Portfolio V12I1: White Box Meets Modernism by Timberlake Cabinetry

A showcAse of design ideAs from timberlAke cAbinetry

volume 12, issue 1 // februAry 2012 // $5

portfolio 2012 for product specific information, see portfolio resources on page 41

page03Simply IrresistibleContemporary look complements contemporary lifestyle.

page12How to Phil a Home with IdeasPhil the architect and Phil the contractor.

page21Artful LivingLike all masterpieces, this one started with seeing the world through new eyes.

page27Urban Infill Fills a Growing NeedCities cater to lifestyles desired by more and more people.

page3In the Director’s Chair: Tucker BernardLights, Hammer… Action!

page40An Historic TownWinter Park, FloridaA well-preserved walk down memory lane.

page02Opposites Attract: The New Unity

Timberlake welcomes you to The New American Home 2012.

page09White Box Meets Modernism

The ins and outs of the architecture.

page15Outdoor Beauty, Inner Joy

Living takes on new dimensions when indoors and outdoors blend.

page25Green from the word Go

Eco-smart design is a matter of knowing the essentials.

page32Installing Satisfaction

The practices that make for on-time and complete perfection.

page35A Home for Entertaining

A margarita and a dip in the pool.

page42Portfolio® Resources

Use this as a quick reference to the cabinetry and accessories used throughout the 2012 New American Home.

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Have you ever noticed how bringing together two very different things helps you better

appreciate the beauty of each one? A bright white star against a black night sky? The snap of a bass with a jazz piano?

T hat sense of contrast—and the surprising unity it creates—is the remarkable power of The

New American Home 2012. Consider just a few. Architecture that looks back to the 50s with a style that’s unabashedly contemporary. A bigger living space within a smaller footprint. An indoor haven and an outdoor paradise. Black and white, glass and chrome, high technology and the highest level of green building, brings it all together with a new sense of possibility. The creative mind of the archi-tect and builder, Phil Kean, will inspire many ideas of your own.

You’ll also discover room after room of custom-look cabinetry used in simple, yet extraordinary ways – sleek cabinets transformed into hidden doors, con-temporary vanities, floating designs, and more.

For only a few days in February, attendees at the International Builders’ Show have a chance to walk through this incredible home. With Portfolio maga-zine, the open house never closes! We’ve filled these pages with photos, stories, ideas and inspiration you can visit any time.

We take great pride in being part of The New Ameri-can Home team. We’re members and active support-ers of the Leading Suppliers Council, a committee of the National Association of Home Builders. This home is just one of the many important things they do to support the homebuilding community.

Now, I invite you to enjoy the intriguing diversity of ideas—and how they all come together.

Laura-Jo Boynton, Editorial Director

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opposites attract:the new unityTimberlake welcomes you to The New American Home 2012

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scan this tag to learn more about past new american homes.

get the free mobile tag reader app at: http://gettag.mobi

simply Irresistible

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Wherever color was used—as with a clas-sic modern orange chair upstairs—it was “intended to be used as sculpture, even though it’s furniture.” Turner says the key is “less is more, but every piece matters, and it must all work together.”

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a contemporary look comple-ments contemporary lifestyle

The goal of every New American Home project is to showcase innovative construction techniques, de-sign trends, materials and products. While the 2012 New American Home achieves these goals, and does so splendidly, this year’s New American Home also showcases something that past homes have not: a world-class art collection in its art gallery. According to Phil Kean, co-owner of Phil Kean Designs, and ar-chitect and builder of the home, part of the challenge

“was in designing a house that has a gallery with mu-seum-quality artwork, and still have it be warm, real and livable.” By all accounts, Kean and his team more than delivered on all of these counts, which Kean says was achieved from a design standpoint “through colors, details and textures.”

Kean describes the style of the home as “white box meets modernism.” With one look at the house, there’s no mistaking its style: it’s contemporary through and through. First, there’s the modern look of the stone façade. The stone is then carried into the house, adorning a 16-foot high wall in the art gallery, and it’s also used on one wall of the courtyard. In-terior designer on the 2012 New American Home, Rob Turner of PKD Studio, LLC, chimes in about the stone: “It’s very much a white modern box, but there’s also this wonderful texture of stone that trav-els from the outside to the inside. It doesn’t feel like you’re walking into a museum. It doesn’t feel stark.”

The color scheme was carefully chosen: a simple light and dark concept, which supports the con-temporary feel. Kean notes that this “black and white” approach enabled him to use products con-tributed from the New American Home manufac-turer partners in a cohesive way. Turner describes the color palette as simple, with some nuance. “It’s composed of warm white, warm grey, charcoals and black. That’s all,” says Turner. “When you add the art to the space, that’s where the color is.” Turner notes that wherever color was selectively used—as with a classic modern orange chair upstairs—it was

“intended to be used as sculpture, even though it’s furniture.” Turner says the key is “less is more, but every piece matters, and it must all work together.”

There are virtually no moldings throughout the house, which underscores the home’s clean lines.

“When you do a house with almost no moldings” says Kean, “the craftsmanship comes more into play.” Actually, his approach to the entire house is this extremely close attention to detail. He adds,

“In a house like this, the lighting, the color, the tex-ture, the reflections—all of that matters—even the sounds and the smells.” Especially with contempo-

rary design, Kean explains, it’s often about restraint and control. He stresses the importance of “the editing moment,” when what you leave out can be as important as what you put in. And proportions, in Kean’s opinion, are what make for a successful contemporary.

The cabinetry chosen for the house features un-adorned styling and was used for its contemporary aesthetic. Throughout the main sections of the home, Timberlake’s Lausanne door features a dark maple Espresso finish. Timberlake’s New Haven Maple Linen was used in the studio and master bath. The cabinetry throughout incorporated some unique ap-plications. “We pushed the envelope with the cabi-netry,” says Kean. This translated to floating vanities, floating side tables, a solid wall of cabinets placed in a grid pattern, and no moldings, which added a degree of difficulty to the installation. Timberlake Design-er for the home, Tracey Burrell-Combs, says about the moldings: “I knew I had to keep it clean lined and avoid excess ornamentation.” Kean says about the process: “We had to create six-inch bands that kind of picture frame the cabinets because there is no molding. All of these things were challenges, but Timberlake figured them out. They made it work.”

as livable as it is lovely

While the house is obviously show quality, and very contemporary, it’s also warm, not cold, and it doesn’t stifle modern lifestyles. On the contrary, Brad Grosberg, co-owner of Phil Kean Designs, says, “We attempted to create what people are look-ing for today, and what people are going to be look-ing for down the road, which is a little bit smaller, a little higher detail, with lots of the creature com-forts that make you enjoy your time at the house.”

The first-impression “wow factor” of the home belies its practicality, evidence that throughout the entire process, there was always an eye to how people want to live, and what they’re looking for to serve their lifestyles. Kean sees a trend toward people being willing to give up square footage for details. He often hears the statement from prospective buyers that they “Don’t want a room they can’t use.” Or,

“These details are my non-negotiables.” With young-er buyers in particular, they would rather have a smaller home, but not give up amenities. This trend is also common with the older generation who may be downsizing, but wants to maintain a certain life-style to which they’ve become accustomed.

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At 4,181 square feet, the 2012 New American Home may be on the smaller side compared to re-cent New American Homes, but it packs a punch when it comes to features that today’s consumers are looking for. “Just because a house is beauti-ful,” says Kean, “people do live here.” And not just people…the home also makes man’s best friend feel welcome with a doggie door, a run, and an area to wash a dog. The semi-mud room, where the canine accoutrements reside, also offers a washer and dryer, built-ins and a bench for day-to-day convenience.

To accommodate today’s telecommuter trend, the house features a home office equipped for two. Low-line cabinets in the office form a credenza behind the desk, while parallel shelving above creates more space to display artwork.

A workout room with three exterior glass walls sports a fabulous view, and supports the movement toward healthier lifestyles—complete with an exte-rior yoga deck. Being that the master is on the second floor, Kean included an elevator in the house, which is clad in stone, and offers the ultimate accessibility.

In addition to the actual art gallery, there’s an art studio with exterior access, which creates the perfect dedicated space to foster serious artistic endeavors or casual hobbyist activities. The studio can also be converted to a bedroom, adding flexibility as needed.

When it comes to technology, which is now a high priority for homebuyers, according to Kean, the house is “incredibly technology equipped,” with a whole-house technology system so sophisticated that it caused him to dub it “The Brilliant Home.”

