THIS HOME IN SEWICKLEY WAS A 2024 BEST OF DESIGN WINNER IN THE BEST NEW HOME AND BEST NEW KITCHEN CATEGORIES. | PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

In addition to the Home of the Year winners (including Best New Home and Best Renovated Home), we are featuring the Best New Kitchen, Best Renovated Kitchen, Best New Bathroom, Best Renovated Bathroom, Best Room and Best Outdoor Living Space.

Entries that have been submitted to other competitions are permitted; multiple entries are welcome. Designers and builders can submit entries on behalf of clients. Construction or renovation must have been completed in 2025.

Submission Requirements:

Please send us your top picks with the following details:

• Location
• Categories
• Description
• Contact information
• 5-10 photos

Send submissions to jsinichak@pittsburghmagazine.com by March 9, 2026.

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: CRYSTAL KNAPIK, KATIE SAVAKIS, STEPHANIE SCHILL HAYDEN, STEPHEN M. SCHILL | INTERIOR PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Now in its seventh year, Pittsburgh Magazine HOME received a number of stunning entries from talented architects, interior designers and homeowners across the region. Picking a winner is never an easy feat, which is why — to ensure fairness and neutrality — we left the blind judging process to a panel of Cleveland- and St. Louis-based professionals in the design and architecture industry.

Here are the Best of Design 2025 winners. 

Crystal Knapik

With nearly 17 years of experience,  is a project designer at Christner Architects in St. Louis. She brings her expertise in design, sustainability and technology to complex projects for civic, cultural and corporate clients. She has cultivated a robust portfolio that also spans award-winning luxury residential design, adaptive reuse and renovation, boutique retail, mixed-use developments and affordable housing. Knapik has a discerning eye for detail and is driven to create spaces that enhance quality of life, fueling her passion for excellence in design and impactful community spaces.

Katie Savakis

A project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office, Katie Savakis plans and designs environments that facilitate inspiration, enhance the end-user experience and streamline functions. She has collective experience in luxury residential, multi-family residential, hospitality and corporate interiors. Her commitment and experience in all project phases guide each successful assignment. Fresh ideas and innovative approach are coupled with experience in diverse environments, enabling Savakis to provide effective design solutions for a variety of project types.

Stephen M. Schill

With more than 25 years of experience, Stephen M. Schill of Schill Architecture LLC is a preeminent architect based in northeast Ohio. Schill’s residential projects have a strong influence from his studies of architecture at Villa Schifanoia in Florence, Italy, where he developed his understanding of scale, proportion and details. Since Schill Architecture was established in 1991, Schill has designed luxury multimillion-dollar lakefront and estate homes throughout Ohio. His work has been featured in several regional publications.

Stephanie Schill Hayden

A graduate of Miami University and Kent State University, Stephanie Schill Hayden is a registered architect at Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design. While she has known she wanted to be an architect in the family business since she was a girl, she appreciates the opportunity to work collectively on shared projects between both luxury residential firms. By completing both the architectural and interior drawings for residential projects, Schill Hayden can ensure the design intent is followed through from the foundation to the millwork details.

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Best New Bathroom 

While the Macken family’s kitchen is a gathering spot, Matt and Misty’s primary suite bathroom, which judges named their Best New Bathroom for 2025, is a hideaway.

Kathryn Heinauer of Barrington Homes says the tranquil suite is a place where the couple can recoup and relax. The striking arched wooden doorway, elevated freestanding tub and mixed metal and wood finishes make the oversized bathroom feel cohesive and inviting.

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

“We did hardwood in their bathroom,” says Heinauer. “Some people may squirm about that, but if they use a bathmat, it’s fine.”

Their kids’ bathrooms have tile floors, of course, she notes with a laugh.

Judge Stephanie Schill Hayden loved how the details of the spa-like bathroom came together, particularly the freestanding tub and the arched window above it that mirrors the entry doors.

“I think it’s just easy on the eyes,” she says. “It’s really soft, which is what I want in the bathroom.”

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Laken Design co-founder Kate Tomalis says she and fellow co-founder Lindsey Longacre had ongoing conversations with Misty to capture her vision for the space.

“It was about finding the balance,” Tomalis says. “It is open and airy, but there is enough that it feels like there is substance there, too. ”

Best New Kitchen 

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

When the Mackens began planning their dream residence in Pine with luxury home builder Barrington Homes, they had two small children.

By the time they finally sat down to dinner in their much-anticipated kitchen — which our Best of Design judges named their Best New Kitchen for 2025 —  their family had grown to six.

“It was a bit chaotic,” Misty recalls. “I just started thinking about how we could have a functional home but also have it turn out beautiful.”

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

The kitchen was a priority for the Mackens, who wanted to create a functional space for their big family’s busy life — but without sacrificing any wow factor.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” Misty says.

Heinauer says the kitchen is the Macken family’s central hub, which led to them adding two islands; this allows the kids (and parents) to sprawl out for homework, board games and meals.

“One is for gathering, and the other is for prep,” Heinauer says.

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Making the neutral-toned yet rich space pop is a stained, built-in hutch paired with classic white cabinets that strike a harmonious balance.

“They wanted to incorporate warmer wood tones but also wanted to keep it bright,” Heinauer adds.

Guiding the design choices throughout the building process was Pittsburgh-based Laken Design, who aided Misty on lighting and finish selections.

Once the build was completed, the design team also curated furnishings with beautiful yet tough performance fabrics and accents that can hold up to a family life that includes four kids under the age of 7.

In this case, Laken co-founders Lindsey Longacre and Kate Tomalis say they focused on durable elements and scrubbable materials just as much as they concentrated on color schemes and the right light fixtures.

PHOTO BY TYLER NORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

For their kitchen, the Mackens also wanted open shelving and glass cabinet doors that could still serve as functional storage. With that in mind, their everyday gadgets and storage containers are elegant enough to serve as artistic touches.

“They did not want to put things in these cabinets that looked pretty but were never used,” Longacre says.

While some of the kitchen stools have backs, others can be tucked out of sight, at least until guests stop over. Decorative legs hide electrical outlets, and the base of the island keeps Misty’s hostessing supplies handy yet hidden. Other smart design choices include performance fabric cushions that Velcro on and off the seating; they can be easily scrubbed in the sink.

“It feels like an old kitchen, but that’s a good thing,” says Judge Crystal Knapik, a project designer at Christner Architects in St. Louis. “New kitchens tend to not have character; they feel generic. This one feels like it’s in a home that’s been here for a while — like it’s been lived in. It was intentional how they made everything feel custom and not straight out of a box.”

Now that their family is settled into the home, Misty says she and her family could not be more pleased with it.

“Kathryn, Kate and Lindsey were all wonderful to work with,” she says. “They were all so helpful and open to the mood we wanted to achieve. They all wanted to make sure we loved our home.”

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Architectural Design: Barrington Homes LLC

Interior Design: Laken Design

General Contractor: Barrington Homes LLC

HVAC: Sorick Heating & Cooling

Electric: Stettler Electric

Plumbing: LeDonne Plumbing

Cabinetry: Masterbrand / Decora Cabinetry

Hardware: Top Knobs

Appliances: Bridgeville Appliance — Monogram

Fixtures: Nicklas Supply 

Lighting: Cardello Electric

Flooring: Paracca Flooring, Cranberry

Countertops: Premier Granite

Windows & Doors: Pella Windows & Doors

Furnishings: RH, Mcgee and Co, Dovetail, Fourhands, Woodbridge, Made Goods, Serena and Lily, Loloi, Gabby Home, Brownstone, Cohab, Jaipur 

Tile: Paracca Flooring, Cranberry

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Heather Wildman, the co-founder of Wildman Chalmers Design, purchased her turn-of-the-century Sewickley home in 2005 and quickly began tackling its many projects.

As she moved from room to room, painting and updating, she largely ignored the kitchen. It functioned, and she kind of liked its retro vibe. Besides, she had a growing family and business to worry about.

“After almost 20 years, I finally decided it was time,” Wildman says.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

The wait was worth it, both for her family, who love the updated space, and for this year’s Best of Design judges, who declared Wildman’s cozy-cottage-meets-contemporary-cool result this year’s Best Renovated Kitchen for 2025.

“The use of a small space is incredible,” says Judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office. “I love the balance of Old-World stone with the modern, European-style cabinetry. It all works really seamlessly together.”

Before she could tackle that design, Wildman had to deal with the awkward layout. The kitchen provided the only (extremely narrow) access to the back door; there also was a bay window that looked out to the garage, rather than the backyard’s dazzling Japanese maple.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

The space’s new configuration, which included a small addition and floor-to-ceiling windows, provides the family a clear view of the yard from the dining area. Working with Jeff Blough and LeAnn Willittes on the project, Wildman also made the most of the kitchen’s narrow footprint with clever touches.

A large wall, once covered in plaster, now showcases the stonework that hid beneath it, adding a few inches to the space. A long island sports an overhang and stool on the end — rather than along the side, where it would take up more real estate. And the home’s once-enclosed back staircase now provides an alternate route to the kitchen.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

But it is the marriage of old and new that makes the design a winner. The dust-free, white oak cabinets and minimalist hardware provide a contrast to the traditional limestone floors and green-veined marble countertops and backsplash. The lighting is provided by brass surface-mount and silver-plate wall sconces, all controlled by button switches.

“This kitchen could be in Europe, or it could be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — you would never know,” adds Savakis.

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Architecture: Wildman Chalmers Design
Interior Design: Heather Wildman, Wildman Chalmers Design
Contractor: Scott F. Fetterolf Builders
Doors & Window: Pella Windows & Doors
Tile: Architectural Clay
Countertops: Primo Marble 
Cabinetry: Custom design by Wildman Chalmers Design
Hardware: Rowen & Wren
Appliances: Miele
Fixtures: Waterworks
Lighting: Antique Sconces from Francis Nowak
Flooring: Architectural Clay Products
Countertops: Primo Marble
Windows & Doors: Marvin Windows

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

As soon as Heather Wildman’s clients spotted the single-story, Mid-Century Modern home that was tucked away on a quiet street in Squirrel Hill North, they knew two things: They were going to purchase it — and it was going to need a down-to-the-studs renovation.

They weren’t worried, though. The owners, who asked to remain anonymous, had been through renovations before, and they were prepared for the protracted process.

Well … almost.

BEFORE

They didn’t expect Wildman, the co-founder of Wildman Chalmers Design, to fetch a ladder and insist that they all climb onto the flat roof together during their first site meeting. But it was, she insisted, the best way to know where the needed upper-story addition should be situated.

The husband and wife dutifully joined Wildman on top of the house, walking from one end to the other until they found it — a spot surrounded by greenery with a view of Negley Avenue below. It felt like they were sitting in the treetops.

At that moment, it was Wildman who knew two things: This was the perfect place for an upper-floor primary suite, and it was going to anchor a timeless, indoor-meets-outdoor design that would wow her clients.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

As it turned out, her clients weren’t the only ones wowed. This year’s Best of Design judges were also impressed, naming the transformation the Best Renovated Home for 2025.

“I love that the quality of the exterior renovation is also reflected in the interiors,” says Crystal Knapik, a project designer at Christner Architects in St. Louis. “This is a complete, cohesive renovation, and it’s super successful.”

To achieve that cohesion, Wildman and her team of Chad Chalmers, Kelsey Thomas and Maggie Smoller kept the home’s Mid-Century Modern bones, but otherwise reinvented the property from inside to outside, bottom to brand-new top — and for good reason.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

The original property was what Wildman likes to call a “time-warp house,” with shaggy landscaping, parquet floors, Hollywood-style vanity mirrors, a sunken living room and a very small, very round kitchen island.

“There were a lot of head-scratching decisions made in there,” Wildman says.

To bring the home into the 21st century and make it fit the needs of her empty-nester clients, she needed to modernize and expand the space without making it feel uninviting or cold. Embracing nature was the answer.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

First, Wildman and her clients settled on a neutral palette with pops of mossy green and lots of texture to mirror the landscape. Nowhere is this aesthetic more apparent than in the living room.

Overstuffed cream-and-caramel-hued couches frame the room; one wall is covered with custom upholstery, while another wall is clad in green stone that begins behind the gas fireplace and extends beyond a bank of floor-to-ceiling windows to the patio, drawing the eye and attention outside.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Natural light served as another imperative design element — to create that link between the indoors and outdoors but also to create an airy feel. In the kitchen, where the home’s low ceilings felt particularly pronounced, for example, Wildman popped up the ceiling and installed clerestory windows to add some height and light to the heart of the home. The windows offer a view of the treetops above, and the light from it brightens the walnut cabinetry and marble countertops below.

