Another great architecture firm; Barnes Vanze Architects

Since I am obsessed with architecture, I am often scouring the web for great architect firms. Recently, I came across a wonderful Washington D.C. based firm, Barnes Vanze Architects.

One of my favorite homes on their website, this charming french provincial cottage was designed to look much smaller from the street. From the back, it is much easier to get a true sense of the homes size.

Another one of my favorites is this European country estate in Potomac, MD.

This breath-taking Beaux Arts mansion was originally built in 1926, modeled after a palace built by Napoleon for his first wife, Josephine. After years of neglect, a young family purchased the home, and it was lovingly restored by Barnes Vanze.

Barnes Vanze also does interior design, and the interiors are just as beautiful as the homes, with impeccable attention to detail.

The work of Barnes Vanze Architects has been features in over 100 publications including Period Homes, Southern Living, House beautiful, and Southern Accents.

To see more, please visit their website.

All images courtesy of Barnes Vanze Architects

Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects

Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects is a nationally recognized firm in Fairhope, Alabama. I am extremely familiar with their work, since I reside in Fairhope, a small coastal town on Mobile Bay.

The firm designs beautiful homes where quality and craftsmanship is paramount. They have been featured in Southern living seven times, Coastal Living four times, and Better Homes and Gardens twice. They have also been featured in This Old House, Southern Accents, From House to Home, and Garden and Gun. Two of their designs, a Mobile riverfront home, and an Irish Country cottage have been featured on HGTV's "Homes Across America"

No detail is overlooked in the design of any Walcott Adams Verneuille home. One of my favorite homes are Lea Verneuille's personal home, a french country cottage:

I also love the Reynolds residence, featured in Southern Accents. The Reynolds use it as a beautiful summer retreat.

The kitchen is beautiful, with classic white cabinets and a dramatic wood ceiling.

The firm also designed many of the buildings on the grounds of the beautiful Grand Hotel Marriott Resort in the nearby community of Point Clear.

Another one of my favorites is the Couch Residence, A bay front Estate in the nearby town of Daphne. The From House To Home article describes it as a "Georgian Revival Mansion."




To see more beautiful photos of these and many other homes, visit the Firm's website.

All images courtesy of Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects

Mark Finlay Architects

Mark P. Finlay Architects, A.I.A, is a world renowned architecture firm with offices in New York City and Southport, Connecticut. The firm does beautiful work and has done projects as far away as Costa Rica. The craftsmanship and detail that goes into the homes is unbelievable! Nothing is overlooked and every room has beautiful architectural detail.



Though most of the homes are quite large, they aren't showy or pretentious. Each home's architectural features all relate to one style, and are used correctly. So often you see builders or architects mix many different styles and the home doesn't make sense. This is not the case with Mark Finlay.



Mark Finlay has been in Architectural Digest four times, as well as being featured in 45 other magazines such as House Beautiful, Southern Accents, and Better Homes and Gardens. One of his homes was also featured on MTV's "Teen Cribs" as Kylie's house.

This same home was also featured in the Disney movie "Old Dogs".

Finlay's homes are classic, elegant, and historically accurate, while having modern layouts that cater to today's lifestyle.





Finlay has done homes for many important people, from the President of Fed Ex Ground, to the entrepreneur behind Priceline.com, for which he designed this home with an amazing library:




Though the library is not my taste, the rest of the home is beautiful:






You can see many more beautiful properties here at the firm's website

All pgotos courtesy of Mark Finlay Architects