For Dan Kinsella of Kinsella Building in Portsmouth, R.I., the key to success is a hands-on approach. The company has evolved over the years. Kinsella gives us a peek into his company and what services they offer.

The MacKenzie Brothers, builders of the 2010 HGTV Green Home, bring an island feel to a cottage in The Pinehills.

Minglewood Homes recreates a beachfront home that respects its spectacular location.

Kurzhaus Designs expands and remodels a century-old East Orleans cottage and, at the homeowners' request, keeps it looking like the beloved antique it is.

An architect blends historic character and modern convenience in a seaside Cohasset home.

As soon as the Harvard-educated couple saw the pond-side one-acre estate just a short walk from Nantucket Sound, they knew they had found their own perfect piece of the Cape. The only problem was the existing house had been left to disrepair for too long and could not be salvaged.

An active family turns to M. Duffany Builders to construct a house that suits their needs in North Falmouth.

A Mashpee getaway on Monomoscoy Island was built for weekday solace and weekend play.

Principal Designer John DaSilva, of Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders, creates a window-filled waterfront home that's both elegant and inviting.

When a high-end apartment's surroundings are a lush oasis amidst concrete and brick facades, the residence's interiors must fit the impressive environment. The homeowners, art-loving real estate veterans with grown children, had a vision for the space but needed a cohesive team to carry out the extensive renovation.

After dabbling in home building with his own homes over the years, Ralph Nixon of Prestige Home Building decided to start a second career as a custom home builder when he retired from his career in finance. One of the finest examples of his design principles can be found in his own home in Chatham.

Jim and Regina Shakin knew their new home in Chatham would not always be strictly a seasonal residence. Eventually, in their retirement years, it would serve as their year-round home. So their mandate was clear when they decided to build on a spectacular lot overlooking Stage Harbor: Give us a home that is functional as a permanent residence but retains the summer charm of a vacation retreat.

This young couple had been escaping to the Cape for years and fell in love with the calm, cool waters and sandy beaches of Cape Cod Bay. When they decided to build a place of their own for their family, they wanted their new house to have a traditional Cape Cod look and feel.

Now that buildable waterfront lots are almost unheard of on Cape Cod, the new trend is to buy a property and raze it in order to build a dream home. But not all homeowners are interested in erasing the history of an existing structure. Even though it can be labor intensive and sometimes cost more, renovating an older home can be immensely satisfying as this homeowner discovered.

Buildable lots on Green Pond Harbor are impossible to come by. Quiet and tranquil, the small East Falmouth harbor is a throwback to a simpler era. So when an idyllic, highly coveted harbor-front parcel came up for sale, the current owners jumped at the opportunity to purchase it and turn it into a recreation-themed 'pool house' for their multi-generational family.

Some houses are just structures; others can seem almost human and beg to be described in terms like 'friendly' and 'gracious. ' Such is the case with Rose Cottage, a large, rambling Shingle-style house built in the late 1800s. Seeking to keep as much of the original structure the same, the new homeowners also wanted to improve the interior space to fit an active family with a modern lifestyle.

When John Damon and John Harrington of The Damon Company were hired for the renovation of a 4,200-square foot home in Newport, R.I., they never expected to wind up doing a complete rebuild on that same house after it ended burning to the ground in December, 2005.

Architect and designer Patrick Ahearn often tells clients,

Katherine Frost spent the summers of her childhood in the seaside cottage colony of Quonochontaug in Charlestown, R.I. Every August her family, aunts and uncles, would convene there, creating memories to last a lifetime. So it wasn't surprising when Katherine and her husband purchased a home there. But while the location was ideal, the antiquated cottage wasn't.

It was immediately apparent that this Wellfleet residence was a product of the 1970s. Windows were tiny, and there were few of them; the first floor walls were made of poured concrete and the exterior was clad with T 1-11 siding. It had structural issues, virtually no storage space and the HVAC system was hugely inefficient. But all that soon change.

A Coastal New England Home in southern Rhode Island is transformed into an Italian seaside villa.

At Humphrey's, a building and design center with various storefrontsand showrooms throughout Rhode Island, quality materials and exceptional design, along with knowledgeable staff in every department, are ingredients that when combined together, make a cohesive, high-functioning concept–with an aesthetically pleasing look to match.

Two years' worth of effort, creativity and craftsmanship have culminated in this beachfront beauty on Nye's Neck, facing due west over Buzzards Bay.

GOLF COURSE communities offer a resort-like setting and incredible amenities, but the intimate size of Willowbend Country Club in Mashpee is what sets it apart. With 178 homes built in five different neighborhoods, the ambiance is conducive to meeting people and forming lifelong friendships.

When these Connecticut homeowners and avid Red Sox fans wanted a Boston home base for enjoying game nights with family and friends, they found an ideal location on the top floor of a handsome Back Bay brownstone.

ALL HOMEOWNERS want their homes to be a unique reflection of their personal taste. The team at Meridian Custom Homes in Providence, Rhode Island, understands this and strives to deliver interesting new designs for each of their customers in every price range. To do so, they focus on the detailing and individuality of every home they build.

The assignment was to create a home combining coastal living with a European flair. For Judd Brown Designs of Pawtucket, that meant the addition of 2,200 square feet and the complete renovation of a dazzling property that overlooks Bonnet Shores in Narragansett.

Finding a neighborhood that perfectly meets their family's needs is the goal for most homeowners. Luckily, Karen and John Parsons found just that place at their summer home in Harwich Port, just seconds from the beach, restaurants and shopping, and their four children could safely ride their bikes in a protected area.

Built on land owned by their family for more than 400 years, the summer home of Ron and Jane Bogle is now a part of the neighboring family homestead.

At the easternmost point of Chatham, Massachusetts is Morris Island, a treasured refuge, famous for its unspoiled coastline and quintessential Cape Cod beauty. Poised on a hill overlooking the beach, this elegant home feels inspired by the natural surroundings: timeless, beautifully crafted, and surprisingly complex.

Some houses are so perfect for their setting, they seem to have sprung up on their own. In reality, it can be a challenge to make a house feel like part of the landscape and architect Chris Hall is well known for his talent for doing just that.

Some dreams-come-true start out small. For the homeowner of this breathtaking family compound, with a view of Cape Cod Bay, her wish had the innocence of a fairy tale.