Just beyond the kitchen in the adjoining dining room, matching oversized windows not only let in natural light, but they also offer a peek out at the walled garden created by landscape architect Jack LaQuatra.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

LaQuatra’s green thumb was crucial to completing Wildman’s vision. The landscaping softens the home’s straight lines and painted-brick and wood-paneled exterior, layering in color that changes with the seasons.

The landscaping also helps to frame an outdoor oasis off the living room that encompasses a covered patio, a plunge pool and a water feature complete with a piece of metalwork art the clients commissioned and brought from their former home.

Despite the beauty of the first floor and gardens, Wildman’s clients both point to the upper-story addition as their favorite place in the house. Accessed by a walnut-paneled staircase, the addition boasts the primary bedroom, ensuite bathroom, a sitting room and the laundry room.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

To connect the old with the new, Wildman repeated color and texture; more floor-to-ceiling windows, silk wallpaper and a fluted limestone wall in the bathroom echo the natural light, pops of color and soothing texture from the first floor.

“We kind of knew what we wanted, but what Heather was able to give us was better than we could have imagined,” says one half of the client couple. “We’d seen other houses that she designed, and we knew she wouldn’t be afraid to think outside the existing boundary of the house.”

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

“She spent a lot of time understanding how we live and how we use spaces,” adds the other client.

Wildman’s creativity was matched only by her team’s ability to mediate issues. Because the renovation began during the pandemic, supply-chain complications and product shortages sometimes stalled what was already a long process. But every problem ended with an elegant solution. (For example, what was supposed to be a standard-sized fiberglass pool ended up as a custom-made steel one.)

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

And while it may have taken 2½ years to reach the end of the project, Wildman says the clients’ patience and trust made the process a joy.

“They were a dream,” Wildman says. “They wanted our vision, and they didn’t place aesthetic parameters. They just got it.”

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Architectural/Interior Design: Wildman Chalmers Design

General Contractor: Aspen Valley Construction

Landscape Architect: Jack LaQuatra

Plumbing: Delta, Kohler

Hardware: Rocky Mountain, Emtek

Appliances: Thermador

Lighting: Visual Comfort, Flos

Tile: Tile & Designs

Painting: Wermager Painting

Countertops: Ultimate Granite

Doors: Trustile

Furnishings/Rugs: Arhaus, Weisshouse, Four Hands, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

While Sewickley Heights is now just a short commute from the city of Pittsburgh proper, the suburban community was once dotted with the summer homes of wealthy Pittsburgh industrialists looking to escape the smog and noise of the city.

At Fair Acres, Benjamin Franklin Jones — the “J” in former steel manufacturer powerhouse J&L Steel — created a retreat for his family that encompassed nearly 200 acres. Over the years, deindustrialization and development in the region shrunk the size of the estate, and many of its buildings were lost to time and disrepair.

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

More than 10 years ago, Gerard Damiani was tasked with reviving the old site for a new set of owners. The project, which evolved over a decade of work and planning, managed to preserve the historical aspects of the estate while carving a new home designed for modern life out of a meadow.

Admiring the depth, well-planned-out details and historical significance of the project, Best of Design judges named the expansive modern residence their Best New Home for 2025.

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

As the principal architect at Pittsburgh-based studio d’ARC architects, Damiani worked with associate architect Deborah Battistone as well as a stable of national and local contractors and experts to revive the 1800s-era estate.

It was no small feat to build a modern home on the property that would appease the rules set by the local historical society — but Damiani says he’s always liked a challenge.

“We said we would restore the existing fragments and let those be the features you see from outside the property,” he says of the property’s remaining barn and silo. “The neighborhood can see the historic buildings, but then we had to kind of hide the modern building. Only when you enter their property is it revealed.”

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

Before beginning construction of the contemporary home, Damiani and his team first renovated the existing barn and freestanding silo; the barn served as a residence for the owners while the rest of the construction was completed.

Working with Sota Construction Services, the team brought the historical building up to modern energy code through careful, and often hidden, updates. Insulation was added to the exterior of the barn, for example, before the new roof was completed. This allowed the original soaring wood interior to remain a focal point.

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

Once the barn was complete, construction on the new home was accomplished in two phases, with the main residence followed by a guest wing. Phase one of the new home was completed in conjunction with Dick Building Company while phase two utilized the services of Rossman Hensley Inc. In any case, designing the home to meld with the landscape took finesse and creativity.

“There’s a stick that lays on the landscape; the charred wood residence,” Damiani says of the first phase of the home. “And then, there is rock … the guest wing is carved into the earth. The gallery there is glass, and you are clearly in the earth. Then you transition from that wing back to the house that sits on the ground.”

The materials Damiani and the homeowners chose for the building pay homage to the Steel City at every turn. The steel used in construction is local and was left to patina in the natural elements. Damiani says in another region of the country, such as the Southwest, the metal would patina in a different way — further tying the construction of this home to the local region.

“The idea was to celebrate it,” he says. “We understand the industrial legacy of the property and so one of the reasons we worked with this kind of aesthetic was to channel the past.”

In the interior of the main residence, the nod to Pittsburgh’s industrialization continues with concrete finishes by Wilson Restoration that uses local aggregate and river stone throughout. The concrete work alone took over a year and a half to complete testing on site mockups, but it accomplished its goal.

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

“All of our work at my office is trying to tell a story about this place,” says Damiani. “How do we make this chemistry? How do we treat it and texture it? It all comes back to this place — what you can do in Western Pennsylvania. This is how you can make beauty and poetry out of things we tend to not look so closely at.”

In the living spaces of the main residence, Damiani’s team worked with the homeowners to build out each room with unique fixtures and details that are art, not just “products.” Custom cabinetry by Giffin Interior gives a nod to the modern evolution of postwar contemporary design, as do the fixtures and lighting throughout.

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

In both the main residence and the barn, which is now used as an event space, custom tables by local artisans at Vince Gillen Sustainable Woodworking create spaces to gather and connect. The large guest wing carved into the meadow offers privacy for visitors, including a secluded balcony overlooking the estate.

The original silo, restored by Sota Construction, offers sweeping views of the western landscape — and a perfect spot for a glass of wine at sunset. As part of the restoration, Damiani focused on the landscape as well. The meadow had long been altered by invasive species and farming, but by working with landscape architect Pashek + MTR and the landscaping firm Eisler Landscapes, the team was able to revive it.

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

Even at points where the new home bisects the landscape, the meadow was considered. A ramp that runs through the home follows the route of a former hoof path the farm’s horses followed for decades on their way to graze at the estate nearby.

Damiani says the house was designed to fit into the landscape, and the end result feels like a landscape composition project.

“The house is set up to act as choreography by framing different aspects of the landscape,” he says. “You rarely see the same view as you move throughout the house.”

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

It’s clear why the home stood out to Best of Design judges — rarely has such a one-of-a-kind home with historical ties to the area been presented.“I love the tie-in of the steel and the history behind the site and how they incorporated steel in the interior and the exterior to allude to that rich history,” says Judge Crystal Knapik, a project designer at Christner Architects in St. Louis.

Judge Katie Savakis agrees and highlights how the melding of materials tells a story. “I loved that they blended the interior and the exterior,” she says. “Especially in that one hallway, you can really see the use of all the materials playing in the outside and the inside — the steel, the wood. It’s just really beautiful.”

PHOTO BY PAUL WARCHOL PHOTOGRAPHY

As to the praise? Damiani is both humbled and proud. “There is really nothing else like this around here, so that’s why I am glad to share it with Pittsburgh Magazine and, you know, kind of let the region see what is going on,” he says.

The property’s owners — local inventor Henry Thorne, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (where Damiani is also an associate professor), and artist Karen Thorne — say the building process was the realization of a vision they had for many years.

In an email, the couple wrote, “The hard work was finding the right architects to work with on our dream contemporary home. Once found, the two of us spent 2 hours with the two of them every two weeks for two years.”

They shared that there were more than 600 drawings and models of their home created by Damiani’s team as the idea grew and evolved with their vision.

“Every single meeting, Gerard had a bucket of new ideas and we loved every single one of them — every single time,” the couple wrote. “Scope creep ensued in all its glory; ten years later, we had the barn, silo and house of our dreams.”

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Architectural Design: studio d’ARC architects P.C.; Gerard Damiani, AIA Principal, Deborah Battistone, Associate

Interior Design: studio d’ARC architects P.C.; Gerard Damiani, AIA Principal, Deborah Battistone, Associate

Landscape Architects: Pashek + MTR

General Contractor, Barn and Silo: Sota Construction Services

Residence: Phase 1 — Dick Building Company; Phase 2 — Rossman Hensley, Inc.

Cabinetry: Giffin Interior (for custom millwork and casework)

Custom Tables, Barn and Residence: Vince Gillen Sustainable Woodworking

Countertops: Ultimate Granite

Appliances: Voss Appliances

Hardware: Habitat Hardware

Fixtures: Ferguson Plumbing Supply

Lighting: LaFace & McGovern Associates

Concrete Finishes: Wilson Restoration

Exterior Siding: Delta Millworks

Landscape: Eisler Landscapes

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

When building her dream home in Upper St. Clair, Amanda Walton was embracing a new era — one she decided was going to be fun and functional for herself, her three young children and their guests.

“I wanted it to be very happy,” she says. “That’s the whole vibe of my house: casual, fun and happy.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

The theme extended to the outdoors, where interior designer Alisha Gwen — who also worked with Walton on the home’s colorful interior — created a playful, yet sophisticated slice of paradise.

“We wanted to make everything look like it was high-end, but also very friendly and approachable from a design standpoint,” Gwen says. “Nothing about the inside of the house or the pool house feels like, ‘I can’t sit there,’ or ‘It’s too stuffy,’ or ‘It’s too fancy.’”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Besides the white-brick pool house (a cleverly laid-out collaboration between Gwen and Pittsburgh-based designer and developer Justin Cipriani of Cipriani Studios), the outdoor space encompasses an outdoor lounge, fire pit and hot tub, plus an expansive pool surrounded by striking black-and-white pavers set in a classic checkerboard pattern.

Calling it bold, beautiful and thoughtfully designed, judges in this year’s Best of Design contest named it their Best Outdoor Space for 2025.

“I just think it’s so fun,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer with Vocon in Cleveland. “It’s an outdoor space, and it’s an area where there’s going to be entertaining, so I think it’s great that they played into that and jazzed it up.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Judge Stephen Schill, principal of Schill Architecture in Ohio, appreciates the sturdiness of the pool house, which matches the exterior of the main house. (“Sometimes outdoor spaces look like they can blow away in a bad storm; this one has a lot of permanence,” he says.)

Praise also was offered for the pool house’s faux slate roof, gas lanterns, copper roof accents and a standout rooftop barrel vault accent requested by Gwen and brought to life by Cipriani and contractors Michael Golensky and Matthew Conor of M2 Contracting and Design.

“Mike [Golensky] had to build it by hand; it’s all bent copper on there,” Cipriani says. “Mike really loves the craftsmanship of building everything. I call him and his partner my Jedi contractors.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

While Cipriani says he designed the exterior of the pool house, he credits Gwen, who owns Alisha Gwen Interior design in Shadyside, with making it sing.

“I’m doing the shell, which is simple and understated,” he says. “She comes in and does these really lively, eclectic ensembles in bright colors. It ended up being a really good collaboration.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Among the fun touches are leisure-related photographs curated by local artist Bet Garcia and the black-and-white “drunk monkey” wallpaper in the kitchenette, a surefire conversation starter that Walton eagerly embraced when Gwen suggested it.

“It’s just a fun, punchy paper,” Gwen says. “I held it up [for Walton] and she was like, ‘Absolutely do it.’”

While one side of the pool house is enclosed for storage, the other houses a powder room, shower, kitchenette, bar and locker space where the kids can hang towels and other accessories.

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Serving as a lounge, the covered middle area is open-air and contains swivel chairs for the adults, hanging chairs for the kids and heaters in the ceiling, which allow everyone to enjoy the outdoors even in cooler weather. Connecting the space is a vivid color scheme.

“Because our exterior selections were black and white, we wanted a pop of color to play a significant role in reflecting the family’s playful and adventurous personality,” Gwen says. “While most outdoor color schemes involve blue and green, we really wanted this space to feel unique; a playful pink-and-plum color scheme was born.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Since the project, along with the rest of the house, was completed in the summer of 2024, Walton, a Realtor with RE/MAX Select, has been enjoying the space with friends, neighbors and especially her kids, who range in age from 4 to 11.

“The bar has been really great for parties — not just adult parties, but kid parties, too,” she says. “I set up the bar with juice boxes and snacks, and the kids like to hang out on the bar stools and think they’re pretty cool.”

