, Builder Models, Custom Luxury Home Designs, Best in Show and Designer’s Choice. Design Competition Chairperson, Michael Battaglia, was pleased with the event, “The entries were outstanding and the judges were impressed by the difficulty of choosing a winner in many of the categories.”

Bayside Residence

We do remodels, too!

Did you know that Visbeen Associates does remodels, too? We're designing increasingly more of them lately, but we have many in our history. Check out this home on Lake Michigan built by Surpass. As usual, here's a write up:

Shingle Style is as popular today as it was when it took the East Coast by storm during the 19^th century. Updated for modern living, this spacious design pays homage to the style’s rich history while tweaking it for today. Perfect down to the last detail, the charming cottage-style exterior features a porch designed for lazy days, copper trim accents, deep window boxes and a charming cupola with a copper weathervane atop the garage. There’s even an outdoor shower, perfect for hosing off after outdoor workouts or a day at the beach.

Inside, a spacious entry hall leads to the living room, which features storage-rich built-ins and classic beadboard paneling. A roomy kitchen features an eat-at island, while the nearby first-floor laundry and handy mudroom are ideal for a busy family. Also located on the first floor is the master bedroom and connecting home office, both of which allow for much-needed peace of mind and family organization.

Other highlights include two second-floor family bedrooms with multi-purpose loft space and a lower-level family and recreation area with convenient built-ins, an exercise area and spa-like bath.

Tutorial Thursday: What is a corbel?

Welcome to Tutorial Thursday! Today we're learning about corbels. What is a corbel, you might ask? Well, I'm sure you've seen them before. Possibly your home even has corbels, but you may not know what they are called. Here are some Visbeen Associates homes which feature corbels and a definition:

"A projecting block, sometimes carved or molded, that acts as a means of support for floor and roof beams as well as other structural members." Phillips, Steven J. Old-House Dictionary. Lakewood, Colorado: American Source Books, 1989.