“It’s amazing,” says Kean. “The house is set up on an iPad/iPhone system, so you could be anywhere in the world and check on your house.” Kean rattles off a long list of cutting edge technology features, including cameras for security; phantom motorized screens with solar sensors that will go up or down automatically as the light changes throughout the day; automated interior shades; dimming modules; a whole-house Pandora music system; solar photo-voltaic to generate energy; and energy usage track-ing. The living area has a drop-down media screen, with motorized phantom “blackout” screens on the windows that can be lowered to create the perfect viewing environment any time of day.

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Office

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CEDIA, which stands for Custom Electronic Design Installation Association, was called in to coordinate efforts for the home technology design. Peter Shipp, Principal of CEDIA member Architectural Elec-tronics, Inc., was closely involved in the process. “In keeping with the modern design and clean lines of the home,” says Shipp, “we had to make sure that the tech-nology is not visible, that it’s all hidden.” For example, the loft contains a complete surround sound system with a hidden display panel that pops up, which was designed to fit the space.

Kean is blown away by the system, and modestly says with a chuckle, “Now the house is brilliant, and we’re just smart.”

Kean may have christened the house “brilliant” based on technology, but there are a multitude of ways that its brilliance shines through—from its aesthetic design, to its practical lifestyle features, to its mix of beauty and warmth—it outdoes itself, contemporarily speaking.

Outdoor Dog Shower

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When you ask Phil Kean what inspired the design of the 2012 New American Home, he first talks about looking backward, and find-ing inspiration from the architecture of the 1950s and ‘60s.

T he home is a reinterpretation of the Classic White Box, which architects such as Richard Meier and

Le Corbusier were doing at that time. Kean says the house is also reminiscent of Sarasota School of Archi-tecture’s philosophy in the ‘60s. “This was before there was a lot of air conditioning in Florida,” says Kean, “so indoor/outdoor was important.” Kean found that to be intriguing, so that’s where he started: with modern thoughts of broad overhangs, and terraces, and rooms that blend the indoors and outdoors.

Although the past informs the present, Kean was looking forward to taking advantage of current technologies and design trends. To fully explore the melding of inside and out, the glass was one of the key influences in the design of the house. The struc-ture is literally designed around the glass to accom-modate floor-to-ceiling glass panels and doors.

Project Manager of the New American Home, Alex Hannigan, says the windows cater to consumers’ de-sire for this feature. “There’s a great expansive view,” says Hannigan, “and that’s important in the more modern architectural aspect of this home’s design.”

The cabinetry used in the home was chosen because of its simplicity. Phil comments that the cabinetry is “kind of like the ‘50s and ‘60s, when a carpen-ter would come to the house and actually construct the cabinetry right there.” That’s the look that was achieved using Timberlake cabinetry, which, while not custom, has the look of custom because of the unusual applications in this house. For instance, one solid wall of cabinets, set in a grid pattern, not only emphasizes the architecture, it actually

helps to create it. Kean thinks that “people will be surprised that it’s a stock cabinet.” The cabinetry through most of the house is finished with a dark espresso color. “This rich, almost black, tone gets pulled into this White Box, and it warms up the whole house. It’s a really good blend.”

The exception was that Kean used white finishes on the bathroom cabinetry to ensure that the look will not quickly become dated. The floating cabinets in the master bath are surrounded by classic white marble, with under-cabinet lighting that further gives the vanity even more of a feeling of “floating.”

Another primary architectural feature of the home is the modern look of its stone exterior. Phil Kean and Brad Grosberg had a vision of what they wanted for the stone, but it did not exist. So, they worked with Environmental Stoneworks to manufacture a com-pletely new stone for this house. The process included studying photos of a variety of stone used in the ‘50s and ‘60s. The result was white stone with some color variation, installed with white grout in a linear pattern.

The interior floating, scissor-type stairs are another interesting architectural element, which came out of a design solution alternative when the original invisible stair concept planned was too steep for the budget. “We wanted a very minimal stair,” says Kean,

“and we wanted to be able to see through the stair, to the outside, the exterior landscape.” The material on the stairs is the same as on the floors—a natural limestone that looks almost like wood when it’s in-stalled—so the stair looks like an extension of the flooring material as it moves up to the second floor.

Kean stresses that the style of the home has a time-lessness, and he feels strongly that it will hold its timelessness. “People have commented that this house could be anywhere—it has an international style that would appeal to people from around the world. It has a sexiness to it.” Kean laughs. “It makes you want to have a martini and listen to Frank Sina-tra. Or have a margarita and sit by the water. It takes you somewhere other than where you are.”

And yet, this incredible house seems perfectly at home right where it stands.

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The ins and outs of the architecture

white box meets modernism


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Phil Kean (Right) architect and contractor

Brad Grosberg (Left)co-principal of phil kean designs

PhilThe home delivers the wow factor of a first impression, followed by detail after detail of astonishing style, innovation and functionality.

T he goal was to take it to the next level,” says Brad Grosberg, fellow principal in Phil Kean

Designs. “Everybody that’s seen the house so far says that Phil accomplished it.”

Kean’s talent is uniquely suited for this year’s home, designed as a perfect little gem in a Winter Park, Flor-ida, infill neighborhood near Lake Osceola. At 4,181 square feet, it’s the smallest New American Home in many years. And Kean makes every inch count. The clean, contemporary design is open and airy, expand-ing the space by blurring the lines between indoors and outdoors—a signature trait. Yet, the white box design is invitingly warmed with color, faceted with personal-ity, and polished with the unexpected.

How does Kean bring such broad vision to the proj-ect? He is both the architect and contractor for the home—a first for The New American Home proj-ect, but not for Phil. The president of Winter Park, Florida’s Phil Kean Designs is both a licensed ar-chitect and a certified residential contractor, and he takes on that dual role for most of his clients.

“I consider myself unique because I get to design and build,” says Kean. “I do a 3-D model in CAD,” he says, but then he colors outside the lines in an or-ganic process. “Afterwards, I hand-sketch the home to think through the visual spaces and details.”

When Phil the architect’s work is complete, Phil the contractor is just getting started. “If you think you have all answers when you’ve finished the blueprints, you’re missing out on opportunities to do something better. As you walk through a home, you tweak things, see a way it could be better,” he says. That passionate pursuit of perfection doesn’t apply just to The New American Home. “I do this with all my houses. I don’t charge my clients for change orders. If you’ll be comfortable with changes, I promise I’ll make the house better.”

born for the project

You might say that Kean was born for this career. His father was a builder. “He used to take me to the jobsite as a kid. At age seven, I would unroll the blueprints, find the walls and think in 3-D.” By age eleven, he’d decided to become an architect.

Adding the contractor moniker was borne of frus-tration. “When started, I was doing design for other people. I got frustrated with contractors ‘value-building’ the best parts out of my house designs.” A builder friend suggested Phil should do his own construction. Problem solved. “I got my contractor’s license and worked with a builder for several years. We’d design and build them together.” Eventually, Phil went out on his own, and today Phil Kean De-signs’ architecture, design and interiors team works nationally and internationally.

ideas are for everyone

What are the defining characteristics of this year’s showcase? Ideas that are accessible to all designers and builders lead the list.

“People are mesmerized by inside-outside lifestyle. The floor to ceiling windows, the glass, is a major design element,” he says. “They could be anywhere in the world. It has a whole feeling of being some-place else.” Two visitors’ reactions illuminate the point. “A guy from Germany came through and said this house could be there. Another said it could be in South Africa. It has an international style with appeal to people all around the world.”

And the list of don’t-miss features continues. “The hidden doors incorporated in the pantry,” he says of the virtually invisible spaces tucked into the walls.

“People will love the stairs, too,” he adds about the floating scissor stairs, artfully lighted. “And we did a beautiful bar back for the entertaining area, just phenomenal—subtle and beautiful.”

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how to Phil a home with ideasEqual parts creative juggernaut and poised perfectionist, Phil Kean has created The New American Home as a true reflection of his personality

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What are other favorite elements? “The art gallery is world class. They’ll be thrilled about the flooring. People will love the openness of the kitchen, and the cabinetry is gorgeous,” he continues. “We took Tim-berlake’s stock cabinets and turned it into a custom look.” A grid pattern created by cabinets, combined with doors used like paneling, creates long, rich wood walls connecting living spaces. “It’s amazing!” he raves.

so good, so green

The National Green Building Standard Emerald Status is another point of pride. Phil is a Certified Green Professional and member of the Florida Green Building Coalition and U.S. Green Building Council. It’s a commitment the company has had since its be-ginning, and Kean sees it as a market benefit. “One of the non-negotiable things I’m finding with homebuy-ers is a desire for green. You don’t have to talk them into it; they come wanting it,” he assures.