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Architectural Design: Justin Cipriani, Cipriani Studios, in collaboration with Alisha Gwen Interior Design 
Interior Design: Alisha Gwen Interior Design 
General Contractor: Michael Golensky and Matthew Conor of M2 Contracting and Design
Pool Contractor: Alpine Pools
Landscaping Contractor: Ricupero, Inc. Design-Build-Maintain
HVAC: Bill Wiseman Contracting 
Electric: Overly Electric
Smart Technology: Elite Media
Plumbing: Deems Plumbing
Cabinetry: S&B Cabinets
Cabinet Hardware: Top Knobs
Appliances: Don’s Appliances
Plumbing Fixtures: Ferguson, Delta
Metal Ceiling Shelf Fixture: Fittings Collection
Flooring: Tile and Designs, Jeffrey Court, Terrazzo
Shower Walls: TileBar
Pool Pavers: CityStone
Kitchenette Countertop: Ultimate Granite, Jet Mist Honed Granite 
Bathroom Countertop: Top Advantage, Cambria, Hailey
Windows & Doors: Anderson
Pool House Wallpaper: Astek 
Powder Room Wallpaper: Philips Jefferies

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Upon entering the tranquil renovated bathroom in Peters designed by Seashal Belldina, the combination of the guest suite’s alabaster tile, Calacatta marble and dolomite stone creates the serene vibe of an in-home retreat.

“It’s a complete transformation,” says Belldina, the principal interior designer at Pittsburgh-based Interiors by Seashal.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Today, the guest suite features a custom, locally handcrafted walnut vanity stained in a warm brown tone to complement the new hardwood floors that were installed in the guest bedroom. The shower walls are illuminated with LED strips for a soft, ambient glow; large alabaster sheets enhance the feeling of elegance. The ceiling and floor of the shower are finished with small mosaic Calacatta tiles. The shower bench, frame and countertops are all wrapped in natural stone. Behind the tub and vanity is a textured alabaster tile.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Appreciating how the complementary tones and materials flowed together for a cohesive feel, judges in this year’s Best of Design contest named it their Best Renovated Bathroom for 2025.

“I really thought that this was a great example of how creamy and natural tones are beginning to make their comeback and reign supreme again,” says Stephanie Schill Hayden, a registered architect at Schill Architecture and designer at House of L Interior Design. “The designer just did such a flawless job mixing different materials in a cohesive way without [it] being busy.”

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Adding to the feeling of a modern organic spa are walnut accents, Art-Deco-inspired cabinet handles and a soothing color palette of grays, beiges and creams.

“It is a beautiful, timeless and classy renovation of an older bathroom,” says Judge Crystal Knapik, a project designer at Christner Architects in St. Louis. “I loved that the hardware complemented the tones of the wood and of the warmth of the tile that the designer chose.”

BEFORE: THE BATHROOM | PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

Previously, the cramped bathroom, which had an oversized closet connected to a media room and an awkward pop-in shower stall, housed black countertops and builder-grade showerheads.

“We decided to take it down to the studs to maximize the space and create a more functional layout,” Belldina says.

The designer also used good, old-fashioned ingenuity to grant the owners’ wishes of making the room more spacious without knocking down any walls. The pass-through closet was transformed into a spacious shower with a 16-inch rainhead, a bench and a separate shower head.

Because the lower-level bathroom has a window overlooking the grass, Belldina had Rex Glass apply a filter over the window to allow light in while maintaining privacy.

“This renovation has truly created a special oasis for our client’s guests, offering them a retreat to enjoy when visiting,” Belldina says.

PHOTO BY ERIN KELLY

The homeowners (who asked to remain anonymous) are thrilled with how the bathroom turned out, adding the design perfectly captured the tranquil atmosphere they wanted in their guest suite.

“[Belldina’s] attention to detail and selection of materials created a space that is both beautiful and serene,” the homeowners say.

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Interior Design: Seashal Belldina of Interiors by Seashal
General Contractor: Ackerman Construction
Cabinetry: Designed by Interiors by Seashal, handcrafted by DC Carpentry
Supplier: SPLASH
Fabricator: Premier Stone & Granite
Bathtub: Hydro Systems
Plumbing Fixtures: Brizo
Hardware: Armac Martin
Mirror: Made Goods
Lighting: Visual Comfort
Tile: Artistic Tile
Countertops/Shower Bench/Threshold: Mont Surfaces
Window Film: Rex Glass

PHOTO BY BRANDON YODER CREATIVE

One year ago, real estate entrepreneur Nino Comanici stood on a hillside in Ligonier and peered out through the trees, thinking what an amazing view it was.

Today — just feet from where he stood — sits a four-story, A-frame residence with an all-glass front facade.

PHOTO BY BRANDON YODER CREATIVE

Its open-concept living space, complete with a kitchen and dining room intersected by a floating glass staircase, was named this year’s Best Space in the 2025 Best of Design contest.

“I love how the A-frame of the house structure frames multiple spaces into one phenomenal hosting space,” says Judge Crystal Knapik, a project designer at Christner Architects in St. Louis. “The fact that that A-frame also frames the views out to nature is just kind of a beautiful connection between indoor and outdoor.”

PHOTO BY BRANDON YODER CREATIVE

Other amenities on the Laurel Highlands property include a professional-grade golf simulator with an integrated putting green and a custom-designed, outdoor barrel sauna. Natural light floods the space, and concealed tape lighting throughout the home creates a sophisticated ambiance.

In the main living space is an artistic, freestanding gas fireplace; a custom kitchen island with waterfall countertops; and a 10-foot-long black walnut dining table. Below the deck in the lower patio, a hot tub overlooks the hillside.

PHOTO BY BRANDON YODER CREATIVE

Comanici, who acted as general contractor on the project, adds he worked with Barcelona-based Babart Studio to give the interior a European feel.

“Some of the inside touches they did were just incredible,” he says.

Dubbed Diamond View, the house now serves as an Airbnb, and Comanici says guests enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience standing inside the 44-foot-tall glass structure with its unobstructed views of the wooded hillside.

“You’re never looking at a blank wall,” he says.

Read more Best of Design Winners 2025.

Vendors:

Design/Build: Nino Comanici
Interior Design: Babart Studio of Barcelona, Spain
General Contractor: Nino Comanici
Electric: Dr. Electric of Monroeville
Plumbing: Fabarik Plumbing
Cabinetry: Houston Star
Appliances: Don’s Appliances
Fixtures: Nicklas Supply (SPLASH)
Lighting: Greg Glunt
Countertops: Kitchen Karma
Windows & Doors: Anderson / 84 Lumber (Derry, Pennsylvania)

Crystal DeCastro Knapik

A senior project designer at Vocon, Crystal DeCastro Knapik lends her combined passion for sustainability and technology to many of the firm’s most transformational projects. She has collective experience in award-winning luxury residential, adaptive reuse and renovation, commercial, mixed-use residential and health care projects. She has been influential in developing office-wide sustainable initiatives, both through design and in practice. Her affinity for the digital arts is reflected in her work at Vocon and has led her to become a firm leader and mentor in design technologies.

Stephen M. Schill

With more than 25 years of experience, Stephen M. Schill of Schill Architecture, LLC, is a preeminent architect in northeast Ohio. Schill’s residential projects have a strong influence from his studies of architecture at Villa Schifanoia in Florence, Italy, where he developed his understanding of scale, proportion and details. Since Schill Architecture was established in 1991, Schill has designed luxury multimillion-dollar lakefront and estate homes throughout northern Ohio. His work has been featured in several regional publications.

Stephanie Schill Hayden

A graduate of Miami University and Kent State University, Stephanie Schill Hayden is a registered architect at Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design. While she has known she wanted to be an architect in the family business since she was a girl, she appreciates the opportunity to work collectively on shared projects between both luxury residential firms. By completing both the architectural and interior drawings for residential projects, Schill Hayden can ensure the design intent is followed through from the foundation to the millwork details.

Katie Savakis

A project designer at Vocon, Katie Savakis plans and designs environments that facilitate inspiration, enhance the end user experience and streamline functions. She has collective experience in luxury residential, multi-family residential, hospitality and corporate interiors. Her commitment and experience in all project phases guide each successful assignment. Fresh ideas and innovative approach are coupled with experience in diverse environments, enabling Savakis to provide effective design solutions for a variety of project types.

Read all of the Best of Design Winners.

To say the master bathroom in Emily and Christian Moore’s home in Mt. Lebanon wasn’t functional is an understatement.

“The garden tub didn’t even really work; it leaked,” Emily says. “We had a cat’s litter box in it.”

The flooring was an outdated tile, the shower was tiny and the bulky tub also gave off a very 1990s vibe. Updating it was a priority, so Emily enlisted the help of Pittsburgh-based Studio S. Interior Design owner Laura Kostanich, whom she followed on Instagram and whose aesthetic resonated with her.

BEFORE THE RENOVATION.

“The main suite can be something that people think about last,” Kostanich says, “but [the Moores] knew it’s kind of like where they started and ended their day, so they wanted to focus on that and make their bathroom work for what they needed.”

Frampton Remodeling removed the tub and created an arched-entry double shower complemented by striking black tile; the former shower space also was converted into a closet. Adding a vintage touch is a creamy hutch piece with dentil crown detail that Kostanich salvaged from an old fireplace surround in Point Breeze.

Deciding on a metallic faucet, Emily also found a modern, European-style oak cabinet with pewter hardware for the vanity; Kostanich brought it all together with pewter mirrors, picture lights and brass fixtures.

“It’s a really great mixture of materials,” Kostanich says.

There’s also a custom cutout detail in the Carrara backsplash for brass push-button switches, which Emily requested after staying in a hotel in Madrid that had them.

Best of Design judges appreciated the combination of modernity and comfort, as well as the classic checkered tile flooring.

“I love how timeless it is,” says Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon in Cleveland. “It’s neutral colors, but the space has so much character and warmth to it. It’s not like walking into a stark white bathroom.”

Emily says Kostanich pulled off her vision perfectly.

“It feels like a spa or a hotel,” Emily says. “I love doing my makeup, doing my hair, and I feel like if we didn’t do it then we would have put it off.”

Read more Best of Design Winners 2024.

VENDORS

Interior Design: Studio S. Interior Design

General Contractor: Frampton Remodeling 

Fixtures: House of Rohl

Countertops: Primo Marble & Granite

Tile: Bedrosians Tile & Stone

Salvaged Furniture: FarmHowz

Vanity: Restoration Hardware

PHOTOS BY NORA BEST PHOTOGRAPHY

When you step into the airy bathroom of Infinity Custom Homes’ Napa model in Mars, you can almost feel a soft ocean breeze drifting in from the window and hear gentle ocean waves in the distance.

The theme transports you away from Pittsburgh to a coastal getaway — and that’s exactly the point.

Infinity Custom Homes designer Jill Pearsall says she prioritized color and texture to capture the bathroom’s beachy vibes, selecting off-white floor tile to emulate sand and using a warmer wood tone to echo a relaxing day spent at the sea.

The staples used to create the space include “warm greige tones, creamy off-whites, and of course, beautiful blues, layered with jute, rattan and organic elements,” she says.

The combination was a hit with this year’s Best of Design judges, who named it their Best New Bathroom for 2024. Admiring the contrast between the natural wood tones of the vanity and the bright blue walls, judges say the inviting color palette provides a very welcome change to the gray interiors and exteriors they’ve grown accustomed to seeing in many homes.

“I think it’s really warm and inviting,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer with Vocon in Cleveland. “I hate going into a cold bathroom.”

As a veteran designer for Infinity who is no stranger to tackling larger bathrooms, Pearsall says she used a single tile line to keep the space cohesive and provide flow to the room. The blossomed-patterned tile along the shower and bathtub wall adds a whimsical touch.

“I fell in love with this Marazzi tile the moment I saw it,” Pearsall says. “[It adds] a playful talking point to this tranquil space.”

The judges and Pearsall agreed the standout tile choices bring the room together.

“Choosing one or two moments to add a ‘pop’ adds interest and elevates the space to keep it on trend without sacrificing timeless luxury,” Pearsall adds.

Read more Best of Design Winners 2024.

VENDORS

Architectural Design: Paul Eichler

Interior Design: Jill Pearsall

General Contractor: Infinity Custom Homes

Plumbing Ferguson: Supply, Kohler

Cabinetry & Hardware: ProSource of Pittsburgh

Appliances: Don’s Appliances 

Fixtures: Ferguson / build 

Lighting: Ferguson / build (Maxim — Bauhaus in this bathroom) 

Flooring: Paracca 

Countertops: Armina (Hanstone — Tofino in this bathroom) 

Windows and Doors: 84 Lumber 

Furnishings: Restoration Hardware / Pottery Barn / Wayfair

Tile: Paracca (Marazzi)

Architect Robert Gaskill has built homes the more traditional way, moving earth until he’s left with a level plot of land upon which to lay the foundation.

