The stylish entry has very high ceilings and paned windows. The dark wood console table grounds the tranquil artwork that hangs above it and the geometric pattern of the rug that lies below it. Photography by Marco Ricca

Photographer: Jay Goodrich This 2800 sf single-family home was completed in 2009. The clients desired an intimate, yet dynamic family residence that reflected the beauty of the site and the lifestyle of the San Juan Islands. The house was built to be both a place to gather for large dinners with friends and family as well as a cozy home for the couple when they are there alone. The project is located on a stunning, but cripplingly-restricted site overlooking Griffin Bay on San Juan Island. The most practical area to build was exactly where three beautiful old growth trees had already chosen to live. A prior architect, in a prior design, had proposed chopping them down and building right in the middle of the site. From our perspective, the trees were an important essence of the site and respectfully had to be preserved. As a result we squeezed the programmatic requirements, kept the clients on a square foot restriction and pressed tight against property setbacks. The delineate concept is a stone wall that sweeps from the parking to the entry, through the house and out the other side, terminating in a hook that nestles the master shower. This is the symbolic and functional shield between the public road and the private living spaces of the home owners. All the primary living spaces and the master suite are on the water side, the remaining rooms are tucked into the hill on the road side of the wall. Off-setting the solid massing of the stone walls is a pavilion which grabs the views and the light to the south, east and west. Built in a position to be hammered by the winter storms the pavilion, while light and airy in appearance and feeling, is constructed of glass, steel, stout wood timbers and doors with a stone roof and a slate floor. The glass pavilion is anchored by two concrete panel chimneys; the windows are steel framed and the exterior skin is of powder coated steel sheathing.

Example of a large trendy dark wood floor living room design in San Francisco with a plaster fireplace, gray walls, a media wall and a ribbon fireplace

Inspiration for a mid-sized cottage l-shaped dark wood floor and brown floor open concept kitchen remodel in Atlanta with glass-front cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, an island, a farmhouse sink and marble countertops

Inspiration for a cottage medium tone wood floor kitchen remodel in San Francisco

The Port Ludlow Residence is a compact, 2400 SF modern house located on a wooded waterfront property at the north end of the Hood Canal, a long, fjord-like arm of western Puget Sound. The house creates a simple glazed living space that opens up to become a front porch to the beautiful Hood Canal. The east-facing house is sited along a high bank, with a wonderful view of the water. The main living volume is completely glazed, with 12-ft. high glass walls facing the view and large, 8-ft.x8-ft. sliding glass doors that open to a slightly raised wood deck, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor space. During the warm summer months, the living area feels like a large, open porch. Anchoring the north end of the living space is a two-story building volume containing several bedrooms and separate his/her office spaces. The interior finishes are simple and elegant, with IPE wood flooring, zebrawood cabinet doors with mahogany end panels, quartz and limestone countertops, and Douglas Fir trim and doors. Exterior materials are completely maintenance-free: metal siding and aluminum windows and doors. The metal siding has an alternating pattern using two different siding profiles. The house has a number of sustainable or “green” building features, including 2x8 construction (40% greater insulation value); generous glass areas to provide natural lighting and ventilation; large overhangs for sun and rain protection; metal siding (recycled steel) for maximum durability, and a heat pump mechanical system for maximum energy efficiency. Sustainable interior finish materials include wood cabinets, linoleum floors, low-VOC paints, and natural wool carpet.

Nestled into sloping topography, the design of this home allows privacy from the street while providing unique vistas throughout the house and to the surrounding hill country and downtown skyline. Layering rooms with each other as well as circulation galleries, insures seclusion while allowing stunning downtown views. The owners' goals of creating a home with a contemporary flow and finish while providing a warm setting for daily life was accomplished through mixing warm natural finishes such as stained wood with gray tones in concrete and local limestone. The home's program also hinged around using both passive and active green features. Sustainable elements include geothermal heating/cooling, rainwater harvesting, spray foam insulation, high efficiency glazing, recessing lower spaces into the hillside on the west side, and roof/overhang design to provide passive solar coverage of walls and windows. The resulting design is a sustainably balanced, visually pleasing home which reflects the lifestyle and needs of the clients. Photography by Andrew Pogue

Kitchen - traditional kitchen idea in Philadelphia with wood countertops

Bernard Andre
Inspiration for a timeless freestanding bathtub remodel in San Francisco

Photography by Bruce Damonte
Example of a large farmhouse white one-story wood gable roof design in San Francisco

Large elegant gray floor mudroom photo in Boston with white walls

Adam Cohen Photography
Example of a beach style l-shaped kitchen design in Jacksonville with matchstick tile backsplash, marble countertops, shaker cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and multicolored backsplash

Photography by: Jamie Padgett
Example of a transitional powder room design in Chicago with a pedestal sink

We designed banquette seating with handy storage drawers for this kitchen renovation. Custom table by Ann Kelly Interiors. Photo: Wendy Concannon
Kitchen/dining room combo - mid-sized contemporary medium tone wood floor kitchen/dining room combo idea in Philadelphia

Todd Pierson
Great room - mid-sized transitional brown floor and dark wood floor great room idea in Chicago with beige walls and no fireplace

Light filled foyer with 1"x6" pine tongue and groove planking, antique table and parsons chair. Photo by Scott Smith Photographic
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal ceramic tile and beige floor entryway remodel in Jacksonville with a glass front door and beige walls

The configuration of a structural wall at one end of the bathroom influenced the interior shape of the walk-in steam shower. The corner chases became home to two recessed shower caddies on either side of a niche where a Botticino marble bench resides. The walls are white, highly polished Thassos marble. For the custom mural, Thassos and Botticino marble chips were fashioned into a mosaic of interlocking eternity rings. The basket weave pattern on the shower floor pays homage to the provenance of the house. The linen closet next to the shower was designed to look like it originally resided with the vanity--compatible in style, but not exactly matching. Like so many heirloom cabinets, it was created to look like a double chest with a marble platform between upper and lower cabinets. The upper cabinet doors have antique glass behind classic curved mullions that are in keeping with the eternity ring theme in the shower. Photographer: Peter Rymwid

Craftsman style living room with coffered ceilings and custom fireplace.
Arts and crafts living room photo in DC Metro with a tile fireplace

Cherie Cordellos (www.photosbycherie.net)
Inspiration for a rustic family room remodel in San Francisco with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a wood fireplace surround