Every design element about the home carries a per-sonal feel as well. That’s because Phil owned the property where The New American Home now sits. He had plans to build a showcase home for his own company and perhaps live in it himself for a time. Then the call came from National Association of Home Builders. They needed a new contractor for the 2012 home. “I had contacted the NAHB about my interest last year, but everything was already in place. When the original plans fell through, they re-membered me,” a delighted Kean confides. He soon added the role of architect to his responsibilities, and planning began.

serendipity becomes spectacular

The team had their work cut out for them, and time wasn’t on their side. “We didn’t close on the lot until January, and started construction in Febru-ary,” Kean muses. Grosberg echoes the sentiment:

“There was a call from somebody that said that there’s no way they’re going to complete this house. You’ve got to figure this one out.”

The company’s response was instantaneous, says Grosberg, “We came back and literally went into 12 hour days, 7 days a week, with 50, 60, 70 people working here a day.” And what do you do when faced with challenges like this? “Close your eyes, take a deep breath and jump!” laughs Kean. That focus, flexibility and sense of humor helped keep the project humming in the hectic months when the inevitable crises occurred—many of which gave way to beautiful serendipity.

Phil gives this example: “I’d chosen flooring and done all the design work, then I found out it wasn’t in stock. I had to lower the ceilings, re-cut doors and redo all my anal retentive details.” Yet trouble transformed to delight. “It turned out incredibly more beautiful than my original design!”

Phil’s sense of possibility also helped the house evolve throughout the building process. A stone wall wrapping an elevator tower caught his imagi-nation. “When they put it up, it was so phenomenal we had to use it someplace else.” Quickly, new plans called for a 16-foot stone wall in the art gallery and two more outside walls. “Sometimes more is more!”

The secret to unleashing this sense of creative free-dom—especially under the tyranny of a grueling schedule, looming due dates and inevitable crises? It’s not a bricks-and-mortar answer. “It’s about re-lationships,” Phil insists. “Fortunately, I have some of the best trades people in the whole world. Many of them are people I’ve worked with for years, and they’ve always been heroes to me.” Echoes Grosberg,

“It was just an extraordinary experience.”

And the culmination of all that creative vision, changing, evolving, rethinking, reworking, discov-ery and tweaking is unmistakable in every detail: Perfection.

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life without Boundaries

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Outdoor Lanai

Outdoor Living Space with Pool

A s you approach the enticing entrance of The New American Home, clad in crisp

white, crystalline glass and textural stone, you’re already anticipating the door will open on an impressive scene. But you’d never guess the vista that greets you.

A tranquil swimming pool. A soothing water fea-ture. Sunny patios and a breezy haven. That’s when you realize you’ve stepped through the front door onto the lanai. You then see the living room, din-ing room and an art gallery, wide open to the scene, with just a shimmer of glass in between. That’s when you understand what indoor-outdoor living can be… and that’s when you fall in love.

every space is for living

With a nod to the Sarasota School of Architecture, architect and builder Phil Kean says the design re-visits that 50’s and 60’s era’s fascination with Flor-ida’s climate and flora. “The house is smaller than prior years, but the outside space is much more im-portant. While it may be 50% smaller, the outside space is 50% bigger.”

The ground floor wraps around the focal point swimming pool, with two patios, a summer kitchen and bar, and the broad lanai creating sunny living space. The second story offers three balconies, in-cluding one off the master bedroom and one that serves as a yoga deck off the exercise room.

What makes the home so special is that the allure goes far, far beyond a floor plan that includes indoor and outdoor footage. It’s the connection between them, the sense of oneness in the space that sets it apart.

beauty as clear as glass

Key to the illusion is glass—lots and lots of it. The home features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, some of which are actually massive sliding doors that open wide to the outdoors. “When you bring the glass to the ground, it gives you the indoor-outdoor connec-tion,” says Kean. “It gives the illusion of one area, yet still breaks the boundaries.”

“When you have a house like this, the lighting, the color, the texture, the reflections—all of that mat-ters,” notes Kean. He relied on interior design by Rob Turner to magnify the illusion.

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Outer beauty, Inner joy.

Living takes on new dimensions when indoors and outdoors blend


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Exercise Room

Yoga Porch

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come in to the outside

“We chose materials that move from the outside in,” Turner says. “On the vertical surfaces, we brought stone from outside to inside.” Flooring materials also crossed the threshold. Color and furniture selection were also a factor, with the color blue creating a bridge between the inside and outside and luxurious indoor/outdoor fab-rics blending from the lanai into the family area. “And there were all the small details,” Turner concludes. “For the greenery on the table, we used plants that were out-side, visually bringing the outside in.”

Now, back at your starting point, you pause at the front door and look back at the pool, the sun-drenched interior, the shaded patios, the inviting conversation groups, the striking views in every direction. And you contemplate for a moment which is more beguiling— inside or outside. Then you realize once again: where you’re standing is both. And you realize in this home, you never have to decide. You always have both.

Master Bedroom

Outdoor Fountain Table


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Like all masterpieces, this one started with seeing the world through new eyes. “We should think of art not as ‘dessert’, but salt.” That’s the insight, garnered from a TV documentary, which inspired Phil Kean, archi-tect and builder, to include a world class art gallery in The New American Home.

W hen Phil says, “This house thinks of art as salt,” he means that it’s the crucial spice for

every day, not just a special occasion treat. He clari-fies, “As more and more people downsize, they want more beautiful things around them. Instead of a formal living room, why not a gallery?”

In reality, this magnificent space has many faces. Yes, a collection of museum-quality artwork by Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns graces a 16-foot wall for open house events during the Interna-tional Builders’ Show, but that’s just the beginning. Now add a bar and grand piano. Infuse welcoming conversation groups of contemporary furnishings gathered on a chic shag carpet. Frame a view of the lush patio and pool with soaring glass windows.

Clearly, this is a gallery for the fine art of living, for casual entertaining, for quiet luxurious relaxation, for a peaceful afternoon, a musical interlude or a glittering party.

a masterwork of balance

Rob Turner, interior designer, was charged with filling the canvas of Kean’s architecture. He un-derstood the viewpoint immediately. “I’ve worked around great art collections before, and one of the design elements is people in the space.” He also had an intuitive feel for Kean’s approach. “Phil and

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Art Studio

I have done many projects together. We have a great design relationship – and friendship.”

The look is a signature Turner interior: a clean, sim-ple, modern approach that accentuates the design. But this is no cold, aloof museum. There’s a pleasing warmth to the stone wall where the paintings hang. Recessed lighting is intimate and inviting.

What is the key to the chameleon nature of the space? Balance, advises Turner. “If I designed with too much, if it was too heavy handed, the people and artwork get lost. What I needed to do was get a furniture layout that was strong enough to stand up to the architecture, but not take away from the art.”

“It’s a fun room,” asserts Kean. “There’s a piano, so it’s a music room with great acoustics. It has a little bar for a couple of wine coolers or to serve drinks. It’s built for entertaining, with a Palm Springs feeling.”

room for creativity

The “salt” of art is found in more than just the gallery. It flavors the entire house. As you descend the open floating staircase, you come upon a wall of granite-lined niches where a collection of artisan-blown glass sparkles. Lighted shelves grace the office. Sculpture fills the garden. An elegant grid of framed prints fol-lows you through the dining room. And, the open de-sign and immense glass walls of the home make every room a gallery for another.

Is it any wonder Phil was inspired to add an art studio to the blueprint? A sometime painter, he couldn’t help but paint himself into the picture. “I thought if I had a great spot for my art, I might start again.” The room is, in fact, a temple to the muse. Natural light warms the space. The view opens to the garden, pools and pa-tios, with the glass-walled gallery as a final backdrop. It’s detached from the main house, so there’s solitude without isolation.

Like the gallery, the studio is a creative playground for today’s ever-shifting lifestyles. Because the space in-cludes a bath, it could be retouched into a guest suite or a striking office for someone who works from home.

“Let’s say you have a newborn,” adds Kean. “It could be for the nanny.” Still, he concludes, “I like the idea of someone creating art there…an artist in residence.”