But when he has the opportunity to preserve the natural land, he takes it, working within the contours and confines of the property so that the house is molded to the grounds.

“I’ve always looked at challenges as the catalyst for creativity,” Gaskill says. “I think it’s the optimum design approach — to let the elements influence what the house wants to be.”

That’s just what he did with the 4,000-square-foot modern sanctuary he built on a former cattle farm in Sewickley. And it is what wowed the judges in this year’s Best of Design contest; they named Gaskill’s creation the winner of two categories: Best New Home and Best New Kitchen.

I love how the house integrates so nicely with the landscape,” says judge Crystal DeCastro Knapik, senior project designer at Vocon. “Because it’s on a hillside, the front of the house looks like it’s only a single story, but the back of the house shows that it’s almost three stories.”

It’s Gaskill’s second victory in the Best New Home category; he won in 2020 with the modern green home he built for his family in Butler County. Coincidentally, the design work for both structures happened simultaneously and across several years, thanks to pandemic-related delays.

Despite the extended timeline, the owners of this year’s winning design (who have asked to remain anonymous) couldn’t be happier with the result. They hail from a rural town in upstate New York, where nature and tranquility prevail, and they longed to replicate that feeling in the Pittsburgh suburbs.

Gaskill’s design delivered everything they were asking for.

“When design is executed well, you can have these effects that are pretty powerful,” Gaskill says.

Even a cursory, drive-by glance at the home gives a hint of the serenity within. It’s set back from the road on a secluded, 6-acre stretch of rolling hills and trees and began its design life with an unusual piece of inspiration — a concrete retaining wall that runs the length of the property. It was both necessary to maintain the prevailing topography and the ideal foundation for a black-and-gray exterior motif.

Because it is built directly into a hillside, from the front, the house appears to be an angular, single-story structure, clad in concrete, black metal and shou sugi ban siding — wood treated and preserved through a traditional Japanese torching process — and topped with a black metal roof.

The view from the back proves the deceit of the front. Multiple banks of black-framed windows rise for two stories, from ground level to roof height, and stretch 50 feet across, allowing ample sunlight to stream in and offering sweeping views of the tree-scaped property to those looking out.

But inside is where Gaskill’s architectural prowess truly shines.

The clients’ previous home in Mt. Lebanon was a traditional Pittsburgh layout with small, compartmentalized rooms and low ceilings, so an airy interior — finished with a monochromatic, minimalist aesthetic and natural materials — was at the top of their wish list for their new home.

The main floor’s living space is completely open and flanked on two sides by floor-to-ceiling windows, strategically positioned to be eye-level with the tree canopy. Wide-plank white oak floors and tobacco-stained wood ceilings flow throughout the space with individual rooms delineated only by clever design, including lighting, furniture and steps.

“I like how they blended the interiors with the exteriors,” says Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon in Cleveland. “I feel like so many times you walk into a house and you would never expect the inside based on what the outside looks like. This is all really seamless and cohesive.”

According to the judges (and, also, to the homeowners), the kitchen is a masterpiece, anchored by a sculptural, statement-making concrete island. The island, along with a concrete backsplash, recalls the retaining wall and offers cohesion between the interior and exterior. Streamlined JennAir appliances and a metal stove hood — with a patina oil finish — maintain the modern aesthetic without overpowering the flat-front cabinetry.

The adjoining dining room is large enough for a table that seats eight and boasts the home’s dominant lighting fixture — a single swoop of white light made from a malleable strip of LEDs and wrapped around a metal frame. Gaskill calls it delicate enough to nearly disappear in daylight, but “provocative” enough to serve as a conversation starter and design eye candy when lit at night.

Two steps down from the dining room is the sunken great room where another of the home’s many concrete features, this one a wall housing the television and a built-in fireplace, stands opposite a soft gray sectional sofa and marble coffee table.

An expansive pantry, the primary suite, a guest suite, a bunk room and a mud room finish off the main floor of the home. The bottom floor features another guest room, a gym, an open office and a full bath. It’s all warmed with radiant heat and cooled, in part, by the expanse of windows, which open in the direction of prevailing winds.

If all those features weren’t enough, Gaskill ensured the homeowners would never need to take another vacation by adding a luxurious outdoor space off the great room. It’s one of the homeowner’s favorite areas, with a built-in grill, four oversized chairs, a fire pit, a pizza oven and — wait for it — a four-season plunge pool.

“Apparently, they used to travel a lot,” Gaskill says with a chuckle. “They travel a lot less now.”

Read more Best of Design Winners.

VENDORS

Architect / Interior Design: Gaskill Architecture

General Contractor: R.A. Cress Builder LLC

Site Contractor: W.M. Aiken & Son Excavating

Electrician: Nelmark Electric

Plumber: WE Mertz Plumbing LLC

HVAC: Bolster-DeHart Inc.

Septic: Ron Moretti

Cabinetry / Hardware: Hollow Creek Kitchens

Glass: Rex Glass & Mirror

Tile: Mushinsky Tile LLC

Concrete Countertops: Hoadley Artisan Surfaces

Well: Meinert Well Drilling

Shou Sugi Ban Siding: Pioneer Millworks

Blinds/Shades: Caldwell’s Windoware, Inc.

Metalwork: Joe Ehrenberger

Pool: Aqua Pool Inc.

Appliances: Don’s Appliances

Windows & Doors: Anderson

Art / Sculpture: Seth Clark

Landscaping: Gargiulo Landscape

Flooring: Neil Thompson

BEFORE RENOVATION

When Dr. Kelly Close bought her Sewickley home in 2020, she knew it would need a major renovation to work for their family. At the time, the house was a duplex, but it was once a single-family residence.

Before everything was shuffled around to create two units, the building also had an expansive front porch.

“I wanted to bring it back to some of its historical character,” Close says. “My goal was to create a home for entertaining, also.”

To accomplish this, Close enlisted the help of Pittsburgh-based Wildman Chalmers Design to reconfigure most of the home — both inside and out.

“Kelly knew what she wanted, but she also gave us the freedom to present to her a solution, which was wonderful,” says architect Heather Wildman, lead designer and co-founder of Wildman Chalmers.

PHOTOS BY TOM O’CONNOR

Praising the expansive, historically accurate overhaul that ensued, judges for this year’s Best of Design contest named the property on Broad Street their Best Renovated Home for 2024.

“The exterior work really elevated the appearance of the home,” says judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, architect at Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design in Cleveland.

The Design

This wasn’t Close’s first time undertaking a big project.

“I had done two major renovations on other houses in the recent past, so I knew what worked and what did not,” she says.

With two teenagers at home, she wanted to create space for their hangouts. Beyond remaking the home for single-family use, Wildman designed an addition, a two-story carriage house, and revamped the backyard to include an inground limestone hot tub and saltwater pool.

Working with Sewickley’s Historic Review Commission, Wildman says the design needed to serve two purposes; it needed to blend into the village’s classic neighborhood layout while also including Close’s desire for backyard entertainment.

Today, the home’s newly recentered front door and reconstructed front porch fit right into Sewickley’s traditional architecture, while the surprising oasis in the backyard is barely visible from Broad Street.

“Business in the front, party in the back,” is how Wildman describes it with a laugh.

The Renovation

In the main house, Wildman and her team redesigned the floorplan, changed the configuration of the staircase and constructed a two-story addition; the former second-floor kitchen also became the primary suite. Close’s daughters added their own input for their bedrooms, with one choosing a gas fireplace and the other opting for a steam shower.

“My daughters chose one special feature for their bedrooms to make them feel more at home,” Close says.

For the finish work, Close hired Scott F. Fetterolf Builders, a Sewickley-based construction company. Having had contractor issues in the past, Close says she values how well Wildman and Fetterolf tag-teamed the renovation.

“Heather and Scott worked together seamlessly,” Close says. “Scott was on site almost every day, as were his main staff, such as Joe and Chris. They did an amazing job.”

In the newly imagined kitchen, Close worked with Fetterolf and his team to select classic finishes that were appropriate for the age of the home but still managed to feel fresh and modern. White cabinets and light quartz countertops make the space bright, while the addition of crown molding helped the addition match the rest of the home.

Close says her family did not enjoy the open-concept layout in a house they previously resided in, so for this home, they wanted more delineations. While the kitchen and dining room are one space, the family room is separated by a coffee bar and pantry.

“Previously, my children would be trying to do homework or watch movies while I cooked, blended and grilled in the kitchen, and the noise between the two was distracting,” says Close.

The Outdoor Space

While the main house underwent a dramatic transformation, the backyard truly kicks the property up a notch. Replacing a garage that was something of an eyesore, the new carriage house fits right into the neighborhood. The first level of the new structure is for parking, but the second level is made for parties. Ping-pong, foosball and air hockey tables all make it the perfect gathering space for Close’s daughters’ friends.

The garage is connected to the house via a breezeway. Wildman adds that homeowners often love an attached garage for convenience, but detaching the garage brings more light into a home.

“The breezeway is a nice compromise,” she says.

No fan of icy walkways, Close also splurged on heated sidewalks.

“I hate shoveling snow, so all of my sidewalks, steps and the first 20 feet of the driveway are heated with electrical cables controlled by a weather app,” she says. “It was worth every penny and, surprisingly, is not very expensive to install or run.”

A back porch now connects the expanded kitchen to the backyard; the planning was equally careful there. A fireplace not only provides heat during colder months, but was also positioned for privacy.

“The fireplace is a great focal point, because while the yard is pretty, from the porch you’re looking at the driveway and the neighbors beyond, so it provides a buffer,” says Wildman.

The porch includes a dining area, grill and pizza oven for entertaining. Exterior steps to the basement means backyard guests can access the new theater and shuffleboard room that were created below the addition without dripping water through the main house from the pool.

Calling it a “holistic renovation,” Best of Design judges appreciated that the renovation’s design respected the already-established architecture of the town. They also admired the home’s thoughtful details, such as the window surround and half-round gutters, which upgraded the home — and added up to big luxury.

“I like that even with the renovation, it still looks like a historical home. It’s not like they tore it down and put something completely modern in this charming area,” says judge Crystal DeCastro Knapik, a senior project designer at Vocon.

The judges also complimented the home’s substantial new front porch, especially with the property being located on one of Sewickley’s main streets.

“It’s really nice they’ll have that front porch to sit on with different conversation areas set up. It’s like another room in the home,” says judge Schill Hayden.

Now that the family is living in their new space, Close has no regrets about taking on such a large project.

“I love every square inch. There is nothing that I would change,” she says. “Every day I come home, and it is like being on vacation.”

Read more Best of Design Winners.

VENDORS

​​Architecture: Wildman Chalmers Design

Contractor: Scott Fetterolf

Doors & Windows: Marvin Windows and Doors

Front Door: Jeld-Wen

Custom Rear Porch Door: Rogue Valley Door

Exterior Material: TruExterior Polyash Siding & Trim

Heated Sidewalk and Driveway System: Amante Radiant Supply

Realtor: Kathe Barge, Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty Sewickley

PHOTOS BY DAN STARTA

Theresa and Dan Starta had a clear dream to blur the line between the indoors and outdoors when they discovered 10 acres of forest-filled land in Adams on which they could build their dream home.

After a decade of living in Dubai — plus five years spent in Shanghai on China’s central coast — the couple returned to Pittsburgh in 2020 with plenty of perspective to add from their travels. They hired Kaclik Builders to construct a timeless yet modern home, accented with diverse touches such as Chinese doors and TerraCotta sculptures.

“Through various outdoor spaces, we wanted to evoke fond memories of places we had traveled to and countries we had lived in and to maintain those connections with our home in Pittsburgh,” the couple wrote in an email.

Their experiences also inspired their serene outdoor space, which they hoped would feel like a resort for family and friends. That goal was achieved, according to this year’s Best of Design judges, who named it their Best Outdoor Space for 2024.

Featuring three covered verandas, the lush outdoor space designed by Hook Design Group and Ricupero Inc. has various sitting and entertainment areas where guests can socialize or relax; the indoor living spaces open to outdoor entertaining, while large windows and attached verandas serve to integrate the areas. There’s also a spacious balcony off of the primary bedroom as well as a tennis court on the property.

While the couple says they can’t pick a favorite among the outdoor seating vignettes, Dan adds there are areas to accommodate large and small groups.

“There’s enough space in the space,” he says.

Arabic lanterns, a hanging chair and a hanging daybed add to the vacation-like vibes, as does the home’s natural wooded backdrop of mature trees that change with the seasons.

