Inspirations
See our blog for new projects, announcements, and all things TMS Architects.Cozy Courtyard Gardens
The natural beauty, intimate coziness and peaceful charm of a courtyard garden makes it unlike any other space on your property. In addition to the privacy and serenity courtyards offer, they are also functionally versatile — the perfect place for entertaining, eating, reading, working, napping and more.
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A Look into The Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden
We’re fortunate to have a number of gorgeous gardens near the Portsmouth area that can help inspire thoughts for your own garden. Among them is the Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden, a National Historic Landmark that’s not too far from TMS Architects’ office!
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Stone Accents for Your Garden Spaces
Stone accents provide a myriad of benefits for garden rooms and landscape designs. In addition to connecting your home to its natural surroundings, stone materials add texture, color and visual interest. They’re also incredibly durable, so you benefit from both a low-maintenance landscape and hardscape features.
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Give Definition to Your Outdoor Space with Garden Room Walls
Gardens take on an entirely new dimension when borders are defined. Take a landscaped area of your property from an open space to an enclosed one, and you’ve created a secret garden room that’s private, comfortable and perfect for solo relaxation or intimate conversations.
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A New Hampshire Coastal Renovation Underway!
Under the watchful design guidance of TMS principal architect, Robert Carty, AIA, and Chris Ragusa of CM Ragusa Builders, a wonderful renovation is under construction near the ocean on New Hampshire’s coastline. The homeowners live in the Midwest, using this home as their beach vacation house and wanted to expand the family living area to make it more open for entertaining and large family gatherings.
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Styles of Gardens
As with residential and commercial architecture, beautiful landscape architecture is achieved through the successful application of specific design principles, features and details. The styles, in fact, are almost exactly akin. Just like designing a building, designing a garden or an entire property gives you an opportunity to exhibit a particular style that expresses your taste and personality.
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The ASLA’s Outdoor Design Trends of 2014
Whether you’re redesigning your outdoor living space and garden room to go along with your home renovation or are planning for a brand new home, there are a lot of places to look to for design inspiration, which can make the decision making process all the more difficult. However, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) helps make the process a bit easier thanks to its annual Residential Landscape Architecture Trends Survey.
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Flooring Ideas for Your Garden Room
Today’s garden rooms bring all the comforts of your home outdoors. You’ll find plush couches mingling with stylish area rugs, outdoor fireplaces, personalized decor, trendy color schemes and more. Recently, we even discussed choosing a ceiling for your garden room.
On that same note, flooring is another choice you may not have considered for your garden room, but it’s one that can really make an impact on the look and feel of your space. Flagstone, brick, tile, gravel and even grass are some examples of garden room flooring options. Each one can be used to add color, dimension and texture to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your space, while also serving a functional purpose.
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From Canopies to Tree Cover, Garden Rooms Have Ceilings, too!
Ceilings are often referred to by interior designers as the fifth wall. Homeowners often neglect this space, but ceilings are another blank canvas with tremendous design potential. Ceiling treatments can help solve design problems, such as making a room feel bigger or cozier.
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Decorative Elements Add the Finishing Touch to Garden Rooms
When you’re renovating a home or starting a new build, decorative elements like paintings or a luxurious light fixture often put the finishing touch on the room. The same can be said when it comes to your outdoor living spaces. Deciding on the plants and layout is only half the fun when designing your garden! Selecting decorative elements to place among your landscape is a great way to add year-round contrast and color to the panorama, and it displays the harmonious relationship that can exist between organic and man-made elements.
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Explore the Historic Gardens at Strawbery Banke Museum
The warmer weather is calling you outdoors this spring, so why not visit a charming local garden for some inspiration for your own backyard? Set in an original waterfront neighborhood, the historic gardens at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, are a destination you should add to your list this year.
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Arbors, Gazebos & Pergolas Add Architectural Interest to Garden Rooms
With warm weather on the horizon, many homeowners are looking forward to spending time outdoors after a long winter here in New England. Just as we refresh our homes with new décor each season, the same can be done in our garden rooms as well. In addition to incorporating a variety of flowers and plants, you can also enhance your space and add architectural interest with structures like arbors, gazebos and pergolas. Including all of these elements will make your garden feel more like a room, even in a vast, open landscape.
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Garden Rooms Made for Fun
While some homeowners want their gardens and landscaped areas to be a place for relaxation, others see them as spaces to entertain and enjoy time with family and friends. That’s the idea behind garden game rooms. Whether it’s bocce ball, shuffleboard, horseshoes, corn hole, badminton, etc., lawn games are what make group gatherings more fun, especially with the milder temperatures we usually experience here in New England during the spring and summer. If engaging in some friendly competition is part of your family’s tradition during holidays or a favorite way to entertain, you’ll certainly see the value of incorporating some space for games into your garden rooms. Below are a handful of inspiring ideas.
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What Are They Doing?
Several interesting structures have been taking shape in a parking lot directly outside TMS Architects’ offices and finally an article in The Portsmouth Herald revealed what’s going on out there ! The parking lot is apparently connected to Port City Makerspace which defines itself as ” a co-op shop for Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We are a community based shop that provides tools and workspace to members for a low monthly fee…the space we provide is the ultimate playground for those who tinker, design, build, fabricate, prototype, make and machine”
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Relax in Waterfront Garden Rooms
When the weather warms up, there’s no better place to relax and enjoy the outdoors than a waterfront garden room. With the tranquil sounds of the ocean or lake on one side and a beautifully manicured garden filled with lush plantings on the other, a waterfront garden is the perfect place to enjoy some quiet time to yourself!
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Secret Gardens: Your Own Outdoor Sanctuary
There are some places in your home designed for gatherings, while others are for work and play. But sometimes you pine for personal space that’s just for you. Soon, you can enjoy the peace of a secret garden and a quiet hideaway on your property where you can read, relax and enjoy fresh air.
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Find Inspiration for Your Gardens at Prescott Park in Portsmouth
Spring is a wonderful time here in New England. As the flowers begin to bloom, there are plenty of gardens to visit where you can find a bit of inspiration for your own landscapes. The astounding beauty of the gardens of Prescott Park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire are among our favorites.
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Gorgeous Garden Dining Rooms
During late spring and early summer, there’s nothing better than dining al fresco in your own backyard. Not only is an outdoor dining area convenient for making and enjoying dinner on the grill, but it’s also a great time to enjoy the beauty of blooming flowers, trees and plants in your surrounding landscape.
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It’s Time to Start Thinking Spring with Garden Room Design Ideas
Even though the official start to spring is still a little over a week away, it’s not too early to start thinking of ways to enhance your outdoor living spaces with beautiful garden rooms. Garden rooms can be used for outdoor entertaining in the spring and summer or simply for relaxation and the enjoyment of fresh flowers and the surrounding scenery. The idea is to bring the comforts of the indoors — plush furnishings and stylish decor — outdoors. You can expand the footprint of your home without adding square feet.
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Old House and Barn Expo
Mark your calendars for the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s Old House and Barn Expo taking place March 15-16, 2014 at the Radisson/Center of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH. Historical preservation is an important mission for TMS Architects and we applaud the work that the NH Preservation Alliance does to publicize and preserve New Hampshire’s historic treasures. The Old House Barn and Expo is only one of their many important activities.
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