Chances are, Phil will get his wish—in a way. If there’s an art to beautiful living (and there is, of course), then the style and imagination, design and ingenuity of this home will always have an artist in residence.

Dining Room

Gallery Niché

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There’s a simple secret to earning Emerald status, the highest level of the National Green Building Standard: “Bring your certifier in at the beginning.”

T hat’s the advice of Phil Kean, architect and builder. Veteran of the green building move-

ment, Kean has learned the value of relying on ex-perts. “We’ve been building green essentially since we started — we just didn’t know it had a name then.”

Now, with the nationwide NAHB program codify-ing the designation with a precise measurement of scores of elements, Phil has learned to rely on ex-perts to optimize his homes. “We have an in-house person, and then we hire a certifier to help us hire subcontractors and do all the testing.”

“The earlier the better,” he insists. A certified pro-fessional is thinking green from the ground up. Without that insight, opportunities are missed and there’s no way to go back and change them. “If you wait until the middle you’ll miss points — the way you face the house, the architecture.”

measuring up to emerald status

The stringent certification process to achieve the Emerald rating is administered by the NAHB Research Center and based on the ICC 700-2008 National Green Building Standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Points are awarded for excellence is six key areas: energy efficiency, water conservation, resource con-servation, indoor environment quality, site design and homeowner education.

The New American Home is a model of how simple, smart and trouble-free certification can be – when you start from the ground up. In this case, it means insu-lated concrete forms (ICF) framing the house, as well as poured concrete forms. ICF provides super-efficient R-27 insulation to reduce heating and cooling costs.

Another major architectural feature to be considered was the window walls. The 10-foot glass panels pro-

vide a striking view of the outdoors and fill the home with natural light, but they could also be a challenge in cooling efficiency. The solution? Cutting edge technology. Motorized retractable screens shade the windows, each with a light sensor that responds to the sun, raising or lowering them to control heat.

technology, air quality and nature elements

That’s just the beginning of the latest technology for green living featured in the home. There’s also a so-lar panel HVAC system, a solar water heater and an electric car charging station. Adding to efficiency, the environmental and energy management are pro-grammed, set and controlled from an iPad in the home. At the office or on vacation? You can handle it all remotely from an iPhone.

Timberlake cabinetry, the first to be Green Approved by the NAHB Research Center, also con-tributes toward the coveted Emerald status. Made from 95 percent verified sustainable American hard-woods, Timberlake kitchen and bath cabinets add three green points for positive impact on indoor air quality. Other products used in the home to benefit indoor air quality are low VOC paints and caulks.

And, some of the most striking green ideas came naturally—in landscaping. “Water was important says Kean. “We used all Florida native plants. In fact, the home is going to be endorsed by the Flori-da Native Plant Society.” Adds landscape architect Scott Redmon of Redmon Design, “The impor-tance of native plants is that they fit into the Central Florida climate. Ultimately we need no irrigation, no pesticides, no fertilizers.”

Consumer acceptance of—and even insistence on—green building grows every year, confirms Kean. It saves on energy bills, reduces waste, protects natural resources, and ultimately enables a better lifestyle.

“It’s the right thing to do,” reminds Kean. But does he believe it’s a necessity to go to the extra effort of the NAHB certification? His response is an em-phatic yes. “It puts a pedigree to it. Long after we builders are gone, that pedigree is still there. When you go to sell your house in ten years, it will be im-portant to the buyers. You’ll not regret doing it.”

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Eco-smart design is a matter of knowing the essentials

For Merlin Contracting, a pre-mier Las Vegas custom home-builder, thinking green has been a constant for 20 years. So it was only natural that Steve Jones, founder, decided to pur-sue the National Association of Homebuilders’ Certified Green Professional designation.

The trigger? In part, Jones shares, “it’s simply part of the company’s philosophy: treating every detail of a home with the utmost attention.” Growing up in a socially conscious era also influenced Steve and his brother Bart, fellow principal in Merlin. “Bart and I were brought up in the 60s. We started building this way before they called it ‘green’.”

The Jones brothers attended a three-day course in green building methods that don’t drive up construction costs.

“I absolutely 100% recommend the courses,” assures Jones. “You learn better building science, understand how green building benefits the client to save energy and money, and it’s good for our world, too.”

Know-how in energy-wise buildings has been crucial at one of Merlin’s recent builds in Nevada’s Mount Charleston. “It’s a cabin at 8,000 feet. It’s completely off the grid.” Perched in the woods of the Spring Mountain Range, the home is virtually self-sufficient. “On cloudy days, they need a diesel back-up generator. On other days, the solar panels and batteries are all they need.”

customer satisfaction

NAHB certification has paid back in customer satis-faction, Jones asserts. “Clients see the effects almost immediately in energy savings, and how it reduces the cost of running a household.” He hastens to add that green isn’t just for luxury homes. “There’s value at every level. It’s all there, all available—and even small upgrades will make a difference.”

Jones also sees certification and green building as a sales tool. “If the guy next door isn’t building green and can’t show differentiation, it’s an opportunity for you. Once you explain the benefits to homeowners, they jump at it.”

“Green building pays off in more ways than one,” Jones asserts. “And the certification takes a business to the next level.”

Steve Jones’ Merlin Contracting was the builder for the 2004 New American Home in Las Vegas. The 2013 home in Las Vegas is slated to be built by Blue Heron, a Las Vegas luxury homebuilder and devel-oper owned by Tyler Jones, partner and son of Steve. Blue Heron was also the builder of the 2009 New American Home.

Ever green

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Solar Panels

Smart Home Technology

There is a shift happening in regard to where people want to live that has led to a resur-gence in urban development.

T o fill this need, urban infill is on the rise, which focuses on development that occurs within the

existing footprint of a city, as opposed to taking place on the fringe of the urban footprint (suburbanization).

To examine the validity of this suspected trend, the EPA did a study in 2009 examining building permits in the largest metropolitan regions. The original re-port, issued in Feb. 2009, examined building trends in the 50 largest metropolitan areas from 1990 to 2007. In 2010, EPA expanded the data set to include 2008 data as well. The main goal of the analysis was to clarify if there had, indeed, been a shift toward redevelopment in cities, and to determine which re-gions have seen the most significant shift.

The trends in both reports (the initial report, plus the updated report to include 2008 data) indicate that the distribution of residential construction in many regions has significantly changed during the time period measured. In more than half of the larg-est metropolitan areas, urban neighborhoods had dramatically increased their share of new residen-tial building permits.

Some key findings from the EPA reports*:

» The urban neighborhood had more than doubled its share in 15 regions

» The increase had been most dramatic over the last 5 years measured (2004-2008)

» Data from 2008 showed the trend continuing in the wake of the real estate market downturn

More than half of the markets in the EPA study saw a dramatic shift away from exurban Greenfield de-velopment, and an increase in urban core redevelop-ment. In 15 of the 50 markets measured, the central city more than doubled its share of housing permits during the original 18-year period of the study.

* Source: Residential Construction Trends in America’s Metropolitan Regions 2009, EPA

However, based on EPA study findings, in many re-gions, a large share of new residential construction was still taking place on previously undeveloped land on the urban fringe.

city v. suburb: defining the times

Despite the findings of the EPA study that seem to sup-port the resurgence of urban development, some skep-tics say that the shift is not as sizeable as we may think.

When looking at straight population numbers from the 2010 U.S. Census, some experts contend that the prophesied return to cities has been overstated. The Census numbers, to some observers, seem to suggest the opposite trend based on the fact that munici-palities accounted for less metro area growth in the 2000s than they had in the 1990s. Meanwhile, sub-urbs showed more growth than the previous decade.

The silver lining of the Census data for urban advo-cates is the data strictly on city cores. Even in areas that experienced general declines in city population, such as St. Louis, downtowns showed some impres-sive residential growth. Stated in a New Geography article based on another analysis of intra-regional mi-gration patterns, was that the movement from sub-urbs to the downtown core slightly increased during the 2000s, while a shift from the core outward stayed flat or declined over the same time period.