“I like how they used foliage to create visual walls around the space,” says judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design in Cleveland. “It almost feels like a courtyard in a way.”

The outdoor space also includes a full kitchen and dining area with cabinetry and stone countertops that resemble a traditional indoor dining space.

“We wanted it to be where you could kind of just do everything outside,” Theresa says. “There’s the sink, there’s an ice maker, there’s refrigerators.”

Taking center stage is a pool with an integrated sundeck and hot tub designed by Lesko Contracting. Fountains and a waterfall feature that is part of a sleek firepit add to the calming ambiance, as does a cozy fireplace. Porcelain tiles and natural stone textures surround the space for a smooth transition to the greenery.

“I like that they used one paver but in different sizes,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon in Cleveland. “I think going with that light stone really allows nature and the pool to speak; it doesn’t take away from it.”

The walking paths are blended with family heirloom plants, as well as shrubs and potted plants. The couple also was careful to make sure the pool was oriented to be in the sun as much as possible during Pittsburgh’s warmer months.

“Dan had studied the sun charts and mapped out the movement of the sun at different times of the year,” Theresa says.

Read more Best of Design Winners 2024.

VENDORS

Home Construction: Kaclik Builders

Pool: Lesko Contracting

Landscape Design: Hook Design Group

Landscaping, Hardscape, Fire Feature and Tile Install: Ricupero Inc

Tile and Brick: PF Cook Brick Company

TV and Sound: Theater Xtreme

Appliances: Don’s Appliances

Cabinetry: National Woodwork & Danver Outdoor Kitchens

Countertop: Primo Marble & Granite

Plumbing: LeDonne Plumbing & Contracting

Electric: Ram Electric

The stunning cerulean blue of a Poland, Ohio family’s recently added bar could best be described as the same hue as a cloudless day in Greece, or the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea — or a certain Gucci bag.

It’s the latter that inspired the jewel-like area, which judges in this year’s Best of Design contest named their Best Space for 2024.

“I actually had a Gucci bag that was just this really beautiful greenish blue,” says homeowner Kate, who asked that the family’s last name be withheld. “I showed [interior designer Alisha Gwen] the bag and she just ran with it.”

Located off the home’s entry, the galley-style bar and lounge was part of an extensive two-year renovation project (also designed by Gwen) that included a two-story addition and revamping most of the home’s first-floor living space, including enlarging the kitchen.

Kate, who shares the home with her husband, Andrew, their 15-year-old son and their 10-year-old twins, says that when the family moved there in 2015, they inherited the previous owner’s wine collection.

“It had beautiful wine racks, but the wine wasn’t preserved because it was in this closed space in the basement,” says Kate, adding she didn’t want to commit to building a large wine cellar.

Instead, Gwen, whose studio is in Shadyside, brought Kate’s dream of open wine displays to fruition, adding custom mini wine closets — that cool at separate temperatures for red and white wine — to the first-floor bar and lounge.

“My intent with the mini cooled rooms was to display the wine in a unique fashion. I wanted the wine to sit stacked in shapes as opposed to the standard slats,” Gwen says. “After a quick sketch, a few hours fine-tuning the design on [computer-assisted design software], and a handful of phone calls with the cabinet pro, my design came to life.”

The space also boasts a dishwasher, ice maker and two under-counter refrigerators, as well as storage for glassware, mixers and liquor. Gwen notes drinks can be prepared, served and cleaned all in one space.

“I also love the efficiency of the mini galley-style bar,” she says. “There is nothing worse than the cleanup post-party of having to carry glasses and all the drink ‘fixins’ back and forth from one room to another. Having everything you could possibly need to make a single drink or serve a party in one space saves precious preparation and cleanup time.”

The thoughtful design didn’t go unnoticed by judges, who praised the space’s blend of convenience and beauty.

“They thought of every detail. Everything is designed perfectly,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer with Vocon in Cleveland. “It’s gorgeous.”

Knowing Kate wanted a sophisticated, adult room where she could relax at the end of a long day, Gwen added texture and depth to the bar with antique mirrors, fluted cabinet doors, gold-and-lucite hardware and a rich blue checkered wallpaper on the walls and ceiling.

The equivalent of slipping into a cozy cashmere wrap, the adjacent sitting area has complementary shimmery paper on the ceiling, a curved sofa upholstered in thick mohair, swivel chairs outfitted in wool boucle and drapes embroidered with velvet.

“I just think it’s like the one area in our home that’s just really upscale and luxurious, but it’s still friendly to having people over,” Kate says.

Read more Best of Design Winners 2024.

VENDORS

Interior Design: Alisha Gwen Interior Design

General Contractor: Don Sudon, Sudon Bros., Inc.

Plumbing Fixtures: Crescent Supply

Sink: Thompson Traders

Faucet: Rohl

Cabinetry: Hollow Creek Kitchens

Cabinet Hardware: Modern Matter Hardware

Appliances: Don’s Appliances

Fridge Drawers: Thermador

Dishwasher: Miele

Ice Maker: Uline

Ceiling Light: Visual Comfort

Wall Sconces: Arteriors

Countertops: Kendal by Cambria (Fabricated by Top Advantage)

Windows and Doors: Glass Wine Doors by Rex Glass

Furnishings: Counter stools by Century Furniture

Wallcovering: Chess Ocean by Omexco via The Romo Group

PHOTOS BY STUDIO LITHE

Pittsburgh’s historical homes are brimming with charm and detail — but they sometimes lack the features that work for today’s families. For one Shadyside couple, the choppy layout of their 1920s-era, Tudor-style home meant that whoever was cooking was cut off from the fun.

“Everyone would be in the den laughing and giggling, and I’d be prepping in the kitchen,” says the wife, who requested anonymity along with her husband. “The flow and function were not working. I felt left out.”

The couple began to envision what it would be like to move their kitchen from the rear of the house to a paneled addition (and former cigar room) they rarely used.

“There was just not a lot of room to expand or build out due to the driveway,” adds her husband. “There weren’t really many options besides moving the kitchen.”

Eva Knezovich, design director of Pittsburgh-based Shelton Design/Build, which helmed the project, called the addition an underutilized but beautiful space. By centering the new kitchen between two family zones, mom was brought back into the fray.

“It had a great connection to the small backyard and to their main living space,” Knezovich says.

While the Shelton team hoped to preserve the addition’s paneling, it proved difficult to remove intact. “We decided that we were going to keep the concept and build paneling in the same style,” says Knezovich. “It looks like it has always been there.”

Although homes of this age typically have darker cabinetry, the design team chose a paintd finish for the perimeter cabinets to brighten up the space, which does not get much natural light. Tying it all together is a kitchen island and an integrated banquette that match the darker paneling.

“Adding in that paneling as the backdrop to the cabinets achieved exactly what we wanted to accomplish,” Knezovich says.

The couple, who enjoy cooking, chose high-end appliances from Wolf and Subzero for their kitchen. They also incorporated small details for both joy and functionality, such as a striking pink magnolia ceiling sculpture by glass artist Elizabeth Lyons that reminds them of the years they lived in Rochester, New York, where Lyons is based. The banquette seating provides a cozy spot from which the family can watch morning cartoons on a pop-up television or tuck into for a big breakfast.

Shelton Design/Build also completed a mudroom with laundry facilities and a powder room in the footprint of the old kitchen; both work perfectly for a family with young children. Brick flooring and custom wallpaper help those utilitarian spaces feel elegant while still flowing with the rest of the home.

For the Best of Design judges, the seamless melding of history and function made this home a clear choice to win Best Kitchen in 2024.

“I think that most people who renovate their homes or their kitchens renovate so that it looks new, and then it no longer looks like an old home,” says judge Crystal DeCastro Knapik, a senior project designer at Vocon. “What I like about this renovation is that you’re not hiding the fact that it’s an old home. They are allowing those elements of the old house to still resound in the space while making it new.”

Best of Design judge Stephen Schill of Schill Architecture, LLC in Cleveland noted the ogee countertop edge profile caught his eye; it was among many nods to the age of the home incorporated by Shelton Design/Build.

”It’s an edge that’s appropriate for this vintage of home,” Schill says. “I like how they brought together the old with the new.”

Read more Best of Design Winners.

VENDORS

Architectural Design: Franklin Krouse (Shelton Design Associates)

Interior Design: Eva Knezovich & Kendall Soler (Shelton Design Associates)

General Contractor: Shelton Design/Build

Mechanical and HVAC: JA Sauer

Electric: CW Electrical Services

Plumbing: Pro Plumbing + Heating

Cabinetry: Greenville Wood Products

Hardware: Rejuvenation

Appliances: Voss TV & Appliance

Fixtures: Brizo

Lighting: Rejuvenation (Floral ceiling sculpture by Elizabeth Lyons, More Fire Glass Studio)

Flooring: Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring

Countertops: Cambria Quartz/Top Advantage Surfaces

Windows and Doors: Marvin Windows & Doors

Tile: Artistic Tile

PHOTOS BY TOM O’CONNOR PHOTOGRAPHY

As the lead designer and co-founder of Wildman Chalmers Design, Heather Wildman thought she’d heard every possible renovation request: Make it bigger. Make it brighter. Make it modern. Make it functional. Oh, and please, please give us more storage.

But the family living in a two-story, 1890s-era farmhouse in Edgeworth managed to come up with a new one: “Can we get more months in the year?”

It wasn’t a literal request, of course — rather a plea for an outdoor space that could function through (or at least nearly through) a proper Pittsburgh winter.

Wildman delivered, both for the homeowners — who are now enjoying even the chilliest evenings in their backyard oasis — and this year’s Best of Design judges, who declared the Edgeworth house worthy of two awards: Best Renovated Home and Best Outdoor Space.

The judges not only praised the seamless transition from interior to exterior, likening it to a classic seaside home in East Hampton, but also appreciated the organic upgrades that breathe new life into the structure.

“It’s effortlessly beautiful,” says judge Stephanie Schill Hayden of Schill Architecture in Cleveland.

“I like that it doesn’t feel brand new,” adds judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s location in Cleveland. “The whole thing is really timeless and elegant.”

Giving homes a sense of timelessness is central to Wildman’s work. She grew up in Sewickley, so she appreciates the history of the area’s stately Victorians and rustic farmhouses. Her goal is always to work with each home’s essence and quirks — “I want it to be beautiful, but not too beautiful,” she says — to create simplicity and function for modern families.

It’s an approach that spoke to the homeowners, who purchased the house nearly 20 years ago and had already completed two smaller renovations; they also purchased the property next door in order to expand their footprint and accommodate their family of four. Despite the years and the work, the house still lacked the kind of cohesion and functionality the family desired.

“They could have moved to get what they wanted, but they love the neighborhood and they love that street,” Wildman says. “It was about creating a sense of home for their family.”

BEFORE

The Renovation

Wildman started her work at the curb, painting the pale yellow siding a crisp white and installing a new front door and traditional metal roof on the front porch. The most impactful change was a simple one — relocating the driveway, which bisected the once-separate lots, to the far side of the property, giving the family an expanse of uninterrupted green space and a park-like feel. (The spot is a favorite of the neighborhood children, too, who like to take rides on the old tree swing.)

The interior was a trickier prospect. Though the existing kitchen was large and had been outfitted with white cabinets, stainless appliances and no fewer than 11 ceiling lights during a previous renovation, it still managed to look dark and drab thanks to its location at the back of the house and a distinct lack of natural light.

To achieve a brighter space and a smooth transition to the family’s coveted outdoor area, Wildman blew out part of the home’s back wall and built an addition that houses the kitchen, a mudroom, a laundry room, a full bathroom and, below grade, a flex space that functions as a kids’ hangout spot and guest room.

That addition not only gave the family needed storage and functionality, but it also allowed Wildman to incorporate plenty of glass into the back of the home. A wide bank of countertop-to-ceiling windows at one end of the kitchen, and a set of glass doors at the other, manage to maximize light on even the dreariest days.

In keeping with the home’s farmhouse roots, the kitchen is appointed with white, shaker-style cabinets, a white tile backsplash, a shiplap ceiling and shiny brass fixtures. An oversized baby blue island adds a splash of color, and the honed marble countertops hint at a more modern aesthetic.

But it is the seamless way that the kitchen transitions into a backyard wonderland that is the true hero of this home’s design, according to the judges.

The Outdoor Space

French doors situated at the end of the island open onto a covered, bluestone patio with two distinct zones — one for dining and one for relaxing. A long farmhouse table comfortably seats the family of four plus guests, and infrared heaters in the ceiling allow for al fresco dining throughout the fall.

“The outdoor dining room really is their main dining room,” Wildman says. In fact, the family eats dinner outdoors as long as temperatures sit north of 40 degrees.

