Blog
See our blog for new projects, announcements, and all things TMS Architects.
Smaller Home, Smaller Impact
Downsizing your home can be a smart move for a number of reasons. For empty nesters, there’s simply no need to expend the energy and money on the upkeep of a large house. For those who reside in an area where the cost of living is high, it might simply makes sense from a financial standpoint. In either case, downsizing is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and live a more sustainable lifestyle.
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Exploring the Great Indoors
These last weeks before spring begins to bloom can feel like the longest of the entire year. Time seems to move more slowly, but not in the way that allows for the cherishing of moments. Instead, time seems to inch endlessly through antsy children, soggy socks, and waking up early to start the cars before work. Don’t let the everyday monotonies of the winter dregs lose you any time with those you love: cozy up with the kind of luxurious indoor entertainment that will keep you from ever needing to leave the house.
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Now Hiring: Interior Design Coordinator
TMS is currently seeking a full-time Interior Design Coordinator to join their Interior Design Studio team. This person will work directly with the company’s Lead Interior Designer, assisting them with their daily duties. They will coordinate with furniture and fabric companies to set up new accounts, order samples, place and track orders. The applicant should have a working knowledge of drafting construction documents, selecting and specifying materials, and have 1-5 years of experience in architecture or interior design.
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Charles Brewster Defined Old Portsmouth
Architecture Advocates: Charles Brewster
By J. Dennis Robinson
Even his best friends said he was dull. His two-volume Rambles about Portsmouth remain the most important books about New Hampshire’s only seaport. Yet historian Charles Brewster (1802-1869) was, himself, a shy methodical man, who led a remarkably uneventful life.
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Brave the Cold for These Local Events
With the warmth of Valentine’s Day just past and the days themselves soon to grow longer, it seems like spring should be only a step away, making this sudden arrival of true winter weather even more brisk. While it might seem best to burrow under the quilt covers and wait until the end of April to venture out into that New England pall, don’t let the chilly weather keep you away from all our wonderful town has to offer.
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Explore GREATHORSE Lifestyle Club With Google Walkthrough
Designing the GREATHORSE lifestyle club in Hampden, MA is one of our proudest accomplishments in the past year. What was once a dated country club in need of renovation is now a modern and luxurious lifestyle club with a rustic, family oriented feel. We combined Western arts & crafts with New England farmhouse style to give the clubhouse a laid-back atmosphere, and incorporated several equestrian details as a nod to the owners’ love of horses. Now, here’s your chance to take a look inside…
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Ground Up: What to Consider When Building Your Dream Home
There is little as thrilling, rewarding, and overwhelming as building an entire home of your own. To create the spaces of your dreams, and fulfilling the scope of your future. To build the ideal place into which you and yours can grow, and making it entirely your own. But while the final image of your complete fantasy might rest easy and fully illustrated in your mind, the actual steps taken between the first turn of soil in a shovel to the finishing beauty of your new house can be daunting. With just a few tips and considerations, the process of building your dream home can be kept from becoming a nightmare.
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TMS Architects Wins Two AIA NH Excellence in Architecture Design Awards
On January 22, 2016, The American Institute of Architects New Hampshire Chapter (AIANH) announced the recipients of its 2016 Annual Excellence in Architecture Design Awards.
This is the highest recognition of architecture that exemplifies excellence in overall design, including aesthetics, clarity, creativity, appropriate functionality, sustainability, building performance, and appropriateness with regard to fulfilling the client’s program. We’re pleased to share that two designs by TMS Architects were selected as winners in this year’s award ceremony.
The 2016 jury was comprised of John Franzen FAIA, J.P. Franzen Associates Architects, Southport, CT; Kevin Herrick AIA, the S/L/A/M Collaborative, Glastonbury, CT; and Laura Pirie AIA, Pirie Associates, New Haven, CT.
Read on to learn more about these award-winning projects…
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TMS Architects Wins Three New Hampshire Home Design Awards
New Hampshire Home recently hosted their Third Annual Design Awards ceremony; a program that honors and celebrates excellence in home design and the creative use of materials in new, remodeled and historic residences. We’re pleased to share that TMS Architects received three awards and one honorable mention for our work! Read on to see some of our award-winning designs…
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Out on the Town: 3 Portsmouth Events to Enjoy This Winter
While freezing gray days might make us all want to huddle inside until the cold season passes, anyone who lives in Portsmouth is lucky enough to experience a beautifully thriving community where there are wonderful events to tempt us from hearth and home, regardless of the weather. With such gorgeous spaces and engaging people, there is no end to the events offered in Portsmouth, even in the seemingly quietest months of the year — and there’s no better New Year’s resolution than getting to know such a town even better.
We had the absolute pleasure of renovating Wentworth by the Sea, a historic hotel with stunning vistas and design that encourages relaxation and refinement. Pair this place with the 2016 Winter Wine Festival, and you have everything you could possibly need for the most dazzling days of the winter season. Kicking off January 22nd, and continuing until February 21st, this festival is New England’s premier winter destination for the complete wine experience, with tastes suited from the amateur to the connoisseur, whether you seek oysters, bubbles, or jazz brunches. Hosted by one of our favorite past projects and a true gem of Portsmouth, winter just became infinitely more enticing.