In regard to some of the data, there are questions as to how “city” and “suburb” are defined, which seems to be where some of the disparity in information lies. Christopher Leinberger, a senior fellow at the Brook-ings Institute and professor of practice in urban and regional planning at the University of Michigan, re-sponded to this quandary in an article published in

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Cities cater to lifestyles desired by more and more people

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The New Republic, writing that “limiting the debate to ‘city’ and ‘suburb’ misses the point.” The real discussion, he argues, should be about the type of built environ-ment people prefer. And more indicators point to peo-ple preferring walkable, transit-oriented places.

boomers and gen yers are in the driver’s seat

Many planning experts expect the reverse migration to cities to continue as baby boomers and echo boomers (also known as Gen Yers or Millennials)—the largest demographic groups in the market—drive housing preferences. Many boomers are empty nesters and are of retirement age, which means many are downsizing. According to a recent survey by the National Associa-tion of Realtors, many boomers want to live in a walk-able urban downtown, or in a suburban town center or small town. Gen Yers, who are leaving the nest, and who are beginning to enter the first-time homebuyer market, also favor urban downtowns and suburban town cen-ters for lifestyle reasons, according to the survey.

the largest cities lead the way

A recent article in The Economist makes a point that based on 2010 Census data, in some large cities “the turnaround in central city population dynamics over the past decade is quite dramatic.” The article states that in 2000, the city of Washington was losing popu-lation; but in the ten years to 2010, the city ended up with a net increase in population of over 30,000 people. New York City’s population is at its highest level ever. Philadelphia’s population recently shifted from shrink-ing to growing. The Economist reprimands the naysay-ers of reverse migration who are basing their conclusions on population figures for not also taking supply and de-mand into account. The article cites that housing prices in parts of many central cities have grown, even in many areas where population numbers are level or falling. The article contends that if no one wanted to live in central cities, prices for homes there would not rise.

Leinberger, in a November 2011 New York Times article, presents data that he analyzed from the Zillow real estate database, which shows that in the late 1990s, high-end outer suburbs contained most of the expensive housing in the U.S., as measured by price per square foot. Today, based on Leinberger’s analysis, the most expensive hous-ing is in the high-density, pedestrian-friendly neighbor-hoods of the center city and inner suburbs. Some of the most expensive neighborhoods in their metropolitan areas are Capitol Hill in Seattle, Virginia Highland in Atlanta, German Village in Columbus, Ohio, and Logan Circle in Washington. In Leinberger’s expert opinion, there has been a profound structural shift—a reversal of what took place in the 1950s, when drivable suburbs boomed and flourished as center cities emptied and withered. The reverse, albeit a gradual shift in that direc-tion, now seems to be occurring.

W hen building on an urban infill lot, there are a multitude of variables that must be taken

into account because these “leftover spaces” can pose design challenges. In the 2012 New American Home, Phil Kean was up for the challenge—or as he prefers to look at it—the opportunities. First op-portunity: the five-story apartment building—albe-it a beautiful apartment building— that sits directly behind the lot where The New American Home was to be built. Yet the street features single-family, historic homes. Phil found himself asking the ques-tion: How do you capture the quaintness of the neighborhood, and create some sense of privacy? His solution was to design the house, and situate it in such a way, that both objectives were achieved.

“The style in itself was all about indoors/outdoors, and fitting the house to the lot,” says Kean. With the high-rise in the back, he couldn’t do a court-yard in that direction, so instead the house wraps around a side courtyard, creating a C-shape. The back of the house is taller with no windows, so privacy is protected. “The house itself creates the screening,” says Kean.

Kean notes that the architecture was influenced to a large degree by the city’s strict zoning codes, such as the required “wedding cake” plan, where first and second floors cannot align. But, in line with his solution-oriented mindset, he notes that many of the design elements for the home came out of solutions to meet the codes.

Kean says that today, urban infill design is often about massing and scale. “In this case, we had to deal with all of these intrinsic rules to preserve the feel of the ‘50s neighborhood. That is really the in-tent of the codes. To maintain certain integrities.”

Kean says it’s a matter of figuring out what you have to work with, and adapting as needed, such as per-haps building articulated walls instead of straight walls. Speaking with his architect hat on, and with his positive attitude intact, Kean says with a chuck-le, “It’s the rules that keep people like me employed.”

In Kean’s estimation, there is more buyer demand for urban infill locations than in the past. “People want to live near where they work, their children’s schools,” says Kean. “They don’t want to be on the road half the day.”

The biggest difficulty that Kean has encountered when building on urban infill sites is access. “You’re disrupting the neighbors’ lives,” says Kean. “You have to be diplomatic.” Early in the process Kean introduces himself to neighbors, and shows them plans for the house. He cautions builders who en-gage in urban infill to be prepared to accept that they’re never going to be able to please everyone, but that common courtesies go a long way. “Be nice to the neighbors. Talk to them when they walk by. Keep them informed.” When you think about it, it’s a simple strategy, really, and one that supports the neighborhood lifestyle that urban living fulfills.

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a fine example of urban infillOpportunity at every turn

Luma on Park


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Master Bath Coffee BarHidden Pantry Door

BarMaster Bathportfolio 2012 for product specific information, see portfolio resources on page 41

For Mark Poole, Timber-lake’s District Operations Manager for Central Florida, the pressures of managing the cabinetry installation for The New American Home are very, very familiar. After all, the 2012 edition was his sixth.

W hat makes TNAH unique is the tight time crunch,” Poole admits. “There’s the show date

that’s unmovable and lots of tradespeople at work.”

Though the timeframe was limited, the project scope was beautifully expansive. Timberlake cabi-netry brings functionality and a custom look to more than ten rooms, including the kitchen, baths, office, media room, laundry, and art gallery. Many installations were unique, such as the floating night-stands in the master bedroom and floating cabinets lit from beneath.

The secret to success? The right processes, people and culture, according to Poole.

First, the job is measured three times. A preliminary measure goes to the design team. “Then we go back just prior to drywall to see if anything changed,” notes Poole. “A final measure is taken when the house is drywalled, so our design team has all the details.” Only then is the cabinetry ordered.

The preparation process extends to the installers, too. “I communicate with the install team prior to the jobsite visit to give them the working drawings and review the entire install.”

initiative, communications, and problem solving

Once at the house, the team can work quickly. To man-age the compressed schedule, Poole uses six installers instead of the usual two, working in teams. “I’m there to ensure everything is installed per plan as quickly and efficiently as possible.” But he counts on the team’s initiative. “If one team finishes up, they slide over and assist the others. They must work well together, and be able to accommodate changes on-site.”

Poole credits the Timberlake qualifying method for identifying top installers. “We have comprehensive training that covers processes and standards all in-stallers must complete before they ever put a cabinet on a wall.” Every installation is then inspected and graded. “We work with the team to ensure the ex-pected consistency and professionalism.”

service, the ultimate value add

Poole insists Timberlake's corporate culture is key: “We understand builders are trying to reach a goal…finish a house and get a satisfied customer into it.”

Phil Kean, builder for The New American Home, concurs. “This is my first time working with Timberlake. They’re superstars. I’d use them again—and I don’t say that about everybody.”

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installing satisfaction

The practices that make for on-time and complete perfection

shown from left to right: mark poole, ckd, troy turner, tim lawyer, bob ward, john argall

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Lights, Hammer… Action!

Tucker Bernard’s role as Director for The New American Home may not be exactly like a

movie director, but there are some similarities.

A s Director of The New American Home project, his job is to bring all of the different entities to-

gether—which, in this case, is the builder, architect and interior designer. And while there are no stunt-men involved in the creation and production of The New American Home, it’s actually quite a stunt to build this one-of-a-kind house within the required timeframe for completion. “All parties involved start out with their own agendas, and it’s my job to get, and keep, everyone on the same page,” says Ber-nard. In the case of the 2012 New American Home, Bernard admits it was a little easier since Phil Kean, of Phil Kean Designs, was the architect and the builder. Bernard says with a chuckle. “He only had to argue with himself.”

The New American Home is in its 29th year, the last 13 of which Bernard has been Director. Ac-cording to Bernard, The New American Home project is really a demonstration home for builders, which showcases best practices, materials, designs and construction techniques.

Bernard is quick to stress that all builders can learn from these showcase homes. “Anyone can take bits and pieces out of this home and use it in their busi-nesses, regardless of budget.” He also notes people are often surprised to learn that very little custom is used in any of the New American Homes. Unique or leading edge applications are used, so it often looks like custom, but it’s actually very achievable to emu-late what is seen in the homes.

The 2012 project is an outstanding example of ex-actly what this home should represent. Inspiration.

It’s a wrap.