The adjacent seating area is situated around a wood-burning fireplace and has views of the 10,000-gallon, inground heated pool, which is kept at a balmy 95 degrees, allowing for evening dips throughout the winter. On frigid evenings, steam rises off the water, creating an ethereal ambiance.

Next to the pool is the family’s new garage — though, with a hidden entrance and French doors that face the street, it could easily be mistaken for a pool house. It’s the same crisp white as the house and sports a metal roof that matches the front porch. An open breezeway connects it to the patio; lantern-style exterior light fixtures offer another subtle nod to the farmhouse style.

“I’m not a purist, but it’s so jarring to me when the elements don’t match,” Wildman says. “I love that we made these subtle, lovely changes. It’s a special place for a special family.”

In all seasons.

Vendors

Architectural Design: Wildman Chalmers Design
Interior Design: Wildman Chalmers Design
General Contractor: Scott F. Fetterolf Builders Inc.
Appliances: Don’s Appliances
Fixtures: Splash
Kitchen Countertops: Primo Marble & Granite
Windows and Doors: Pella
Tile: Prosource
Tile: Tile & Design
Landscape Architect: Jack LaQuatra

It’s easy to assume certain things simply won’t work together: Ultra-modern architecture can’t also have a warm, inviting vibe; a home with mainly windowed walls can’t accommodate an extensive artwork collection; the Pittsburgh climate isn’t conducive to a house built around the concept of indoor/outdoor living.

In Fox Chapel, an unusual home has managed to defy all those assumptions through a sophisticated design that lends itself to a lived-in, welcoming space where the outdoors play as much a role as everything happening inside. It also wowed our judges, who named it their Best New Home in this year’s Best of Design Contest.

“I appreciated the custom details that are executed throughout the home. The flow of the indoor/outdoor experience is phenomenal,” says Crystal DeCastro Knapik, a project designer at Vocon, which has locations in Cleveland and New York City.

Indeed, every detail of the home — a collaboration between the homeowners (who wish to remain anonymous), Chicago-based architect Thomas Shafer and lead carpenter Mike Craig — carries meaning and purpose, resulting in a seamlessness that can be both seen and felt.

“There will be those who will have difficulties placing this architecture within their definition of a ‘house,’” says Shafer, principal at Shafer Crowe Kueck Architecture + Design. “It’s not a typical brick-and-wood-sided house. There is not a gable or a brick chimney. There are no columns, or turrets. It is not referential.

“What are those concrete walls for? Is it a museum or a school? What exactly is it? It challenges notions of ‘house.’ And yet that was just it — the starting point wasn’t to be prescriptive,” he says. “It wasn’t an itinerary to fit within a particular look or definition — quite the contrary.”

The exterior alone has been known to stop passersby in their tracks. When the owners were building the home, a woman driving by pulled over to ask the homeowner what the structure was going to be. When he replied, “My house,” she immediately responded: “It’s so ugly!”

Perhaps she was thrown by the sweeping concrete wall leading up to the driveway of the courtyard-style home, one of several that both afford the home privacy and let any visitor know they are not approaching anything typical to the Pittsburgh area.

But any work of art is meant to elicit a reaction, and all parties took the reaction in stride.

“Personally, I love this story,” Shafer says. “It’s so interesting how something so beautiful and natural to one could be so alarming to another. It certainly was outside her comfort zone.”

It also was a hit with Best of Design judges, who praised the seamlessness between the indoor and outdoor spaces as well as the clean lines found throughout the home.

“I like that this is Mid-Century Modern style, but it still felt very warm and inviting,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon in Cleveland.

That was one of the main goals for the homeowners, who were certain about wanting a modern aesthetic but also wanted to avoid it feeling too sterile or cold. They needed a place where they could come home and put their feet up; a place where their dogs could run around outside then curl up with them by the fireplace; a place where guests didn’t feel like they had to remain standing and not dare touch anything.

To achieve the desired balance, Shafer relied on proportion, scale, color and texture. Use of light was perhaps the most important element in infusing the home with its inviting feel, he says. As such, the floor-to-ceiling windows throughout the home immerse the occupants in the 1.5-acre property outdoors. Shafer also says the house is oriented to maximize changes in light throughout the days and seasons.

“It’s a living and ever-changing sculpture,” he says. “In the fall, the yellows and reds of the changing trees reflect into the house.”

The 4,500-square-feet space was designed in volumes, each made up of a series of cozy areas with guest quarters on one end and the owner’s personal quarters at the other; the two are connected in the center by the main living spaces. Shafer says the idea was to create areas where daily life could overlap but that also allow for isolation when needed.

“Several large and colorful pivoting ‘doors/panels’ aid in opening or closing off the spaces to allow for these different activities to occur,” he says. “These thresholds constantly change depending on who is there and/or what is happening. It breathes and changes accordingly, not always the same.”

One of the biggest challenges with modern houses is the lack of trim, according to the homeowners. That means everything has to line up; there is nowhere to hide any disconnect or flaw. The ceilings and the overhangs are on the same plane. Steel beams reach outside with no visible disruption. Charred Shou Sugi Ban walls made from Japanese cypress carry from the inside out to line the home’s exterior. The team also developed a Mid-Century Modern corduroy siding detail for certain exterior walls, which wraps into the house and blends into walnut cabinets.

Throughout the home, hardwood was chosen for flooring over stone to add warmth; it also complements and softens the aluminum curtain wall, Shafer says. The home’s playful color palette ranges from warm grays and whites, to soft blues and sage greens, to even the occasional pop of vermillion.

From the rows of guitars adorning the wall of the home office to the pieces by popular Pittsburgh artist Burton Morris in the main-floor gym, artwork also infuses the home with personality. Living in a home of mostly windows also did not limit the homeowners from displaying their extensive collection. For instance, a tryptich of Damien Hirst artwork is embedded within the glass curtain wall of the living area to work with the open space around it.

Lighting choices also highlight the natural setting, such as the bronze wire Moooi piece above the dining table that illuminates while still allowing the eye to pass through to the outside. Above the custom blackened steel fireplace, fabricated by Jorg Gerlach and his team at Echt Design Services, a wall of polished Venetian plaster dances with light when the sun hits it.

In the kitchen, the granite of the large island comes alive as it reflects golds and blues; new tones are revealed from every vantage point as abundant natural light skims across the surface. A comfortable eat-in nook with seating for two is the ideal spot to sip coffee and look out into the private zen garden. A glass enclosure separating a space from the walk-in closet is intended for a saltwater fish tank.

While Shafer says he doesn’t think the homeowners expected to end up living in a concrete, aluminum, wood and glass house, their willingness to take several chances resulted in a home unlike any other.

“A successful project is a result of a unique client, and [the homeowners] were certainly special,” Shafer says. “They were curious and engaged and remained open-minded every step of the way. They trusted the process and suspended disbelief. It was a unique collaboration, and frankly, is the very reason it turned out to be such a successful project.”

Vendors

Architectural Design: Tom Shafer, Shafer Crowe, Kueck Architects, Chicago, IL
Interior Design: Tom Shafer, Marian Leventon Interiors 
Landscape Architect: Frank Dawson, J.Frank Studios
General Contractor: Hainer Construction Group
Site Work: J.A. Martin Enterprises
Structural Steel: MultiMetal Inc.
Windows and Doors: SCHÜCO Windows
HVAC: Climatech
Electric: S& L Electric
Plumbing: East End Plumbing & Mechanical
Cabinetry/Casework: The Kitchen Gallery
Paint Work: Rieger’s Painting
Custom Millwork: Allegheny Millwork
Countertops: Ultimate Granite, Morrow Brothers Countertops
Tile Work: Mandy’s Tile Service
Ornamental Steel Fabricator: Echt Design Service
Landscaping: Evanovich, Inc.

PHOTOS COURTESY COSTA HOMEBUILDERS

When Georgia Phillips was dreaming up a kitchen for her new home, she quickly knew what she didn’t want.

“I redid our kitchen two or three years ago,” she says. “It was beautiful, but I did it all in white. For this new kitchen, I chose the color palette. I wanted warm tones and a lot of contrast and just went from there.”

She and her husband, Bob, worked with Costa Homebuilders in Elizabeth Borough to design their sleek-and-modern space in Peters, which judges named Best New Kitchen this year.

The contemporary space features chocolate-brown cabinets flanked by a quartzite backsplash and countertop, chrome fixtures, stainless-steel appliances and a 10-foot-by-4.5-foot, quartzite-and-wood island.

Setting the design apart is the abstract chrome light fixture that floats above the kitchen island.

“People are afraid of lights,” Phillips says. “I view the light fixture as the earrings on top of a beautiful outfit; that’s the first thing your eyes are drawn to. The trick is to get the scale right. I’ve seen so many people with beautiful kitchens and they have this rinky-dink, out-of-place light. I think it cheapens the space.

“I wanted something clean and contemporary but not busy. I think we got there.”

Our Best of Design judges agree.

“I thought the wood tones added a lot of warmth to the composition,” says judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Schill Architecture in Cleveland.

“I think this is clean and simple but still a really strong, well-designed kitchen,” adds judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon, which has offices in New York City and Cleveland.

Anthony Ferrare, sales manager with Costa Homebuilders, notes the company worked closely with their clients to meet their needs.

“Their kitchen is seamlessly integrated between the entry from the garage and rolls into the great room,” he says. “It really is the central hub of the home, the heart.”

Costa also partnered with Canonsburg General Woodcrafting to find Phillips’ desired shade of brown for the cabinets.

“The wood is actually cherry, but we had them sealed with the actual color I wanted so they aren’t pulling the red out,” Phillips explains.

Ferrare notes the home was built for a family with cutting-edge taste. “They had a vision and came to us, and we helped them make it happen,” he says.

When designing her new home with Costa, Phillips says she budgeted more for the kitchen to add custom features such as a built-in Bosch coffee maker, an under-the-counter ice maker and a Sub-Zero beverage cooler positioned near the back door for easy access while entertaining.

“They allowed us to be as involved as we wanted to be,” she says.

Vendors

Architectural Design: Costa Homebuilders
Interior Design: Georgia and Bob Phillips
General Contractor: Costa Homebuilders
Cabinetry: Canonsburg General Woodcrafting
Countertops: Primo Marble & Granite

How do you infuse an outdated kitchen common to countless Pittsburgh homes with casual California vibes? By bringing the outside in, mixing materials and introducing an edgy yet effortless color story.

“We always dreamed of doing this, and to have it come to fruition was a really fun experience,” says homeowner Johann Collins, who lives in Sewickley with fiancée, Kaitlyn, and their two children.

The couple, who moved to the area from California in 2021 (a bit of a homecoming for Kaitlyn, who grew up in the South Hills), have always appreciated the state’s namesake style, which is known for its fusion of modern, natural and neutral elements.

BEFORE

The West-Coast-cool kitchen also impressed this year’s Best of Design judges, who named it their Best Renovated Kitchen for 2023.

The Collins family worked on the project with Upper St. Clair-based design-build firm McQueen Building Company, whose designers ultimately led the couple to the striking color choices.

Johann and Kaitlyn share a love of green and — after seeing another kitchen by designer Bobby Berk in the earthy hue — knew they wanted something similar for their own space.

They considered other variations, but when McQueen presented the couple with the moody charcoal green, it was the unanimous winner. Johann and Kaitlyn say they appreciate the contrast the deep green provides against the gray and white of the Silestone countertops and the light wood of the 12-foot-long island.

“There’s something about the combination of colors that make the kitchen very comforting,” says Best of Design judge Crystal DeCastro Knapik, a project designer at Vocon, which has offices in New York City and Cleveland.

Other elegant combinations of materials that add to the kitchen’s calm aesthetic include the stark white stucco hood floating above the sleek BlueStar commercial range and hybrid material backsplash, as well as a pair of concrete pendant lamps that are suspended above the island.

The luxurious coffee bar features filtered hot, cold and sparkling water on tap. Appliances are tucked out of sight in garage cabinets, and pop-up outlets are hidden throughout the space.

Designers at McQueen, which was founded by husband-and-wife-team Geoff and Christine McQueen in 2017, also suggested the 3-inch lip running above the range area, which is where the family keeps their salt and pepper shakers and “Star Wars”-themed pancake makers.

Best of Design judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Schill Architecture in Cleveland, in particular praised the kitchen’s smart design choices and plethora of storage options.

“I love how they made a small kitchen feel large,” she says.

