The Eleanor is in the idyllic community of Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina. The client wanted an intimate, Lowcountry-style home, so the main level was capped at 2,000 square feet. Despite its small footprint, Eleanor boasts the elegance of a large estate. The home features an on-axis kitchen with a barreled ceiling opening up to a lovely dining area. A unique design solution allows for ten-foot ceilings in the living room. The handsome carriage house features a two-and-a-half-car garage and an independent apartment connected to the home by a breezeway.

This Grand Rapids, MI home pushes the creative envelope by using glass, horizontal rooflines, and an open, communal interior. The central front entry and great room expand into all-glass back wall and outdoor living spaces. Positioned front and center, a windowed 14-foot-wide stair tower floods light onto three levels of the home. The design is well-organized, embracing clean lines and clutter-free interiors. Many contemporary moments are incorporated into the traditional styling.

Deveraux is located in Holland, Michigan. In partnership with Mike Schaap Builders, Visbeen Architects carefully perfected the home’s horizontal and vertical lines to create a sense of drama and an enduring asymmetrical appeal.

The clients wanted to build a lodge on the water that would capture their love of the contemporary. They envisioned a monochromatic design with black and red-toned woods. The Visbeen Architects team worked hard to achieve the client’s vision of a stately lodge with a contemporary feel using immaculate tectonic lines. The exterior is reminiscent of Arts & Crafts Revival’s exposed wood trim. The interior embraces simplicity, natural materials, and an expansive use of glass in a contemporary style.

Designing a personal residence may be an architect’s most challenging task. With Ingleside, Wayne Visbeen set out to create an iconic, timeless home to showcase the craftsmanship and the quality of Visbeen Architects’ design work. The goal was to keep the spacious footprint efficient on a tight suburban lot.

One of Visbeen Architects’ most distinctive designs, this private home evokes the picturesque villages of Tuscany. The spacious footprint is spread across multiple buildings. There are many fireplaces and chimneys, a formal garden, and a working vineyard. The central courtyard features a motor court and bell tower, reminiscent of an old Italian church and used as an observatory. Ludowici Roof Tile baked high-quality, authentic clay tiles in their kilns to cover the vast square footage of roofs on the home.

This three-year design-build project put Visbeen Architects on the map for residential architecture. The clients’ international collection of antiques and original artwork features in every room of the home, creating a unique design challenge. The firm imagined a unifying central corridor running through the structure to establish cohesion. This “structural spine” has been repeated in many Visbeen Architects projects, providing a straight line for HVAC, centrally-located supporting walls, and shortened floor joists.

This contemporary home is compact and efficient yet equipped with an incredible amount of amenities. The layout features a generous island counter and outdoor dining. Staggering views of Lake Michigan prompted outdoor living spaces on every level of this waterfront home.

Bridlewood is an exquisite estate in a lush oasis outside Houston, Texas. Grand gables and towering windows crown the crescent-shaped residence, making this compound incredibly private and stunning from every angle. The front elevation highlights a circle drive and arched porte cochere. The rear elevation’s garden sanctuary and covered, four-season escape make for year-round cooking and entertaining.

The Rookwood feels like an old home in a new style. This house draws inspiration from Tudor and Shingle styles using brick and stone with iconic details like steeply pitched roofs, shingled walls, and extensive porches. The dining room is open to the kitchen and hearth. The living room is a beautiful conversation space with a look-through fireplace. The library and pub harken to the past, featuring pub tables and a wine bar.