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in the director’s chair: Tucker Bernard

Title / Desciption goes here

Front ElevationBar

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Loft


a home for Entertaining

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a home for Entertaining

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Great Room

a margarita and a dip in the pool

S ound good? Or how about a martini while you listen to Frank Sinatra? Those are the spirited

words Phil Kean, architect and builder of The New American Home, uses to describe the atmosphere he’s created. “This house has a sexiness,” he says.

“It’s designed for someone that enjoys entertaining.”

The sunlit pool at the center of the C-shaped home is the sparkle for any gathering, indoors or out. Whether viewed from the spacious lanai and pa-tios or through the glass walls of the living space, it creates a decidedly festive vibe.

go with the flow

The flow of the house is also an important part of the hospitality. Each area feels fully defined, yet open to the next without the interruption of hallways and walls. “There’s a beautiful flow, no bottlenecks,” confirms Rob Turner, interior designer. “It’s all in the space planning. Each area has its own character, but it’s drawing you from one into the next.”

The design also offers a space for every type of entertaining, notes Kean. “There are spaces for groups of ten, or people in small groups, or one person on a cell phone. People can move according to what they’re doing.”

eat, drink and be merry

The must-have features in the kitchen are the cornerstone for unforgettable entertaining. “The kitchen is designed to be a clean space that always looks organized,” begins Kean “There are beauti-ful, ample cabinets, and there’s a large nearby stor-age corridor.” He adds, “There are two stoves, two microwaves and two warming drawers,” And for bigger events? “The kitchen is just off the garage, so it’s perfect for caterers.”

The art gallery features a bar that includes refrig-erator drawers, a wine chiller and generous stor-age cabinetry. There’s also a summer kitchen on one of the poolside patios, designed for sociability. Notes Turner, “Sometimes these features are fac-ing a wall. Here, it faces the people you’re serving. And it’s a bar, so you can have a drink and a conver-sation while someone’s cooking.”

“In The New American Home, we’ve created an oa-sis in an urban setting,” smiles Kean. That calls for celebration. Martini, anyone?

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Lake Osceola

In fast-paced, fun-packed Central Florida, Winter Park has managed to main-tain its historic roots and authentic aura.

T he town was founded as a resort community in the late 19th century, and is recognized as the

first centrally planned community in Florida.

According to the Winter Park Historical Society, the city traces its founding to a Chicago business-man, Loring Chase, who visited Florida in 1881, and saw potential in the area for development. Chase and a childhood friend purchased 600 acres of land around the shores of several lakes in the area for $13,000, on which they planned the town of Winter Park. They hired a surveyor to lay out a tidy grid of residential streets with curves encircling sites designated for hotels, schools, churches, and a large central park in the downtown district. As part of this development, they required all buildings to meet stylistic and architectural standards.

The railroad played a large role in fueling the growth of the town in the late 1800’s when rail service was added to the location, and a station was built in 1890 in the downtown area. The current train sta-tion is still located downtown, and adds to the his-toric ambiance, while Amtrak services modern day railway routes through Winter Park.

While development over the years has resulted in the loss of many historic buildings to the demands of growth, Winter Park still retains a number of build-ings from its early years. And it still retains its feel of a quaint, old-world town, so much so that it was se-lected by National Geographic Traveler as one of the top historic destinations in the world. In 2009, National Geographic Traveler ranked Winter Park #38 in their list of the world’s top historic destinations for their fifth annual “Places Rated” survey. The survey ranks the world’s top historic sites and how well they have weathered time and the pressures of mass tourism.

National Geographic Traveler described Winter Park as follows: “This gracious town manages to retain its reputation as an oasis within the helter-skelter growth of Central Florida. Brick streets (which pro-vide natural drainage into the aquifer) are still found throughout Winter Park’s small downtown district with some interesting historic buildings and small businesses. It also has a nice historic residential area. There is a clear sense that this is very much a place where people live, work, go to school—not just a showpiece for tourists.”

In 2011, Winter Park’s downtown district was add-ed to the National Register of Historic Places. The national register is the official list of the nation’s historic places that are worthy of preservation. The Downtown Winter Park Historic District runs along Park Avenue from Canton to Comstock Av-enues, and was deemed significant in the areas of early settlement, architecture, community planning, commerce and transportation. The historic period of significance runs from 1882 through 1965, with notable architects of downtown buildings including James Gamble Rogers II, Roy A. Benjamin and Nils M. Schweizer.

The architecture of the 2012 New American Home fits right in with the eclectic nature of the town. While the house is just blocks from downtown Win-ter Park, the setting feels secluded, with a view of Lake Osceola at the end of the street. Central Park is still a centerpiece of the town, and Park Avenue fea-tures an array of upscale shopping and dining, all of which are within walking distance of the house. Ac-cording to Phil Kean, a hotel is being built very close by to the house as well; what this does, according to Kean, is allow the homeowner to accommodate a lot of guests despite the more moderate square footage of this particular New American Home. Aspects like this are what a city setting offers versus a more suburban, or rural, environment. You could say that you get the best of both worlds here: luxurious pri-vacy at the house, plus convenient access to fine eater-ies and shopping, practically in your backyard. Now, that’s our definition of an oasis.

an Historic town winter park, florida

A well-preserved walk down memory lane

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subscriptions

For your complimentary subscription to Portfolio® magazine please email your request to:

[email protected]

creditsarchitect and builder Phil Kean Phil Kean Designs, Inc. Winter Park, Florida

interior design Rob Turner PKD Studio, LLC. Winter Park, Florida

landscape architecture Redmon Design Company Maitland, Florida

cabinet design Tracey Burrell-Combs, akbdTimberlake Cabinetry Winchester, Virginia

photography Jeff A. Davis Jeff Davis Photography Dallas, Texas

photo styling Henry B. Frey flourish, Inc. Cleveland, Ohio

sponsoring association National Council of the Housing Industry, a committee of the NAHB Washington, D.C.

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olio®

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Simply Irresistiblepages 3 ~ 4

main room

Kitchen/Media Roomcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso

hardware: Tab Pull Brushed Nickel

This unique and open floor plan allows you to see the kitchen, dining and media room all at once. The intention was to reflect the architectural elements of the home and to create some architectural elements with the cabinetry.

pages 5 ~ 6

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Loftcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


The loft features framed wall cabinets on toe as a barrier to the stairwell. Within the cabinetry is a hidden television that lifts the countertop open as it rises up.

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Master Bedroomcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


The master bedroom showcases floating cabinets with under-cab-inet lighting, making the perfect space for displaying decorative items and the television.

Irresistible

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� e goal of every New American Home project is to showcase innovative construction techniques, de-sign trends, materials and products. While the 2012 New American Home achieves these goals, and does so splendidly, this year’s New American Home also showcases something that past homes have not: a world-class art collection in its art gallery. According to Phil Kean, co-owner of Phil Kean Designs, and ar-chitect and builder of the home, part of the challenge

“was in designing a house that has a gallery with mu-seum-quality artwork, and still have it be warm, real and livable.” By all accounts, Kean and his team more than delivered on all of these counts, which Kean says was achieved from a design standpoint “through colors, details and textures.”

Kean describes the style of the home as “white box meets modernism.” With one look at the house, there’s no mistaking its style: it’s contemporary through and through. First, there’s the modern look of the stone façade. � e stone is then carried into the house, adorning a 16-foot high wall in the art gallery, and it’s also used on one wall of the courtyard. In-terior designer on the 2012 New American Home, Rob Turner of PKD Studio, LLC, chimes in about the stone: “It’s very much a white modern box, but there’s also this wonderful texture of stone that trav-els from the outside to the inside. It doesn’t feel like you’re walking into a museum. It doesn’t feel stark.”

� e color scheme was carefully chosen: a simple light and dark concept, which supports the con-temporary feel. Kean notes that this “black and white” approach enabled him to use products con-tributed from the New American Home manufac-turer partners in a cohesive way. Turner describes the color palette as simple, with some nuance. “It’s composed of warm white, warm grey, charcoals and black. � at’s all,” says Turner. “When you add the art to the space, that’s where the color is.” Turner notes that wherever color was selectively used—as with a classic modern orange chair upstairs—it was

“intended to be used as sculpture, even though it’s furniture.” Turner says the key is “less is more, but every piece matters, and it must all work together.”

� ere are virtually no moldings throughout the house, which underscores the home’s clean lines.