Vendors

Architectural Design: McQueen Building Company
Interior Design: Maria Cross (McQueen Building Company)
General Contractor: McQueen Building Company
Electric: Tatman Electric
Plumbing: Kowalski Heating Cooling & Plumbing
Cabinetry: Oak & Pillar by McQueen
Hardware: Rejuvenation / Larkin finger pulls and Larkin 6-inch pulls
Appliances: Don’s Appliances
Lighting: Shades of Light
Flooring: Lifeproof (8-inch wide white oak vinyl flooring)
Countertops: Silestone by Constantine / Fabrication by Collier Stone
Kitchen Table Set: Restoration Hardware

An addition to a Ben Avon Heights home contains a room that could have been taken straight out of a Disney movie.

“This is Belle’s library,” says Best of Design judge Crystal DeCastro Knapik, a senior project designer at Vocon, comparing the spot that won “Best Room” in the 2023 Best of Design contest to the room Belle fell in love with in “Beauty and the Beast.”

Lisa Scalo McMenamin of Pittsburgh-based LSM Interior Design, who designed the interior of the home’s addition and cozy-yet-luxurious library, says the homeowner simply wanted a space for all of his books.

“My client had a lifetime of collecting books,” she says, noting the homeowners wished to remain anonymous. “He enjoys quiet time in this second-floor space with all of his beloved books surrounding him.”

McMenamin takes her inspiration from things she loves, and here she drew from the rich jewel-tone fabrics she had selected. She chose the striking dark-blue, high-gloss lacquer paint from Fine Paints of Europe because the color represents knowledge and integrity.

Judges praised the room’s color palette, which added a sense of warmth and coziness to the room without overpowering it.

“It’s a really great balance of calmness and color,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon, which has locations in New York City and Cleveland.

To give the small space atmosphere, McMenamin installed ambient lighting within the bookshelves, and a window seat was installed as a reading nook. Two vintage chairs the homeowners already possessed were reupholstered for the space.

The ceiling, with a wooden Phillip Jeffries Wallcovering, adds great dimension, McMenamin says, as does the Stark carpeting on the floor with a large square print.

“It’s a really simple room, but it’s really high style,” she says. “I think it’s exactly what the client wanted, to be surrounded by all the books that he loves, and I think we accomplished what we set out to do for him.”

Vendors

Architect: Gaskill Architecture, LLC.
Interior Design: LSM
Interior Design: Lisa Scalo McMenamin
General Contractor: Willner Enterprises
Paint: Fine Paints of Europe
Painter: Colorworks
Flooring: Stark
Carpet Installation: William A. Fischer Carpet Company
Chairs: Vintage
Ceiling Wallcoverings: Phillip Jeffries
Bench Cushion: Brunschwig & Fils
Bench Throw Pillows: Clarence House fabric, Samuel & Sons trim
Chair Throw Pillows: Schumacher
Square Drinks Table: Chelsea House
Electrician: Staley Electric Inc.

Crystal DeCastro Knapik

A senior project designer at Vocon, Crystal DeCastro Knapik lends her combined passion for sustainability and technology to many of the firm’s most transformational projects. She has collective experience in award-winning luxury residential, adaptive reuse and renovation, commercial, mixed-use residential and health care projects. She has been influential in developing office-wide sustainable initiatives, both through design and in practice. Her affinity for the digital arts is reflected in her work at Vocon and has led her to become a firm leader and mentor in design technologies.

Stephen M. Schill

With more than 25 years of experience, Stephen M. Schill of Schill Architecture, LLC, is a preeminent architect in northeast Ohio. Schill’s residential projects have a strong influence from his studies of architecture at Villa Schifanoia in Florence, Italy, where he developed his understanding of scale, proportion and details. Since Schill Architecture was established in 1991, Schill has designed luxury multimillion-dollar lakefront and estate homes throughout northern Ohio. His work has been featured in several regional publications.

Stephanie Schill Hayden

A graduate of Miami University and Kent State University, Stephanie Schill Hayden is a registered architect at Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design. While she has known she wanted to be an architect in the family business since she was a girl, she appreciates the opportunity to work collectively on shared projects between both luxury residential firms. By completing both the architectural and interior drawings for residential projects, Schill Hayden can ensure the design intent is followed through from the foundation to the millwork details.

Katie Savakis

A project designer at Vocon, Katie Savakis plans and designs environments that facilitate inspiration, enhance the end user experience and streamline functions. She has collective experience in luxury residential, multi-family residential, hospitality and corporate interiors. Her commitment and experience in all project phases guide each successful assignment. Fresh ideas and innovative approach are coupled with experience in diverse environments, enabling Savakis to provide effective design solutions for a variety of project types.

PHOTOS BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

When Glen Feinberg bought his ranch-style home along Beechwood Boulevard in Squirrel Hill more than a decade ago, he swore the first things to go as he began renovations would be the gold-plated, duck-shaped faucets in the primary bathroom.

Fast forward 11 years and Feinberg had gutted and renovated most of the 1940s-era, four-bedroom home — with the exception of the primary bedroom and attached bathroom. As for the gold-plated ducks? They were still there.

“It was hanging around as my last project to do on this house for a long time,” Feinberg says.

Wanting to connect the bedroom’s interior to the outside, Feinberg first replaced the back wall with a folding glass wall system that leads to an elevated patio designed by Cheswick-based landscaping company Eichenlaub Inc. Topping the outdoor space is a louvered roof with a rain sensor — it automatically closes during wet weather — and automated shades.

For the rest of the primary suite, Feinberg turned to Pittsburgh-based interior designer Lauren Levant, who created a sophisticated, masculine space reminiscent of a high-end hotel. Hampton-based Century Interiors was responsible for the construction.

“It used to have a really outdated design; everything about it was very chopped up,” says Levant, who called the original space ’80s glam.

The suite’s total reconfiguration impressed this year’s Best of Design judges, who named it their Best Renovated Bathroom for 2023. Judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Schill Architecture in Cleveland, called the bathroom “moody and sexy,” while judge Katie Savakis, a project designer with Vocon’s Cleveland office, praised the thoughtful design choices, including large, built-in wall niches that hold towels.

“It’s a really strong design,” she says.

Levant began the renovation by ripping out the bathroom’s oversized jacuzzi tub and small shower and replacing it with a triple wetroom that hosts two shower heads and a freestanding soaking tub — a favorite of Feinberg’s grandson.

“My grandson uses it, but not me,” he jokes. “He loves it, so that’s all that matters.”

Although the bathroom floors and walls appear to be marble, Levant says she actually used porcelain, which is more scratch- and stain-resistant — not to mention more sustainable and affordable — than marble.

“This is practically maintenance free,” she says.

The high-end hotel vibe extends to the bedroom, where Levant installed an open-corridor dressing room and closet at the entrance. The wardrobe cabinets act as a room divider; on the other side is a custom, pebbled leather headboard wall. To the left and right of the bed are floating nightstands, freeing up even more room in the design. Using marine-grade upholstery and seating, Levant also furnished the patio so that it resembles a contemporary outdoor lounge.

To the delight of Feinberg, who had been camping out in the guest room during construction, the primary suite renovation finished up in spring of 2022 — and there’s not one gold-plated duck in sight.

“I’m very happy — and I am done,” he says.

Vendors 

Interior Design: Lauren Levant Interior
General Contractor: Century Interiors
Mechanical: Bolster DeHart Inc.
HVAC: Century Interiors
Electric: Pittsburgh Heating and Electrical Service Inc.
Plumbing: Brolley & Schmitt Plumbing
Flooring Service: Nova Flooring
Cabinetry: Lauren Levant Interior, Crystal Cabinetry
Hardware: Lauren Levant Interior, Hafele
Plumbing Fixtures: Lauren Levant Interior, Jaclo, Brizo, Victoria & Albert
Lighting: Lauren Levant Interior, Lightology
Flooring Materials: Lauren Levant Interior, Surya
Tile Setting: Giuntini Tile & Marble
Countertops: Lauren Levant Interior, Silestone, Ultimate Granite Surfaces
Furnishings: Lauren Levant Interior
Tile: Lauren Levant Interior; porcelains through Tile & Design

PHOTOS BY JORDAN GRAY, PREP SOLUTIONS

In a traditional home, a bathroom built for two would sport side-by-side vanities on one wall, a tub and shower on the other.

But there is nothing traditional about the custom home architect Justin Cipriani built for lawyer Jacques Moye on Cliff Street in the Hill District. Though the house certainly isn’t short on unique and unexpected design moments — the deep blue cabinets in the kitchen, the blood-red damask wallpaper in the speakeasy, the 60 feet of cantilevered glass that opens the house like a diorama — the bathroom proved to be a standout.

Judges crowned it Best New Bathroom in this year’s Best of Design competition. Judges Stephanie Schill, of Cleveland-based Schill Architecture, and Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office, both admired the bathroom’s two-way, ethanol fireplace — which they say adds an earthy, organic element to the otherwise contemporary primary suite.

“It’s like nothing I’ve designed before,” adds Cipriani.

Moye had a specific vision for a bathroom built for two with little visual separation. It felt like something of a design riddle, but Cipriani, who owns Pittsburgh-based Cipriani Studios, was up to the challenge.

He responded with a two-sided space that has separate entrances, sinks, dressing areas and even flooring but is linked in the center by a stunning, glass-enclosed wet room that allows its users to see clearly to the other side.

Moye calls the effect “intimately independent,” and it’s an apt description.

The wet room’s oversized black tub is large enough for two. The shower has two glass doors that open to a sunken pebbled floor and three shower heads — including a waterfall. When that one is on, and natural light is flowing through the transom windows, Moye says he feels like he’s “bathing in the Garden of Eden.”

The space’s most inspired element though is a two-way fireplace, framed by ledgestone cut stone veneer, that connects the bathroom to the bedroom and is situated at just the right height for the person luxuriating in the shower and the person lounging on the bed to lock eyes.

“I love what that implies about the couple who lives there,” Cipriani says. “It’s endearing what it says about being a couple in this house.”

Vendors 

Architectural Design: Cipriani Studios
Interior Design: Cipriani Studios/ Owner/ General Contractor
General Contractor: Shape Development Group
Doors and Hardware: 84 Lumber
Framing: Consolidated House (A&O Builders)
Tile Installer: Creese Management
HVAC: D&M Mechanical
Plumbing: Drummond Brothers Plumbing
Shower Door and Bathroom Mirrors: Rex Glass + Mirror Co.
Exterior Glass Railing: Emerald Art Glass
Plumbing Fixtures: Ferguson Enterprises
Asphalt: Forever Paving.  Stonework: Gossard Masonry
Railings: Groll Ornamental Iron Works
Drywall and Insulation: J.G. Drywall Co., Inc.
Excavation: Jeff Helbig Construction
Interior Painting: Kevin Kemmler Painting
Siding: Lezzer Lumber Company
Fireplaces: MAD Design USA
Retaining Wall: Precast Steps
Landscaping, Concrete, and Footers: Orban Contracting & Landscaping
Cabinets and Countertops: Sims-Lohman
Waterproofing: T-n-D of Pittsburgh
Tile Supplier: The Tile Shop
Sauna Supplier: Warm Timber Saunas
Electric: Werner Electrical Services
Roofing: William T. Robshaw Contractor

PHOTOS BY ROMBOUT PHOTOGRAPHY

When she was planning her family’s Northwest-modern style home in Wexford with luxury home builder Barrington, Nikki Manilla knew she didn’t want it to be like some of the cookie-cutter homes seen throughout the region.

“I really wanted to have a clean look,” she says. “I wanted that white, with the matte black, but I also wanted some wood brought in to warm it up a bit.”

For that, Barrington partnered with Pittsburgh-based Laken Design to select finishes and furnishings that would create the home’s modern, organic feel — and at the center of that was the primary bathroom and the kitchen.

“I wanted everything in my home to feel like a high-end hotel, but also be homey,” Manilla explains.

The designers nailed the look; Best of Design judges chose two of the home’s spaces as winning rooms, Best New Bathroom and Best New Kitchen, for 2022.

Best New Kitchen

Best of Design judges fell in love with the Manilla family’s inviting dining space.

“I really enjoyed the way the design team balanced a contemporary material and color palette with warm wood tones to add depth and richness to the kitchen,” says judge Stephanie Schill Hayden, an architect at Schill Architecture in Cleveland.

Lindsey Longacre, co-owner of Laken Design, agrees achieving balance was a particular focus for the design team.

“Nikki had a vision of it being cleaner and more modern, but she didn’t want it to feel stark,” Longacre says. “That was something we prioritized, using specific finishes that would help feel soft but still clean.”

Besides a quartz countertop, walnut cabinetry and dark accents peppered throughout, the kitchen space also boasts a spacious pantry and a matte-black oven-range hood.

A herringbone wood design, accented by black beams, adorns the ceiling in the dining room, something Schill Hayden calls “one of the coolest new design details” she has seen recently.

