Whispering Pines Designs

Furniture arrangement

As an interior designer, when I work on architectural drawings, I always consider spacial planning for furniture placement. It is important to understand just how big or small a room will be. As an additional service to my clients I will generate views of "furnished" rooms. Here is a recent example.

2 exterior options

My niece and her husband are building a new home in California. I have completed their design and they are currently waiting for building permits. This is a lengthy process in Northern California!

They were uncertain about the exterior colors and finishes. In order to help them make their decisions, I generated two options for them. This is a helpful way to assist homeowners in their decisions.

3D Drawings

In an effort to help clients understand designs I've created, I often provide them with 3D drawings. It is easier to see what is in my mind's eye if I can generate a view that gives the clients the ability to "walk through" the space. Here is an example of one of those drawings.

Software Upgrade

In spite of the downturn in the housing market, I found it necessary to upgrade my architectural design software program, SoftPlan. Version 14 just arrived and I am working to improve my proficiency using the new upgrade. The learning curve is steep, but I plan to spend time with it and conquer its difficulties in order to serve my clients even better in the new year.

Website

Whispering Pines Designs website is up and running. This blog will have more personalized information and stories, but it's great to be able to search the web for WPD and actually have a website to go to. Here's the link to the new site: www.whisperingpinesdesigns.com.

Legacy Website

Please visit our new website: http://www.legacybuilderswi.com

Nick & Liz Redesign

Here's a "sneak perview" of Nick & Liz's remodel....

Nick & Liz Shatek, Rebecca's brother & his wife, recently asked me to take a look at their existing house photos to see if I could come up with some redesign ideas. From the photos I determined the approximate size, roof pitch, shape, etc. and entered the info into my C.A.D. software. I drew a basic structure from the pictures and created a front elevation from my drawing. This gave me the canvas I needed to sketch out new details. Nick and I emailed back and forth with our ideas, and the house is currently being remodeled in Minnesota. Here is the original photo and the front elevation I created. This should give you an idea of what's possible with just adding a few creative details to update an existing home's curb appeal. Photos of the finished project will be added at a later date.

Lake House Design & Redesign

When a client came to me with an idea for a home on his lake property, he envisioned building it on the two adjoining lots he owned. He had a basic idea of the floor plan which took full advantage of the lake view. I completed the design and it was exactly what he was looking for. After careful consideration, he began to realize the size was just too large for his needs, and he decided to divide the property and build on just one of the lots.

The challenge was to redesign a smaller plan to fit within the setbacks of the single lot. He loved the overall style of my first design, so I decided the new house had to be similar in appearance and character of the original plan.

The end result is a 2,900 sq. foot. 3-story home. A "loft" was incorporated into the third floor for night-time stargazing. The house has a definite nautical appearance and truly suits the lifestyle of its homeowner.