“When you do a house with almost no moldings” says Kean, “the craftsmanship comes more into play.” Actually, his approach to the entire house is this extremely close attention to detail. He adds,

“In a house like this, the lighting, the color, the tex-ture, the refl ections—all of that matters—even the sounds and the smells.” Especially with contempo-

rary design, Kean explains, it’s often about restraint and control. He stresses the importance of “the editing moment,” when what you leave out can be as important as what you put in. And proportions, in Kean’s opinion, are what make for a successful contemporary.

� e cabinetry chosen for the house features un-adorned styling and was used for its contemporary aesthetic. � roughout the main sections of the home, Timberlake’s Lausanne door features a dark maple Espresso fi nish. Timberlake’s New Haven Linen was used in the studio and master bath. � e cabinetry throughout incorporated some unique applications.

“We pushed the envelope with the cabinetry,” says Kean. � is translated to fl oating vanities, fl oating side tables, a solid wall of cabinets placed in a grid pattern, and no moldings, which added a degree of diffi culty to the installation. Timberlake Designer for the home, Tracey Burrell-Combs, says about the moldings: “I knew I had to keep it clean lined and avoid excess ornamentation.” Kean says about the process: “We had to create six-inch bands that kind of picture frame the cabinets because there is no molding. All of these things were challenges, but Timberlake fi gured them out. � ey made it work.”

While the house is obviously show quality, and very contemporary, it’s also warm, not cold, and it doesn’t stifl e modern lifestyles. On the contrary, Brad Grosberg, co-owner of Phil Kean Designs, says, “We attempted to create what people are look-ing for today, and what people are going to be look-ing for down the road, which is a little bit smaller, a little higher detail, with lots of the creature com-forts that make you enjoy your time at the house.”

� e fi rst-impression “wow factor” of the home belies its practicality, evidence that throughout the entire process, there was always an eye to how people want to live, and what they’re looking for to serve their lifestyles. Kean sees a trend toward people being willing to give up square footage for details. He often hears the statement from prospective buyers that they “Don’t want a room they can’t use.” Or,

“� ese details are my non-negotiables.” With young-er buyers in particular, they would rather have a smaller home, but not give up amenities. � is trend is also common with the older generation who may be downsizing, but wants to maintain a certain life-style to which they’ve become accustomed.

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Wherever color was used—as with a clas-sic modern orange chair upstairs—it was “intended to be used as sculpture, even though it’s furniture.” Turner says the key is “less is more, but every piece matters, and it must all work together.”

Loft

Master Bedroom Powder Room

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Kitchencabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


In the kitchen, the appliances have decorative panels to match the cabinetry for a clean and modern look. With the unique layout of the home, the cabinets flow from one space into another.

Outer Beauty, Inner Joypages 19 ~ 20

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Master Bedroomcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


The master suite stays true to the home’s simplistic design with float-ing nightstands on either side of the bed created with kneehole drawer cabinets and finished stock fillers.

Artful Livingpages 23 ~ 24

upper left

Art Studiocabinets: New Haven™ Maple Linen


The studio was designed so that it could be easily transformed into a bedroom with tall utility cabinets for plenty of storage. Between the utility cabinets is a bench seat with a spectacular view.

upper right

Dining Roomcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


Turning the corner from the kitchen, the dining room features base cabinets for added storage.

Installing Satisfactionpages 31 ~ 32

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Hidden Pantry Doorcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


The pantry door is hidden with decorative panels to match the cabinetry.

upper right

Master Bath Coffee Barcabinets: New Haven™ Maple Linen


The morning kitchen keeps conve-nience close at hand.

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Master Bathcabinets: New Haven™ Maple Linen


Retreat into this spa-like master bathroom with floating cabinets surrounded with white marble.

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Barcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


Even though the space is small and cabinets are limited, the wet bar still supplies amenities that make entertaining easy.

bottom right

Powder Room cabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


To stay with the flow of the home, the powder bath has a floating vanity with decorator doors and under-cabinet lighting.

pages 7 ~ 8

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Officecabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


This home office accommodates two users thanks to matching credenzas on each side of the room. Both consist of floating wall cabi-nets and horizontal shelving made from tall column fillers.

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Kitchen/Media Roomcabinets: Lausanne™ Maple Espresso


The media room features a grid-pattern wall with picture-frame molding, and provides plenty of storage, a built-in fireplace and a hidden television.

White Box Meets Modernismpages 9 ~ 10

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Guest Bathcabinets: New Haven™ Maple Linen


The guest bath was designed with increased-depth wall cabinets as floating vanities.

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When you ask Phil Kean what inspired the design of the 2012 New American Home, he fi rst talks about looking backward, and fi nd-ing inspiration from the architecture of the 1950s and ‘60s.

T he home is a reinterpretation of the Classic White Box, which architects such as Richard Meier and

Le Corbusier were doing at that time. Kean says the house is also reminiscent of Sarasota School of Archi-tecture’s philosophy in the ‘60s. “� is was before there was a lot of air conditioning in Florida,” says Kean, “so indoor/outdoor was important.” Kean found that to be intriguing, so that’s where he started: with modern thoughts of broad overhangs, and terraces, and rooms that blend the indoors and outdoors.

Although the past informs the present, at the same time Kean was looking forward to take advantage of current technologies and design trends. To fully explore the melding of inside and out, the glass was one of the key infl uences in the design of the house. � e structure is literally designed around the glass to accommodate fl oor-to-ceiling glass panels and doors.

Project Manager of the New American Home, Alex Hannigan, says the windows cater to consumers’ de-sire for this feature. “� ere’s a great expansive view,” says Hannigan, “and that’s important in the more modern architectural aspect of this home’s design.”

� e cabinetry used in the home was chosen because of its simplicity. Phil comments that the cabinetry is “kind of like the ‘50s and ‘60s, when a carpen-ter would come to the house and actually construct the cabinetry right there.” � at’s the look that was achieved using Timberlake cabinetry, which, while not custom, has the look of custom because of the unusual applications in this house. For instance, one solid wall of cabinets, set in a grid pattern, not only emphasizes the architecture, it actually

helps to create it. Kean thinks that “people will be surprised that it’s a stock cabinet.” � e cabinetry through most of the house is fi nished with a dark espresso color. “� is rich, almost black, tone gets pulled into this White Box, and it warms up the whole house. It’s a really good blend.”

� e exception was that Kean used white fi nishes on the bathroom cabinetry to ensure that the look will not quickly become dated. � e fl oating cabinets in the master bath are surrounded by classic white marble, with under-cabinet lighting that further gives the vanity even more of a feeling of “fl oating.”

Another primary architectural feature of the home is the modern look of its stone exterior. Phil Kean and Brad Grosberg had a vision of what they wanted for the stone, but it did not exist. So, they worked with Environmental Stoneworks to manufacture a com-pletely new stone for this house. � e process included studying photos of a variety of stone used in the ‘50s and ‘60s. � e result was white stone with some color variation, installed with white grout in a linear pattern.

� e interior fl oating, scissor-type stairs are another interesting architectural element, which came out of a design solution alternative when the original invisible stair concept planned was too steep for the budget. “We wanted a very minimal stair,” says Kean,

“and we wanted to be able to see through the stair, to the outside, the exterior landscape.” � e material on the stairs is the same as on the fl oors—a natural limestone that looks almost like wood when it’s in-stalled—so the stair looks like an extension of the fl ooring material as it moves up to the second fl oor.

Kean stresses that the style of the home has a time-lessness, and he feels strongly that it will hold its timelessness. “People have commented that this house could be anywhere—it has an international style that would appeal to people from around the world. It has a sexiness to it.” Kean laughs. “It makes you want to have a martini and listen to Frank Sina-tra. Or have a margarita and sit by the water. It takes you somewhere other than where you are.”

And yet, this incredible house seems perfectly at home right where it stands.

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� e Ins and Outs of the Architecture

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Guest Bath Front Elevation

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At 4,181 square feet, the 2012 New American Home may be on the smaller side compared to re-cent New American Homes, but it packs a punch when it comes to features that today’s consumers are looking for. “Just because a house is beauti-ful,” says Kean, “people do live here.” And not just people…the home also makes man’s best friend feel welcome with a doggie door, a run, and an area to wash a dog. � e semi-mud room, where the canine accoutrements reside, also off ers a washer and dryer, built-ins and a bench for day-to-day convenience.

To accommodate today’s telecommuter trend, the house features a home offi ce equipped for two. Low-line cabinets in the offi ce form a credenza behind the desk, while parallel shelving above creates more space to display artwork.