Longacre and Laken Design co-owner Kate Tomalis say it was important that the kitchen feel just right; as a family home, it’s the space in which the family — including two children ages 4 and 6 — will prepare meals and entertain guests. Manilla also loves to cook, so functionality was a must.

“We want it to feel like somebody lives here,” Tomalis says. “Like it’s comfortable.”

Best New Bathroom

Staying true to Manilla’s spa-like vision, the bathroom boasts a full steam shower and a large soaking tub set against a feature wall of textured, geometric tile. The designers also balanced the bathroom’s light and airy tones by adding warm walnut wood and darker accents.

“It’s just so beautiful. Nobody would ever hesitate on owning a shower like that,” says Longacre.

There’s also a custom-height vanity built with enough storage to house Manilla’s plethora of makeup and skincare products.

“That’s a hobby of mine — I love all things beauty,” Manilla says. “It turned out perfectly.”

The designers also incorporated plenty of natural light into the bathroom’s design, adding transom windows above the cabinets as a way to bring daylight into the space without sacrificing privacy.

“It’s a big bathroom, but it’s not huge, considering the scale of the house,” says Tomalis. “The natural light makes it feel bigger than it is.”

The luxury bathroom also vibes with the additional “bonus space” — a full-blown massage room.

“That is probably one of my favorite spaces to be in,” Manilla says.

Vendors
General Contractor: Barrington Homes
HVAC: Jeff Sorick Heating and Cooling
Electric: Mel Stettler Electric, Ferguson, Restoration Hardware
Plumbing: SPLASH/Nicklas Supply
Cabinetry: Barrington Homes (Kitchen Craft and Decora Cabinetry)
Hardware: Top Knobs
Appliances: Bridgeville Appliance, Monogram Appliances
Lighting: Ferguson, Restoration Hardware
Flooring: Prosource, The Tile Shop, Antenucci Flooring
Countertops: Premier Granite and Stone
Windows and Doors: Pella, Pivot Door Company
Furnishings: Denver Modern, Restoration Hardware
Tile: Prosource, The Tile Shop.

PHOTOS BY NICK SARGENT

It’s hard to believe upon seeing it now, but this year’s Best Renovated Home winner was once the barn of a 1920s-era estate in Sewickley Heights.

“It has a really neat history,” says Betsy Wentz, owner of Betsy Wentz Interior Design in Sewickley. “It was turned into a house sometime in the 1980s.”

Now a three-bedroom, stucco-and-stone structure, the former barn had gone through several significant renovations — including a major overhaul in 2010 that added a separate carriage house with a two-car garage — before the current homeowners bought it in 2017, falling in love with the 5-acre property.

“The land is just beautiful,” says the homeowner, who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s at the top of a hill and there’s a pond.”

The owners were also charmed by the century-old building itself, which included a gourmet kitchen, elaborate millwork and striking herringbone wood floors. But, with five young adult children who visit often, it was obvious some changes needed to be made.

For one thing, the basement below the main house was a small, cramped space; in some cases the ceiling was less than 6½ feet tall. The owners envisioned it as a spacious lower level where their family could gather. They also decided to connect the main house to the carriage house, located about 25 feet away.

For that, they turned to architect Timothy J. Morgan, owner of TJM architecture + planning in Sewickley. Besides the seamless new gallery at the main level and the lower level below it, Morgan made plans for a new laundry room, mudroom, study and powder room, as well as a dramatic new stairwell, topped with a skylight, between floor levels. The space above the garage in the carriage house also was turned into a guest suite with a full bathroom and an office.

Getting there wasn’t easy. Much of the nearly two-year construction process involved excavating a gigantic hole between the house and the garage. Builders also needed to keep the excavation dry — no small feat in Pittsburgh’s rainy climate.

“The new lower level was actually lower than the foundation of the existing house,” Morgan says, crediting builders Rob Bogel and Rick Joseph for their quality work in keeping the construction moving. “There were a lot of structural challenges, a lot of foundation work and waterproofing.”

When it came to designing the interior, the homeowners enlisted Wentz, a friend whose work they admired.

“She is very creative and very collaborative,” the homeowner says. “She identified a few colors we really like and she was able to come up with all sorts of shades and patterns that sort of played off each other to give it a really fun outcome.”

That playful mix is evident in the light-filled lower level, where Wentz chose a deep blue grasscloth wallpaper that she says is reflective of the homeowner’s tailored style and gracious personality. Wentz also created a set of three, large-scale prints by cutting out the pattern repeats of a wallpaper mural and framing them.

“If you love something, frame it,” Wentz says. “It doesn’t matter what it is. It could be a page from a coffee table book or your kids’ artwork.”

Best of Design judges raved over the color choices, as well as the lower level, which, thanks to a large window that gives views of the property, is hard to believe is underground.

“I love how each room is unique and different, yet still feels cohesive,” says judge Crystal DeCastro Knapik, a project designer at Cleveland-based Vocon.

For the gallery, Wentz added grasscloth wallpaper as a way to warm up the space. The herringbone floors — chosen to match flooring in the original house — are dotted with vintage, vegetable-dyed rugs sourced from New York City.

“They’re all one-of-a kind and a little bit different, but that’s what makes them so interesting,” Wentz says of the rugs, which she estimates are between 60 and 70 years old.

For the study, which she calls one of her favorite rooms in the house, Wentz chose a powdery blue wallpaper with an abstract design by Lindsay Cowles. She also added a cork board wall covered in glittery mica paper to the area above the desk.

“We do that in every project; it’s our signature,” Wentz says. “It’s just a cool backdrop for anything you want to hang there.”

Another showstopper is, of course, the staircase, which leads between the serene new guest suite — outfitted in calming shades of gray-green, cream and purple — and the new lower level. For the stair runner, Wentz went with a bold striped pattern from STARK Carpet Missoni Home collection.

“It’s a classic, and my, it’s really striking,” Wentz says.

Since it was completed, the homeowners have been enjoying the renovation, particularly the lower level, which now houses a media area, bar, dartboard and other games; it often serves as a gathering point for family members and friends when they come to visit.

Another source of relaxation is the newly expanded terrace. Situated outside the gallery, the homeowners often gather around the gas firepit, where they can take in the property’s peaceful surroundings.

“In the summer, we sit out there under the stars, and it’s great,” the homeowner says.

Vendors
Interior Design: Betsy Wentz Interior Design
Architectural Design: TJM Architecture + Planning
General Contractor: Bogel and Joseph Builders
Mechanical Bolster & HVAC Bolster: DeHart Inc.
Electric: Timothy Loeffler Inc.
Plumbing: W E Mertz Plumbing
Cabinetry: The Kitchen Gallery
Progressive Woodworking
Hardware: Habitat Hardware
Appliances: Don’s Appliances
Fixtures: SPLASH Kitchen Bath Home
Lighting: Betsy Wentz Interior Design
Flooring: Boswell Lumber
Countertops: Ultimate Granite and Stone Gallery
Windows and Doors: Marvin Windows and Doors.
Furnishings: Betsy Wentz Interior Design, walnut bar console by John Malecki
Tile: Ceramiche; powder room tile from Tile & Designs.

PHOTOS BY CRAIG THOMPSON

The sloping, wooded lot in Upper St. Clair had already been on the market for a while when Justin Cipriani noticed it. The Pittsburgh native had previously spent a decade living on the West Coast, where he honed a modern design aesthetic and a knack for building one-of-a-kind homes on less-than-ideal plots.

So, the steep grade of the Upper St. Clair lot didn’t faze him. In fact, it looked like a good challenge for his Cipriani Studios. He purchased the land, designed a kind of modern treehouse to tuck into the hillside and posted the rendering online to entice buyers.

That’s where Rob Michelucci and Kevin Williams spotted it in 2020. The Pittsburgh natives were ready to return to their Western Pennsylvania roots, but after 10 years of living in modern apartment buildings in Washington, D.C., and Florida, they weren’t looking for just any house.

“We’re unique, so we wanted something unique,” Michelucci says. “We wanted something that really speaks to us.”

Cipriani’s Frank-Lloyd-Wright-meets-California-contemporary design was, in their eyes, “woodsy, modern, masculine” perfection. The Best of Design judges agreed, and named the steel-and-stone stunner this year’s Best New Exterior winner.

“I really like the juxtaposition of materials on the exterior of the home,” says judge Stephanie Schill Hayden of Schill Architecture in Cleveland.

The home’s approach is purposefully unassuming. Situated at an angle to the street is an oversized stone veneer wall that cleverly conceals much of the 2,800-square-foot structure behind it — including the gutters, roof and garage — but you do get a peek at what appears to be an orange box floating amid the trees.

That’s the corten steel top floor overhanging its corrugated steel foundation; it gives anyone standing at its bank of floor-to-ceiling windows the feeling of sitting in the treetops. Corten is a metal that arrives on site a shimmering silver but, with time and weather, rusts to a terracotta-colored finish. Or, as Cipriani likes to say, “it will age with the trees.” He hung it in a pattern of variable sizes to give it a more organic feel.

The windows that run the length of the top floor are off-the-shelf, 5-by-10-foot frames that Cipriani uses to achieve maximum effect at a homebuyer-friendly price. They flood the 20-by-40 square-foot great room in light, offering sweeping views of the changing seasons and wandering wildlife, and open to a 12-by-16 square-foot timber-frame and steel-bracket deck.

“The large and expansive glass offered a great visual connection between the interior and scenic surroundings,” Hayden says.

They also had the added benefit of making the COVID-19 lockdown and dreary winters a lot less depressing, according to Michelucci and Williams.

More oversized windows adorn the top floor’s master suite and the ground floor’s spacious living area, allowing light into the cave-like quarters, which are nestled right into the hillside.

Achieving the stacked, treehouse construction wasn’t a simple feat. The lot ended up being even steeper than it appeared. The crew had to move a lot of earth, and Cipriani had to shift the home’s orientation slightly, to make it work.

“It was like a National Geographic moment,” Cipriani says. “I was waiting for David Attenborough to start talking about taking down nature.”

But he’s thrilled with the outcome — a design that, though unique to the area, still suits it, blending seamlessly into the nature around it. It’s a refreshing alternative to the traditional “Pittsburgh home,” according to Cipriani.

“Modern doesn’t have to be scary,” he says. “Building a modern home in a suburb is sort of progressive, but Rob and Kevin are progressive guys, and they took a leap of faith. They took a chance and they won.”

Or, if you ask Michelucci, they were destined for this house. Just a few months after moving in, he rediscovered a souvenir from one of the couple’s many trips to Disney World. On that particular visit, they rode Epcot’s Spaceship Earth, which at the end spits out a photographic prediction of the rider’s future. For Michelucci and Williams, it was a house.

“And …” Michelucci says, pausing for effect as Williams grins, “it looked just like this one!”

Vendors
Architectural Design: Cipriani Studios
Interior Design: Cipriani Studios, Owners
General Contractor: Crews Construction
Mechanical: C.S. Meyers Mechanical
Masonry: Pangallo Contracting
Cabinetry: Adornus
Appliances: Samsung
Fixtures: Moen
Flooring: LL Flooring / Delaware Bay Driftwood
Countertops: Specchio White Quartz from Armina Stone
Windows and Doors: Anderson 100
Tile: Elida Ceramica Hampton Beach Glass Stone from Lowe’s Home Improvement.

Crystal DeCastro Knapik

A senior project designer at Vocon, Crystal DeCastro Knapik lends her combined passion for sustainability and technology to many of the firm’s most transformational projects. She has collective experience in award-winning luxury residential, adaptive reuse and renovation, commercial, mixed-use residential and health care projects. She has been influential in developing office-wide sustainable initiatives, both through design and in practice. Her affinity for the digital arts is reflected in her work at Vocon and has led her to become a firm leader and mentor in design technologies.

Stephen M. Schill

With more than 25 years of experience, Stephen M. Schill of Schill Architecture, LLC, is a preeminent architect in northeast Ohio. Schill’s residential projects have a strong influence from his studies of architecture at Villa Schifanoia in Florence, Italy, where he developed his understanding of scale, proportion and details. Since Schill Architecture was established in 1991, Schill has designed luxury multimillion-dollar lakefront and estate homes throughout northern Ohio. His work has been featured in several regional publications.

Stephanie Schill Hayden

A graduate of Miami University and Kent State University, Stephanie Schill Hayden is a registered architect at Schill Architecture and a designer at House of L Interior Design. While she has known she wanted to be an architect in the family business since she was a girl, she appreciates the opportunity to work collectively on shared projects between both luxury residential firms. By completing both the architectural and interior drawings for residential projects, Schill Hayden can ensure the design intent is followed through from the foundation to the millwork details.