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360 image

Student Designer Wows with ‘Melrose Place’ Apartment Render


Rendering of the Melrose Place apartment complex.

Author's Portrait By Kendra Dorosh

Interior Planning and Design student Gisela Weissman-Everhard’s attention to detail and commitment to learning are driving factors in her early successes.

Woman with brown hair and red lipstick.

As a student at American River College in Sacramento, CA, Gisela seized the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest as a learning opportunity:

“I wanted to really push myself to grow. With previous projects, I had been focused on the interior structure and aesthetics of designs. The ‘Melrose Place’ design was going to be really challenging – how was I going to build an open area that overlooks the pool? I was also nervous about the complexity of the roof, with how it opens up in the middle. This is an apartment, not a house, so I had to build multiple apartment spaces. I watched many Chief Architect tutorials over and over again. I felt really good when it was completed, I learned so much in the process.”

-Gisela Weissman-Everhard

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Jennifer Collin’s Award-Winning Kitchen uses Color to Evoke Emotion


Open concept kitchen with large blue island, white cabinets, and wood countertops.

Wine Storage Solutions with WineRacks.com


Actual image of a wine cellar filled with wine

By Emily Black

 

Chief Architect has been working with WineRacks.com since 2012 to offer their wine storage product line. Their USA made wine storage solutions provide a unique design for any small or large project.

WineRacks.com is located in New York’s Hudson Valley and has been serving their customers since 1992.  Over the years, their product selections have expanded to include a wide range of small capacity wine racks, wine accessories, cooling units and lighting for wine cellars.

With the goal of providing the very best customer service and product quality, WineRacks.com is manufacturing their own wooden wine storage units within the US with environmentally responsible raw materials.

I had the chance to speak with Jeremy of WineRacks.com to dive deeper into what makes a great wine cellar.

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Shona Griffin places 2nd with her versatile walk-in shower design


This bathroom design features a walk-in steam shower with a sauna, standalone tub, bench seat and a large round window.

Author's PortraitBy Kendra Dorosh

Shona Griffin places 2nd in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interior Design Contest. She’s based in Atlanta, Georgia and owns a small home-based drafting and permitting service called Key Designs.

 

 

“I have an Associate’s Degree in Computer-Aided Science and a Bachelor’s Degree in Project Management. I was introduced to Chief Architect Software through an engineering firm that I worked for, at that time they were operating Chief Architect Version X7. I have also learned Revit, but I prefer Chief Architect and have now been using it for 14 years. I operate a small home-based drafting and permitting service, which is growing rapidly.” (more…)

William M. Woody wins 1st place with his Log Cabin Design


This cabin is a stacked 6x12 log on log featuring two bedrooms, a large centered fireplace in the great room, an upstairs open loft, heavy timber beams, and heavy timber rafters. Finished with hand hewing, this rustic cabin will nestle in nicely in the Great Smoky Mountains, and look as if it has been there for over a century. Adorned with rounded cedar tree posts on the porches, this home will have wonderful mountain views from those porches, and be a relaxing place to sit and watch the sunset. This home is replacing one destroyed in the Cobbly Nob area, just outside of Gatlinburg, TN burned by the wildfire's that ravaged the town late in 2016, transforming the landscape forever. The production and manufacture of this home has already begun as the rebuilding continues for one more of these home owners. Logs where modeled in Cadwork. Chief Architect X9 was used to complete the plans, add textures, and finish the model. Lumion 7 was used for the final rendering.

Author's PortraitBy Kendra Dorosh

William M. Woody won 1st place in the Chief Architect Residential Design Contest. William uses his vast experience in the Residential Design Business as well as his skills with Chief Architect Software to create exceptional plans and renderings for his clients.

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Chace Groves wins 2nd with his 360 modern home design


Modern home design with pool overlooking the ocean.

Chace won 2nd in our Residential Design Contest and has found his passion in home design.

“Born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex of Texas, I’ve always had an eye for design. Supported by my father and mother and their commercial construction business, I was very fond of many local architectural firms. I had set up a few one on one interviews to discuss my future goals, the educational process, and the work atmosphere. My mind was set on architecture since I was very young. (more…)

Rene Rabbitt places 3rd with his Grand Bathroom Design


Bathroom Design with walk in shower, built-in tub and spa feel.

Rene of Daoust Design and Construction placed 3rd in May’s Kitchen/Bath and Interior Design Contest. He has been using Chief Architect for almost 10 years and focuses on the 3D tools to beat out the competition.

“I grew up in Oakland California and went into building custom homes in the Bay Area right out of high school. I have been a builder for over 17 years in residential remodeling, which is what inspired me to start designing. Ten years ago I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do some freelance design for an architecture firm that was using Chief Architect X3. I fell in love with the software and its ability to create realistic visual depictions of the kitchens and baths I would then get to build. I am currently a licensed General Contractor (inactive) working for Daoust Design and Construction as Lead Design/Production Manager. (more…)

Debra Taylor Purvis Wins 1st with her Rustic Bathroom Design


Rustic elegant master bathroom with rain shower, free standing tub and custom ceiling.

Debra placed 1st in the Chief Architect Kitchen/Bath & Interior Design Contest. She develops house plans and has been a Chief Architect customer for almost 20 years!

 

Debra Taylor Purvis“I’m from south Mississippi. I live/work in a little town called Wiggins since my husband and I got married 32 years ago.  I’m a Certified Professional Building Designer and a professional member of the American Institute of Building Design (AIBD).

“I started what would be my “career” after taking an architectural drafting class in high school. After college I started working for an engineering firm, drawing road projects, subdivisions, and local projects “on the board.”  After working with them 8 years (and doing house plans at night) I decided to leave there and open DesignHouse Inc – House Plans in 1991, full-time. I knew if I was going pursue this design field I would have to transition off the board onto a CAD program.  I’ve used several programs over the years but nothing has offered my clients the views that Chief does. (more…)

Sample Plans – Where do They Come From?


Asian inspired modern home design.

Author's portrait By Adrean Stephenson

 

Downloadable Sample Plans are a great resource for experiencing the features in Chief Architect’s software hands-on and in real-time. A variety of plans are available on both the Chief Architect and Home Designer websites. 

Now that the latest Home Designer product line has been released, we are excited to offer another set of great tools for DIY designers and Home Enthusiasts to showcase their talents. There are many new features offered in the product line that you can view here; however, today I want to share our process for creating new downloadable sample plans and shine a light on the sources of our inspiration.

With each new release of software, Chief Architect’s Art Department develops a new look for the products’ packaging. For the Home Designer product line, separately featuring 5 unique packages is no small feat! The goal this year was to utilize a photograph of a residential design that is well suited to the functionality available in the product. If you click on the images below, you can see that we create our version of the scene using the software and then display the rendering as an inlay on the product cover.

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