Pergola and kitchen are focal items.
Design ideas for a small modern backyard landscaping in New York.

We were contacted by a family named Pesek who lived near Memorial Drive on the West side of Houston. They lived in a stately home built in the late 1950’s. Many years back, they had contracted a local pool company to install an old lagoon-style pool, which they had since grown tired of. When they initially called us, they wanted to know if we could build them an outdoor room at the far end of the swimming pool. We scheduled a free consultation at a time convenient to them, and we drove out to their residence to take a look at the property. After a quick survey of the back yard, rear of the home, and the swimming pool, we determined that building an outdoor room as an addition to their existing landscaping design would not bring them the results they expected. The pool was visibly dated with an early “70’s” look, which not only clashed with the late 50’s style of home architecture, but guaranteed an even greater clash with any modern-style outdoor room we constructed. Luckily for the Peseks, we offered an even better landscaping plan than the one they had hoped for. We proposed the construction of a new outdoor room and an entirely new swimming pool. Both of these new structures would be built around the classical geometry of proportional right angles. This would allow a very modern design to compliment an older home, because basic geometric patterns are universal in many architectural designs used throughout history. In this case, both the swimming pool and the outdoor rooms were designed as interrelated quadrilateral forms with proportional right angles that created the illusion of lengthened distance and a sense of Classical elegance. This proved a perfect complement to a house that had originally been built as a symbolic emblem of a simpler, more rugged and absolute era. Though reminiscent of classical design and complimentary to the conservative design of the home, the interior of the outdoor room was ultra-modern in its array of comfort and convenience. The Peseks felt this would be a great place to hold birthday parties for their child. With this new outdoor room, the Peseks could take the party outside at any time of day or night, and at any time of year. We also built the structure to be fully functional as an outdoor kitchen as well as an outdoor entertainment area. There was a smoker, a refrigerator, an ice maker, and a water heater—all intended to eliminate any need to return to the house once the party began. Seating and entertainment systems were also added to provide state of the art fun for adults and children alike. We installed a flat-screen plasma TV, and we wired it for cable. The swimming pool was built between the outdoor room and the rear entrance to the house. We got rid of the old lagoon-pool design which geometrically clashed with the right angles of the house and outdoor room. We then had a completely new pool built, in the shape of a rectangle, with a rather innovative coping design. We showcased the pool with a coping that rose perpendicular to the ground out of the stone patio surface. This reinforced our blend of contemporary look with classical right angles. We saved the client an enormous amount of money on travertine by setting the coping so that it does not overhang with the tile. Because the ground between the house and the outdoor room gradually dropped in grade, we used the natural slope of the ground to create another perpendicular right angle at the end of the pool. Here, we installed a waterfall which spilled over into a heated spa. Although the spa was fed from within itself, it was built to look as though water was coming from within the pool. The ultimate result of all of this is a new sense of visual “ebb and flow,” so to speak. When Mr. Pesek sits in his couch facing his house, the earth appears to rise up first into an illuminated pool which leads the way up the steps to his home. When he sits in his spa facing the other direction, the earth rises up like a doorway to his outdoor room, where he can comfortably relax in the water while he watches TV. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

Inspiration for a contemporary blue tile and mosaic tile mosaic tile floor, blue floor and wallpaper powder room remodel in Boston with brown walls, a vessel sink and white countertops

Design ideas for a traditional shade backyard gravel landscaping in Columbus with a fire pit for summer.

Bathroom - large contemporary master gray tile and porcelain tile porcelain tile bathroom idea in Dallas with an undermount sink, a two-piece toilet and white walls

Jasmine Star
Example of a large 1960s master light wood floor bedroom design in Orange County with gray walls and no fireplace

Bathroom - coastal bathroom idea in Minneapolis with gray cabinets

Heiser Media
Farmhouse l-shaped dark wood floor kitchen photo in Seattle with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, white backsplash, stainless steel appliances and marble backsplash

Builder: John Kraemer & Sons | Photography: Landmark Photography
Example of a small minimalist gray two-story mixed siding flat roof design in Minneapolis

Traditional kitchen with painted white cabinets, a large kitchen island with room for 3 barstools, built in bench for the breakfast nook and desk with cork bulletin board.

Lake Front Country Estate Entry Porch, designed by Tom Markalunas, built by Resort Custom Homes. Photography by Rachael Boling
Single front door - huge traditional single front door idea in Other with a medium wood front door

Example of a mid-sized transitional 3/4 gray tile, white tile and marble tile vinyl floor and gray floor corner shower design in Boston with shaker cabinets, white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, gray walls, an undermount sink, quartzite countertops and a hinged shower door

Inspiration for a transitional dark wood floor and brown floor bedroom remodel in Orlando with gray walls

Photography by Richard Mandelkorn
Kitchen/dining room combo - traditional medium tone wood floor and brown floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Boston with white walls

INTERNATIONAL AWARD WINNER. 2018 NKBA Design Competition Best Overall Kitchen. 2018 TIDA International USA Kitchen of the Year. 2018 Best Traditional Kitchen - Westchester Home Magazine design awards. The designer's own kitchen was gutted and renovated in 2017, with a focus on classic materials and thoughtful storage. The 1920s craftsman home has been in the family since 1940, and every effort was made to keep finishes and details true to the original construction. For sources, please see the website at www.studiodearborn.com. Photography, Adam Kane Macchia .

Guest bathroom with antique vanity. Leaded glass window.
Example of an ornate bathroom design in San Francisco

Example of a large transitional master carpeted bedroom design in Charleston with white walls

Inspiration for a contemporary kitchen remodel in Seattle

Example of a mid-sized country l-shaped medium tone wood floor kitchen design in Boston with a farmhouse sink, beaded inset cabinets, white cabinets, quartz countertops, blue backsplash, mosaic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an island and white countertops