A workout room with three exterior glass walls sports a fabulous view, and supports the movement toward healthier lifestyles—complete with an exte-rior yoga deck. Being that the master is on the second fl oor, Kean included an elevator in the house, which is clad in stone, and off ers the ultimate accessibility.

In addition to the actual art gallery, there’s an art studio with exterior access, which creates the perfect dedicated space to foster serious artistic endeavors or casual hobbyist activities. � e studio can also be converted to a bedroom, adding fl exibility as needed.

When it comes to technology, which is now a high priority for homebuyers, according to Kean, the house is “incredibly technology equipped,” with a whole-house technology system so sophisticated that it caused him to dub it “� e Brilliant Home.”

“It’s amazing,” says Kean. “� e house is set up on an iPad/iPhone system, so you could be anywhere in the world and check on your house.” Kean rattles off a long list of cutting edge technology features, including cameras for security; phantom motorized screens with solar sensors that will go up or down automatically as the light changes throughout the day; automated interior shades; dimming modules; a whole-house Pandora music system; solar photo-voltaic to generate energy; and energy usage track-ing. � e living area has a drop-down media screen, with motorized phantom “blackout” screens on the windows that can be lowered to create the perfect viewing environment any time of day.

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CEDIA, which stands for Custom Electronic Design Installation Association, was called in to coordinate eff orts for the home technology design. Peter Shipp, Principal of CEDIA member Architectural Elec-tronics, Inc., was closely involved in the process. “In keeping with the modern design and clean lines of the home,” says Shipp, “we had to make sure that the tech-nology is not visible, that it’s all hidden.” For example, the loft contains a complete surround sound system with a hidden display panel that pops up, which was designed to fi t the space.

Kean is blown away by the system, and modestly says with a chuckle, “Now the house is brilliant, and we’re just smart.”

Kean may have christened the house “brilliant” based on technology, but there are a multitude of ways that its brilliance shines through—from its aesthetic design, to its practical lifestyle features, to its mix of beauty and warmth—it outdoes itself, contemporarily speaking.

Offi ce Outdoor Dog Shower

Kitchen/Media Room

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“We chose materials that move from the outside in,” Turner says. “On the vertical surfaces, we brought stone from outside to inside.” Flooring materials also crossed the threshold. Color and furniture selection were also a factor, with the color blue creating a bridge between the inside and outside and luxurious indoor/outdoor fab-rics blending from the lanai into the family area. “And there were all the small details,” Turner concludes. “For the greenery on the table, we used plants that were out-side, visually bringing the outside in.”

Now, back at your starting point, you pause at the front door and look back at the pool, the sun-drenched interior, the shaded patios, the inviting conversation groups, the striking views in every direction. And you contemplate for a moment which is more beguiling— inside or outside. � en you realize once again: where you’re standing is both. And you realize in this home, you never have to decide. You always have both.

Exercise Room

Yoga Porch Master Bedroom

Outdoor Fountain Table

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Like all masterpieces, this one started with seeing the world through new eyes. “We should think of art not as ‘dessert’, but salt.” � at’s the insight, garnered from a TV documentary, which inspired Phil Kean, archi-tect and builder, to include a world class art gallery in � e New American Home.

W hen Phil says, “� is house thinks of art as salt,” he means that it’s the crucial spice for

every day, not just a special occasion treat. He clari-fi es, “As more and more people downsize, they want more beautiful things around them. Instead of a formal living room, why not a gallery?”

In reality, this magnifi cent space has many faces. Yes, a collection of museum-quality artwork by Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns graces a 16-foot wall for open house events during the Interna-tional Builders’ Show, but that’s just the beginning. Now add a bar and grand piano. Infuse welcoming conversation groups of contemporary furnishings gathered on a chic shag carpet. Frame a view of the lush patio and pool with soaring glass windows.

Clearly, this is a gallery for the fi ne art of living, for casual entertaining, for quiet luxurious relaxation, for a peaceful afternoon, a musical interlude or a glittering party.

Rob Turner, interior designer, was charged with fi lling the canvas of Kean’s architecture. He un-derstood the viewpoint immediately. “I’ve worked around great art collections before, and one of the design elements is people in the space.” He also had an intuitive feel for Kean’s approach. “Phil and

I have done many projects together. We have a great design relationship – and friendship.”

� e look is a signature Turner interior: a clean, sim-ple, modern approach that accentuates the design. But this is no cold, aloof museum. � ere’s a pleasing warmth to the stone wall where the paintings hang. Recessed lighting is intimate and inviting.

What is the key to the chameleon nature of the space? Balance, advises Turner. “If I designed with too much, if it was too heavy handed, the people and artwork get lost. What I needed to do was get a furniture layout that was strong enough to stand up to the architecture, but not take away from the art.”

“It’s a fun room,” asserts Kean. “� ere’s a piano, so it’s a music room with great acoustics. It has a little bar for a couple of wine coolers or to serve drinks. It’s built for entertaining, with a Palm Springs feeling.”

� e “salt” of art is found in more than just the gallery. It fl avors the entire house. As you descend the open fl oating staircase, you come upon a wall of granite-lined niches where a collection of artisan-blown glass sparkles. Lighted shelves grace the offi ce. Sculpture fi lls the garden. An elegant grid of framed prints fol-lows you through the dining room. And, the open de-sign and immense glass walls of the home make every room a gallery for another.

Is it any wonder Phil was inspired to add an art studio to the blueprint? A sometime painter, he couldn’t help but paint himself into the picture. “I thought if I had a great spot for my art, I might start again.” � e room is, in fact, a temple to the muse. Natural light warms the space. � e view opens to the garden, pools and pa-tios, with the glass-walled gallery as a fi nal backdrop. It’s detached from the main house, so there’s solitude without isolation.

Like the gallery, the studio is a creative playground for today’s ever-shifting lifestyles. Because the space in-cludes a bath, it could be retouched into a guest suite or a striking offi ce for someone who works from home.

“Let’s say you have a newborn,” adds Kean. “It could be for the nanny.” Still, he concludes, “I like the idea of someone creating art there…an artist in residence.”

Chances are, Phil will get his wish—in a way. If there’s an art to beautiful living (and there is, of course), then the style and imagination, design and ingenuity of this home will always have an artist in residence.

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Art Studio Dining Room

Gallery Niché

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For Mark Poole, Timber-lake’s District Operations Manager for Central Florida, the pressures of managing the cabinetry installation for � e New American Home are very, very familiar. After all, the 2012 edition was his sixth.

W hat makes TNAH unique is the tight time crunch,” Poole admits. “� ere’s the show date

that’s unmovable and lots of tradespeople at work.”

� ough the timeframe was limited, the project scope was beautifully expansive. Timberlake cabi-netry brings functionality and a custom look to more than ten rooms, including the kitchen, baths, offi ce, media room, laundry, and art gallery. Many installations were unique, such as the fl oating night-stands in the master bedroom and fl oating cabinets lit from beneath.

� e secret to success? � e right processes, people and culture, according to Poole.

First, the job is measured three times. A preliminary measure goes to the design team. “� en we go back just prior to drywall to see if anything changed,” notes Poole. “A fi nal measure is taken when the house is drywalled, so our design team has all the details.” Only then is the cabinetry ordered.

� e preparation process extends to the installers, too. “I communicate with the install team prior to the jobsite visit to give them the working drawings and review the entire install.”

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Once at the house, the team can work quickly. To man-age the compressed schedule Poole uses six installers instead of the usual two, working in teams. “I’m there to ensure everything is installed per plan as quickly and effi ciently as possible.” But he counts on the team’s initiative. “If one team fi nishes up, they slide over and assist the others. � ey must work well together, and be able to accommodate changes on-site.

Poole credits the Timberlake qualifying method for identifying top installers. “We have comprehensive training that covers processes and standards all in-stallers must complete before they ever put a cabinet on a wall.” Every installation is then inspected and graded. “We work with the team to ensure the ex-pected consistency and professionalism.”

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Poole insists Timberlake's corporate culture is key: “We understand builders are trying to reach a goal…fi nish a house and get a satisfi ed customer into it.”

Phil Kean, builder for � e New American Home, concurs. “� is is my fi rst time working with Timberlake. � ey’re superstars. I’d use them again—and I don’t say that about everybody.”

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satisfaction

� e practices that make for on-time and complete perfection

Master Bath Coff ee BarHidden Pantry Door

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Portfolio V12I1: White Box Meets Modernism by Timberlake Cabinetry

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