It’s hard to find the motivation to get out on the town on an icy winter weeknight. Thankfully, Row 34 has a delicious guest chef series in store to help us power through. Every Tuesday from now until March, Row 34 is bringing chefs from the best restaurants throughout New England to make special additions to the menu. Guest chefs include Louis DiBiccari of Tavern Road (1/19), Ben Hasty of Thistle Pig (1/26), and Jamie Bissonnette of Coppa & Toro (2/16). It’s a truly mouthwatering way to spend your evening!
Another favorite project, the Music Hall Loft, has truly earned its place as one of Portsmouth’s most electric venues with this month’s lineup of live performances and special screenings. Whatever you may love, be it the brilliant comedy of Marina Franklin to the thoughtfulness of the award-winning film Mustang, there is the perfect event for anyone and everyone in these next few weeks. Relish these winter evenings in the sumptuous warmth of the lounge, and enjoy a night out with those you love.
With the holidays past, we all might want to just collapse into the couch and stay as warm as possible. But with a town this ideal, you might as well get out on the town and discover some new favorite wine, amazing food, incredible performances, and (best of all) good company.
Interior Design Trends to Watch in 2016
As a brand new year begins, many of us find ourselves craving a fresh start. While everyone else is breaking a sweat at the gym or trying out a trendy new juice cleanse, we prefer our New Year’s resolutions to have some staying power. Giving a room in your home a brand new look can be the perfect way to invigorate your senses this winter and beyond.
We chatted with TMS’s Interiors Project Manager, Cristina Marais, about up and coming Interior Design Trends for 2016. Think blushing pinks, splashy wallpaper, patterned tiles, natural elements, and a focus on comfort and hospitality. Read on for a little inspiration…
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Value-Adding Additions
There are many things to consider when you make an addition or large renovation to your home. It’s your home, so of course any addition should be something that you and your family will be able to enjoy for years to come. But it’s also smart to think about the big picture when making a change.
When it comes to return on investment, all home additions are not created equal. It’s nice to daydream about adding a sun room, swimming pool, or state of the art kitchen, but unfortunately those additions are not always the most practical when it comes time to sell. Here, we’ll share some of the best value additions you can make to your home.
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TMS Architects 2015: A Year In Review
The TMS Team, December 2015
Is it just us, or has 2015 simply flown by? This time of year is a wonderful opportunity to sit back and reflect on everything that has happened over the past twelve months before diving into the new year. We spent some time reminiscing this week, and we’re pleased to say that 2015 was a banner year for TMS, filled with numerous noteworthy accomplishments both professional and personal. We’re excited to share some highlights with you today, and hope that 2016 brings just as many wonderful memories!
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Trends to Watch in 2016
Hard to believe it, but 2016 will be here in a pop of champagne and the blink of an eye. In the final week of the year, enjoy your home even more by dreaming of its future: grab some hot chocolate, curl up in your favorite overstuffed chair, and mull the best trends of the new year!
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Celebrate the Season in Portsmouth, NH
There’s a reason this time of year is considered the most wonderful, the most magical. The world is a little kinder, the nights a little cozier. The best part, of course, is being together with the people you love most. Cherish this month with these incredible Portsmouth events — Travel + Leisure called us “Christmas Capitol of America” for good reason, after all!
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Real or Rendering? You Decide
The following amazing photo-realistic images were commissioned by TMS Architects to provide a client with a full understanding of the rather unconventional concept and design of cottages for their extended family and guests. These renderings will be used as a visual reference for the homeowners, the contractor and the architect to develop construction documents for future construction and were provided to TMS by Jonn Kutyla of PiXate Creative.
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Historic “Refreshing” of Three Chimneys Inn
TMS Architects’s principal , Rob Carty and interior designer, Cristina Marais, recently worked with the historic Three Chimneys Inn on a project to provide some changes to the inn that will be in keeping with the time period of the historic structure. Built in 1649 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Three Chimneys Inn is one of the oldest homes in New Hampshire. It now serves as an inn in Durham NH, home to the University of New Hampshire, with twenty-three guest rooms, dining in the historic ffrost Sawyer Tavern and serves as a host for many weddings, events and conferences.
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Likely Lightning Rod Legend Lives On
TMS Architect’s guest blogger and local historian, J. Dennis Robinson, provided us with a December post that, in this season of light, appropriately turns its attention to electricity, Ben Franklin and an historic Portsmouth home.
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Preparing Your Home for the Holidays
Your home with guests is a very different space than your home with just you, and preparing for visitors can be an overwhelming time crunch, especially with the heightened expectations of the holidays. With Thanksgiving just past and the rest of the season soon to follow, here are some of our favorite tips and ideas so that you can enjoy this time instead of being flattened out by it. Your home should exude what ‘home’ means to you, and put every guest at ease; be it a crackling fire in the living room, late night hot chocolate sitting around the kitchen table, or everything in between. Let your home be exactly that — for both you, your friends, and family.
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A TMS-Designed Residence in Progress
Like a painting in which more detail is added or a piece of clay taking shape on a potter’s wheel, it is wonderful to see the construction progress of a new TMS-designed home. This residence, in northern Massachusetts, has been under construction by DiPiero Construction, Newburyport, Massachusetts, for a little less than a year and the homeowners are finally seeing the light at the end of the project…choosing colors, tile, fixtures, furniture and artwork for their new home as the abstraction of the floor plans become individual and specific rooms.
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